Audio Erotica

Because I'm a Google guy and because The Apex had a Nest Thermostat installed I set up the audio experience at The Apex using the Google Home app, Google Nest and Google Nest Mini speakers, and Chromecast Audio devices to include non-smart but really cool speakers and receivers. Each room at The Apex has some form of Google Nest speaker(s). The Google Nest speakers can be configured in stereo pairs. I have a pair in the Master Bedroom, the Guest Room, and East Wing, and the Workshop. The bathroom has a single Google Nest speaker and the Kitchen has a single Nest Mini.

The loft is a bit of a different story. I became infatuated with the look of the Zenith Circle of Sound speakers so I bought a pair from eBay. They couldn't be used without some form of amplifier so I got a little Pyle amp, hooked up the speakers, and was completely disappointed in the sound. The speakers were completely worn out so I order up a pair of replacements, opened up the Circle of Sound cabinets, and replaced the speakers. When I hooked them back up to the amp there was a persistent hum. Disappointed yet again I decided to go back to a real audio amp. I spoke with a friend with similar vintage tastes and he offered to give me back the audio reciever I gave to him when I moved to the Google Nest speakers. I hooked up the repaired Circle of Sound speakers to the Technics receiver and, after adding a little treble and bass the speakers sounded fantastic! A bit more work and money than I wanted to spend but they now sound as good as they look! The Circle of Sound speakers + amplifier have been added to the speaker network by using an old Chromecast audio device I still had from days past. The receiver and the Circle of Sound speakers now reside in the loft.

I'm a YouTube music subscriber and, because I'm a Google guy, I can cast music from YouTub Music to all these speakers through a speaker group that includes all speakers in the house. It is amazing to be abe to move from room to room and hear the music consistently throughout. I could not be happier with how this has all worked out. I can cast to specific speakers (and speaker pairs) but I generally default to casting music throughout The Apex so I hear the same music at the same time throughout The Apex.

There's another speaker project afoot that includes a pair of vintage speakers, will require another reciever, and the use of another Chromecast Audio to add more vintage stuff to my Smart speaker network. More to come!

Unfortunately audio via Chromecast wasn't 100% awesome right away. At first, the speakers kept dropping off the network. Somtimes when I shut down the device streaming the music without disconnecting (my phone, my tablet, or my computer) music would continue to play until I unplugged the router. It was hella frustrating and, at times, a source of ridicule from my guests. I did some research and discovered three things:

1. Chromecast relies on multicast
2. My ISP's router doesn't support multicast
3. I hate being ridiculed

I turned to the Googles (did I mention I'm a Google guy?) and found a router that supports multicast - the Ubiquiti Dream Router 7. I put a crowbar in my wallet, bought the router, a PoE switch, a Wireless Access Point for inside, and a Wireless Access Point for outside, and had my electrician install Ethernet for the PoE devices. My network is now rock solid and totally reliable. Like I said above, I couldn't be happier wih the outcome. Getting here cost more than I planned on but the Ubiquiti gear is really, really good and my audio experience is dead reliable.

Through the process of identifying root cause (lack of multicast support from the AT&T Fiber router) I also came to the conclusion that AT&T is really the worst ISP on the planet. No real surprise here but just in case you didn't already know...