Audio quality - Radio or Bluetooth

[User100723]

Not too well versed in this, I’ve just about had it with the loud radio blasting my ears as soon as I disconnect CarPlay from USB. It doesn’t happen all the time, but it’s annoying enough, especially when transporting sleeping children.

Following some suggestions posted on these forums, I’ve decided to get a transmitter just to have the radio fallback to something quiet. It’s absurd we have to even do this.

While I’m at it, I want the “solution” to have more purpose than just being a radio silencer. For one: this car don’t come with an aux port, and while I don’t use it that much now days, no harm in adding one. I could listen to CDs and cassettes if wanted to, even if rarely.

so here’s my dilemma: which would be the better route in terms of reliability and sound quality - aux to Bluetooth transmitter, or aux to radio transmitter?

I assume Bluetooth would be better for sound quality, but I’m concerned that the car would for some reason default to radio even with an existing but inactive Bluetooth connection present in the background as soon as I disconnect CarPlay.

Thanks!

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[HuntingPudel]

If you are using wireless CarPlay, it’s not using BT. It uses BT for communications and control. It uses WiFi for the actual audio stream. So, Wireless CarPlay will have higher fidelity than straight BT. ??

That said, I mostly listen to the radio on Sirius XM (mostly talk radio) and its volume is not significantly different than when I connect via Wireless CarPlay. So when I switch from WCP to native SXM in the car, I don’t notice much volume difference (if any). ?‍?

 

[User100723]

If you are using wireless CarPlay, it’s not using BT. It uses BT for communications and control. It uses WiFi for the actual audio stream. So, Wireless CarPlay will have higher fidelity than straight BT. ??

That said, I mostly listen to the radio on Sirius XM (mostly talk radio) and its volume is not significantly different than when I connect via Wireless CarPlay. So when I switch from WCP to native SXM in the car, I don’t notice much volume difference (if any). ?‍?

Thanks for this, actually using wired CarPlay as it seems a bit more reliable in my specific use case. Issue is when I disconnect the cable, radio comes on.

You mention using wireless CarPlay, and that it doesn’t use Bluetooth. When your phone disconnects from CarPlay, and you had another device connected via Bluetooth in the background, what happens? Does the audio switch to the Bluetooth device automatically, or does it still default to radio anyways?

My issue with the radio coming on isn’t so much the difference in volume between CarPlay and radio (though the difference between the two is still stark), but the shock of going from silent or calm to something unexpectedly coming on all of a sudden. There are times when I’ll be listening to some music for a part of the drive, then as I get closer to my job site, I stop the music and make a few phone calls to my coworkers and clients. While I’m leaving my car, I disconnect the phone cable to carry the conversation from the car speakers to my phone. It is at this moment while going over some important topics that the radio will come out of nowhere.

another scenario is transporting young children and mental older folk, where listening to something very soft and soothing is needed to balance their emotions. Disconnect the phone, and all of a sudden it’s a shock of loud static or some banging tune that is not appropriate for keeping things calm and peaceful.

 

[HuntingPudel]

Thanks for this, actually using wired CarPlay as it seems a bit more reliable in my specific use case. Issue is when I disconnect the cable, radio comes on.

You mention using wireless CarPlay, and that it doesn’t use Bluetooth. When your phone disconnects from CarPlay, and you had another device connected via Bluetooth in the background, what happens? Does the audio switch to the Bluetooth device automatically, or does it still default to radio anyways?

My issue with the radio coming on isn’t so much the difference in volume between CarPlay and radio (though the difference between the two is still stark), but the shock of going from silent or calm to something unexpectedly coming on all of a sudden. There are times when I’ll be listening to some music for a part of the drive, then as I get closer to my job site, I stop the music and make a few phone calls to my coworkers and clients. While I’m leaving my car, I disconnect the phone cable to carry the conversation from the car speakers to my phone. It is at this moment while going over some important topics that the radio will come out of nowhere.

another scenario is transporting young children and mental older folk, where listening to something very soft and soothing is needed to balance their emotions. Disconnect the phone, and all of a sudden it’s a shock of loud static or some banging tune that is not appropriate for keeping things calm and peaceful.

I didn't mean to make the impression that Wireless CP does not use BT. It does, but more for communications, commands, and other protocols: Low bandwidth stuff. ??

I don't connect any other BT devices to my car's stereo since the phone is all I need for media. So unfortunately I can't comment on whether another device would connect if I disconnected the phone. Given that BT can communicate with more than one device at a time, I would suspect that the changeover from an active device to a standby device would be immediate. ?‍?

I would think that the advantage of Wireless CarPlay over wired in this situation is that it stays connected until the car is powered down (i.e. you push the Start/Stop button and open the door). At that point the phone's local microphone and speaker take over. You wouldn't need to disconnect the cable and then get out since the car takes care of the disconnect and it's connected until the car is powered off. ??

 

[User100723]

Update on my search:

Disappointed to find that Bluetooth connections on Sync (current Mustang Mach E infotainment system) only supports smartphones and the like.

In other words, you can’t pair a generic device like an aux to Bluetooth transmitter and use that to add an stereo/amplifier port to your car via Bluetooth. A shame, since that would be great for breaking out some vintage cassettes, vinyls, or even a portable DVD player from time to time (yes I’m old and fashioned).

Will have to settle on using the FM radio as my gateway to adding an analog audio connection to my car. Yeah it does work, but the signal isn’t noise free (duh). Always the tiniest bit of hum or static in the background. I wish it were dead silence, but I’ll take it. Is still a huge, huge upgrade over having some actual radio static or loud music being blasted as soon as CarPlay disconnects. So main problem solved I guess.

happy to be corrected if someone proves me wrong and manages to hook up a laptop or something beside smartphone/mp3 player to the car via Bluetooth. As far as I can tell, analog Bluetooth transmitters seems to be a no go for now. One of the downsides of ditching a all-purpose generic interface such as the aux port.

Either way hope this helps anyone who was thinking of hooking something besides a smartphone or digital mp3 player to the cars audio via Bluetooth.

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