Google this week confirmed that it has stopped manufacturing Chromecast Audio, its inexpensive audio streaming dongle. And I have no idea why.

“Our product portfolio continues to evolve, and now we have a variety of products for users to enjoy audio,” a Google statement notes. “We have therefore stopped manufacturing our Chromecast Audio products. We will continue to offer assistance for Chromecast Audio devices, so users can continue to enjoy their music, podcasts and more.”

I use Chromecast Audio all the time, so I’m a bit confused by this: It’s how I was able to combine an inexpensive pair of studio monitor speakers ($99) with a Chromecast Audio ($35) and achieve better sound quality than Sonos at just one-third the cost: A pair of Sonos One speakers cost $380.

So why on earth would Google kill a product that just works, especially when it lets you integrate “dumb” speakers with Google Assistant-powered smart speakers and other devices to create a whole-house audio system?

That I cannot explain. And having products like Google Home Max certainly doesn’t solve the problem either. I just don’t get it.

If you’re interested in Chromecast Audio, buy now: They’re going to disappear, and Google is selling the dongle for just $15 right now.

Yes, I just bought another one too.

Tagged with Chromecast Audio