[gaza01]

Looking for a BT receiver that connects to the music system via RCA. I want lossless quality if possible. Also need to be run off 12v power or smaller.

Does anything like this exist?

I'm not tech minded in these things so flood me with what you know.

[_Ascension_]

I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that Bluetooth is a compressed format by nature, so no matter how you connect a Bluetooth device to your system, be it 3.5mm jack, RCA or even XLR if you could- it'll still lose quality when you introduce the Bluetooth streaming.

Whether using a better physical connection will improve the quality as the physical connection gets better I'm not sure though.

[jasonmav]

The best you going to get via bluetooth is by using a device that supports aptX. Quality is alot better than standard bluetooth. Most modern mobiles support aptx. I use the Samsung HS3000 connected to the car and works great. (Powered by usb/also has battery/syncs well)

['V']

Blutooth, in my understanding, is always compressed of some sort. Even promises from aptX fall short. Streaming blutooth audio is poor in my experience and as a result I don't use it anymore (in the car, house, anywhere)
If you can go with a physical connection it will be better, I'd personally go as far as to say AUX is better (just my opinion)
What device are you trying to steam from? Is something like a Dension or Mobridge any help?

Not a plug but as it happens I may be selling my Dension
Which will give you both blutooth streaming and usb and iphone connection

[Ajs_435d]

I find the quality pretty good with mp3 stream to usb Bluetooth plugged into aux socket.

I'm pretty sure with the codec and using addp it's at least 200 kbps some better than average mp3 at 128!

[jasonmav]

It all depends on what format you have encoded you music to. AptX can handle over 350kbps in 16bit 44.1kHz (CD quality). The real problem comes with the AUX port in the BMW. It isn't a great connection so regardless of using cable/bluetooth, the quality suffers.

[gaza01]

Originally Posted by jasonmav

It all depends on what format you have encoded you music to. AptX can handle over 350kbps in 16bit 44.1kHz (CD quality). The real problem comes with the AUX port in the BMW. It isn't a great connection so regardless of using cable/bluetooth, the quality suffers.

So how do I make sure i code my music to those numbers you quoted?

As for the input...my dsp has an RCA input so this is what Im considering to use rather than the aux bmw input

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by gaza01

So how do I make sure i code my music to those numbers you quoted?

As for the input...my dsp has an RCA input so this is what Im considering to use rather than the aux bmw input

Gaza
Done that experiment on Rudz car. We had connected everything via HU and a separate connection directly to MS-8 RCA in.

Problem with the later method is that you cannot control anything from the steering wheel. You will have to use the phone / source of output to change track / volume and so on.
Also, when you will be using RCA mode in, reverse sensors will not work as they will be coming from HU and you would have selects RCA input at MS-8.

After all those experimentations, best input method is usb-in with combox or mulf 2. All the music is digitally read and transferred and quality does not get compromised much.

[_Ascension_]

Originally Posted by gaza01

So how do I make sure i code my music to those numbers you quoted?

What is your music coded as currently? And what will you be using to code it? Ripping from CDs?

I'd say as long as you are encoding at 320kbps MP3 then it's going to be more than good enough quality- unless you wanted to use an uncompressed format like WAV or AIF which will be 1440kbps but each file is going to take a fair bit more space. FLAC will also be uncompressed and be less space than those last two, but will still be pretty large files.

Unless you have got an exceptionally good audiophile type system to be playing stuff on, most people aren't going to tell the difference between 320 MP3 and and an uncompressed format in an A-B test I reckon.

[gaza01]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Think i'll just look into combox. More expensive but end of the day will give me exactly what im after with no compromise