Chromecast Audio launched as a cool little audio streaming dongle, but the features being added in the latest update could turn it into a powerful entry-level party machine. Google has introduced two big new features. The first is hi-res audio, delivering your tunes at a crisp 96khz/24bit format (higher quality than a CD). Should sound great on any stereo setup.
Furthermore, Google is making it possible to stream to multiple rooms at the same time. Your music will stay perfectly in sync, so if you have folks mingling in different parts of the house they’ll all be hearing the same tunes. The pairing is done through a simple “group” option in the Chromecast app.
Your friends will also be able to cast to the “group,” so if they’re using the remote cast feature they won’t have to worry about any tricky setups. Chromecast may not be able to compete with a traditional home audio setup, but it also only costs $25. Not bad for all the stuff it can do now, and with confidence that Google will keep improving the device down the line we’d say it’s not a bad pickup if you aren’t interested in a more expensive (and complicated) tool.
The update should happen in the background, but you’ll need to grab the latest Chromecast app to start playing or you can sideload it via APK from here.
