FLAC support for headunits?

[mSaLL150 10+ year member]

If you use Apple LossLess files on the Ipod, make sure you are giving the signal through the dock port, NOT the 3.5mm minijack. If you go through the headphone jack the signal is going through the Ipod's crappy amplifier and you can get a loss of SQ. Also, make sure you turn the Ipod's EQ to the OFF setting, not even the "flat" setting. That way you bypass any of the Ipods EQ or filtering.

I have mine setup this way with 800+ kb/s ripped LossLess files and I can't tell the difference from CD.

 

[bigaudiofanatic 10+ year member]

Apple Lossless FTW

 

[AlterEgo99 5,000+ posts]

If you use Apple LossLess files on the Ipod, make sure you are giving the signal through the dock port, NOT the 3.5mm minijack. If you go through the headphone jack the signal is going through the Ipod's crappy amplifier and you can get a loss of SQ. Also, make sure you turn the Ipod's EQ to the OFF setting, not even the "flat" setting. That way you bypass any of the Ipods EQ or filtering.
I have mine setup this way with 800+ kb/s ripped LossLess files and I can't tell the difference from CD.

Mine is hooked to an Alpine 9887 so it is direct thru the dock port via a high speed iPod cable...no USB back in 2007 when I purchased the 9887....sounds really nice although I suppose if I compared it to FLAC burned to a CD the CD would sound better.

 

[FlexnInLa 10+ year member]

convert your FLAC to wav, your file size will go up though.

This... I have a love/hate realationship with FLAC.

And I'm not going to even begin to go into bitrates and at what ration of compression you can hear a difference in sound. People would just call me names.

If anybody is interested I can post some links to reviewers listening to MP3's at variable rates and you can draw your own conclusions. Tests were done on 2 channel audio systems that cost more than any car audio system AND the car it is in than I have ever personally seen.

Screw it, here you go... Chris Myden dot com

That is the PROPER way to rip music. If the best ears in the world can't detect a difference on a half million dollar two channel system I highly doubt anyone would hear the difference in a car.

 

[me2]

I agree that head units should play flac and wav files via the USB port.

I rip everything to flac. When I need an MP3 for a portable device, I have a script that regenerates the wav from the flac and then converts it to mp3 and then deletes the wav file. Simple.

flac rocks. In this day and age there is no excuse for needing a wav file. mp3 is probably fine for car audio, but not for home audio. You can hear artifacts if you listen carefully.

Most all new head units have means to update their firmware. If we bugged the manufacturers enough they might add it after the fact on newish HUs.

The issue of using flac or wav instead of mp3 becomes more and more topical as drive sizes explode, cars become quieter and car audio equipment gets better and better.

 

[raverx3m 10+ year member]

well i finally gave up on waiting for any of the car audio companies to bring out a flac capable unit.

they all hooked up on iphod since its what the "hipsters" are using and paying money for.

as always the audiophiles are only profitable when they pay big bucks for platinum volume knobs on their ubercustom-superlimited-signed8=D- receivers

any people with knowledge are harder to make profit on(in other words to fool) so we are beeing ignored and avoided at all cost.why make good quality **** when you can make cheap *** walmart bull and sell it for 140% profit

the "everyday people" or "consumers" are easy to control and are very easy to brainwash by ads and false advertising.

anyway im installing a car PC with a USB DAC so i can have a indash volume knob and source switch.

running a 4 channel and 2 channel to power mids and tweets.

the car PC has advanced and expanded enough to be available for most general public so its an option for people that want more flexibility and more options without buying new headunit every time.

btw if someone still dont understand why flac.

MP3

good: small size, availability, ID tag and track info

bad:low bitrate, lossy format( some people do hear the difference)

just like some people cant tell the difference between pepsi and coke.

wav

uncompressed format big file size, and doesnt support ID tags or any track info besides filename

WMA

same as MP3

FLAC

good: lossless format, supports ID tag, supports multichannel, smaller than WAV filesize

bad: not supported by any car audio, but is used widely to backup the CDs by many audiophiles to preserve CD quality and organize music collection better

 

[Bohemian 10+ year member]

well i finally gave up on waiting for any of the car audio companies to bring out a flac capable unit.they all hooked up on iphod since its what the "hipsters" are using and paying money for.

as always the audiophiles are only profitable when they pay big bucks for platinum volume knobs on their ubercustom-superlimited-signed8=D- receivers

any people with knowledge are harder to make profit on(in other words to fool) so we are beeing ignored and avoided at all cost.why make good quality **** when you can make cheap *** walmart bull and sell it for 140% profit

the "everyday people" or "consumers" are easy to control and are very easy to brainwash by ads and false advertising.

anyway im installing a car PC with a USB DAC so i can have a indash volume knob and source switch.

running a 4 channel and 2 channel to power mids and tweets.

the car PC has advanced and expanded enough to be available for most general public so its an option for people that want more flexibility and more options without buying new headunit every time.

btw if someone still dont understand why flac.

MP3

good: small size, availability, ID tag and track info

bad:low bitrate, lossy format( some people do hear the difference)

just like some people cant tell the difference between pepsi and coke.

wav

uncompressed format big file size, and doesnt support ID tags or any track info besides filename

WMA

same as MP3

FLAC

good: lossless format, supports ID tag, supports multichannel, smaller than WAV filesize

bad: not supported by any car audio, but is used widely to backup the CDs by many audiophiles to preserve CD quality and organize music collection better

Simple economics. There is not enough of a demand, so to make it worthwhile you elites have to pay a premium. Makes perfect sense to me.

I for one do not need FLAC in my car. The difference is not noticeable on the road. This is the same for everyone else driving the ipod capable sales. It isn't that they are brainwashed, it is that, beyond MP3, people reach a point of diminishing return in utility.

 

[hoosierxhoosier 10+ year member]

Ummm....why don't you just use Apple Lossless?

There are a few headunits that just take the digital signal from the ipod and DO NOT use the ipod's DAC. It bypasses the Ipod's DAC.

One of them is the Alpine Ida-x305. It plays all your ipod songs with its own 24 bit Burr Brown DAC.

The only knock is a 2v pre out, but its not a big deal at all with today's amps. WIll be fine.

 

[The_Grimy_One 10+ year member]

Ummm....why don't you just use Apple Lossless?
There are a few headunits that just take the digital signal from the ipod and DO NOT use the ipod's DAC. It bypasses the Ipod's DAC.

One of them is the Alpine Ida-x305. It plays all your ipod songs with its own 24 bit Burr Brown DAC.

The only knock is a 2v pre out, but its not a big deal at all with today's amps. WIll be fine.

I agree with this... Though there are only a couple decks that can use Apple Lossless... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

The main deck that I know of, that I really want is the Pioneer DEX-99. Which is will process Lossless, and has 4 sets of 5v preouts, Yummy!

All my songs are AAC, currently @192, which I regret, but I dont have the Pioneer, so it doesnt matter. Is there a way to reverse this and turn the AAC into Lossless or since it has been compressed, it has lost that quality level?

 

[hoosierxhoosier 10+ year member]

I agree with this... Though there are only a couple decks that can use Apple Lossless... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gifThe main deck that I know of, that I really want is the Pioneer DEX-99. Which is will process Lossless, and has 4 sets of 5v preouts, Yummy!

All my songs are AAC, currently @192, which I regret, but I dont have the Pioneer, so it doesnt matter. Is there a way to reverse this and turn the AAC into Lossless or since it has been compressed, it has lost that quality level?

Ya, you can't add something that is already lost. You'll have to re-rip. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[The_Grimy_One 10+ year member]

Ya, you can't add something that is already lost. You'll have to re-rip. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

That *****... All well. I have too much music to do all that. Once I get a better deck, I guess Ill start going Lossless, and I can obviously Lossless the CDs I have.

 

[thatguy 10+ year member]

This can be our chance but we need your help.

http://www.caraudio.com/forums/head-units/533892-flac-support-pioneer-80prs.html