Chrome Box for the music room?
- Thread starter jdmccall
- Start date
TerryO
Super Member
The guys in our DIY Club use a lot of Cigar Boxes and Canned Salmon Gift boxes. Chrome Boxes? Not very often.
Best Regards,
TerryO
BadassBob
Digitally rendered
Chromeboxes are full fledged PC's, so you can do most things on them you would a PC. I haven't used Chrome OS, but being that it's at heart a Linux distro, I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work as a music player. The Asus model on Newegg for $170 looks like a bargain for a HTPC. Remember, you aren't tied down to Chrome OS, you can also run any Linux distro on it if you so choose.
Valveglow
Super Member
Not Chromebox but the thing is intriguing. I built a dedicated HTPC for music running into a Maverick D2 tube DAC and could not be more pleased.
I know there are many more e$oteric set ups out there, but this suits me fine. Interested in the simplicity of that Chromebox though.
I know there are many more e$oteric set ups out there, but this suits me fine. Interested in the simplicity of that Chromebox though.
sxty8goats
Super Member
Aren't Chromeboxes essentially HD free, needing remote storage? If so, a Raspberry PI is a Linux platform with ethernet and multiple USB ports. They retail @ $35 and with a pre-molded case they are a bit smaller than a bar of soap. I've been casually considering building a Vortex Box out of one.
BadassBob
Digitally rendered
The cheap Asus Chromebox has a dual core Celeron, 2GB of RAM, and a 16GB SSD, more than enough to serve as a music player. That's a lot of kit for the money ($169.99). If I were to get one, I'd be loading up XBMCbuntu and Squeezelite, have something that does A/V duties as well as a "passive" music player that requires no display to be powered on for playback. The only thing that it would need is a USB DAC or USB to S/PDIF converter to use your digital converter of choice. Still a bargain either way. Barebone computers with comparable hardware cost about the same, except you have the added cost of the hard drive and RAM on top of it.
BadassBob
Digitally rendered
Not that I'm aware of, but you can always add a USB -> S/PDIF converter.
bythbook
Active Member
how about a chromeBOOK?
I use a Chromebook as source for streaming (Google Play All Access) - fanless, quiet, etc.
For some time I ran the 'book into a DAC, cabled into a receiver. Now I "cast" to a Chromecast/Panlong HDMI-Audio converter, as popularized by Chicks in this thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=595471
I recognize that 320 kbps from Google Play isn't SOTA, but it works for me!
I use a Chromebook as source for streaming (Google Play All Access) - fanless, quiet, etc.
For some time I ran the 'book into a DAC, cabled into a receiver. Now I "cast" to a Chromecast/Panlong HDMI-Audio converter, as popularized by Chicks in this thread:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=595471
I recognize that 320 kbps from Google Play isn't SOTA, but it works for me!
jdmccall
Super Member
Well, we just bought our youngest son his first car so now we're broke. I don't have to worry about a Chromebox now. :sigh:
But on a positive note, I remembered that the cheap little Samsung Blu-ray player I just hooked to the TV (in the same room with my big-boy stereo) is a "smart" BR player. It's connected to the TV with HDMI and the TV has a Toslink output, so....all I need is a 25" optical cable to run to my NAD CD player's optical input! I'll be limited to the DLNA server, but I can live with that a while longer I guess.
But on a positive note, I remembered that the cheap little Samsung Blu-ray player I just hooked to the TV (in the same room with my big-boy stereo) is a "smart" BR player. It's connected to the TV with HDMI and the TV has a Toslink output, so....all I need is a 25" optical cable to run to my NAD CD player's optical input! I'll be limited to the DLNA server, but I can live with that a while longer I guess.
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