Cast From Iphone To Chromecast +picture
A Chromecast Audio apostle connects to your home Wi-Fi network, and receives Internet-based audio agreeable from a Chromecast-compatible app on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Chromecast's capital advantage over the added accepted Bluetooth accepted is that it lets you comedy the aforementioned audio on assorted speakers throughout your home. You can additionally comedy music from a buzz or book on a apostle in accession allotment of your home, and can ascendancy it application voice-commands through Google Home. You can additionally add Chromecast to about any apostle with a 3.5 mm analog input, application Google's bargain Chromecast Audio dongle.
Panelist Phil Metzler contemplates the claim of the architecture of the assorted Chromecast speakers afterwards the atramentous bolt was removed to acknowledge their identities. Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald
When attractive for the best Chromecast speaker, the alone affection we insisted on was Google Chromecast (or in the case of our runner-up, the adeptness to absorb a Chromecast Audio dongle).
There were a few added appearance that aren't absolutely necessary, but we accepted seeing them anyways:
We concluded up with 10 speakers that fit our criteria, at prices alignment from a little over $100 to about $500. We started by application them in a accidental manner, ambience anniversary up on our network, and downloading the manufacturer-provided app if there was one. We listened to assorted models for a few days, again sat bottomward for a few hours to analyze their sound.
Next, we alleged in a alert panel—headphone editor Lauren Dragan and artist Phil Metzler—for a dark test. We buried all of the speakers with attenuate atramentous fabric, and again played whatever music Lauren and Phil requested application a Samsung Galaxy S8. We started with anniversary apostle at best volume, so they could see what it was able of, again we adapted the aggregate to their liking. Afterwards they aggregate their ratings, we removed the atramentous bolt and advised the products' architecture and prices, and Lauren and Phil gave their final picks. The three of us agreed unanimously—in my experience, a attenuate aftereffect for a dark test.
Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald
For our alert panel, the JBL Playlist's clearer and fuller complete fabricated it the bright standout in its amount range. Our testers anticipation it had a nice presence, with an alike antithesis of bass, midrange, and treble. Besides Chromecast, the Playlist can affix with your accessories via Bluetooth or a 3.5 mm audio input. And its simple and affected design, with easy-to-access ascendancy buttons, will fit into any room.
The Playlist was the loudest of the budget-priced models, carrying 2.4 decibels added complete than the Grace Digital CastDock X2 and 3.4 dB added than the cheapest Sonos speaker, the Play:1. Basically, the Playlist gives you about as abundant added aggregate as you'd get by axis up your smartphone's aggregate a cleft or two.
Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald
If the JBL Playlist isn't available, or if you appetite a architecture that's a little added compact, we acclaim the Grace Digital CastDock X2. It's a basic architecture with no playback or aggregate controls, so you accept to do aggregate with your phone. In fact, it doesn't alike appear with Chromecast—you accept to add your own Chromecast Audio dongle, which as of this autograph raises the accumulated amount to alone about $20 beneath than the Playlist. Fortunately, the CastDock X2 is accurately advised to board said dongle. Just pop off the magnetically absorbed lid, affix the audio and ability cables, bead in the dongle and alter the top.
The CastDock X2 sounds amazingly acceptable for such a small, bargain product, admitting the bass was not as nuanced as the JBL Playlist's. It has a rear 3.5 mm analog ascribe for abutting an MP3 amateur or added source, and a about-face that lets it assignment as the larboard or appropriate apostle back two CastDock X2s are commutual for stereo.
Photo: Kyle Fitzgerald
The Riva Festival sounds bigger than any Chromecast apostle we tested, but it's in an absolutely altered chic of artefact than our added two picks. As of this writing, it was priced added than three times as aerial as the JBL Playlist, our top pick. But it's not fair to analyze the two, any added than it's fair to analyze a affluence auto with an econobox. That said, if you appetite the best complete from a Chromecast apostle beneath $500, this is the one to get.
The Riva Festival was by far the loudest apostle we tested. In fact, the bass was so able and bright that it articulate as if the Festival had a subwoofer congenital in. The downside is that the bass can get a little too advancing with some music, and our alert console acclaimed that it seemed acquainted for ball music.
This adviser may accept been adapted by Wirecutter. To see the accepted recommendation, amuse go here.
Note from Wirecutter: Back readers accept to buy our apart called beat picks, we may acquire associate commissions that abutment our work.
