Low Cost Media Streaming Device

[allyn22]

Hello Everyone,

Happy Holidays. I was looking for low cost options for a streaming media device for my daughter who is at college. She has been using her phone, which eats up battery (what I want to avoid). She usually connects via 3.5mm to RCA to a small stereo. It would be nice to have something that could initially connect, start it playing (Pandora, Slacker, etc.) then disconnect and let it do it's thing.

Something like a Sonos connect would work, but I don't want to spend $350 to get that functionality. I thought of a Chromecast Audio for $35, but from what I heard, it needs a source (phone or other) continually connected to it in order for it to output sound, so that defeats the purpose of what I am looking for.

I figured if there was a low cost way to do this, someone here would know and could share.

Thanks,

Al

[audiobill]

She must have a computer, it could connect wirelessly to a $99 airport express connected to her stereo.

[MusicHead]

Does she have a TV by the stereo? An entry level Roku would be really easy to setup and it can stream virtually anything on its own

[Loop 7]

Any Roku offers the content provider agnostic benefit.

However, what is she streaming? Music stored on the phone or steaming from a service?

[allyn22]

Thanks Everyone for the replies.

My daughter does not have a TV in her room. She uses the free music services (Pandora, Slacker, etc.).

[allyn22]

I thought of another solution. I was cleaning out on e of the rooms and came across my Wife's old smartphone. She had extra batteries so I put the phone in airplane mode, turned wifi on and she can now use that sacrificial phone as her music source. I put a 64 GB micro SD in there to store what ever she wants if she wants to use her own music.

[adaboy]

If she has a smart phone she does not need a computer for Google Chromecast Audio. I have one and 4 regular Chromecasts she'll love it.