Ipods & Car Integration

Sanc

I'm Hiding in Honduras
Hey all. I've been seeing cars of late that can control an Ipod via the normal controls on steering wheels and the normal head unit. This got me thinking, do cars that can do this read (or pull) the digital feed like the cool new docks, or the not so great analog signal?

Obviously some cars might function differently, but lets say the majority use the analog signal. What would be a way to use the digital stream? Perhaps run a toslink or digital coaxial from a new digital dock to a digital in on the back of one's head unit? That sounds excessive though. Any ideas?
 
Any stereo using a usb input will use the digital stream and then use its own dac for the music.
 
Really... very interesting? So when you see a receiver with a USB input labeled or described as "Made for Ipod", its gonna use the digital stream?
 
Looks pretty cool. My father's Honda Crosstour has an Ipod adapter that allows him to control it via the controls on his dash and steering wheel. Is it safe to say his car's adapter takes the digital feed from the Ipod?
 
Don't know why more people don't use Bluetooth. Here is my set-up with a factory Honda Accord stereo and Alpine bluetooth interface:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjfrxJrtgj4

I have no idea where the D/A conversion is being done though. Through my phone and the analog signal sent via bluetooth or in my Alpine interface?
 
Funny, my daughter just discovered tonight that our 3 YO Subaru has a USB input for her iPhone. She's been using the headphone-out AUX input, as a passenger. I asked her why she never used the 8 pin USB input. Blank look, and then the penny dropped. Looks like her old dad knows a few new tricks!

She thought the sound was much clearer, liked the head end interface, and was digging her new Spotify app...

She was sad the 2 year older Nissan she is going to get doesn't have a USB input.
 
My car has a USB Input for iPod/iPhone and Bluetooth. I think there is a USB input in the glove compartment for USB sticks, as well, but I don't use it. I have a 160GB Classic hooked up to the USB in the center console and it works great. Even though the iPhone has more features over USB (there is a car app for that), I mainly used it with Bluetooth. It works just like it is plugged in...album art, can see my playlists on the nav screen, can skip or go back with the steering wheel controls and I can even see what is up now and next with the heads up display. Oh, Siri is convenient to use in the car, as well.

Yep, this stuff just gets better and better. For a long time, I was using a Phatbox and then a similar Kenwood Keg, but glad to have much more music available at my fingertips these days. Below is a picture of my Kenwood Keg controller. I had the actual "keg" under my seat:

medium.jpg


The Phatbox worked with my car's head unit, but it connect to the ibus system in the trunk:
large.jpg
 
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The last new ride I bought in 2012 ... Nissan Sentra ... has Ipod integration ... that's the reason I bought an Ipod Classic (160gb). The 160gb was overkill ... since I rip AAC at 128kbps.

The classic always stays in the car (center council) unless I need to download more ripped CD files... is recharged there & is controlled via the factory head unit. I've had the factory speakers replaced w/ aftermarket ... but not the head unit.. because I like the steering wheel controls.

 
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I had a pioneer unit put in my car about 7 years ago with aftermarket PAC SWI for steering wheel controls. Also has voice control to change what is playing. Here is a video that I created a ways back.
 
Early USB in BMW's required a Y-connector which plugged into the 30-pin iPod connector but split to the car using the USB for control and data but played audio using the AUX input. Full-digital phased in over the years but mainly only on those vehicles with Navigation option. At that point just plugging into the USB in the car was all that was necessary. The change occurred somewhere around November 2010 production and a month-or-so later for US-made BMWs. Even on the current cars I prefer the sound of USB connection to the now pretty much standard Bluetooth audio connectivity. There are also some control issues and display issues with Bluetooth that work better with USB. Perhaps the new Apple CarPlay which rolls out in BMWs with next month's (August) production on most cars will bring this whole Tower of Babble to a new level.

I love my iPod Classic with lossless files and only wish I could find an affordable and elegant way to incorporate it into my older 5-series BMW with DSP without hacking the car or losing other features. Screw Bluetooth, I just wanna play music without having to load the in-dash slot or trunk CD changer.
 
Early USB in BMW's required a Y-connector which plugged into the 30-pin iPod connector but split to the car using the USB for control and data but played audio using the AUX input. Full-digital phased in over the years but mainly only on those vehicles with Navigation option. At that point just plugging into the USB in the car was all that was necessary. The change occurred somewhere around November 2010 production and a month-or-so later for US-made BMWs. Even on the current cars I prefer the sound of USB connection to the now pretty much standard Bluetooth audio connectivity. There are also some control issues and display issues with Bluetooth that work better with USB. Perhaps the new Apple CarPlay which rolls out in BMWs with next month's (August) production on most cars will bring this whole Tower of Babble to a new level.

I love my iPod Classic with lossless files and only wish I could find an affordable and elegant way to incorporate it into my older 5-series BMW with DSP without hacking the car or losing other features. Screw Bluetooth, I just wanna play music without having to load the in-dash slot or trunk CD changer.
Personally, I prefer Bluetooth. The NAV control issues with Bluetooth are app dependent. As I mentioned in the past, one of the reasons I use Apple Music is that it works better than any other service with my BMW's Nav and Bluetooth. It gets the album art correct, gives me access to my steering wheel controls for changing what is playing/playlists, and it sounds good enough considering that I am driving and my car isn't exactly quiet.

As I mentioned, my car also has USB which I use with an iPod Classic 160GB filled to the brim with lossless files. However, 90 percent of the time, if not more, I listen to Bluetooth with the iPhone. The iPod is nice to have in the mountains, where I drop my cell signal, though.

As a side note, the iBus system that worked with older BMWs and the Phatbox (pictured above) was way ahead of its time with VIOT (Voice Index On Tap), but it wasn't as convenient as using an iPod that you could detach and take anywhere.
 
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