OS and Software > All Things Macintosh > [iPhone] Bigger Fail Than Maps ...

reply to Count Zero

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

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.

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.

Maybe your crappy stuff compresses to 64kbps, but my non-crappy stuff does not.

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

reply to BronsCon
What non-crappy stuff THAT YOU USE does not compress?

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.

reply to Count Zero
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.

reply to skeechan
Airplay would be great if it worked with non-Apple devices.

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.

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

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

Good to know, thanks

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.

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

reply to BronsCon
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.

reply to Count Zero

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

reply to Michail
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.

reply to Anon