I need a straight answer on Bluetooth sound quality

[Poul6963]

Hi Guys

I hope I'm in the correct forum, please excuse me if I'm not! I have been searching more than two hours now, for answers to what I think is a simple question, but turns out to be more technical than I anticipated .

Q: I'm almost entirely listening to Tidal streaming via Bluetooth in my car (Kia EV6 with the Meridian sound system) and I want the best sound quality, would it matter if I use Tidal HiFi or HiFi Plus ?

I'm willing to pay for HiFi Plus, but if it doesn't make the sound quality better, why should I?

Thanks a lot.
Poul

 

[raindance]

Doesn't your car have a plug in option that lets you avoid Bluetooth? Bluetooth quality depends heavily on the codec used and if that is too technical, then it is best to avoid it as it potentially adds another layer of what could be heavy compression. I highly doubt you will hear any difference between those tiers of Tidal even if you go hard wired, so would suggest saving your money.

 

[JSmith]

Hey and welcome to ASR.

via Bluetooth

As far as I'm aware the BT system in your car uses the SBC codec for BT;

Bluetooth Audio Codecs Explained

Learn how does Bluetooth connection works and how Bluetooth audio codec plays a huge role in the pursuit of excellent wireless audio quality.

www.headphonesty.com

SBC has a bad reputation among the Bluetooth audio codecs for its high lossy compression algorithm and hence, overall lower audio quality. But in fact, SBC is a pretty flexible codec. It is able to support up to the 48 kHz sampling rate at 16-bit bit depth. It is also able to transmit data at rates as high as 345kbps.

However, manufacturers don’t always take full advantage of SBC’s features or bandwidth, for reasons of improved device performance. A more realistic bitrate will be 256kbps which is roughly equal to the quality of MP3 recording.

would it matter if I use Tidal HiFi or HiFi Plus ?

Nah... not in the car using BT and probably not at all.


JSmith

 

[GXAlan]

I believe Apple Carplay will use WiFi not Bluetooth for the music so it’s slightly higher quality.

You are unlikely to hear any difference unless you are parked and listening to music. That’s assuming the car audio setup is good enough. Once you drive, it’s unlikely you’ll hear anything different.

 

[Astoneroad]

I agree with raindance. Even with my best wired 2 channel rig at home (No Bluetooth), I couldn't hear any difference between Tidal Hi Fi and Plus/MQA. I'm back to their Hi Fi service and I'm very happy.

 

[Wunderphones]

Road and engine noise will be the biggest barriers to good sound, not Bluetooth transmission. When you take all those degrading influences into account, you will definitely be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two tiers of Tidal service when driving.

 

[Peluvius]

Hi Guys

I hope I'm in the correct forum, please excuse me if I'm not! I have been searching more than two hours now, for answers to what I think is a simple question, but turns out to be more technical than I anticipated .

Q: I'm almost entirely listening to Tidal streaming via Bluetooth in my car (Kia EV6 with the Meridian sound system) and I want the best sound quality, would it matter if I use Tidal HiFi or HiFi Plus ?

I'm willing to pay for HiFi Plus, but if it doesn't make the sound quality better, why should I?

Thanks a lot.
Poul

For what it is worth, I think I can hear a difference when I stream Tidal master over bluetooth in my car but it is not a massive improvement and I just do it because I pay for it on my account. I also use it on my desktop system which you can certainly hear (no bluetooth involved). I would personally not pay for master subscription if I had to use Bluetooth in my audio chain and that was my only application. Can you get a free trial to listen? Maybe just get it for a month and see what you think?

 

[Deleted member 50971]

Road and engine noise will be the biggest barriers to good sound, not Bluetooth transmission. When you take all those degrading influences into account, you will definitely be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two tiers of Tidal service when driving.

We need higher resolution tires then lol!

 

[Deleted member 50971]

I guess I’m not a fan of Bluetooth, although I’ve really never used it that much. Drains the battery too much, and if I have an option between using USB and Bluetooth, I’m going with USB every time. Can I hear a difference in my truck? Probably not.

 

[DonR]

Road and engine noise will be the biggest barriers to good sound, not Bluetooth transmission. When you take all those degrading influences into account, you will definitely be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two tiers of Tidal service when driving.

I agree except his car is electric so will have reduced cabin noise. Even then, the atmosphere is hardly one where anyone would notice a difference.

 

[voodooless]

I agree except his car is electric so will have reduced cabin noise. Even then, the atmosphere is hardly one where anyone would notice a difference.

Reduced engine noise. The cabin noise will be relatively more pronounced. Overall though, the noise level should be lower.. although, I have a hybrid, and on most roads above 40 kph, I can’t hear if the engine is running or not until you actually rev it, which under normal driving conditions rarely happens. The car is quiet either way

Tidal Hifi plus will only offer high-res, which your car will probably not support anyway. Probably it will resample everything to 48 kHz to do all the DSP processing needed.

So there is no point in paying more.

 

[DonR]

Reduced engine noise. The cabin noise will be relatively more pronounced. Overall though, the noise level should be lower.. although, I have a hybrid, and on most roads above 40 kph, I can’t hear if the engine is running or not until you actually rev it, which under normal driving conditions rarely happens. The car is quiet either way

Tidal Hifi plus will only offer high-res, which your car will probably not support anyway. Probably it will resample everything to 48 kHz to do all the DSP processing needed.

So there is no point in paying more.

Cabin noise as in overall noise within the cabin.

 

[voodooless]

Cabin noise as in overall noise within the cabin.

Fair enough. Still, the noise profile is quite different from the average ice car. Not that that matters for the choice here

 

[Poul6963]

Doesn't your car have a plug in option that lets you avoid Bluetooth? Bluetooth quality depends heavily on the codec used and if that is too technical, then it is best to avoid it as it potentially adds another layer of what could be heavy compression. I highly doubt you will hear any difference between those tiers of Tidal even if you go hard wired, so would suggest saving your money.

Thanks for your reply - the car does have the option to plug the phone in and use Apple Carplay. But it's funny how things work out: We get Bluetooth and wireless charging to avoid cables, but must use one for audio to be good .

 

[Deleted member 50971]

Thanks for your reply - the car does have the option to plug the phone in and use Apple Carplay. But it's funny how things work out: We get Bluetooth and wireless charging to avoid cables, but must use one for audio to be good .

Very true. i’m getting a pioneer deck installed in my one truck today, and that’ll be my first experience with Apple Carplay. I just always hated him when a call would come in or a text would come in, and interrupt the music, maybe CarPlay integrates better I don’t know.

 

[Vacceo]

With APTX HD I feel no loss. However and when possible, wifi or wired for peace of mind.

 

[Deleted member 50971]

With APTX HD I feel no loss. However and when possible, wifi or wired for peace of mind.

I haven’t done any listening between wired and the newer/better Bluetooth codecs, but just like you said, I understand they’re getting very close in quality to wired.

Sooner or later these cable companies will be half out of business, and in 50 years history will look back at us like we’re dinosaurs haha.

 

[BeerBear]

Q: I'm almost entirely listening to Tidal streaming via Bluetooth in my car (Kia EV6 with the Meridian sound system) and I want the best sound quality, would it matter if I use Tidal HiFi or HiFi Plus ?

Short answer: no.
Long answer: Tidal HiFi should sound better, because it's lossless (although it being lossless is not guaranteed). Tidal HiFi Plus with MQA uses lossy encoding, so it's better to avoid it if you're seeking the best quality.
The difference between those two is small, but if you want a peace of mind, you should switch to a music provider that guarantees lossless quality and doesn't deceive users.

Bluetooth audio quality depends on the codec and bitrate used. I'm guessing your system supports at least AAC. So with a good signal inside the car, it should sound good.

Thanks for your reply - the car does have the option to plug the phone in and use Apple Carplay. But it's funny how things work out: We get Bluetooth and wireless charging to avoid cables, but must use one for audio to be good .

CarPlay can be used wirelessly, if your car infotainment supports it. Wi-Fi is plenty fast for high quality audio.

 

[Vict0r]

It would make more sense (well, not financially...) to upgrade the car's audio capabilities with dampening, better speakers and DSP. I have a current-gen Kia Rio GT and, while the stock system was decent, it improved immensely with proper dampening and deadening of the car doors and better speakers, driven by a DSP capable amp that allowed for calibration.

 

[Poul6963]

Hi Guys
Thanks for all your informative answers, I will go with Tidal HiFi and save a little money .
Poul