bluetooth vs 3.5mm signal quality

[khinds94]

Needs to be pinned. Good info

[mothra]

i get guys in the shop all the time talking that SQ crap about why BT or AUX suck. there is no way possible that the human ear can detect missing frequencies in compressed audio unless it's a full spectrum/octave that is missing. most RTAs on the market only analyze a range for said frequency. so if an RTA says it's 1k than the next is 2k, there are 998 different frequencies that can be produced resulting in a measurement of that frequency. it's all about the actual file you are playing. if you are playing something with 128 bit/s, it doesn't matter what you play it on it's going to sound like shit. I use Apple Lossless and the difference between ALL and their standard ACC is very minimal. anyone that will tell you there is a noticeable difference is just saying butt-dyno numbers (the Honda guy that puts an intake on a stock Civic saying they can feel the difference when they install their eBay intake). yes there is a difference but it's not enough of a difference to lose sleep on.

[White Lightning]

Ok, lets say I enter my truck into a Sound Quality competition, and there will be 3 different judges listening to your vehicle ...

Would you want them using their own recorded music on their phones Bluetooth to your system ??? Or would you want them plugging into your aux or usb ???

No. Because they have to use the same music so it can be judged fairly with equivalent cd sets ... That's the main reason when I tune for Sound Quality, I use the same cds (or equivalent) as they do to get my system as close to what I want them to hear.

Now like I said for daily and demos ... I normally use usb. Which like I said earlier, works great. As for my aux in ??? We use it every now and then when someone gets in my truck and wants me to play stuff I don't have ... it seems to work great to.

Hope this helps ...

[fyerbyrd22]

only reason id be using the aux is beacause most decks dont support android..apple has itunes, android has MANY different..but i guess since alot of the heavy hitters dont have issues, i guess bluetooth might be my best bet so i dont have visible wires..and i may jump to a 80prs as well

[im_quagmire]

I guess it all depends on what is delivering and representing the source. My BT Audio sounds great. I also use 3.5 and really cannot tell the difference. The only noticeable difference in BT vs 3.5 to me is audio delay when using BT. Everything is .5 seconds off.

[aculous]

specs on the bluetooth codec aptX. It really is dependent on what aptX codec you are running. They even have a aptX lossless which can output 24 bit 96Khz. Problem is I bet thats not what they are using in your deck or your phone.

I would stay with aux or cd. Possibly USB. If you want to go crazy you can also add a headphone amp and run it like a pre-amp for the aux connection or RCA.

Specs for typical aptX

• Compression ratio: 4:1
• Audio Format: 16-bit, 44.1kHz (CD-Quality)
• Data Rates: 352kbps
• Frequency Response: 10Hz to 22kHz
• Algorithmic Delay: <1.89ms @ Fs 48KHz
• Dynamic Range: 16-bit: >92dB
• THD+N: -68.8d

[scooter99]

On my tablet, I'm just using a tablet as a source without a head unit, I went with the adapter converting to HDMI. I bought an Octava HDMI 1x2 Distribution / Amplifier which converts the HDMI into 2 audio outputs, Analog and Optical Toslink. I have tested this out, with just those units and an Emotiva Volume Control knob as well as those units with a DAC Headphone Amplifier. I also tested with the 3.5mm headphone jack as an output without the converter. I can tell you hands down, the Adapter is the way to go! There was a huge difference in signal clarity. I'll see if I can find a video of it, I know I have one of testing, although I've changed the set up a bit now.

Here's a video I made when I was talking with Wicks on here about some stuff. But it shows how I have it set up and plan to set it up.

Here's another one with a different connection. It's the Tablet, HDMI Adapter, the Octava distribution amp, and then the Emotiva knob controlling volume.

I thought I had another one that showed the differences between the 3.5mm and using the HDMI adapter, but I can't find it.

Not sure if this helps you, but I'd think maybe if you wanted to get the best signal out, you could go with this all the way up until the Emotiva knob, and instead of using that plug the RCA's into the AUX input on the head unit.

I'm not sure if you can plug into the head unit using the usb or not. But that may be another way to go.

[Lowpala]

I have BT capability and never use it. The SQ is not there when compared to USB. If you can listen to BT and then pop in a studio recorded CD and say you cant hear the difference you may want to have your ears checked.

I cant say for all but my Pioneer h/u will also bypass its internal DSP when using BT as a source (cannot be changed). At least in my experience using the Pioneer, gained quality with USB or CDs is more than just noticeable.