'one box' stereo

[Watchman]

kingston12 said:

The real advantages for me are the multi-room ability and the 5ghz compatibility.

I initially set mine up with my 2.4GHz network but I've tried, and failed, to change it to 5GHz.

I did a factory reset of the device and fixed my phone to 5GHz only but it couldn't find the CA puck whilst on the 5GHz network.

As soon as I reenabled the 2.4GHz network on my phone, it found the CA immediately.

Help please.

[kingston12]

Watchman said:

I initially set mine up with my 2.4GHz network but I've tried, and failed, to change it to 5GHz.

I did a factory reset of the device and fixed my phone to 5GHz only but it couldn't find the CA puck whilst on the 5GHz network.

As soon as I reenabled the 2.4GHz network on my phone, it found the CA immediately.

Help please.

That is strange. When I was reading the reviews for Chromecast Audio I came across a few similar comments which worried me because the 5ghz capability was the main reason for me buying them. I am sure they said it was fixed by a firmware update.

So are you saying that the Chromecast Audio is on the 5ghz band, but your phone can only find it when it is on 2.4ghz?

What client are you using to stream? I have a strange problem with Plex from my iMac. If I try to play directly from the iMac, it rarely 'sees' any of my Chromecasts. If I use my phone or iPad to cast the content (it is still actually streaming from the iMac) then all of the individual Chromecast and the groups are there 100% of the time.

[paralla]

kingston12 said:

That is strange. When I was reading the reviews for Chromecast Audio I came across a few similar comments which worried me because the 5ghz capability was the main reason for me buying them. I am sure they said it was fixed by a firmware update.

So are you saying that the Chromecast Audio is on the 5ghz band, but your phone can only find it when it is on 2.4ghz?

What client are you using to stream? I have a strange problem with Plex from my iMac. If I try to play directly from the iMac, it rarely 'sees' any of my Chromecasts. If I use my phone or iPad to cast the content (it is still actually streaming from the iMac) then all of the individual Chromecast and the groups are there 100% of the time.

This is why people love Sonos. I can go and work on an oil rig or whatever for 6 weeks confident that my technophobe other half will not have music to listen to. I'm not saying Sonos doesn't have problems but once it's set up and stable it's good to go.

[jimmytheone]

FWIW I was looking for a "one box" hifi for kitchen/diner and ended up doing a deal with Richer Sounds on a Marantz MCR611 and a pair of Dali Zensor 1's.
Not especially cheap but I was not overly impressed with the sonos system, neat but a bit lacking quality.

Marantz

[kingston12]

paralla said:

This is why people love Sonos. I can go and work on an oil rig or whatever for 6 weeks confident that my technophobe other half will not have music to listen to. I'm not saying Sonos doesn't have problems but once it's set up and stable it's good to go.

Yes, but it depends on your environment. I owned Sonos gear for 5 years before swapping to Chromecast Audio and it was never stable in that time. I spent hours on the phone with Sonos support who were very helpful, but ultimately could not fix it. Turning on the microwave would kill it, as would opening the front door (!) and it was all running on a wireless network that was 100% stable streaming 1080p video around the house.

I blame the congestion on the 2.4ghz band in my area, but I live in the London suburbs so not as busy an environment as some systems will have to contend with.

For it's part, Chromecast Audio has actually been 100% stable apart from the fact I have had to wire one of my zones as the reach of the 5ghz is quite poor compared to 2.4ghz. The Plex issue I mentioned above is a strange one, but I can't really blame Chromecast for that as they are always visible for all other devices.

I suppose Sonos vs their competitors is a bit like Apple vs Android. If you want the 'best' and easiest to use, you pay a bit extra to get it, if not there are other options. I'd normally fall on the Sonos side of that debate, and I'd still be using it if they enabled 5ghz.

[paulrockliffe]

paralla said:

I know its expensive but I think the investment is well worthwhile in a kitchen or bathroom to fit ceiling speakers.

I have pairs of Monitor Audio speakers in the kitchen and the bathroom and they are practically invisible, they don't take up a plug socket, they don't clutter up the bench and they don't get greasy.

Mine are powered by Sonos Connect Amps but I'm sure you could find cheaper amps if you prefer to use Chromecast. Something that has a signal sensing turn on would be best.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PyleHome-PAMP1000-Home-Ste...

Edited by paralla on Friday 5th February 14:40

As a comparison, I've got £15 a pair eBay speakers and £17 Lepai amplifiers, with the £22 Chromecast (If you wait for offers on eBay). £54 a room. I'm sure your sound quality is much better than mine, but actually mine sounds pretty good and is more than adequate for me. So it doesn't have to cost mega bucks. It's probably applicable to the OP as kids bedrooms don't need the last word in audio.

The only thing I need to find a way to do is have the Chromecasts trigger the power-supply for the bank of amplifiers, but I've got that on a timer at the moment, which is a decent compromise. A signal-sensing option and amps that took optical input might be worth a few extra quid. This sort of setup can be upgraded much more easily in future too.

Although I've got everything wired back to a central point, there's no reason why you can't put all the hardware into the ceiling, it's all tiny. You just need a mains supply there, which should be easy in the upstairs rooms, and not hugely tricky for downstairs rooms.

[Watchman]

kingston12 said:

Watchman said:

I initially set mine up with my 2.4GHz network but I've tried, and failed, to change it to 5GHz.

I did a factory reset of the device and fixed my phone to 5GHz only but it couldn't find the CA puck whilst on the 5GHz network.

As soon as I reenabled the 2.4GHz network on my phone, it found the CA immediately.

Help please.

That is strange. When I was reading the reviews for Chromecast Audio I came across a few similar comments which worried me because the 5ghz capability was the main reason for me buying them. I am sure they said it was fixed by a firmware update.

So are you saying that the Chromecast Audio is on the 5ghz band, but your phone can only find it when it is on 2.4ghz?

What client are you using to stream? I have a strange problem with Plex from my iMac. If I try to play directly from the iMac, it rarely 'sees' any of my Chromecasts. If I use my phone or iPad to cast the content (it is still actually streaming from the iMac) then all of the individual Chromecast and the groups are there 100% of the time.

No, I couldn't seem to get the CA onto the 5GHz network at all.

I was able to "fix" my phone to the 5GHz network, and then reset the CA (previously on the 2.4GHz network) by turning it off for a minute then holding down the reset key when switching it on.

The phone was definitely on the 5GHz network - I logged into my router (standard BT affair) and could see it under the 5GHz devices. I could also see both of the other CAs on the 2.4GHz network here.

After rebooting the CA, it was not found by the CA software on my phone. Nothing showed at all. After a while I got bored and switched on "automatic" for the network setting on my phone. It reconnected to the 2.4GHz network and found the CA immediately.

[kingston12]

Watchman said:

kingston12 said:

Watchman said:

I initially set mine up with my 2.4GHz network but I've tried, and failed, to change it to 5GHz.

I did a factory reset of the device and fixed my phone to 5GHz only but it couldn't find the CA puck whilst on the 5GHz network.

As soon as I reenabled the 2.4GHz network on my phone, it found the CA immediately.

Help please.

That is strange. When I was reading the reviews for Chromecast Audio I came across a few similar comments which worried me because the 5ghz capability was the main reason for me buying them. I am sure they said it was fixed by a firmware update.

So are you saying that the Chromecast Audio is on the 5ghz band, but your phone can only find it when it is on 2.4ghz?

What client are you using to stream? I have a strange problem with Plex from my iMac. If I try to play directly from the iMac, it rarely 'sees' any of my Chromecasts. If I use my phone or iPad to cast the content (it is still actually streaming from the iMac) then all of the individual Chromecast and the groups are there 100% of the time.

No, I couldn't seem to get the CA onto the 5GHz network at all.

I was able to "fix" my phone to the 5GHz network, and then reset the CA (previously on the 2.4GHz network) by turning it off for a minute then holding down the reset key when switching it on.

The phone was definitely on the 5GHz network - I logged into my router (standard BT affair) and could see it under the 5GHz devices. I could also see both of the other CAs on the 2.4GHz network here.

After rebooting the CA, it was not found by the CA software on my phone. Nothing showed at all. After a while I got bored and switched on "automatic" for the network setting on my phone. It reconnected to the 2.4GHz network and found the CA immediately.

Hmm, annoying. Hopefully someone more knowledgable will be along shortly, I just can't think what can be going wrong here.

Do they work well on 2.4ghz? I do find that the 5ghz range is much shorter and have actually bought the ethernet adaptor for one zone for that reason.

[Watchman]

kingston12 said:

Watchman said:

kingston12 said:

Watchman said:

I initially set mine up with my 2.4GHz network but I've tried, and failed, to change it to 5GHz.

I did a factory reset of the device and fixed my phone to 5GHz only but it couldn't find the CA puck whilst on the 5GHz network.

As soon as I reenabled the 2.4GHz network on my phone, it found the CA immediately.

Help please.

That is strange. When I was reading the reviews for Chromecast Audio I came across a few similar comments which worried me because the 5ghz capability was the main reason for me buying them. I am sure they said it was fixed by a firmware update.

So are you saying that the Chromecast Audio is on the 5ghz band, but your phone can only find it when it is on 2.4ghz?

What client are you using to stream? I have a strange problem with Plex from my iMac. If I try to play directly from the iMac, it rarely 'sees' any of my Chromecasts. If I use my phone or iPad to cast the content (it is still actually streaming from the iMac) then all of the individual Chromecast and the groups are there 100% of the time.

No, I couldn't seem to get the CA onto the 5GHz network at all.

I was able to "fix" my phone to the 5GHz network, and then reset the CA (previously on the 2.4GHz network) by turning it off for a minute then holding down the reset key when switching it on.

The phone was definitely on the 5GHz network - I logged into my router (standard BT affair) and could see it under the 5GHz devices. I could also see both of the other CAs on the 2.4GHz network here.

After rebooting the CA, it was not found by the CA software on my phone. Nothing showed at all. After a while I got bored and switched on "automatic" for the network setting on my phone. It reconnected to the 2.4GHz network and found the CA immediately.

Hmm, annoying. Hopefully someone more knowledgable will be along shortly, I just can't think what can be going wrong here.

Do they work well on 2.4ghz? I do find that the 5ghz range is much shorter and have actually bought the ethernet adaptor for one zone for that reason.

To be fair, I have had absolutely no issues with them on the 2.4GHz network. I only really want to move them to the 5GHz network because I have most of my devices on 2.4GHz and wanted to share the load a bit.

I believe that higher frequencies have shorter range and lower penetration in general although I'm not sure how that translates in practical terms for these networks. Mine are not that far from the router really - although they are all behind solid brick walls in each direction (I have 3CAs).

As an experiment, if I work out how to move them to 5GHz, I will, otherwise they are working perfectly OK as they are.

[gizlaroc]

I can't get my Chromecast (regular mkII version) to connect to my 5Ghz network either, I am using a BThomehub 5 btw.

I should try it off the Apple Airport extreme I suppose, but I can't be bothered.

[gregd]

Watchman said:

I have an earlier version of that in my garage hooked up to a pair of abused Missions and one of my Chromecast Audio pucks.

Great setup for a workshop that.. I've got an old and yellowing set of JBL Creatures out in my shed for similar DIY tunes

[Watchman]

gregd said:

Great setup for a workshop that.. I've got an old and yellowing set of JBL Creatures out in my shed for similar DIY tunes

Ha, thanks. That's only a small corner too. I have a large camping trailer I need to get shot of, then I can finish the storage and tidy up a bit.

Oh, and I will be able to build a second bench with space for more machines. I'm thinking of making a bench that can be wheeled in and out of the garage doors, to afford me more room when working with larger sheets of wood (I make "stuff" ).

[Watchman]

Those Scandyna speakers are a little "thin" sounding, and the amp proved to be useless. So I have decided to build a sub with a built-in 2.1 amp to power both the Scandynas and the sub itself.

Progress so far - in the hour or so that I had available over the weekend - was limited to cutting the ply (I prefer ply to fibre boards) and starting to assemble.

One of the Scandynas with not-quite-matching sub driver:




Box glue drying in the Triton clamp (with a previous project - the campsite "iPod dock" in the background):




Experimenting with the Router table I bought years ago and never really learned how to use it properly:

Edited by Watchman on Thursday 11th February 12:58

[Watchman]

Ran out of time over the weekend - but I think I've got more time this coming weekend. I intend to finish the box construction, including the rear panel (where all the inputs, outputs and controls will go), get the driver mounted, then fill and sand the box to a finish ready for paint.

The amp circuit and PSU are "in the post" from China. I am not convinced they are going to be great quality but they were cheap, so I thought I'd start with something commercial - see how I get on with it - and if it doesn't work out, I'll build my own. I have a number of "overkill" mono power amps (150W -> 4Ohms) that I could use with an appropriate sub filter (which I also have) but they require a lot of cooling. Mounting them all together in a 1-foot-cubic box will give me a problem. However, I do have a top quality PSU for something of that power but unfortunately the output voltage is too great for the lower-powered amp board I've ordered.

I'll get there in the end. I'm enjoying making the box right now.

I'm not going to fit a bass-reflex port. The 2.1 amp has adjustable crossover and volume control for the sub which will be enough. The objective isn't "HiFi" anyway... just some full-ish range noise for my barely-interested 11yo son... OK it's just a project for me - to keep me out of my wife's hair.

[gregd]

That's brilliant.. We've got to build a new garage first so I've got a ways to go!

[Watchman]

Amp and PSU turned up today, so I will get on with finishing the box and testing the electronics. I have little faith in the amp to be honest - the heatsink is quite small, reinforcing my sense of reality about the claims of 50W+50W+100W to each channel.

I'm willing to be surprised. If the sound quality is reasonable with no audible hiss, hum or other, I'll probably just go with it.

Alternatively, I have a 150W Maplin amp from years ago and a tiny active sub-crossover which would more than kick the sub-driver's arse. It'd leave me without an immediate solution for the L&R channels though but there are some interesting power amp boards out there with integral heatsinks that would run from my +50V 0V -50V supply.

[Watchman]

Bought a pre-cut speaker ring from Ebay to use as a template:




Came out satisfactorily:




After a "first cut" sanding, it's starting to look pretty good:






Then I braced the back - the rear panel needs to be removable to provide access for the speaker mounting and the electronics:

#


The black burn marks are from my table saw - I need to learn how hard I can pull the wood through: It'll sand out before paint:




The back panel needs to be metal to accommodate the plugs and sockets, and if I have to resort to a plan B (more powerful) amplifier which will require more heat-sinking than the 2.1 amp I'm currently intending to use:




Cut and rebated into the back board:





Ran out of time again... more next weekend. NOt sure whether to get on with finishing the box (fill and paint) or start playing with the electronics.

[Watchman]

Couldn't help myself - I "stole" another 20 mins to offer the speaker up. Had to get some pics:

[dmsims]

Nice work

[Watchman]

Looking at what it will take to seal the box now, and what will go inside.

1. Rubber strip around the metal plate seals it nicely in the rebated rear panel.
2. Speaker binding posts are a lot cheaper to the touch than I thought they might be but they'll do for now. I may only use banana plugs for the speaker cables anyway.
3. The USB outlet will be used to power the Chromecast Audio
4. The Power Supply has 2x 12v outputs - one will power the amp, the other the USB outlet
5. The amp. I am preparing for disappointment. In fact my preparations have included ordering 4x clones of the Quad 405 amp board that the Chinese are knocking out on Ebay. I'll need 3 of them in this system if I resort to them but I'm hoping the weeny amp will be "sufficient".

In addition, I've already got a spike-resistant mains inlet and I *may* have a 3.5mm jack inlet kicking around (or I'll pick one up from Maplin).

So... testing the electronics this coming weekend.

Edited by Watchman on Wednesday 24th February 17:04