[torso]

I found that Apple Music produced the best sound quality over Carplay…but that’s not the hole truth..or is it..

This is very confusing. Because when i plug my iPhone to the car USB-A connection and switch mobile device connection way to iDrive (Carplay is disabled) it will play any song i wish from Apple Music app. Downloaded or not. Apple Music tells me that the music playback connection is ”Dock Connector”.

But if i put my iPhone to the ”Airplane mode” (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth disabled) i can still play downloaded songs because the USB connection (Dock Connector).

But the question is. What is the Apple Music sound quality playing with USB connected??
Loseless or not?
What is the music quality when i play downloaded music and what is the quality when streaming (not downloaded songs). This is so confusing.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by torso

[…]But the question is. What is the Apple Music sound quality playing with USB connected??
Loseless or not?
What is the music quality when i play downloaded music and what is the quality when streaming (not downloaded songs). This is so confusing.

all wireless streaming content (whether downloaded or live-streamed) is relegated to CD-quality bitrate. that's just the inherent limitation of the wireless codecs, though wifi (CarPlay) is better than bluetooth (iDrive).

i don't play music via USB so I never looked into it, but here's an older thread: https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1748129

there are many other threads on this subject. just search the forum

[torso]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

all wireless streaming content (whether downloaded or live-streamed) is relegated to CD-quality bitrate. that's just the inherent limitation of the wireless codecs, though wifi (CarPlay) is better than bluetooth (iDrive).

i don't play music via USB so I never looked into it, but here's an older thread: https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1748129

there are many other threads on this subject. just search the forum

.


That is not the question i asked. I am quite aware limitation of the wireless Carplay quality. But that is not the question. What is the absolute quality of USB playback and quality of live streamed music.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by torso

That is not the question i asked. I am quite aware limitation of the wireless Carplay quality. But that is not the question. What is the absolute quality of USB playback and quality of live streamed music.

there is much debate about the quality when playing locally via USB, but again, I'm only speaking for wireless streaming (wifi and bluetooth). you're not going to hear lossless quality if playing wirelessly…PERIOD

if you're aware of the limitation of wireless CarPlay bitrate then you should know it's 16-bit/44.1kHz. if not, Google it. there's nothing hidden about this info. wishing it's more in the X5 is just delusional regardless of system (HiFi, HK, B&W)

the bitrate of the source media file is one thing, but it's the limitations of the playback source that ultimately decides the final playback bitrate which in this case is CD-quality. this is the "bottleneck" digital files have to contend with. i have several lossless songs on my iPhone, and I connect via CarPlay. while the files may be lossless, I know what I'm hearing through the speakers isn't.

fidelity and quality aren't the same. you seem to be confusing the two. lossless fidelity is improved over a non-lossless version of the same song, but it's still CD-quality for both coming out of the speakers if playing wirelessly. I believe that a lossless song sounds better than a non-lossless song because it was more accurate to begin with, but the improved "quality," which is subjective, doesn't change the fact that it's still 16-bit/44.1kHz coming out

-fidelity versus quality-
"This is based on an erroneous conflation of two terms that should be kept distinct, "fidelity" and "sound quality." Fidelity describes the degree of accuracy to which a medium recreates a sound. Sound quality, however, is subjective. It's not a measurement; rather it's an indication of preference."

[torso]

ok, I tested it myself today. I have a B&W system in my car.

I downloaded one hi-res song from Apple Music to my phone (iPhone). I also transferred this same song to an external USB stick and converted it to WAV.

After that, I played the same song from three different music sources.

- from a USB stick
- from an iPhone (USB connected to the car)
- from iPhone via Carplay

The sound quality was exactly the same when played from a USB stick and from an iPhone connected via USB cable. Played through Apple Carplay, the sound quality was a little lower. The song I played was orchestral music and you could clearly see the difference between Carplay and USB connection.

In other words, it is possible to play lossless (hi-res) downloaded music directly from the phone's music library to the car via hardwired USB connection. Of course, this only works on Apple devices (iPod, iPhone, iPad) and through Apple Music library.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by torso

ok, I tested it myself today. I have a B&W system in my car.

I downloaded one hi-res song from Apple Music to my phone (iPhone). I also transferred this same song to an external USB stick and converted it to WAV.

After that, I played the same song from three different music sources.

- from a USB stick
- from an iPhone (USB connected to the car)
- from iPhone via Carplay

The sound quality was exactly the same when played from a USB stick and from an iPhone connected via USB cable. Played through Apple Carplay, the sound quality was a little lower. The song I played was orchestral music and you could clearly see the difference between Carplay and USB connection.

In other words, it is possible to play lossless (hi-res) downloaded music directly from the phone's music library to the car via hardwired USB connection. Of course, this only works on Apple devices (iPod, iPhone, iPad) and through Apple Music library.

one can play lossless files no matter the method (wired or wireless), and while
I'm inclined to believe the higher perceived quality would suggest a higher resolution when playing directly via USB, you can't definitively say it's lossless audio coming out of the speakers. that can only be determined with objective measurements/data or knowing the specs of the vehicle USB to DAC process. find that out, you'll have your answer

[torso]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

one can play lossless files no matter the method (wired or wireless), and while
I'm inclined to believe the higher perceived quality would suggest a higher resolution when playing directly via USB, you can't definitively say it's lossless audio coming out of the speakers. that can only be determined with objective measurements/data or knowing the specs of the vehicle USB to DAC process. find that out, you'll have your answer

Yes. That is true. But i know what i am hearing with my ears. Damn that B&W system plays hard when it openes enough. Fact is that only USB connection you are able to play loseless hi-res music. The rest is depends car DAC and internal components.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by torso

Yes. That is true. But i know what i am hearing with my ears. Damn that B&W system plays hard when it openes enough. Fact is that only USB connection you are able to play loseless hi-res music. The rest is depends car DAC and internal components.

i do wish B&W were an option on my X5 (45e)

[HowardThomas]

The built-in spotify promotion on your BMW might offer convenience, but it's important to note that it typically streams at a standard quality level. If audio quality is a priority for you, you might find the sound lacking in depth and clarity compared to higher quality options.

[starlights]

Even in wired mode iPhone’s onboard DAC cannot play lossless hi res. I tried to no avail to my home audio. One requires an external DAC capeable of hi res audio that accepts usb input and has appropriate outputs for receiver. Connecting an external DAC to iPhone and home audio is a pain in itself, connecting to BMW will be not any easier.

As the output from DAC will be analog it will need to connect with an analog input in the car not the usb input.