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Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
01-05-2021, 23:12 (This post was last modified: 10-05-2021 21:43 by MarmiteSandwich.)
Post: #1
Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
Thinking of ditching my raspberry Pi and installing a CXN V2. Wondering how others get on with it.

I depend on OpenHome to keep the queue on the Pi and I wonder if the CXN has equivalent features, or do I need to keep the/a Control Point running? Or do I need to rely on BubbleUPnP server to do the OpenHome functionality?

Is the Cambridge streaming app (StreamMagic?) effectively a UPnP control point, and does it need to be open and running to maintain the queue? Does the queue show up in other control points (e.g. BubbleUPnP)? Does the Cambridge app manage other UPnP renderers?

Does the CXN show cover art received from MinimServer (c.f. BubbleUPnP control point)?

Is the CXN V2 really gapless with all formats (e.g. .m4a)?

How does the UPnP queue interact with the Chromecast functionality? If UPnP is running and I send a Chromecast stream e.g. from the Qobuz app, I think the Chromecast stream takes over, but what happens to the UPnP queue? Can I resume it later from the Control Point?


Wondering about this...
Cheers,
Marmite

Server :: RaspberryPi3B+>Minimserver 2
Control : Android>BubbleUPnP / W10>Upplay / W10>Kazoo / iPhone>Kazoo
Renderer: BubbleUPnP Server>Cambridge Audio CXN V2
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02-06-2021, 16:26
Post: #2
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
Hi Marmite,

I have used Cambridge streamers since their inception and currently have a (black) CXNv2 along with a CXA80. What I like about the CXNv2 is that it has an internal queue. This means you can search your MinimServer library from the front panel, the StreamMagic app or the older Cambridge Connect app. Having selected music and added it to the queue, the CXNv2 itself interacts with MinimServer, playing whatever you have searched for, taking the burden away from the app. You could actually close the app on your phone/tablet and the tracks that are queued in the CXNv2 would still continue to play. Normally of course, you would still have the app running, in effect, acting as a remote control. You can toggle between different views, such as the list of tracks in the queue, details of the current track playing etc. This works well for me but my setup is in a single room with floor standing speakers.

Some years ago, out of interest on an early StreamMagic streamer, I did experiment with the Bubble UPnP server running on my NAS but as I didn’t need multi-room, I uninstalled it. The CXNv2 will support multi-room but I believe this uses inbuilt Chromecast functionality. This is a no-no for me as Chromecast does not support gapless playback from UPnP servers like MinimServer.

Yes, the CXNv2 does show cover art from Minim Server as described in the Minim Server documentation.

Yes, the CXNv2 is really gapless. FLAC is my default format but m4a and others including hi-res formats are also supported – see the Cambridge Audio website.

If you are listening to tracks in the queue then start playing something via Chromecast, the contents of the queue is retained but pressing play will the restart the track that was playing from the beginning of that track.

At the time I was considering upgrading to the v2 model, my local Richer Sounds were very helpful and said I could buy a v2, try it out for a few days and could return it for a refund if it wasn’t suitable.

Hope this helps.
John

JohnT
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02-06-2021, 21:19
Post: #3
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
I am not sure the CXN can handle M4a files, al least CA does not mention this on their website.
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02-06-2021, 21:59
Post: #4
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
Isn’t m4a the file type for ALAC?
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02-06-2021, 22:40
Post: #5
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
(02-06-2021 21:59)stefano_mbp Wrote:  Isn’t m4a the file type for ALAC?
Not sure , ALAC is lossless and m4a is not.
M4a seems to be Apples answer to MP3.
Just read lots of players support m4a so it may well be the CNX can play this format.
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03-06-2021, 06:37
Post: #6
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
The Apple answer to mp3 is .aac that is lossy while the Apple .m4a is the extension for ALAC (it doesn’t exist the .alac extension) and it is lossless
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless
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03-06-2021, 21:49
Post: #7
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
(03-06-2021 06:37)stefano_mbp Wrote:  The Apple answer to mp3 is .aac that is lossy while the Apple .m4a is the extension for ALAC (it doesn’t exist the .alac extension) and it is lossless
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless
I did read this: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-m4a-fo...io-formats
The wiki information looks more reliable to me.
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03-06-2021, 22:21
Post: #8
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
(02-06-2021 16:26)JohnT Wrote:  What I like about the CXNv2 is that it has an internal queue. This means you can search your MinimServer library from the front panel, the StreamMagic app or the older Cambridge Connect app. Having selected music and added it to the queue, the CXNv2 itself interacts with MinimServer, playing whatever you have searched for, taking the burden away from the app.

Some years ago, out of interest on an early StreamMagic streamer, I did experiment with the Bubble UPnP server running on my NAS but as I didn’t need multi-room, I uninstalled it. The CXNv2 will support multi-room but I believe this uses inbuilt Chromecast functionality. This is a no-no for me as Chromecast does not support gapless playback from UPnP servers like MinimServer.

Yes, the CXNv2 is really gapless. FLAC is my default format but m4a and others including hi-res formats are also supported – see the Cambridge Audio website.

If you are listening to tracks in the queue then start playing something via Chromecast, the contents of the queue is retained
Many thanks for this information, John. It will be very useful. It sounds like the CXN operates a similar system to the Linn Openhome standard. But I suspect that in the case of the CA approach, only the CA app can interact with the queue, or else a upnp control point needs to be permanently connected in order to manage the queue.

Would be happy to be proved wrong by anyone knowing more about it.

I guess I will need to install the bubbleupnp server to emulate Openhome functionality and keep open the option of using a range of different control points. I may well explore the "try before you buy" option, in which case I will report back.
Cheers,
Marmite

Server :: RaspberryPi3B+>Minimserver 2
Control : Android>BubbleUPnP / W10>Upplay / W10>Kazoo / iPhone>Kazoo
Renderer: BubbleUPnP Server>Cambridge Audio CXN V2
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03-06-2021, 22:43
Post: #9
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
(03-06-2021 21:49)Peter StreamMagic Wrote:  
(03-06-2021 06:37)stefano_mbp Wrote:  The Apple answer to mp3 is .aac that is lossy while the Apple .m4a is the extension for ALAC (it doesn’t exist the .alac extension) and it is lossless
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lossless
I did read this: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-m4a-fo...io-formats
The wiki information looks more reliable to me.

The aac codec is widely used by organisations other than apple, such as the BBC, because it is more efficient than mp3. The file extension m4a is widely used for audio files encoded with this codec, since it is the default format for audio data in mp4 video files. It is lossy. The apple lossless codec (sometimes referred to as alac) has the file extension m4a applied to it by apple, and many manufacturers and other organisations recognise alac as part of the m4a standard.

CA has conflicting statements about aac/alac/m4a files on its website, but the more recent information seems to suggest that all of these are supported and are rendered gaplessly.
Marmite

Server :: RaspberryPi3B+>Minimserver 2
Control : Android>BubbleUPnP / W10>Upplay / W10>Kazoo / iPhone>Kazoo
Renderer: BubbleUPnP Server>Cambridge Audio CXN V2
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03-06-2021, 23:06 (This post was last modified: 21-09-2021 16:46 by Peter StreamMagic.)
Post: #10
RE: Cambridge CXN V2 functionality?
(03-06-2021 22:21)MarmiteSandwich Wrote:  
(02-06-2021 16:26)JohnT Wrote:  What I like about the CXNv2 is that it has an internal queue. This means you can search your MinimServer library from the front panel, the StreamMagic app or the older Cambridge Connect app. Having selected music and added it to the queue, the CXNv2 itself interacts with MinimServer, playing whatever you have searched for, taking the burden away from the app.

Some years ago, out of interest on an early StreamMagic streamer, I did experiment with the Bubble UPnP server running on my NAS but as I didn’t need multi-room, I uninstalled it. The CXNv2 will support multi-room but I believe this uses inbuilt Chromecast functionality. This is a no-no for me as Chromecast does not support gapless playback from UPnP servers like MinimServer.

Yes, the CXNv2 is really gapless. FLAC is my default format but m4a and others including hi-res formats are also supported – see the Cambridge Audio website.

If you are listening to tracks in the queue then start playing something via Chromecast, the contents of the queue is retained
Many thanks for this information, John. It will be very useful. It sounds like the CXN operates a similar system to the Linn Openhome standard. But I suspect that in the case of the CA approach, only the CA app can interact with the queue, or else a upnp control point needs to be permanently connected in order to manage the queue.

Would be happy to be proved wrong by anyone knowing more about it.

I guess I will need to install the bubbleupnp server to emulate Openhome functionality and keep open the option of using a range of different control points. I may well explore the "try before you buy" option, in which case I will report back.
Cheers,
Marmite
I am not sure about the CXN but when using the CA SM6 in combination with bubble server volume control is not possible using an openhome app
Some CA streamers also are not able to play radio streams served by MinimServer
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