Does Apple CarPlay sound better?

Apple CarPlay is an in-vehicle infotainment system that allows iPhone users to access certain apps and features on their car’s built-in display. CarPlay connects wirelessly via Bluetooth or through a Lightning cable to mirror supported apps from an iPhone onto the car’s touchscreen.

When it comes to audio quality, CarPlay can stream music and other audio content from iPhone apps over the car’s speakers. Supported audio apps include Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Audible, and many more. CarPlay audio can be transmitted either wirelessly over WiFi or with a wired Lightning connection. Both wired and wireless CarPlay are capable of CD-quality audio, providing richer sound than a standard Bluetooth audio connection.

In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at CarPlay’s audio capabilities, sound quality, and how it compares to other in-car audio options.

How CarPlay Works

CarPlay is Apple’s in-car software that connects an iOS device like an iPhone to a vehicle’s infotainment system display. It allows the driver to access certain apps, make calls, send messages, listen to music, get directions, and more through the car’s touchscreen, knobs, steering wheel controls, and voice commands via Siri. CarPlay connects the iOS device to the car’s system either through a wired USB connection or wirelessly through Bluetooth.

To use a wired connection, the user simply plugs their iPhone into the car’s USB port. The car may automatically launch CarPlay, or the user may need to select CarPlay from the infotainment system menu. Once connected, the CarPlay interface will display on the car’s center touchscreen. The wireless option allows the user’s iPhone to connect to CarPlay without any cables. The vehicle must support wireless CarPlay, and the user’s iPhone must be running iOS 9 or later. The user pairs their iPhone to the car similarly to connecting a Bluetooth device. CarPlay will then connect automatically when the user enters the car.

Citations:

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/102521

[2] https://support.apple.com/en-us/108415

CarPlay Audio Quality

The audio quality of Apple CarPlay depends primarily on the quality of the car’s built-in sound system, not the iOS device it is connected to. This is because the digital audio data streamed over CarPlay is decoded and amplified by the car’s own audio hardware (source).

CarPlay uses lossy audio compression like AAC or aptX to stream audio over USB or wireless. While there is some data compression, the resulting audio quality is equivalent to CD quality and most people cannot tell the difference from a direct wired connection (source). The car’s built-in amplifier and speakers will have a much bigger impact on overall sound quality than the small differences between streaming codecs.

In most cases, CarPlay audio will sound as good or better than Bluetooth streaming thanks to improved codecs and connectivity. But premium high-end cars with upgraded sound systems will provide a noticeably better CarPlay experience than basic factory systems. The iOS device itself plays minimal role in audio quality over CarPlay.

Sound Enhancements

CarPlay allows you to enhance the audio experience in your vehicle in several ways. Some of the key sound enhancements available include:

EQ Presets – CarPlay supports various EQ presets to customize the sound profile. For example, you can choose presets for Pop, Jazz, Rock, Classical and more to optimize the sound for different genres of music 1. The EQ presets tweak the balance of low, mid and high frequencies to suit the genre.

Spatial Audio – With supported apps like Apple Music, CarPlay takes advantage of spatial audio technologies like Dolby Atmos to create an immersive surround sound experience. This makes it feel like the music is coming at you from all directions.

Dynamic Range Control – CarPlay allows you to compress the dynamic range of audio to account for road noise and other ambient sounds. This brings up the quieter sounds and prevents loud parts from blasting over the road noise. You can choose from options like Late Night to optimize the dynamic range for quieter listening 1.

With CarPlay’s built-in audio enhancements, you can customize your in-car listening experience with genre-optimized EQ, enveloping spatial audio and adjustable dynamic range control.

Wired vs Wireless

Wired CarPlay connections can provide better audio quality compared to wireless CarPlay connections. This is because wired connections are not transmitting the audio over WiFi which can lead to compression or latency issues.

According to a Reddit discussion, Wired CarPlay can transmit audio up to 48kHz/24-bit, while Wireless CarPlay maxes out at 48kHz/16-bit based on Apple’s documentation. The wired connection has the capability to deliver high-resolution lossless audio if the head unit supports it.

Additionally, a wired connection ensures the audio and video are perfectly in sync since there is no wireless transmission lag. As noted in an AppleInsider article, a wired CarPlay connection is preferable when watching video content in a parked car to avoid lip sync issues.

In summary, audiophiles or those wanting the highest audio fidelity should use a wired connection for CarPlay whenever possible. While wireless CarPlay offers convenience, the wired option provides better quality and stability.

Audio Codecs

CarPlay supports various audio codecs depending on how it is connected to your car’s infotainment system. The main codecs are AAC and ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec).

When using a wired connection, CarPlay can stream lossless ALAC audio from Apple Music at up to 24-bit/48 kHz resolution. According to Apple’s support page, “You can listen to lossless audio with CarPlay using a USB connection.” (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212183)

With a wireless connection, CarPlay is limited to streaming AAC audio which is compressed with lossy compression. So wireless CarPlay does not support lossless audio playback. On Reddit, one user confirmed: “If you are using wireless CarPlay in your car then you have to make sure your head unit supports ALAC. Usually car audio head units don’t support ALAC wirelessly.” (https://www.reddit.com/r/CarPlay/comments/no2cfi/carplay_alac_and_apple_music/)

Overall, a wired CarPlay connection provides the capability for lossless ALAC audio from Apple Music, delivering higher resolution sound quality compared to standard AAC over wireless CarPlay.

Siri and Sound

Siri’s voice quality when using Apple CarPlay has been a common complaint from users. Some note that Siri’s voice sounds muffled or lower quality compared to music or podcasts playing through CarPlay.12 This may be partly due to the audio compression used specifically for Siri’s voice output. While music and other audio is transmitted in a high-quality format like Lossless, Siri’s voice data is compressed to enable quick transmission and response times.

Importantly, using Siri voice commands has no impact on the audio quality of music or other playback through CarPlay. The compressed Siri voice data is kept separate from the main audio streams. So while Siri’s own voice quality may not be the best, it does not degrade the quality of songs, podcasts, or navigation instructions. Users mainly notice the poor Siri quality in isolation and by comparison to the high-fidelity audio from CarPlay.

Some users have reported Siri’s voice degradation after updating to iOS 15, indicating it could be a software-related issue.2 Apple may be able to improve Siri’s quality in a future software update. But the need to compress the voice data means it may never match the quality of CarPlay’s main audio output.

Aftermarket Upgrades

One way to potentially improve the audio quality from Apple CarPlay is by upgrading your car’s speakers and amplifiers. Many cars come with basic factory audio systems that may lack fidelity and power. Upgrading the speakers to higher-end aftermarket brands like JBL, Rockford Fosgate or Infinity can provide fuller sound with better bass and clarity. Adding an external amplifier can also help provide more power to drive speakers properly. According to Crutchfield, adding an amplifier to factory speakers can make a “dramatic difference in sound quality and volume.” While better speakers and amps won’t directly affect the CarPlay unit, they can help your car’s overall audio system perform at a higher level.

Comparing to Android Auto

When it comes to audio quality, Android Auto has some advantages over CarPlay due to support for Qualcomm’s aptX audio codec. Android Auto compatible head units and phones with Qualcomm chipsets can take advantage of aptX’s improved audio quality over Bluetooth.

According to Android Police, Android Auto over aptX Bluetooth provides better audio quality than CarPlay over wireless or wired connections. The aptX codec allows for near lossless CD quality audio over a Bluetooth connection.

However, the improved audio requires both the car head unit and smartphone to support aptX. Many Android phones contain Qualcomm chipsets with aptX, but compatibility can vary across car manufacturers. Meanwhile, CarPlay does not offer support for Qualcomm’s high resolution codecs.

Conclusion

In summary, Apple CarPlay has the potential to provide high quality audio in vehicles when set up properly. The key factors that affect CarPlay’s audio performance include the type of connection (wired vs wireless), the vehicle’s sound system, audio codecs, and sound enhancements from the head unit/stereo. While CarPlay may not always achieve audiophile-level sound quality, for most users it can deliver a solid listening experience that brings the music from your iPhone to your car’s speakers with minimal degradation compared to listening directly on your mobile device. With the right combination of equipment, settings, and content, CarPlay enables iPhone owners to enjoy their music library on the road.

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