Related
First of all, thanks to Cyanogen and contributors for his G1 and N1 ROM's.
Recently, I've been using FLAC for music playback ripped from my CD's for tracks that I want lossless (especially for classical music). Most of the time, I'm using my Motorola S805 (Bluetooth) for the cans that I got on Black Friday back in 2009 from Newegg for a low price of $20 USD, shipped. -- Best money I spent for Black Friday Granted they're normally overpriced but they perform fairly well for the price I paid.
So after using FLAC and the S805 on my ASUS notebook which has built-in Bluetooth, I moved some of the FLAC files onto my Nexus One and paired my S805 to the N1 and started some FLAC playback...
The difference in quality blew me away. It's so much clearer playing back FLAC files on the N1 to my S805's than it ever was using VLC under Windows 7. I'm at a loss on why the difference. -- Yes, I've attempted to adjust the "volume" on both the Windows Mixer and the S805 internal volume controls as the same on the N1. There's virtually *no hiss" when playing back FLAC files on the N1 than on my ASUS notebook. I have a very noticeable "elevated" noise floor on the ASUS among "compression artifacts" which I don't think I should have.
Does anyone know what might be the cause?
Thanks!
Cheers,
Kermee
Happened to come across this so I'll reply even though it's quite old.
The audio output on the Nexus one is average. I believe you can find the frequency graph of the Nexus One at the gsmarena.com review of it. So while it's not stellar, it's not bad. More than likely you're hearing a difference because your notebook's output is low quality.
Notebooks generally have poor audio quality and tend to generate a lot of noise. You'll especially notice it when your computer is under load or when you plug it into a powersource. It's like electronic interference, afterall everything on the laptop is packed together pretty tightly. The other reason is just poor hardware. Sound gets neglected frequently on notebooks. The best solution is to pickup an exteranl soundcard (I know soundblaster makes a few usb ones) or even better get yourself a usb DAC (digital analog converter) and a headphone amplifier. ibasso.com has several versatile ones.
Goto head-fi.org for some audiophile info.
pongalong said:
Happened to come across this so I'll reply even though it's quite old.
The audio output on the Nexus one is average. I believe you can find the frequency graph of the Nexus One at the gsmarena.com review of it. So while it's not stellar, it's not bad. More than likely you're hearing a difference because your notebook's output is low quality.
Notebooks generally have poor audio quality and tend to generate a lot of noise. You'll especially notice it when your computer is under load or when you plug it into a powersource. It's like electronic interference, afterall everything on the laptop is packed together pretty tightly. The other reason is just poor hardware. Sound gets neglected frequently on notebooks. The best solution is to pickup an exteranl soundcard (I know soundblaster makes a few usb ones) or even better get yourself a usb DAC (digital analog converter) and a headphone amplifier. ibasso.com has several versatile ones.
Goto head-fi.org for some audiophile info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This doesn't explain why Bluetooth headphones, completely disconnected from the computer, sounds bad
I'd say the most likely reason is some difference of A2DP implementation between the two. Maybe the standard Bluetooth stack on a computer lacks polish on this part.
Well the N1 isnt a good audio player at all since the frequencies are cut off. Also flac really wouldnt make a difference until you buy a high end set of headphones (UM3x, Ultimate Ears Triple Fi 10 etc.) and a source to match it (nice DAC, amp). Instead of wasting all the space on flac you should just go for vbr or the like since bluetooth will not be able to fully take advantage of it. Head-fi is a great place to start, but be careful since your wallet will hate you if you really do start getting into buying nicer headphones.
If you're just using your nexus one and an A2DP headset, there isn't a difference in audio quality between a file ripped at V0 bitrate and flac. You're only going to really hear the details a FLAC file has with a high end audio setup or good headphones with an amp, and your nexus+the motorola headset do not fall into those categories It isn't a criticism of your setup, they literally cannot reproduce the details.
As far as your question, it might have to do with the bluetooth stack as well as the hardware/interference in your laptop, but that's just a guess as I'm not too knowledgeable on the workings of bluetooth audio.
The N1 is barely a year old, and since it's designed primarily as a phone, it should have a fairly new Bluetooth radio and stack, probably much newer than whatever you have bundled in your Asus laptop. In fact both the desktop dock and the car dock use Bluetooth to stream the audio to the auxiliary audio port, which may seem a bit roundabout to audiophiles, but thanks to the new hardware there's very little noticeable loss to the average consumer, and it makes it easier to connect and disconnect from the dock.
That said, being such a new technology, Bluetooth has only recently improved to the point of being a decent quality source for streaming audio. I have an old USB Bluetooth adapter in my desktop that I bought right about the time when A2DP was first available, and its audio quality is pretty bad, too. And like any standard for streaming data, Bluetooth's perceived streaming quality is highly dependent on the hardware on both ends, meaning that the maximum quality you'll get is that which is achievable of the older of the two devices.
Any audiophile will tell you that if you want true quality, you should just ditch wireless technologies altogether, which I too have done. But for your purposes, and in the interest of saving money, you can bring your laptop up to par with your N1 by simply installing a new Bluetooth stack, or, if that doesn't work, buying a new USB Bluetooth adapter, preferably one that is advertised to work well for music.
Wow. I completely forgot about this thread. LOL.
I figured it out in the end what was happening. -- The negotiated 'bitpool' setting between my Windows 7 BT stack and the A2DP headphones was somehow negotiating at the "min" which was somewhere around the low 30's. Using some BT diagnostic tools on my MBP (different machine than the ASUS Windows 7 machine), I found the "max" bitpool rate which the A2DP headphones supported was 53.
I found out that the N1 was connecting to my A2DP headphones at the "max" bitpool rate which my headphones supported. The sound quality between a bitpool rate of "53" vs "30" is huge. Hence why playback on the N1 sounded so much better.
I never did find out how to force the 'bitpool' rates in Windows 7 and gave up. I did under Snow Leopard 10.6 on my MBP.
Cheers,
Kermee
The default Microsoft Bluetooth stack in Windows 7 does not include the ability to change the bitpool settings, nor does the standard Broadcom WIDCOMM stack.
Most people opt to use the BlueSoleil Bluetooth stack for more advanced functions, and I can confirm that BlueSoleil does have the ability to adjust bitpool settings. Unfortunately the product costs about $25, and you will need to check to make sure that BlueSoleil is compatible with your laptop's integrated Bluetooth.
Ok, I just have to put this out there, unless you have a very good sound card, a good amplifier, and good headphones, there is no reason to use FLAC audio files unless you just feel like wasting HD space.
Bluetooth audio has really bad bitrate and won't even come close to flac.
wolfcry0 said:
Ok, I just have to put this out there, unless you have a very good sound card, a good amplifier, and good headphones, there is no reason to use FLAC audio files unless you just feel like wasting HD space.
Bluetooth audio has really bad bitrate and won't even come close to flac.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree bluetooth audio quality leaves a lot to be desired. It is so nice to be able to drag flacs over to the phone and listen, though. Definitely one of my favorite features of Android and that 32gb card investment made it happen!
(sorry I can't post any links, but you can google the words in bold)
Are there any Android head units that support optical audio out?
I've been researching the last few nights (hours!) for a WIRED way to get a toslink optical cable to a Audison Prima AP8.9 Amp/DSP.
Are there any electrical engineers out there who have thought about bypassing the onboard DAC to get digital output?
Or.... is my only option to provide <96kHz optical audio to get an AptX lossless Bluetooth receiver like the Neet AptX lossless bluetooth receiver. Can anyone share experience on how well the Android units perform constantly connected to a BT receiver for all car audio? Esp. if you have the new Pumpkins with the Parrot BT card, in case that improves things.
Thanks!
I'm looking for the same answer, i've installed the neet receiver, but unfortunate for me, the head unit does not connect. I don't think it can be used as transmitter.
I've found this, but I don't know if it works...
http://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/158/index.html
You all may be overthinking this. Turns out plenty of modern android devices can use standard USB audio hardware. You just need an OTG cable, and the kind of USB audio output device that doesn't need a specialized driver under Windows or Linux. I've hooked up many different USB audio dongles you my Galaxy S3 and S4. The S4 wouldn't charge while hooked through the particular OTG cable, but the S3 does. As a matter of fact, I've been using it as the media player in my car for years.
Admittedly, I've only used the optical out on some of my devices occasionally, but I imagine it would still work for most.
Update: Not all supposed "OTG" cables work. This is the one I bought in Jan 2014 that works for both audio and charging on my S3 with CyanogenMod 11: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009YPYORM/
Today I received an Android 6.0 Head Unit from A-Sure for an Audi A3. I connected a Terratec Aureon Dual USB DAC. I got sound, but couldn't control the volume. Changing the android system volume had no effect.
I am considering spending a couple of bucks on the app "USB Audio Player PRO" and test it again. If this doesn't work, i will have to return the unit.
Greetings from Germany
So i had to return the Head Unit. I tried a different one by "Skandinav", with this one there was no sound at all from the USB DAC
retlaps said:
Today I received an Android 6.0 Head Unit from A-Sure for an Audi A3. I connected a Terratec Aureon Dual USB DAC. I got sound, but couldn't control the volume. Changing the android system volume had no effect.
I am considering spending a couple of bucks on the app "USB Audio Player PRO" and test it again. If this doesn't work, i will have to return the unit.
Greetings from Germany
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
You need to connect to DAC with digital volume control like Helix DSP Pro
Greetings from Singapore
daviestar said:
(sorry I can't post any links, but you can google the words in bold)
Are there any Android head units that support optical audio out?
I've been researching the last few nights (hours!) for a WIRED way to get a toslink optical cable to a Audison Prima AP8.9 Amp/DSP.
Are there any electrical engineers out there who have thought about bypassing the onboard DAC to get digital output?
Or.... is my only option to provide <96kHz optical audio to get an AptX lossless Bluetooth receiver like the Neet AptX lossless bluetooth receiver. Can anyone share experience on how well the Android units perform constantly connected to a BT receiver for all car audio? Esp. if you have the new Pumpkins with the Parrot BT card, in case that improves things.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, you can connect to the DAC, thereby outputting digital audio from applications and transport flash drive.
this can be done not only with android devices, but also with conventional tape recorder, some installations you can look at my YouTube channel
unfortunately links for new users are forbidden, you can search by my nickname - "jonjonni toslink Евгений Фещенко"
daviestar said:
(sorry I can't post any links, but you can google the words in bold)
Are there any Android head units that support optical audio out?
I've been researching the last few nights (hours!) for a WIRED way to get a toslink optical cable to a Audison Prima AP8.9 Amp/DSP.
Are there any electrical engineers out there who have thought about bypassing the onboard DAC to get digital output?
Or.... is my only option to provide <96kHz optical audio to get an AptX lossless Bluetooth receiver like the Neet AptX lossless bluetooth receiver. Can anyone share experience on how well the Android units perform constantly connected to a BT receiver for all car audio? Esp. if you have the new Pumpkins with the Parrot BT card, in case that improves things.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, don't fall into this hole. (warning to new users)
I have the Prima dac/amp, and the sound is amazing, and it can be connected to an Android phone via OTG to Toslink adapter, or via Bluetooth adapter with Toslink out, but it has one very nasty issue: when the amp is starting, and there is no Toslink signal, it won't register the connection. So if you later connect your phone, you have to cycle through the input sources Digital->Aux->Master->Digital to again register your connection.
So unless you connect your phone or turn on your BT receiver _before_ you start the car up, you will need to fiddle with cycling the source (while also driving the car). (That is if you also have the optional control unit with a display.)
Why they designed the device this way is just beyond me.
I hope its all right to join an old discussion.
I have a similar problem, I want to connect an android head unit in my car to an external digital amplifier. The amplifier itself have SPDIF input (mosconi GALDEN Pico 12 channels https://mosconi-system.it/product/gladen-pico-812-dsp/) but I can't find an android head unit running Android 10 with SPDIF output for my car. I've found converting card USB->SPIDF (for example: https://www.amazon.com/Douk-Audio-C...1&keywords=usb+to+spdif&qid=1617899902&sr=8-3) but I still missing some points:
-In Android 10, how do I switch all audio outputs to the converting card? Is it a part of the Android or external application?
-What happen when playing multi channel media (such as 5.1)? does each channel transfer on each on?
-Is it possible to use the same method to BT? The Pico have an optional BT card.
Thanks in advance, Haim
haim_gds said:
-In Android 10, how do I switch all audio outputs to the converting card? Is it a part of the Android or external application?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Android usually automatically switches to USB audio when found, but many implementations do not. Sometimes there's a setting in the developer menu for prioritizing USB audio, but sometimes that doesn't do anything.
USB audio of any kind is not supported on my Sony X800D Android TV.
haim_gds said:
-What happen when playing multi channel media (such as 5.1)? does each channel transfer on each on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Multichannel USB sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't. Certainly it can work, such as on many Android TV implementations like NVIDIA shield.
haim_gds said:
-Is it possible to use the same method to BT? The Pico have an optional BT card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Multichannel Bluetooth is not a standard, although some implementations like enhanced aptX can support it.
Have you also considered that SPDIF surround is always encoded, and thus is output at a fixed volume? Your head unit would not be able to control the volume; it would have to be done after decoding, like at the power amplifier stage.
MarkerB said:
Android usually automatically switches to USB audio when found, but many implementations do not. Sometimes there's a setting in the developer menu for prioritizing USB audio, but sometimes that doesn't do anything.
USB audio of any kind is not supported on my Sony X800D Android TV.
Multichannel USB sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't. Certainly it can work, such as on many Android TV implementations like NVIDIA shield.
Multichannel Bluetooth is not a standard, although some implementations like enhanced aptX can support it.
Have you also considered that SPDIF surround is always encoded, and thus is output at a fixed volume? Your head unit would not be able to control the volume; it would have to be done after decoding, like at the power amplifier stage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you know of if it's possible to allow the headunits to play higher than 48khz resolution through the optical or coax outputs ?
dfal47 said:
Do you know of if it's possible to allow the headunits to play higher than 48khz resolution through the optical or coax outputs ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Have to ask - what
marchnz said:
Have to ask - what
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The unit forces 24b 48khz audio, coaxial can output 192khz tracks and optical upto 96khz . Higher resolution audio output.
Neutron or UAPP will allow higher resolution, but you'll probably lose Navi directions as those programs bypass the android audio layer and mixer.
Basically you need a high resolution non- Android media player, with a navi input and mixer, that also has an spdif output.
The Alpine UTX-A09 looks like it can do that, assuming it isn't Android based /doesn't force 16/48 output from all sources when the mixer is enabled (in non "Alpine Direct" mode). Looks like the Alpine pxe-x09 has a mixer, so it should also be able to mix in navigation instructions.
Some of the Helix DSPs may mix or prioritize different inputs - the documentation isn't clear.
If you use spdif connection vs optical you run the risk of creating a ground loop unless the source is floating ie running on its battery power.
You can blow out all your high frequency drivers in a second if the ground loop creates feedback oscillations.
A common ground point may or may not prevent it. Using toslink to couple eliminates this potential issue.
For car hookups best practice to use heavy gauge wire for positive* feed, preferably coming directly from the battery for high wattage amps, source auxiliary equipment from the same end point. Do not daisy chain.
Same is true with home hifi, avoid using spdif cables to couple amps, preamps, receivers, cable boxes, etc. Amps, recievers are designed to be floating and not connected to ground. Do mix earth grounded and floating equipment unless connected by toslink only ie a tower PC with a 3 prong plug and a reciever (2 prong plug, floating).
*if you use a chassis grounding point, use only one and do not daisy chain!
dfal47 said:
Do you know of if it's possible to allow the headunits to play higher than 48khz resolution through the optical or coax outputs ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry for the delay.
DTS has had 96kHz/24 bit for many years, and they work through any SPDIF interface... as you wanted. They don't actually change the hardware interface speed, but rather encode the extra data into the sales 48kHz stream.
I've never bothered to encode anything with it, because I'm guessing it actually makes compression worse. You're squeezing much more data through the same early 90s compression algorithm, and DTS is already lossy enough. Factor-in that higher sample rates are not detectable in blind tests, and it just seems like a bad idea.
Hmm... Unless the 96kHz/24 bit extension algorithm is much more efficient at compression, considering it was introduced much later than the base DTS algorithms in 1991, and may have leveraged more recent technologies. In that case, it would definitely be the better choice. Unfortunately, I haven't read anything about this possibility.
Good reading on the 96kHz/24 bit topic:
DTS (company) - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
Get the Rundown on the DTS 96/24 Audio Format
DTS 96/24 is part of the DTS family of audio formats but it's rather rare since the advent of Blu-ray Disc.
www.lifewire.com
Bumping an old, but good, thread. I have exactly the same amp (well, the 5.9), and an Android unit with a TOSlink port - but it seems to be turned off as I can’t see any light coming from the TOSlink cable. Any idea how to turn it on?
I have a FiiO as a backup but prefer not to do SPDIF because I need another device for the Audison to take SPDIF input …
MarkerB said:
Sorry for the delay.
DTS has had 96kHz/24 bit for many years, and they work through any SPDIF interface... as you wanted. They don't actually change the hardware interface speed, but rather encode the extra data into the sales 48kHz stream.
I've never bothered to encode anything with it, because I'm guessing it actually makes compression worse. You're squeezing much more data through the same early 90s compression algorithm, and DTS is already lossy enough. Factor-in that higher sample rates are not detectable in blind tests, and it just seems like a bad idea.
Hmm... Unless the 96kHz/24 bit extension algorithm is much more efficient at compression, considering it was introduced much later than the base DTS algorithms in 1991, and may have leveraged more recent technologies. In that case, it would definitely be the better choice. Unfortunately, I haven't read anything about this possibility.
Good reading on the 96kHz/24 bit topic:
DTS (company) - Wikipedia
en.m.wikipedia.org
Get the Rundown on the DTS 96/24 Audio Format
DTS 96/24 is part of the DTS family of audio formats but it's rather rare since the advent of Blu-ray Disc.
www.lifewire.com
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Toslink can support 24 bit/192 khz.
Optical coupling is preferred as it carries no risk of creating ground loops; optical isolation.
A ground loop can smoke (literally) all your tweeters and maybe the power amp in a second.
blackhawk said:
Toslink can support 24 bit/192 khz.
Optical coupling is preferred as it carries no risk of creating ground loops; optical isolation.
A ground loop can smoke (literally) all your tweeters and maybe the power amp in a second.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you accidentally replied to the wrong post. My topic was about the quality of the DTS 96kHz/24 bit encode, which is completely independent of which of the two physical SPDIF interfaces is used.
Hi, I installed a MTCD Android head unit with Android 5.1.1 in my car two weeks ago. (I could'nt start this thread in the MTCD section because I'm new here)
My car audio setup goes as follow: Android Head Unit >>> USB Cable >>> PCM2704 USB to SPDIF adapter >>> SPDIF coax cable >>> MiniDSP 6x8 >>> 3 Amps >>> Speakers + sub.
So far I've been able to get SPDIF sound output with Neutron (Direct USB mode), Onkyo HF Player, USB Audio Player Pro, HibyMusic Player.
Sound is amazing btw.
If I understand correctly, all these apps are working with the USB DAC because they use their own app's USB Driver.
Important to know: All song in 44khz are playing fine, songs in 48khz makes every app freeze. I got a way around this by setting Neutron to resample every song in 44khz, so all songs are working now.
Now, if I play a song in Google Play Music, Spotify, Kodi, etc no sound comes out ... same thing for my HU video app, phone calls etc.
Is there a way around this ? What modifications can be made so every sound outputs to the USB Audio ? IE. kernel update, system files modifications etc ??
Thanks for any input.
Nobody use a USB DAC with his head unit ?
I have found this thread: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=66707293&postcount=47
But I dont think it applies to Android 5.1, sound management is different.
i dont use any DAC on this head unit. But I do have a Dragonfly USB DAC on my computer. the Dragonfly Red says it works with Android. Not sure if that is just marketing, or if it doesn't something specific.
CadillacMike said:
i dont use any DAC on this head unit. But I do have a Dragonfly USB DAC on my computer. the Dragonfly Red says it works with Android. Not sure if that is just marketing, or if it doesn't something specific.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you try it please ?
DanB0y said:
Can you try it please ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i dont know how I would even go about hooking it up? i could plug it into the USB port, but then what? use headphones?
all my speakers go through the wiring harness
CadillacMike said:
i dont know how I would even go about hooking it up? i could plug it into the USB port, but then what? use headphones?
all my speakers go through the wiring harness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you would need to be using pre-outs, using a 3.5mm to rca cable into an external amp.
---------- Post added at 09:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 AM ----------
interesting that you've tried this. This forces you to completely by-pass the HUs sound processing.
I have the same DSP, but I'm using direct pre-outs. I like this idea though bc it gets around the low pre-out voltage, and allows you to ignore the poorly implemented sound processing in the HU.
Unfortunately, you probably need to modify the filesystem to get this to work, as your link shows. Why do you feel the need to use a DAC in addition to the DSP?
Hisma said:
you would need to be using pre-outs, using a 3.5mm to rca cable into an external amp.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my sub is tapped into my speaker wires, so I dont use the RCA preouts. So I probably can't try this.
However, I think my audio is pretty great with the Joying
CadillacMike said:
i dont know how I would even go about hooking it up? i could plug it into the USB port, but then what? use headphones?
all my speakers go through the wiring harness
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes simply use headphones
We just need to know if audio is outputing from the DAC.
I would appreciate, thanks !
Hisma said:
Unfortunately, you probably need to modify the filesystem to get this to work, as your link shows. Why do you feel the need to use a DAC in addition to the DSP?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The DAC is a really clean source signal VS the head unit, I have a 2000$+ sound system in my car and sound quality is very important to me.
Also, DAC is digital signal VS analog RCA outputs on the head unit.
DanB0y said:
The DAC is a really clean source signal VS the head unit, I have a 2000$+ sound system in my car and sound quality is very important to me.
Also, DAC is digital signal VS analog RCA outputs on the head unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree. I feel like right now my HU is the "weak point" of my system. I am about the same as you, roughly $2000 in equipment (probably a little more).
focal KRX3 3-way active system w/ a cheap kicker sub + 3 amps. I have the C-DSP along w/ a line driver to manage the low pre-out voltage. Would love to take the line driver out of the signal chain if I could. All these components are taking up a lot of valuable space.
I hope you figure this out. I don't have a MTCD, I have a non-joying 4.4 HU. Would love to use the SPDIF inputs on the C-DSP as opposed to the ****ty pre-outs from the HU.
Hisma said:
I agree. I feel like right now my HU is the "weak point" of my system. I am about the same as you, roughly $2000 in equipment (probably a little more).
focal KRX3 3-way active system w/ a cheap kicker sub + 3 amps. I have the C-DSP along w/ a line driver to manage the low pre-out voltage. Would love to take the line driver out of the signal chain if I could. All these components are taking up a lot of valuable space.
I hope you figure this out. I don't have a MTCD, I have a non-joying 4.4 HU. Would love to use the SPDIF inputs on the C-DSP as opposed to the ****ty pre-outs from the HU.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nice ! I have 3 way peerless (tweets + 3.5 mids + 7in woofer) 1 pioneer amp 4ch for tweets + mids and 1 pioneer amp 2ch for the woofers, another JBL amp in the trunk with a 15in Alpine Type-R. I have the C-DSP 6X8 MiniDSp as well
SPDIF to C-DSP SPDIF Input would give you 4V at the MiniDSP RCA outputs
DanB0y said:
SPDIF to C-DSP SPDIF Input would give you 4V at the MiniDSP RCA outputs
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well you have convinced me to give this a shot. The USB DAC + 25 ft coax cable only set me back $35 on amazon. So even if this doesn't work I won't be mad.
The potential for 4V of CLEAN pre-out voltage is too enticing to pass up. The line driver works, but like I said it's another box that needs power/space/etc. The USB DAC also allows me to take the HU sound processor fully out of my signal chain.
I am unfortunately using android 4.4, so dont think I can help you much, but I will let you know if this works nonetheless.
Hisma said:
well you have convinced me to give this a shot. The USB DAC + 25 ft coax cable only set me back $35 on amazon. So even if this doesn't work I won't be mad.
The potential for 4V of CLEAN pre-out voltage is too enticing to pass up. The line driver works, but like I said it's another box that needs power/space/etc. The USB DAC also allows me to take the HU sound processor fully out of my signal chain.
I am unfortunately using android 4.4, so dont think I can help you much, but I will let you know if this works nonetheless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If it dont work natively, I'm 99% sure it will work with the Neutron music player. Install it and then go to hardware settings and enable Direct USB Driver. :good:
DanB0y said:
If it dont work natively, I'm 99% sure it will work with the Neutron music player. Install it and then go to hardware settings and enable Direct USB Driver. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well I tested this today and I am very pleased with the results. I really do notice a difference in SQ. It sounds "cleaner" and fuller.
Only major thing I notice is the overall volume seems really high over SPDIF. Only place I can adjust the volume now is with the DSP, but even then, I find I need to turn the gain down on the SPDIF inputs to get an acceptable volume. This is even with gain all the way down on my amps. This leads to a bit of clipping on the highs.
Did you make any adjustments in neutron player or the DSP to get an acceptable volume? Or do you get by with just adjusting the DSP master volume?
Now I just need to see if I can get all my sound to route through. I like to listen to streaming music too but I don't think I can go back to using analog pre-outs.
Hisma said:
well I tested this today and I am very pleased with the results. I really do notice a difference in SQ. It sounds "cleaner" and fuller.
Only major thing I notice is the overall volume seems really high over SPDIF. Only place I can adjust the volume now is with the DSP, but even then, I find I need to turn the gain down on the SPDIF inputs to get an acceptable volume. This is even with gain all the way down on my amps. This leads to a bit of clipping on the highs.
Did you make any adjustments in neutron player or the DSP to get an acceptable volume? Or do you get by with just adjusting the DSP master volume?
Now I just need to see if I can get all my sound to route through. I like to listen to streaming music too but I don't think I can go back to using analog pre-outs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great ! Now you're in the same boat as me lol
(Except for the clipping, I have no problem with that)
What is the model of your amps ? I have my gain to around 1/3 in the amps (They're up to 6.5V input sensitivity) and spdif input gain is at 0.
For your sound routing, you can sum the rca inputs and the spdif input together in the DSP And then you use your input levels to match the loudness. That way, you'll be able to listen excellent SQ music from Neutron and still hear BT phone calls, Youtube, navigation etc trough the analog inputs.
DanB0y said:
Great ! Now you're in the same boat as me lol
(Except for the clipping, I have no problem with that)
What is the model of your amps ? I have my gain to around 1/3 in the amps (They're up to 6.5V input sensitivity) and spdif input gain is at 0.
For your sound routing, you can sum the rca inputs and the spdif input together in the DSP And then you use your input levels to match the loudness. That way, you'll be able to listen excellent SQ music from Neutron and still hear BT phone calls, Youtube, navigation etc trough the analog inputs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes! This is exactly what I have done. I spoke too soon also. The clipping was more a tuning issue than anything (changed cross-over on tweeters & lowered their output a bit). I was able to set the gain on SPDIF back to 0.
Man it sounds really good now. I haven't any real tuning yet outside of setting gains and cross-overs. I think once I tune the system it'll take it over the top.
I have a mosconi as100.4 on the tweeters and mids, and a alpine mrv-m500 on the sub. (i have one other amp I am replacing to power mid woofer, should arrive tomorrow). It's a total overkill system, but I find great deals on used gear on diymobileaudio classifieds so I keep upgrading lol.
So now I will use neutron for majority of listening, and by mixing channels together on the analogs I already had connected, I get acceptable SQ for phone calls and streaming music. I have no desire to mod my system files the way it was shown in that thread you linked. Looks too risky. I am okay with this new arrangement since 90+% of my listening is my personal music collection.
Really appreciate you making this thread. I always knew my system was capable of sounding better and this did the trick. I will let you know if I figure anything else out that could be useful.
Hisma said:
Yes! This is exactly what I have done. I spoke too soon also. The clipping was more a tuning issue than anything (changed cross-over on tweeters & lowered their output a bit). I was able to set the gain on SPDIF back to 0.
Man it sounds really good now. I haven't any real tuning yet outside of setting gains and cross-overs. I think once I tune the system it'll take it over the top.
I have a mosconi as100.4 on the tweeters and mids, and a alpine mrv-m500 on the sub. (i have one other amp I am replacing to power mid woofer, should arrive tomorrow). It's a total overkill system, but I find great deals on used gear on diymobileaudio classifieds so I keep upgrading lol.
So now I will use neutron for majority of listening, and by mixing channels together on the analogs I already had connected, I get acceptable SQ for phone calls and streaming music. I have no desire to mod my system files the way it was shown in that thread you linked. Looks too risky. I am okay with this new arrangement since 90+% of my listening is my personal music collection.
Really appreciate you making this thread. I always knew my system was capable of sounding better and this did the trick. I will let you know if I figure anything else out that could be useful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I know what overkill sounds like haha
For frontstage 3way I got a 4ch Pioneer Premier PRS-X340 running 2x NE25-VTS04 Peerless tweets and 2x NE95W-04 3in Peerless mids, another Pioneer old scholl amp pushing 2x175w for 7in Wavecor woofers. In the trunk is a JBL GTO14001, 1500Wrms @2ohm pushing a 15In Alpine Type-R sub in 3.5cuft tuned @21hz
All my amps are very good condition used gear found on classifieds too, you can dig some real treasors for very little money sometimes !
I've been looking all around the web since last week for how to route every sounds of the HU to a USB DAC, translating and reading about 500 pages worth of XDA/Russian Android forums, spent last nights editing config files all around my HU System folder, I tried the how-to link I posted in OP for MTCB units, nothing to do.. I really think the Kernel must be enabled for USB Audio for it to work, my DAC shows up in USB devices info but not in the audio output devices.
Well, I'm still happy because my FLAC music collection plays incredibly well i dont car that much for FM Radio SQ, I only wish I'd be able to listen to Spotify or Kodi on the DAC.
Im r eally glad if I could be any help to you and will keep this thread updated if I find something !
navigation guidance voice goes through usb audio ?
DanB0y said:
Yeah I know what overkill sounds like haha
For frontstage 3way I got a 4ch Pioneer Premier PRS-X340 running 2x NE25-VTS04 Peerless tweets and 2x NE95W-04 3in Peerless mids, another Pioneer old scholl amp pushing 2x175w for 7in Wavecor woofers. In the trunk is a JBL GTO14001, 1500Wrms @2ohm pushing a 15In Alpine Type-R sub in 3.5cuft tuned @21hz
All my amps are very good condition used gear found on classifieds too, you can dig some real treasors for very little money sometimes !
I've been looking all around the web since last week for how to route every sounds of the HU to a USB DAC, translating and reading about 500 pages worth of XDA/Russian Android forums, spent last nights editing config files all around my HU System folder, I tried the how-to link I posted in OP for MTCB units, nothing to do.. I really think the Kernel must be enabled for USB Audio for it to work, my DAC shows up in USB devices info but not in the audio output devices.
Well, I'm still happy because my FLAC music collection plays incredibly well i dont car that much for FM Radio SQ, I only wish I'd be able to listen to Spotify or Kodi on the DAC.
Im r eally glad if I could be any help to you and will keep this thread updated if I find something !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any update on this thread ?
I made some sort of experiance, on Joying HU , the 2GB Rockchip Sofia version (10.1" screen) :
Using info from https: // source.android.com/devices/audio/usb.html - i looked into the "audio_policy.conf" file on the Joying, and for sure , there was no reference to any USB audio interface.
I am no android expert .. but i edited this file , with the info gathered from the link above , and after a reboot - the HU did indeed send the audio to the USB port.
Audio from all the apps i tred , was routed to the USB interface (Radio , DAB player,Kodi etc..)
The bad thing (?) - there was no volume control , all audio is at max level.
An external volume control could possibly remedy this.. i will look into it
Frank
Hello guys,
I'm facing a problem and I simply can't seem to find any info on the web on how to go about fixing it...
There is a sound quality issue when I connect my Huawei P8 Lite to my Alpine UTE-72BT Head Unit. Aside from the fact that it keeps disconnecting at random, it sounds as though the bitrate isn't high enough on transfer, thus producing sort of a "crackling" effect on the highs (something similar to clipping). I've also read that some other users have experienced issues with bass being much louder, although I can't say for sure that this is the same case.
It's regardless of the music source, be it internal storage, with 320 kbps mp3s (converted from FLACs) or Spotify on extreme quality (both from downloaded and from streaming on LTE). I haven't faced the same issue with a Microsoft Lumia 640, for example, and neither with music played from USB, so the issue is isolated to the P8. The issue seems to "fade away", so to speak, if connected to the phone via AUX cable (Cordial cable, high quality, as well). The fact of the matter is that: 1. Music played over AUX tends to be more dull, as if though it applies a wide band pass filter and 2. AUX lacks the ability to control phone media via the headunit, which makes the point of having a bluetooth player absolutely pointless.
So far, I've tried the following:
- deactivate wireless - as I've heard speculations of bluetooth and wireless being combined into a single chip;
- use EQing apps, such as Dolby Atmos (actually, this was the moment I noticed the crackling, on account of the fact that highs can be controlled much better with Dolby's app);
- Update firmware on HU (more like a refress, to be honest. I was already running the latest bluetooth firmware);
- Updated to Marshmallow (B550);
I'm guessing that there is some issue with the codecs used to transmit data to the player, although I wouldn't know how to go about modyfing them, as the only resource I've found, up to now, is related to a Samsung S2. Counting on the fact that there might be some OS modifications (in what regards coding standards and such), I consider that the resource would not be very helpful.
If there's anyone out there willing to help me find a solution, I would very much appreciated, and, also, if there is any info that I have omitted, please don't hesitate to ask. Thank you!
The OnePlus 5 has those 3 options but I do not know the difference between them or which is best to use. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
+1
Both the phone and Bluetooth device have to support AptX for it to work, so often your issue resolved by that.
AptX will provide better sound than SBC. SBC is the default codec used by the A2DP Bluetooth profile.
So, in short, if your headphones/speakers have AptX, use that. If they don't, SBC.
What happens if you choose aptX if your device doesn't support it?
yubimusubi said:
What happens if you choose aptX if your device doesn't support it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will probably just switch to SBC so the connection will work, as that's the baseline standard in Bluetooth. I couldn't say with absolute certainty, as my OP5 hasn't arrived yet.
AptX is a proprietary thing - someone other than the Bluetooth consortium developed it and licenses it. That's why not everything has it - you have to pay to use it in the products you make. They created AptX because the default Bluetooth audio profile pretty much sucks when you start to examine how it butchers bit depth and sample rates just to cram audio data across a low power wireless signal.
On the flip side of that coin - yeah, AptX is better (and I'd use it if both devices supported it) but the audio quality differences are probably not going to readily apparent when listening to $20 to $50 Bluetooth devices. It's been my experience that it takes a somewhat trained ear and better-than-good equipment to be able to easily spot the difference. So, if you're an audiophile, you probably already know to stay away from Bluetooth for the best quality sound. If you're not an audiophile, try to use the best Bluetooth profile you can, but don't sweat it too much.
The A2DP profile is negociated at pairing and the best supported by both devices is picked (SBC < AptX < AptX HD). Problem is that the codec is just one link in the whole daisy chain. Other equally important aspects:
- music source quality (don't expect 128 kbps CBR mp3 to sound good)
- DAC and amplifier (each and every sound system that converts bits to sound has these!)
- speakers (from those in IEM's to those in BT boom boxes - they are all speakers)
So just that you're using AptX doesn't imply you are listening to high quality sound and probably implementing AptX and putting its logo on the product is the cheapest and least development intensive way to raise the price of a product.
Just my two (euro) cents...
Hi,
The question here is how the phone behaves when a higher quality codec has been selected (eg aptX) and a standard bluetooth headset (SBC - only )has been connected?
So far it seems to work (but then the question is why there is a selection available)
Best Regards
Joerg
My wild guess is that tis setting acts like a low-pass filter threshold. The phone will negotiate the highest available option without going above setting.
If the setting is AptX, the phone and speaker support AptX HD, the connection will be made at AptX quality. If the speaker only supports SBC, the connection will be made with SBC.
Honestly I don't see the point in such a setting. 99% of the people would want the best quality available anyway.
Is there a power consumption difference?
Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk
daniel_loft said:
My wild guess is that tis setting acts like a low-pass filter threshold. The phone will negotiate the highest available option without going above setting.
If the setting is AptX, the phone and speaker support AptX HD, the connection will be made at AptX quality. If the speaker only supports SBC, the connection will be made with SBC.
Honestly I don't see the point in such a setting. 99% of the people would want the best quality available anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It makes sense to have the setting *if* for some reason you want to force SBC or the non-HD aptX. I have it set to aptX HD right now and it seems to work with my car (I'm about 95% sure it doesn't support aptX).
The real question is, if it fails back appropriately, why on Earth would OnePlus set the *default* to SBC?
@aa_chow: There surely is a consumption difference. SBC was designed decades ago with low computational complexity in mind (among others). On the current smartphone hardware (which is probably on par with a medium desktop from 5-6 years ago) the difference would be so small that measurements are impossible (you might see a difference on the battery life of the speakers, but I wouldn't loose my time there) .
@yubimusubi: I cannot even find the reason why that setting is even there! It only limits the best usable codec, which makes no sense to me. Maybe you can find more answers on the oneplus forums.
lag
with the sb, i experience music lag from when i have played in 1 minute and it continues, is it low power consumption or something on sbc? I'm gonna try the apex option when i get home to check if its better.
I'm suffering micro breaks on HD audio (320 bitrate MP3) from aptX HD, aptX or SBC.
Is there a way to correct it?
All my files are stored at 320 and I doesn't have time to convert to a bitrate of 128
Edit: No issues with iPhone 7+ and Huawei P10 using the same BT headset and MP3 files
bartito said:
I'm suffering micro breaks on HD audio (320 bitrate MP3) from aptX HD, aptX or SBC.
Is there a way to correct it?
All my files are stored at 320 and I doesn't have time to convert to a bitrate of 128
Edit: No issues with iPhone 7+ and Huawei P10 using the same BT headset and MP3 files
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have an issue on my International LG G6 where it sounds like the 24 bit lossless tracks are essentially dropping frames to borrow a gaming term. Then it will correct itself. It happened on my VW and the problem persists in my wife's new Subaru.
The LG G6 sports Aptx HD. Any ideas?
i prefer aptX but then again ive been using it quite a while now
APTX-HD do not work on One Plus 5. The music hacks constant.