Streaming Amazon Music from Fire tablet to integrated amp?

[Rdw]

Hi All,

Technical question on behalf of my elderly dad, who has been seemingly mis-sold a setup that has left him with poor audio....

Dad has been sold a Fire 7 tablet and a Home Spot bluetooth receiver whilst subscribing to Amazon Music Unlimited. He has connected the receiver in to his Arcam Solo Neo.He is disappointed with the sound quality, having always used CDs. The signal is not very stable and frequently drops out. He hasn't got the packaging to send the tablet/receiver back for a refund, so it would be good to find a solution that at least makes use of the tablet.

It seems the highest quality wireless link currently available on the setup is using the basic SBC bluetooth codec, limited on both the tablet and receiver, so upgrading the bluetooth codec by replacing just one device won't help, from what I understand.

I want to find a solution that results in high quality music and doesn't require a lot of spending, as I feel there should be a reasonably simple solution for less than £100, maybe less than £50... I want to see what you good people of the forum can suggest

Thoughts so far:

Is there a way of streaming the music over wifi? Amazon does not seem very forthcoming in this regard. I'd like a device like the Chromecast Audio, but Amazon apparently don't allow this to link to their tablets, and google no longer make them. I've heard that you can root the tablet and buy a refurbed Chromecast Audio, but this seems a bit involved as a first solution. Is there a modern equivalent device that works with Amazon Music, doesn't cost hundreds of pounds, and is easy to set up? I saw the Amazon Echo Link seems to be discontinued, and seemed way over-priced anyway. There's the Amazon Echo Dot, but i don't know if that will produce high quality audio output through the 3.5mm connector, through a 3.5mm to RCA cable, in to the Arcam Solo Neo? 

Any suggestions/solutions more than welcome! Please let me know if this is posted in the wrong part of the forum.

Many thanks,

Rich

 

[bencat]

First and foremost if this has been bought from Amazon directly then there should be no problem at all sending the item back . Having dealt with Amazon for many years there customer service is very good (an example I had a pair of Sony Blu Tooth ear buds that were outside the return period contact Amazon and without any prompting from me they agreed to send out a brand new replacement same day and I just packed up the old ones and they collected) . So if you feel you just want this stuff gone then talk to them and see what results from that .

I am able to cast from my Amazon Tablet to an Onkyo Reciever but had issues getting it to play any of the Hi Res files from Amazon so cancelled the service before the trial finished .

As you say they are not that good at getting the higher levels of file out . If the Arcam has an HDMI in then you can use an Amazon FireStick to get CD quality music out and this sounds good , but as you are playing extra for the additional quality files that seems a little pointless .

Only other suggestion is that you can cast the Tablet to a TV provided it has WiFi (or I think connect via the USB plug) and then take either the digital output from the TV directly to the Arcam (normally a TOSLINK Digital Output) or there will be an analogue output which could again be sent to the Arcam . The digital out is most likely to give you the best sound quality but all this depends what your Dad,s current TV is .

 

[Rdw]

Thanks for the reply @bencat much appreciated. That's interesting you had similar experience with an amazon tablet. I'm currently trying to find out if the Amazon Echo Dot would provide good quality streamed audio, with the tablet acting as a controller, or whether it would simply act as another low quality bluetooth receiver....

Is anyone able to clarify that point? 

I dare say if my Dad pushed he could send the tablet and receiver back to Amazon, but I should think he'll feel a bit of defeat in doing so, so a work-around solution would be preferable

Many thanks,

Rich

 

[griffo104]

I use Amazon HD and my Chromecast Audio with no problems at all. the Amazon literature does state that you can't use it but the cast symbol comes up on the app and it connects with no problems. That's from my mobile phone but no idea whether Amazon's own hardware allows it.

I have an echo dot and, imo, the sound quality isn't that great but if he has Amazon's music service there is no need to control it from a tablet (or bluetooth), just speak to it as it ties directly in to your Amazon account.

 

[brucer2]

You can cast Amazon HD to a Chromecast Audio, but you won't get HD quality. 

 

[griffo104]

true but it still sounds better than bluetooth. Thing is is many say Amazon cant use the CCA but it can actually connect to it.

I keep meaning to plug the output from CCA in to one of my dacs but can't find the appropriate cable, just have to buy another one at some point.

When I do use my amp/speakers I just tend to plug the laptop/phone in to the dac through usb as I sit close enough to the kit not to have to worry about wireless transmission.

 

[Lee M]

Before i bought my BlueSound Node2i. I used a CCA dongle. Streamed Spotify AmazonHD and Tidal perfectly, hardly ever lost the Wi-Fi signal. Optical out gave full range automatically, using the 3.5mm jack you need to access full dynamic or what ever its called in the menus on the app. I used my Android phone.  For 30 quid or so its a bargin. The bluesound is better but not by very much at all.