[GrussGott]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

great info, but isn't there a difference between wireless Apple CarPlay in the vehicle and AirPlay/AirPlay2 for home networks? if so, then CarPlay caps at 16bit/44kHz while AirPlay2 caps at 16bit/44kHz or 24bit/48kHz (device dependent). the handicap that limits the streaming quality in our vehicles is the device the audio is streamed to (not from) as i'm pretty sure the vehicle's B&W system's firmware hasn't been updated to support higher than 16bit/44kHz. the following link shows supported brands including B&W, but they're likely home-based devices, not in-vehicle.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-t...y-2-explained/

I don't think so because AFAIK (which admittedly is a bit of speculation) CarPlay doesn't wirelessly stream music per se, rather it streams OS data (audio, display/UI, control data, etc), that happens to include audio data, to the headunit's iOS implementation (which would contain Apple's core audio layer) which then sends the data to where ever the headunit's iOS kernal has an interface for: UI & graphics to the display, audio to the B&W, etc.

Thus the "handicap" - if you want to call it that - is Apple's Carplay software in the headunit which is 99.9% likely to use the same core audio layer as iOS, which means 48kHz.

For example, let's suppose CarPlay is somehow streaming music 'bitperfect' separately from the rest of the CarPlay data (or it's able to be separated); who's the receiver and how would it know what's being sent? and when? In other words, if your phone's iOS isn't directly connected with the B&W receiver as a specific device, then there's a middle man (which would be the smart way to do it) and the middle man receiver is likely the headunit's CarPlay software which is likely running Apple core audio layer.

That's why I mentioned AirPlay - even that isn't streaming above 48kHz so why would CarPlay?

Apple's own execs aren't big believers in "high-def" and/or anything better than CD quality (rightly so IMO):

In a recent interview [June 2021] with Billboard, Cue, who is Apple’s Senior VP of Internet Software and Services, admitted that: “If you take a 100 people and you take a stereo song in lossless and you take a song that’s been in Apple Music that’s compressed, I don’t know if it’s 99 or 98 can’t tell the difference. For the difference of lossless, our ears aren’t that good”.

He went on to say that to say that only audiophiles with “incredible ears” can really tell the difference, but that this requires “very, very high-quality stereo equipment”.

Said differently, Apple is only begrudgingly supporting lossless because it's become a buzzword, not because Apple believes it has an audio advantage.

[superkrups20056]

I just want to say that with a few years with the B&W system, streaming my phone's lossless ALAC music (that I ripped) via USB does sound punchier and in my opinion better than streaming it through Carplay. Using the bluetooth function on BMW is obviously the worst; the sound sounds so dim!

So for me, on my Bowers and Wilkens system:

BMW Bluetooth < Apple Carplay < BMW USB (lightning cable to USB-A)

The problem is that my USB-A port keeps disconnecting my phone in the middle of songs and I'm not sure why. My BMW has a seizure as it rapidly switches from Bluetooth to USB. I've tried different cables and it has the same problem. I wonder if this is fixed on the latest BMW Update, as it started on the 7/2021 edition. The problem is that I cannot update over-the-air because I am stuck at the "preparations are complete" section for the 11/2022 update but BMW has not given me the option to upgrade for years. It's so sad. Yes, I've asked the dealers and they are clueless.

Also, does anyone else with the Bower and Wilken's system have the rare "short" where if you turn off the engine too quickly after coming to a stop while the audio is playing loudly the system glitches out and the sound sounds super radioey, quiet and faded until the car restarts itself the next day?