Pioneer Home Entertainment has released a firmware update enabling Chromecast built-in audio streaming on select home hi-fi components, AV receivers, home theater systems, and network speaker systems manufactured in 2016 or later, together with voice control support for Google Home speaker or Google Assistant Audio devices to be released in the future.
Pioneer also announced that the MRX-3 Multi-Room Wireless Speaker is shipping today for an MSRP of $349 and also features Chromecast built-in among its Wi-Fi capabilities.
Today’s firmware update is available for the following Pioneer products: Elite: SC-LX901, SC-LX801, SC-LX701, SC-LX501, VSX-LX301, VSX-LX101, SX-S30, and FS-EB70; Pioneer: VSX-1131, VSX-832, VSX-831, VSX-S520, XC-HM86, X-HM76, and MRX-3.
The Chromecast built-in connects compatible apps on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android phones and tablets, Chromebook, and Chrome browser on Mac, Windows, and Linux PCs to Pioneer components over 5GHz/2.4GHz Wi-Fi. Users can stream music, internet radio, and podcasts from the most popular online services for a convenient wireless playback experience.
The update will also allow owners to request music and audio content by voice for streaming playback on their supported Pioneer components when used in conjunction with Google Home or other to-be-released devices featuring Google Assistant. Listeners can select a streaming service, specific song or album, adjust volume, and perform other playback operations using voice commands.
A wide variety of Chromecast-enabled apps are ready to queue and stream content from sports broadcasts, comedy, and educational podcasts to millions of songs from all over the world. All content is easily accessible via smart devices.
Sampling transmission rates of up to 48kHz maintain the original fidelity of the source without compression for lossless CD-quality music.
No initial setup or passwords are required to connect and stream, making it easy for users to instantly hear their favorite content from their preferred apps on their own personal devices. Furthermore, users are free to make and receive calls and run other applications without interrupting playback.
