Solved! What sampling frequency does an iPhone output to a car stereo via USB?

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username4t

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"High-Resolution Audio files have a sampling frequency of 24 bit/96 kHz, which is significantly higher than the 16 bit /44.1 KHz sampling frequency of CDs." -- the interweb

Tidal offers streaming at 24/96...but is it worth it? Will a new iPhone output that?
 
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I'm about to buy a new car, BMW/Mark Levinson or Audi/Bang & Olufsen. I'm interested in the simplest, best-sounding solution -- not an external DAC.

I'm asking this question because I'm trying to decide it it's worth it to stream in HD, to get 16 bit /44.1 KHz or even 24 bit/96 kHz.

No one seems to know the answer to my original question -- not even Apple support.

But I see know that the limitation of the Mark Levinson or Bang & Olufsen needs to be considered as well.

You are not understanding my replies, if you connect your phone using the port, you will using an external DAC. If it's in the car stereo or not does not mater, I was trying to explain the connection. The iPhone audio stream out through the lightning...
If it "depends on the stereo" and the limitation would not come from the output of the phone, what would an external DAC do?

An external DAC does the processing for the audio, if you are connecting your phone to the whatever radio you have that would mean that the radio you have is doing the processing so what it outputs depends on that hardware. I would not worry much about the difference in quality, it will be good enough, a car is not made for audiophile level listening since there is so much outside noise there in the first place. Where you would see a difference is if you use a nice dac/amp with the phone along with good headphones.

This is not the best article on the topic but does explain some things about using an external DAC for the hi res audio https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/hi-res-audio-iphone-ipad/
 

username4t

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Dec 3, 2016
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An external DAC does the processing for the audio, if you are connecting your phone to the whatever radio you have that would mean that the radio you have is doing the processing so what it outputs depends on that hardware.

I'm about to buy a new car, BMW/Mark Levinson or Audi/Bang & Olufsen. I'm interested in the simplest, best-sounding solution -- not an external DAC.

I'm asking this question because I'm trying to decide it it's worth it to stream in HD, to get 16 bit /44.1 KHz or even 24 bit/96 kHz.

No one seems to know the answer to my original question -- not even Apple support.

But I see know that the limitation of the Mark Levinson or Bang & Olufsen needs to be considered as well.
 
I'm about to buy a new car, BMW/Mark Levinson or Audi/Bang & Olufsen. I'm interested in the simplest, best-sounding solution -- not an external DAC.

I'm asking this question because I'm trying to decide it it's worth it to stream in HD, to get 16 bit /44.1 KHz or even 24 bit/96 kHz.

No one seems to know the answer to my original question -- not even Apple support.

But I see know that the limitation of the Mark Levinson or Bang & Olufsen needs to be considered as well.

You are not understanding my replies, if you connect your phone using the port, you will using an external DAC. If it's in the car stereo or not does not mater, I was trying to explain the connection. The iPhone audio stream out through the lightning connector will handle high bit rate music fine. Next is the DAC that converts that to something you can hear, which is why audiophiles buy $100 + DACs and hang them off their phones. If you don't do that, then the iPhone interface in your car will be handling the audio processing, so the quality depends on that. Read this, will explain some and give you options as to what to use https://www.whathifi.com/us/advice/how-to-play-hi-res-music-your-iphone-0

Once you get the car you can play around and see what you like best. No matter what you use it will sound fine, especially if you use a cable vs bluetooth. The simplest solution is plug in the phone to whatever interface the car has and play music. The best sounding solution would be to get a good DAC for the iPhone and run that to the Aux input on the car.
 
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