[almarti]

Hi, it seems to me that this is the biggest CCA thread on Head-Fi so maybe someone can help me out even if my question is not on sound quality:
My smartphone (Huawei P9 lite) doesn't support OTG and its DAC is not worth its name. At home, or anywhere with a wireless network, I can easily connect to my CCA and have good quality music. But on the go, with no network around, that connection is not possible - or is it? Might there be a way to set up a closed network using my phone as router for it to connect to the CCA? Has anybody tried that?
Thanks for any thoughts!

Have you tried to enable your smartphone as wifi hotspot with your same home wifi SSID and password? This should cheat CCA to think it's at home and can transmit.

I use this trick for my wifi-only devices on the GO to use my cellular data plan on a transparent way for those devices. Not yet tested with CCA but it should work.

 

[almarti]

Just replying to myself to confirm the configuration I previously explained it works perfectly with Tidal for both online and Offline tracks. Under streaming (online) data cellular plan is spent but not in offline (only the wifi link between the smartphone and CCA).

This setup avoids the default Android audio driver to be used and not upsampling is got.

Nice setup.

 

[rkw]

Have you tried to enable your smartphone as wifi hotspot with your same home wifi SSID and password? This should cheat CCA to think it's at home and can transmit.

I use this trick for my wifi-only devices on the GO to use my cellular data plan on a transparent way for those devices. Not yet tested with CCA but it should work.

I just tried it, and it works brilliantly!

If you don't want to change your SSID's, it would be worth getting a second CCA for travel (they're cheap). Then configure your travel CCA to use your phone's hotspot SSID. To configure the travel CCA, you'll need do it from another Android phone/tablet while it's connected to the phone's hotspot, but you only need to configure it once and you'll be all set.

 

[almarti]

I just tried it, and it works brilliantly!

If you don't want to change your SSID's, it would be worth getting a second CCA for travel (they're cheap). Then configure your travel CCA to use your phone's hotspot SSID. To configure the travel CCA, you'll need do it from another Android phone/tablet while it's connected to the phone's hotspot, but you only need to configure it once and you'll be all set.

Yes, another alternative.
By the way, I always power the CCA through external power bank and ferrita rings in the USB cable. This helps to avoid RFI and ensure better CCA behavior if possible.

 

[Ggroch]

I see the newest version of the home app/firmware has added bass and treble tone controls (in an "Equalizer" setting) to Chromecast audio. It works both with analog and digital optical output. Of course, if you use them on the optical you are no longer bit perfect...but since they are totally digital there is no reason they should impact accuracy when zeroed out.

Can be a major benefit in real world use I think. Lets you compensate for less than perfect rooms, hearing, speakers, headphones. I have not experimented with it much yet, but my aged ears appreciate a slight treble boost on a lot of headphones...but my audiophile type amps do not have that option.

 

[MBit]

Have you tried to enable your smartphone as wifi hotspot with your same home wifi SSID and password? This should cheat CCA to think it's at home and can transmit.

I use this trick for my wifi-only devices on the GO to use my cellular data plan on a transparent way for those devices. Not yet tested with CCA but it should work.

Sorry for my late reply and thanks a lot for the idea! This sounds like a plan and I will try it out soon. It's good to be here

 

[MBit]

Yes, another alternative.
By the way, I always power the CCA through external power bank and ferrita rings in the USB cable. This helps to avoid RFI and ensure better CCA behavior if possible.

Which output of the CCA do you use? Optical or analog? I started using a power bank for that purpose as well and using the otical output, would those ferrita rings help anway?

 

[MBit]

I see the newest version of the home app/firmware has added bass and treble tone controls (in an "Equalizer" setting) to Chromecast audio. It works both with analog and digital optical output. Of course, if you use them on the optical you are no longer bit perfect...but since they are totally digital there is no reason they should impact accuracy when zeroed out.

Can be a major benefit in real world use I think. Lets you compensate for less than perfect rooms, hearing, speakers, headphones. I have not experimented with it much yet, but my aged ears appreciate a slight treble boost on a lot of headphones...but my audiophile type amps do not have that option.

Thanks for the info, that is great news! I just tried pulling the bass all the way up to 6db but the sound only gets distorted on my setup... Treble sounds better so far.

 

[Ggroch]

The tone controls did not work well on my setup either. Bass boost is mid bass, not deep. I am hoping the controls will improve on future firmware updates. A parametric equalizer would be nice

 

[almarti]

Which output of the CCA do you use? Optical or analog? I started using a power bank for that purpose as well and using the otical output, would those ferrita rings help anway?

Same configuration as yours.
Ferrita rings reduce on the USB cable potential RFI. They are minimal when using power bank as there is not AC/DC conversion but it could rise if you use a wall USB charger.

 

[Baroninkjet]

Does anyone have any experience with CCA in a car? I'm getting a Pixel 2 w/o headphone jack, and was thinking it might be a better approach that BT, dongles, etc. For example, Phone hotspot connection to CCA, then either plug CCA into car jack or maybe add dragonfly, etc. Mostly streaming Spotify and Tidal. I've seen some old posts about how it can be done, but not much feedback from how well it works.

I'm a little leary, as it kind of reminds me of old iphone streaming, where content comes to phone, then gets sent out to receiver, etc. and burns your finger if you touch it. So just curious if anyone has done this and how practical it is.

Thanks!

 

[rkw]

Does anyone have any experience with CCA in a car? I'm getting a Pixel 2 w/o headphone jack, and was thinking it might be a better approach that BT, dongles, etc. For example, Phone hotspot connection to CCA, then either plug CCA into car jack or maybe add dragonfly, etc. Mostly streaming Spotify and Tidal. I've seen some old posts about how it can be done, but not much feedback from how well it works.

I'm a little leary, as it kind of reminds me of old iphone streaming, where content comes to phone, then gets sent out to receiver, etc. and burns your finger if you touch it. So just curious if anyone has done this and how practical it is.

Configure the CCA to use your phone's hotspot — see above (from post #316 onwards). In the car, connect the CCA to power and to the car's aux input, and turn on your phone's hotspot. Your phone should see the CCA and you should be able to use it just like a CCA at home. Quite frankly though, I see no advantage to using CCA in a car and I'd just use Bluetooth.

 

[Baroninkjet]

The main advantage I see is that there is no compression. I will also be using BT for phone audio... and my car system does not have aptX, etc. I believe Android can support separate BT channels for music and phone ( though iPhone cannot ) and if so something like Astell & Kern BT receiver might be an option too. If CCA works Ok, it seems like would be cheaper and higher quality.

 

[Roscoeiii]

I'd be surprised if there is an audible difference between Blutooth and WiFi hotspot in a car. Such a noisy environment.

 

[Baroninkjet]

I tried it with regular aptX when I had Galaxy S3 and difference was very pretty noticeable. Maybe better BT receiver and aptX HD would make a difference -- don't know.