Related Articles
CNET’s Cheapskate scours the Web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. And find more great buys on the CNET Deals page.
Enlarge ImageGet two of these for $55, plus a $20 Google Play credit!
I don’t know about your house, but in mine the speakers are kind of piling up. I’ve got an old FM receiver, a couple Apple 30-pin speaker docks, a pretty nice 2.1-channel Bluetooth system and so on.
Just one problem: There’s no way to tie them all together, to add them to the same “audio network” for a unified, Sonos-like, whole-home listening solution.
There is now. The Chromecast Audio was one of the best surprises of 2015, offering an easy and inexpensive way to stream music from your phone or tablet to just about any speaker. And at just $35, it was already kind of a steal.
Guess what: it just got steal-ier. For a limited time, you can get two Chromecast Audios for $55, with free overnight shipping to satisfy your last-minute shopping.
Once you click through, click the green “Buy for $35” button, then change the quantity of Chromecasts in your cart to two. The default shipping method is Next Business Day (woo!), though do note the disclaimer: “Leaves warehouse in 1-2 business days.” Still, even if it doesn’t ship until Wednesday, you should receive it by Thursday — just in the St. Nick of time. (See what I did there?)
Oh, one more little bonus: Google is currently offering a $20 Google Play credit when you buy a Chromecast, so get ready to splurge on a couple new albums! Update: My sincere apologies; this credit is available only when you buy the regular Chromecast, not the Audio.
The reason I’m so excited by the Chromecast Audio right now is the recent addition of multiroom support, which allows for the aforementioned Sonos-style setup. There are a few limitations, but ultimately it’s a great way to turn all your speakers (old and new alike) into a whole-house music system. That update also added higher-quality streaming to the mix — good news for audiophiles.
I haven’t had the chance to put all this to the test in my house, but with this “starter pack” selling for just $55, I’m definitely ready. Read CNET’s review (which, incidentally, hasn’t yet been updated to reflect the recent changes) to learn more about the device. Spoiler alert: it scored an 8.2 out of 10, and that was before the new updates. Your thoughts?
Bonus deal: Game time! One of my favorite board games is just as good in app form, and now you can grab it on the cheap: Ticket to Ride (Android|iOS) is on sale for just $2.99. Regular price: $6.99.
Note that at time of publication, the Android version was still showing as $6.99, but I’m assured the sale price will go into effect shortly.
Bonus deal 2: Assuming you haven’t already ditched your landline, it’s time to seriously consider a voice-over-IP solution. That’s a low/no-cost home phone option that leverages your home network. Like this one: Today only, and while supplies last, Woot has the refurbished Ooma Telo for $59.99, plus $5 for shipping. That’s the lowest price I can recall seeing for this incredibly popular landline replacement.
