An Easy Solution for Audio-Only Chromecasting
Frustrated that Google doesn’t sell any audio-only Chromecast devices anymore? Then you’ll love this solution developed by Hect0rr.
Google used to sell audio-only Chromecast devices, which were really handy for those of us interested in using Google’s Cast technology for steaming music to a stereo. But Google, in their infinite wisdom, stopped selling those and today you can only get video Chromecast devices that output through an HDMI cable. On the secondhand market, audio Chromecast devices are pricey — there is a limited supply, after all. That’s why Hect0rr was forced to develop his own audio-only Chromecast device and it is sure to be useful to many of our readers.
This device is perfect for people that want to Chromecast audio directly to a stereo, without involving a TV in the process. And Hect0rr designed it so that anyone can build it with readily available components that can be purchased new right now. The downside is that this costs more than a video Chromecast device (you’ll see why in a moment), but it is still cheaper than audio Chromecast devices on the used market.
This is possible because Hect0rr built the device around a standard video Chromecast. It simply extracts the audio to send to a stereo and throws the video into the trash. This should work with any video Chromecast device, but Hect0rr designed it specifically for 2nd generation devices and the enclosure fits those. If you choose to use a different Chromecast version, you will likely need to design your own enclosure.
The secret to this entire project is an HDMI-to-AV adapter. That accepts the HDMI input from the Chromecast, converts that to an analog signal, and outputs it to three RCA-style jacks (audio left, audio right, composite video).
If you wanted to see the video, that adapter would be quite the downgrade, because the effective resolution of composite video is generally only 720×480 (at 59.94Hz). But in this case, the whole point is to ignore the video signal anyway. Audio may suffer a bit (it isn’t clear what kind of digital-to-analog converter this adapter uses), but it probably won’t be noticeable to anyone but audiophiles.
While it isn’t necessary for functionality, Hect0rr designed a nifty 3D-printable enclosure to keep everything looking tidy. It stacks the Chromecast on top of the adapter, with a top cover bearing the Google Cast logo. It looks nice and keeps the wiring organized, so it can sit unobtrusively next to a stereo system.
