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Help Using Android for music in the Car... ?! HELP

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AFZom

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I just traded in my iPhone 4 for a Galaxy Note 2. I was not thrilled with the iPhone 5 and I LOVE the Note 2. What a fantastic device. One Major problem however.

- IMO, a Smart Phone needs to eliminate devices - it eliminates a phone, a hand written "black book" of names, a Pager, an answering machine, a palm pilot, a MP3 Player ect. They are all combined into one neat device. However I'm raging right now because Android does not do that. All the talk about customization, open sourcing, more apps, more power, more specs and it can't even do the God Damn most basic function of playing music in my car -

I currently have a 2010 Pioneer (forgot the model, 6 pre-amp outputs) in one car and a Pioneer T1814 in the truck (Scion 2010 TC Head Unit). Both worked flawlessly with the iPhones MP3s and pulled music from Pandora and Rhapsody. Both would also allow moving tracks backwards and forwards with the streaming music, however you could not navigate other playlist and the displayed information for Rhapsody was often "delayed" on the T1814. The iPhone also worked flawlessly in a friends 2011 Chrysler 200 with OEM Navigation, and with Ford's bluetooth sync deal.


My Note 2 does not work for crap with anything. The Pioneers will charge it, but neither can connect and won't even recognize it as a USB Memory Stick with MP3s.

The Chrysler will only pull up half of the MP3s on it and navigation is near impossible. It won't allow me to stream music via Pandora or Rhapsody. I have not tried it on a Ford yet, but I can only imagine.

So after some online research, only now, 2012 can you get a headunit that will be able to possibly read whatever garbage software is on this phone. Both Kenwood and Pioneer have headunits that with an App can allow your Android to act as a USB Memory Stick - that's right, it still won't allow streaming of Pandora or Rhapsody. Only whatever you have on your device... just like a memory stick.

The only two other options I've seen is - get a bluetooth stereo - then you MAYBE able to stream, but you also lose a massive amount of fidelity and it will drain the battery like no tomorrow - so your still cording the thing into charge.

Or! I could pretend it's 1996 all over again and just -

*insert picture of a 90's tape deck adaptor*


My next problem is that I have a classic Marantz 2270 setup at home, I have a iPod to RCA cable adaptor that I use to play music off my iPhone into the Marantz receiver. A fried has stated he does not think a similar setup (Micro USB - to RCA) will worth with the Note 2 because Android does not output unfiltered sound via the USB port - is this true?

Am I missing something or am I really being forced to choose between buying another $300 worth of stereo units to have an inferior audio experience and turning my Note 2 in for a POS iPhone 5?


:(
 
Personally, I plug the phone into an auxiliary jack and control what I listen to from the phone. The truth of the matter is that it is only relatively recent that Android has become the dominant mobile platform with a standardized interface in the form of a micro-usb connector. As such third-party device manufacturers have not really put a lot of thought into controlling Android devices. I suspect that is changing as we go forward, but that doesn't help you now.

I'm going to guess you can play off your Android device pretty easily but can't control it from the car. My recommendation, get a car mount for your phone and look for a nice in-car control app.
 
fdbryant3 said:
Personally, I plug the phone into an auxiliary jack and control what I listen to from the phone. The truth of the matter is that it is only relatively recent that Android has become the dominant mobile platform with a standardized interface in the form of a micro-usb connector. As such third-party device manufacturers have not really put a lot of thought into controlling Android devices. I suspect that is changing as we go forward, but that doesn't help you now.

I'm going to guess you can play off your Android device pretty easily but can't control it from the car. My recommendation, get a car mount for your phone and look for a nice in-car control app.
Click to expand...

+1 to this. i use a car mount with evo 4g lte and an auxilory jack to my car stereo and i have never had any issues with it.
 
If you have a radio with bluetooth audio stream like Ford Sync/MyTouch then you can stream any audio from the note to the radio. If it does not the only way to do it is through the AUX port. I thought I read somewhere that some jellybean devices will or do support USB audio not not sure if that is true or not
 
AFZom said:
The only two other options I've seen is - get a bluetooth stereo - then you MAYBE able to stream, but you also lose a massive amount of fidelity and it will drain the battery like no tomorrow - so your still cording the thing into charge.
Click to expand...

Bluetooth streaming hardly makes a dent on the Note II battery at all. I stream music about 2 to 3 hours everyday. That's including 4G data AND bluetooth to car, and it probably takes about 10 to 15% of the phone's battery. I think most of the battery is used by 4G LTE data, not by bluetooth. If you are just streaming music from your phone, the battery would probably last you 20 hours or more provided you are not keeping the screen on all the time.
 
I know in the case of Pioneer head units, they were designed to work specifically with iOS. It's not an Android problem, the problem is that the Pioneer was not designed to work with Android hence it can't work seamlessly with Pandora or the like. I use a bluetooth adapter myself on my stock car radio and it works fine, I don't notice mega battery drain but then again I don't know how much time you spend in your car. The thing with living in an Apple ecosystem is that you experience this type of frustration when you leave. I find it hard to believe that there are no head units that can provide what you need on the biggest mobile OS.

Besides, you don't have to get a new headunit, you can just get one of these but I do understand the desire to have a kick butt HU with tons of features. I used to be that way, I had two lcd headunits in one of my cars once and was building a carputer for that same car until It became too much of a project.

Just the other day the price was $40 but you know how amazon is, just have to check back for a better price.

Amazon.com: Belkin Bluetooth Car Hands-Free Kit for Apple iPod, Apple iPhone, BlackBerry,and Android Smartphones, US Version: MP3 Players & Accessories
 
In my Civic Si the USB port worked awesome for music with all my IOS devices. With android, I have to use an auxiliary cord. Really annoying as my usb port is placed in a more convenient location.
 
That's right people - all of those fancy head units that you by only care about apple products - they don't care about android. So stream you music over bluetooth, or use an aux cable.

I stream music over bluetooth in my car all of the time - there is minimal battery drain.
 
As said it's not the phones fault... The phone does work and works well with many setups... Unfortunately it doesn't work for your particular setup.

I use a bury cc9060 car kit that also streams via bluetooth. It has a touchscreen display so can control the music from there.

If I were to change the head unit I'm sure I would easily find one compatible
 
As with all gear there are pros and cons, I'm a former iPhone user despite some of the I don't care for the Android way, I'm here to stay, can't see myself going back to the iPhone.
 
Mine is the Stock stereo, and it worked with android until one of the new versions. Not sure what version it was but I wish there was a way to fix it.
 
Or get on Craigslist and buy a cheap ipod to keep in the car all the time. That's what I do. If I ever want to listen to Pandora I just use BT streaming. This works especially well if the head unit also charges the ipod. I only remove it from the car once a month to sync it. I even did this when I had my Iphone so I didn't have to keep plugging something in every time I got in the car.
 
dwagner88 said:
Or get on Craigslist and buy a cheap ipod to keep in the car all the time. That's what I do. If I ever want to listen to Pandora I just use BT streaming. This works especially well if the head unit also charges the ipod. I only remove it from the car once a month to sync it. I even did this when I had my Iphone so I didn't have to keep plugging something in every time I got in the car.
Click to expand...

AUX works great for me... i am NOT a fan on the stock music player... but I am sure there are ones I can d/l that are better...


however, I am having issues with when my Bluetooth is on... if someone calls me and I pick up, the music doesn't play when I hang up.... i gotta turn off my bluetooth first... strange or normal?
 
AFZom said:
I just traded in my iPhone 4 for a Galaxy Note 2. I was not thrilled with the iPhone 5 and I LOVE the Note 2. What a fantastic device. One Major problem however.

- IMO, a Smart Phone needs to eliminate devices - it eliminates a phone, a hand written "black book" of names, a Pager, an answering machine, a palm pilot, a MP3 Player ect. They are all combined into one neat device. However I'm raging right now because Android does not do that. All the talk about customization, open sourcing, more apps, more power, more specs and it can't even do the God Damn most basic function of playing music in my car -

I currently have a 2010 Pioneer (forgot the model, 6 pre-amp outputs) in one car and a Pioneer T1814 in the truck (Scion 2010 TC Head Unit). Both worked flawlessly with the iPhones MP3s and pulled music from Pandora and Rhapsody. Both would also allow moving tracks backwards and forwards with the streaming music, however you could not navigate other playlist and the displayed information for Rhapsody was often "delayed" on the T1814. The iPhone also worked flawlessly in a friends 2011 Chrysler 200 with OEM Navigation, and with Ford's bluetooth sync deal.


My Note 2 does not work for crap with anything. The Pioneers will charge it, but neither can connect and won't even recognize it as a USB Memory Stick with MP3s.

The Chrysler will only pull up half of the MP3s on it and navigation is near impossible. It won't allow me to stream music via Pandora or Rhapsody. I have not tried it on a Ford yet, but I can only imagine.

So after some online research, only now, 2012 can you get a headunit that will be able to possibly read whatever garbage software is on this phone. Both Kenwood and Pioneer have headunits that with an App can allow your Android to act as a USB Memory Stick - that's right, it still won't allow streaming of Pandora or Rhapsody. Only whatever you have on your device... just like a memory stick.

The only two other options I've seen is - get a bluetooth stereo - then you MAYBE able to stream, but you also lose a massive amount of fidelity and it will drain the battery like no tomorrow - so your still cording the thing into charge.

Or! I could pretend it's 1996 all over again and just -

*insert picture of a 90's tape deck adaptor*


My next problem is that I have a classic Marantz 2270 setup at home, I have a iPod to RCA cable adaptor that I use to play music off my iPhone into the Marantz receiver. A fried has stated he does not think a similar setup (Micro USB - to RCA) will worth with the Note 2 because Android does not output unfiltered sound via the USB port - is this true?

Am I missing something or am I really being forced to choose between buying another $300 worth of stereo units to have an inferior audio experience and turning my Note 2 in for a POS iPhone 5?


:(
Click to expand...

Have you updated your head unit's firmware, and BT firmware? I had to update both, in order for my Pioneer Avic to start pairing correctly with my phones.

Are you concerned that a 3.5mm to RCA cable will degrade your source material? Is it "loss less", or just mp3? I have an all conrad-johnson tube system, and hate all sources digital however given the convenience of mp3s on my phone (as well as the xiia live streaming app) I've accepted the drop in audio quality. There's always the Samsung HDMI adapter, if you have a receiver with an input.
 
colnago said:
FWIW, I like the paid version of "Power Amp" as an mp3 player.
Click to expand...
I'm also a fan of Power Amp.
The stock music player in my N2 had trouble streaming to my BMW X3 and wouldn't play some of my MP3's. Power Amp streams without a hitch and plays every song in my play list.
 
My Sony bluetooth head unit has a USB and 3.5mm jack connection and also streams flawlessly from my Note 2. All connections work fine although plugging it into the USB will charge it also. But I do prefer the bluetooth streaming as its also a handsfree, great sound using power amp.
 
evile84 said:
If you have a radio with bluetooth audio stream like Ford Sync/MyTouch then you can stream any audio from the note to the radio. If it does not the only way to do it is through the AUX port. I thought I read somewhere that some jellybean devices will or do support USB audio not not sure if that is true or not
Click to expand...

No Bluetooth in either car. I'm also told Bluetooth quality sucks worse then mini-jacks, which are already God awful. The T1814 does not have an aux in line, just a USB that I soldered into the board.

I ordred one of these for $1.55, maybe it will work with the USB. :mad:

usb-2-0-to-3-5mm-jack-data-sync-cable-for-mp3-mp4-f168.jpg
 
Tomo1971 said:
If I were to change the head unit I'm sure I would easily find one compatible
Click to expand...

Please list one - I've not found one that allows the Phone to do anything more than act as a $30 memory car.

I'm not spending $400 on a buggy AppRadio 2 either.
 
dwagner88 said:
Or get on Craigslist and buy a cheap ipod to keep in the car all the time.
Click to expand...

Defeats the entire purpose of selling my old iPhone and owning a smart phone. The whole point of streaming data is to be able to use it. I could just as easily dump 32 gigs of MP3s onto a $20 USB Memory card and have the same functionality. Functionality Android is clearly lacking.
 
AFZom said:
No Bluetooth in either car. I'm also told Bluetooth quality sucks worse then mini-jacks, which are already God awful. The T1814 does not have an aux in line, just a USB that I soldered into the board.

I ordred one of these for $1.55, maybe it will work with the USB. :mad:

usb-2-0-to-3-5mm-jack-data-sync-cable-for-mp3-mp4-f168.jpg
Click to expand...



Hopefully that will solve your problems. I don't know why people say aux/bluetooth streamed music sucks. I don't get but I guess I have grandpa hearing because on my setup it sounds fine. I guess some people want to hear the door creak in the background as a producer comes back into the room from a bathroom break while the artist was still laying down the track.

Don't go by what others say, try things for yourself. When you step into the Android world you have to accept that even though it holds most of the market share, Apple fanboyism leads major manufacturers in making their products compatible with Apple products; that's why my brother won't leave Apple.
 
colnago said:
Are you concerned that a 3.5mm to RCA cable will degrade your source material? Is it "loss less", or just mp3? I have an all conrad-johnson tube system, and hate all sources digital however given the convenience of mp3s on my phone (as well as the xiia live streaming app) I've accepted the drop in audio quality. There's always the Samsung HDMI adapter, if you have a receiver with an input.
Click to expand...

On a iPhone, my understanding is there is amp signal in the 3.5mm line to boost audio for the headphones. However it works, there is a noticeable hum in the system during "silence", this is eliminated on the iPhone when using the Apple dock-connection. I assume all headphone jacks will be this way. Using the Dock also eliminates audio adjustment from the iPhone.
 
AFZom said:
This logic baffles me. People don't change cars and stereos as frequently as they do phones. Since the phone is the changeable device, it should be on Android to draw customers by confirming to existing industry standards.
Click to expand...

Trust me, I know your frustration. I had an iphone for the last 4 years and when I came to android things take getting used to. I mentioned many times here that I like itunes amd prefer the Apple app store over the Google play store. For me it's about having nicer hardware, big phone and freedom. Comes with a price but some are not willing to pay it.
 
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