For anyone with an aging TV or AVR, but still having HDMI inputs, the Chromecast Ultra should get you by for another couple of years. It has great video and audio quality, very good response times from casting devices and is solid for wireless network connectivity. Netflix, Youtube and Spotify all work great.
I can vouch for it being very reliable with 2 in the house streaming Netflix on separate displays on separate floors at the same time. Solid.
I still prefer the Chromecast Audio for 2ch Spotify Streaming over the Chromecast Ultra, but this could be due to limitations imposed by Spotify or some other hidden setting that cannot be altered. The perceived differences are extremely slight however, if not imagined. Both are very good and it probably comes down to the quality of the DAC in your AVR vs the chromecast audio. Probably inaudible.
Even if you are not in the market for the "Ultra" capabilities of 4K and HDR streaming, the speed, stability and response of the Chromecast ultra makes it a worthy upgrade to the Chromecast v2 which I also own.
For anyone who bought an Anthem AVR or similar (like me with Arcam) with stellar audio but no "smart" features, the Chromecast Ultra is an excellent choice to bridge the gap for $90 -even without a 4K display.
We are up to 4 Chromecast devices in our home now. Happy with all of them.
