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Count Zero
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Re: [iPhone] Bigger Fail Than Maps ...

And show one consumer audio device that uses that... NONE.

BronsCon
join:2003-10-24
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BronsCon

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My point was that 2.1mbps is a fair bit more than the 320kbps needed and that it's done in a 1MHz, not a 20MHz channel. The bit about BT3.0+HS using 802.11 was secondary, in response to skeechan's comment that he'd be interested to learn such a thing.

skeechan
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The problem with consumer audio is they don't see the 'reference' bandwidth. They dumb down throughput to ensure reliability, thus bit rates that are in the crapper. So you end up with 64kbps or 128kbps audio if you are lucky.

BronsCon
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I've never had quality issues with bluetooth at any reasonable range (anywhere in my apartment, for example, where I've used Bluetooth for nearly double the typical "it works within 10 meters" range with no issues) except in an electronics store, where I'd get cut-outs if I stepped more than 5ft from the source. It takes a pretty saturated spectrum to cause problems in the real world.

I use it all the time, with decent equipment, and there is no discernible difference between bluetooth, line-out, or playing the file directly on the receiver in well over 99% of cases.

The 3mbps channel gives up 900kbps for the overhead and retransmits you mention, which is why 2.1mbps remains for application usage.

Count Zero
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Your point is meaningless because no one uses it.

You know who DOES send full quality audio over wifi? Apple with their wifi based AirPlay standard... And guess what? Companies DO make airplay compatible wireless speakers...

BronsCon
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Nobody uses BT2.1+EDR? Uhm... The Bose unit you linked uses it. It's actually quite widely used, if you step outside the Apple store, and it provides plenty of bandwidth for even uncompressed CD quality audio (which requires roughly 1.4mbps).

You're quite likely correct about nobody using BT3.0+HS for audio, but then I never claimed that, did I?

Count Zero
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Count Zero

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You are dense man. The point is everyone uses 128kbps over A2DP not the technically possible if higher quality data rates for Bluetooth audio.

skeechan
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Even on my crappy stuff, I can readily tell the difference between BT audio and wired lossless but then my BT stuff only supports the A2DP profile like just about everything else.

I'll cheer BT audio when it's lossless.

BronsCon
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Am I dense or am I comparing real world experience to someone's hypothetical rambling?
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Maybe your crappy stuff compresses to 64kbps, but my non-crappy stuff does not.

skeechan
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skeechan

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Lots of stuff, particularly headsets and even OS X default to 64kbps.
If you try and ramp up the bitpool, connectivity goes to crap.

Count Zero
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What non-crappy stuff THAT YOU USE does not compress?
Count Zero

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Nothing I've said is hypothetical

BronsCon
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said by Count Zero:

Nothing I've said is hypothetical

Then maybe I meant skeechan?

skeechan
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Thinking of compression, my Airplay devices don't compress, they use ALAC for transport...well it's compression but lossless compression then TOSlink from the APX Airplay receiver to my Denon. I'd like to have airplay headphones, that would be cool.

BronsCon
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One example, my HTC One X and Pioneer DEH-P8400BH seem to do just fine. Now, the cheapie $20 bluetooth headset I bought definitely compresses.
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Airplay would be great if it worked with non-Apple devices.

skeechan
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skeechan

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It works with non-Apple devices, they just have to be licensed; iTunes on Windows to an Airplay equipped Denon for example. In the car I just use wired iPod connectivity with a 240GB iPod video, plenty of space for my ALAC library. I don't bother with BT for audio in the car.

BronsCon
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Sorry, I wasn't clear. What non iPod player can I use as a source?

skeechan
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skeechan

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Airsync for Android can do it but I've only used it with AppleTV. I've never tried it with other Airplay stuff.

BronsCon
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Good to know, thanks

skeechan
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skeechan

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But I don't know if it uses the same protocol, that it is the same lossless transport etc, or if they're just tricking an AppleTV into thinking Android is a "real" airplay source. I just tried it playing a movie for a few minutes from my Transformer and it seemed to work okay.

I just looked at the site they mention it doesn't work with Airport Express which is what I use to stream audio from my Mac's iTunes library to my Denon HT receiver. So something is amiss but obviously they are working on that kind of support.

Airsync does it, so there are probably other apps in the Play Store doing it too, maybe with even better support.

Michail
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Michail

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Do you know if Airsync works with Rhapsody, Spotify and Pandora?

Count Zero
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Listen haven't not heard those two together I cannot definitively say what they sound like.

HOWEVER

Full quality audio will always be better than re-compressed audio and from what I could tell about the devices from the tech specs published online they're sending the audio over A2DP probably re-compressing to a 128kbps audio stream which (1) further degrades the quality of your original media & (2) consumes battery power to do unless you're plugged in - and then you might as well just stream the audio over your USB connection.

Granted cars aren't the best audio platforms in general but I have a 2010 Subaru Outback with the 440W Harmon Kardon stereo with a parametric EQ. I tuned the stereo using pink noise and some settings I found online and it's much better now than when I first got it - but when I drive I notice a significant difference in the clarity and the accuracy of the music between BT and USB. It may be that I listen to a lot of jazz and indie music where that is more noticeable but this is just an example of why I think saying "you can just stream it on bluetooth" is not as good.
Expand your moderator at work

BronsCon
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Re: [iPhone] Bigger Fail Than Maps ...

Yes, uncompressed will always sound better than compressed, and a ~1.4mbps uncompressed CD-quality stereo audio stream (16bits per channel, 2 channels, 44100 samples per channel per second, do the math) will fit into the available 2.1mbps of BT2.1+EDR with plenty of room to spare. You can retransmit 50% of the packets before there's any issue.

skeechan
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Haven't messed with Airsync that much other than just try it out with airplay and a movie file I already had on my tablet. I haven't tried streaming another stream.
67845017 (banned)
join:2000-12-17
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said by Count Zero:

Listen having not heard those two together I cannot definitively say what they sound like.

HOWEVER

Full quality audio will always be better than re-compressed audio and from what I could tell about the devices from the tech specs published online they're sending the audio over A2DP probably re-compressing to a 128kbps audio stream which (1) further degrades the quality of your original media & (2) consumes battery power to do unless you're plugged in - and then you might as well just stream the audio over your USB connection.

Granted cars aren't the best audio platforms in general but I have a 2010 Subaru Outback with the 440W Harmon Kardon stereo with a parametric EQ. I tuned the stereo using pink noise and some settings I found online and it's much better now than when I first got it - but when I drive I notice a significant difference in the clarity and the accuracy of the music between BT and USB. It may be that I listen to a lot of jazz and indie music where that is more noticeable but this is just an example of why I think saying "you can just stream it on bluetooth" is not as good.

We have a 600W HK in our car. We don't sit around comparing sound quality. We BT with the device of whichever person's turn it is to get their music played and enjoy what we're hearing. It's good enough for a drive.

BronsCon
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Bingo. It's great to just get in the car, forget I even have my phone in my pocket, and just switch tracks using the radio controls.

skeechan
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skeechan

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I have thousands of tracks, I need playlist controls and I haven't seen an OEM automaker BT system that gives you that kind of control from the head unit. My 5-series can index through tracks using BT for example, but I don't have access to playlists on my Galaxy player. The handsfree BT doesn't integrate for voice control of the Galaxy player (so I can't just call for a playlist). I don't know if that is a byproduct of Samsung abandoning the player to Gingerbread the day it came out or what. It basically makes it a giant CD player with a gazillion tracks which is pretty worthless. The iPod control mimics the screen of the iPod including album art.