iPhone Music Streaming

Originally Posted by TGray5

Isn't BT streaming a lot lower quality than plugging in?

Not necessarily. Bluetooth has more than enough capacity to transmit MP3 quality sound. It is more susceptible to interference in the car, and adding the drain on battery it's certainly easier to plug in.

Big difference comes that when you plug in your phone, the interface (how the phone talks to the car) is for the most part proprietary, while Bluetooth is standardized across different handsets and manufacturers. This is why you see the same type of support with BT across multiple handsets, while extended plug in functionality is limited to the iPhone e 4/4s.

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

Provide an example of a physical media and wireless technology of the same era where that is not true?

Really, I would like to hear of one.

Sorry, I can't predict the future- other than to say that someday wires will be a thing of the past...

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

Not necessarily. Bluetooth has more than enough capacity to transmit MP3 quality sound. It is more susceptible to interference in the car, and adding the drain on battery it's certainly easier to plug in.

Big difference comes that when you plug in your phone, the interface (how the phone talks to the car) is for the most part proprietary, while Bluetooth is standardized across different handsets and manufacturers. This is why you see the same type of support with BT across multiple handsets, while extended plug in functionality is limited to the iPhone e 4/4s.

Would you kindly provide a reference that Bluetooth has an industry standard?

I know WiFi has been so, as well as CD technology.

Originally Posted by Emilner

Sorry, I can't predict the future- other than to say that someday wires will be a thing of the past...

Wireless will always have spectrum limitations, similar to optical - the difference is optical is not affected by interference like wireless technologies. Wireless technologies will always backhaul to a physical medium.

Originally Posted by Ace535i

Would you kindly provide a reference that Bluetooth has an industry standard?

I know WiFi has been so, as well as CD technology.

Here is the first time is was standardized, several revisions since then. I think we are up to 4.0, and working on 5.0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_80...2FBluetooth.29

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

Wireless will always have spectrum limitations, similar to optical - the difference is optical is not affected by interference like wireless technologies. Wireless technologies will always backhaul to a physical medium.





Here is the first time is was standardized, several revisions since then. I think we are up to 4.0, and working on 5.0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_80...2FBluetooth.29

I'm surprised you can predict what will be possible 30000 years from now....

Originally Posted by Emilner

I'm surprised you can predict what will be possible 30000 years from now....

I am good like that...

Originally Posted by Emilner

But frankly I find it so much easier to control things with an actual apple interface in my hand (iPhone) vs BMW's version. I don't use album art- I prefer the map screen and song info in split screen...

I agree but with one caveat. I do like album art and also prefer higher resolution music in my car so I bought a 160 GB iPod (the classic version with the spinning drive) hooked up via USB. Now I'm completely happy. All the music I own at 256 Kbps with album art, and touch interface for my phone, as well.

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

Not necessarily. Bluetooth has more than enough capacity to transmit MP3 quality sound. It is more susceptible to interference in the car, and adding the drain on battery it's certainly easier to plug in.

Big difference comes that when you plug in your phone, the interface (how the phone talks to the car) is for the most part proprietary, while Bluetooth is standardized across different handsets and manufacturers. This is why you see the same type of support with BT across multiple handsets, while extended plug in functionality is limited to the iPhone e 4/4s.

I just talked with a friend who is an electrical engineer about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

Originally Posted by TGray5

I just talked with a friend who is an electrical engineer about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

I am too

Originally Posted by TGray5

about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

All things being equal (they never really are) BT has the ability to provide the same quality as plugging in, after all an MP3 at 256 smapling, is the same regardless of the medium. You are not really putting through that much data so the bigger "pipe" of the cable really is underutilized.

The difference is that wireless technologies such as blue tooth are susceptible to interference, and it is that interference that can degrade the quality. I always prefer/recommend plugging in when its an option, but for me its really about convenience. I use Pandora almost exclusively in the car, and I do not use an iphone so I am forced to use Bluetooth.

Originally Posted by TGray5

... so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

Sorry, but this statement does not apply.

Originally Posted by TGray5

I just talked with a friend who is an electrical engineer about this subject and he said that BT definitely has reduced sound quality compared with direct USB...so I think I'm going to load music onto the HD and when I want to pay from the iPhone I'll plug in. I did spend the money for premium audio, so no sense in feeding it low resolution data.

You may want to have your EE friend check his facts!

Originally Posted by Mug

You may want to have your EE friend check his facts!

The VW....err I mean Audi forum is that way ------------------->

Originally Posted by TGray5

The VW....err I mean Audi forum is that way ------------------->

Stick to the topic!

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

I am too



All things being equal (they never really are) BT has the ability to provide the same quality as plugging in, after all an MP3 at 256 smapling, is the same regardless of the medium. You are not really putting through that much data so the bigger "pipe" of the cable really is underutilized.

The difference is that wireless technologies such as blue tooth are susceptible to interference, and it is that interference that can degrade the quality. I always prefer/recommend plugging in when its an option, but for me its really about convenience. I use Pandora almost exclusively in the car, and I do not use an iphone so I am forced to use Bluetooth.


Sorry, but this statement does not apply.

So do you know with iphone 5 and our current BMWs does BT stream the mp3 direct or does it have to re-encode to BT standards? If it can stream direct, maybe that's why the sound quality is comparable to USB. By the way, the audi guy is my friend just giving me some cr@p.

Originally Posted by TGray5

So do you know with iphone 5 and our current BMWs does BT stream the mp3 direct or does it have to re-encode to BT standards? If it can stream direct, maybe that's why the sound quality is comparable to USB. By the way, the audi guy is my friend just giving me some cr@p.

I figured.. typical audi guys...lol

Hmmm, I can't speak to the encoding from experience, but I would think everyone had to encode to standards... then again you did say apple, so all bets are off. But that should not really affect the quality of the recording.

Originally Posted by ksqrd

I agree but with one caveat. I do like album art and also prefer higher resolution music in my car so I bought a 160 GB iPod (the classic version with the spinning drive) hooked up via USB. Now I'm completely happy. All the music I own at 256 Kbps with album art, and touch interface for my phone, as well.

I found the album art resolution on the BMW screen to be poor when using the iPod classic versus my IPod touch.

Originally Posted by TGray5

blah blah blah... By the way, the audi guy is my friend just giving me some cr@p.

I just want to state that I am NOT the EE friend that TGray5 is talking about. That is some other bozo BMW driver that apparently doesn't keep up with current technology!

Originally Posted by miamiboyca

I figured.. typical audi guys...lol

Hmmm, I can't speak to the encoding from experience, but I would think everyone had to encode to standards... then again you did say apple, so all bets are off. But that should not really affect the quality of the recording.

I did some comparisons today...BT vs. USB and not sure I can tell a difference...love the sound of the premium audio. A big step up from the M3 premium audio.