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#1624276 - 04/02/09 03:59 PM

Does playing music through an auxiliary port affect audio quality?

Trey84
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I'm wondering if there is a big difference between sound quality as to if you would plug your iPod in via a USB port vs an auxiliary port.

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#1624710 - 04/03/09 12:34 PM

Re: Does playing music through an auxiliary port affect audio quality? [Re: Trey84]

TtownCLS
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It would depend on the system. Some HU's with USB ports load the music directly in digital format. The aux port is using the DAC's on the iPod as an analog input, then sending that to the HU DAC's. The USB would be the cleanest way to do it. I wouldn't trust the DAC on an iPod for audio quality. If the music on the iPod is MP3 and recorded at low bit rates, it won't matter anyway, since there was no "quality" to begin with.

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#1626047 - 04/07/09 08:04 AM

Re: Does playing music through an auxiliary port affect audio quality? [Re: TtownCLS]

jcresci
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Apparently yes.

I have the Kenwood KDC-X592.

I have been using the USB to listen to my Blackberry. I never really listen to my iPOD through the USB because there were so many songs it took forever just to find one damn song.

I noticed that once I had a certain number of songs on my BB and plugged it into my USB the newly added songs would not show up on the Kenwood HU and would erase from my BB playlist until I did a battery pull.

I deleted a few older songs and the newer ones showed up on my Kenwood.

Not wanting to deal with this I had them install my 3.5mm to the back of the HU and run it through my glove box like my USB.

The AUX SQ is not that good at all, especially compared to CDs and USB. The volume is lower and it doesn't sound as crisp.

Its not horrible but you can tell the difference. I just use the Treble Booster on my iPOD which helps out a bit.

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#1626256 - 04/07/09 04:37 PM

Re: Does playing music through an auxiliary port affect audio quality? [Re: jcresci]

HaMSaMMiCH
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The problem with an aux input is that it relies on the output of the ipod/blackberry/audio source. If your mp3 player was made with small earbud headphones in mind it probably has a very low voltage output. You also run into the issue of clipping at the signal level depending on the actual player.

IMO its too much of a pain. Get a HU with GOOD usb support and sample your songs at a higher bit rate. Don't download "free" mp3's, buy CD's and rip them or buy music from a mp3 download service(itunes or what have you). you have no idea how those "free" mp3's are processed or how they have been modified and most of the time they will sound like [censored] when you try to listen to them on a "quality" stereo.

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#1627948 - 04/10/09 06:05 PM

Re: Does playing music through an auxiliary port affect audio quality? [Re: HaMSaMMiCH]

jcresci
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Yeah but if you rip your albums with Itunes then you get still get low quality.]

I haven't bought a CD in a few years.

Everything I download is Grouprip or EAC.

Grouprips have great quality for the file size.

EAC are Exact Audio Copies of the CDs.

The AUX isn't that big of a pain for me compared to trying to search through over 1000songs on my iPOD using the slow a$$ USB knob and not being able to play new songs on my BB.

Edited by jcresci (04/10/09 06:05 PM)

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