Question about using iPhone/iPod w/stereo

[RebelDogg 10+ year member]

Hey, been a while since I posted here but I remember it always being a good forum so I'm hoping someone can answer something for me.

First off, I know I'm behind the times. I just bought an iPhone 4s and before this I'd never used an iPhone or iPod or any of that. I actually had an x-girlfriend make a comment about how I still lugged CDs with me in my car...

Anyway... I finally got the iPhone. I decided to start ripping my CD collection (probably like 800 cds at a guess...) I got 36 albums done yesterday and this morning on my way to work hooked the bluetooth up to my stereo (Premier DEH-P980BT) and gave it a listen.

And it sounded like ***. I ripped with iTunes (iTunes Plus, I think... 256 kbps). I A/B with the CD and there is much more vocal presence and fuller bass on the CD vs. the phone. I ripped Apple lossless just now with iTunes and A/B'ing with the original 256 file they sound the same. Also comparing to the CD in the computer. My computer speakers are pretty decent (Klipsch Pro Media 2.1)

So this makes me wonder if the problem is using bluetooth rather than a hardwired connection? Do you lose quality when streaming from the phone? I know my head unit is supposed to be useable with an iPod (and I assume iPhone) but I haven't looked to see how to hook it up yet. I think there's an adapter or something...

Anyway, all that up there for a simple question: Is it possible to get the same quality from your iPhone through your car stereo as with a CD and if so do you have to hard wire it or is bluetooth useable?

I'm gonna go test this lossless rip in the car in a bit but I don't think it'll sound much different, based on the computer test.

Click to read more...

 

[RebelDogg 10+ year member]

****. I ******* forgot I can't say *** on here. lol.

 

[murph 10+ year member]

yes there is quite a difference between cd vs ipod/phone sound quality. When using an aux jack expect the sq to be quite a bit worse than the cd. Make sure your eq is off and sound check is on (On the ipod). Also if possible use a usb over the aux you will notice quite a difference using that over an aux.

 

[BrownVanMan 10+ year member]

using the usb input with an ipod will gain you the best results.

 

[RebelDogg 10+ year member]

yes there is quite a difference between cd vs ipod/phone sound quality. When using an aux jack expect the sq to be quite a bit worse than the cd. Make sure your eq is off and sound check is on (On the ipod). Also if possible use a usb over the aux you will notice quite a difference using that over an aux.

using the usb input with an ipod will gain you the best results.

I'm not using the AUX jack, I'm streaming bluetooth. I don't know what it would cost to get the adapter to hook into my stereo or even how that works. I'll need to pull the head unit out and see what kind of connection is back there... been a long time since I've seen it. I assume I'll need an adapter to plug the iPhone USB into the head some kind of way.

The iPhone (as far as I can tell) doesn't have any eq settings... I didn't try turning soundcheck on. I thought it was just a normalizer or a loudness setting or something... haven't played with it to see how it effects the sound.

Can anyone say how much difference there is in bluetooth/adapter sound quality? I'd hate to go pay for an adapter and go through the trouble of installing it all and have it not sound a whole lot better.

 

[dgaf 10+ year member]

I have an iPhone, and use have used all the above mentioned methods.

Yes, Bluetooth blows, worst IMO.

From Bluetooth, I tried a iPod cable. It wouldn't work for my iPhone 4. I used it on my iPod touch, and regular iPod, and it worked. However, it also charged the device at the same time, which resulted in a faint hissing sound that drove me crazy.

I switched out the iPod cable for a 3.5mm headphone jack cable. That's what I use now. The SQ isn't as great as CD, or even USB thumb drive, but it's still good. Should also be known, that streaming pandora via my iPhone, blows, even with every volume all the way up, it's only about 3/4 as loud as regular iPod.

Also, if you need to charge your iPhone while playing music, in my case, I got that hissing sound, I was able to beat it by plugging in one of those dc to ac convertors into my cigarette lighter, and then plugging my regular wall charger into that. This way I can charge my iPhone and still play music from it with good SQ.

 

[RebelDogg 10+ year member]

Thanks. I may try to get some sort of adapter and give it a go. Unfortunately my head unit doesn't have a 1/8" jack on the face but I seem to remember there being stereo RCAs on the back. I'll have to try plugging into them and hope for the best. I'm just going to keep ripping at 256 (since I can't hear a huge difference from lossless) and hopefully the sound quality will improve when I can afford to get the adapter. Until then, I guess I'll still be riding with my CD case for a while.

So disappointed... I've been wanting to do this for years and just never got around to it.

 

[accuab 10+ year member]

That head unit has a 3.5mm jack on the back if I can see it correctly on the back of it. You also have the option of burning mp3 cds since the head unit plays them.