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Buz1500



Member Since: 05 Sep 2011
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 369

United Kingdom 2019 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Carpathian Grey
Best audio source for sound quality?

My SDV8 AB has the Meridian Reference system, 1700w and 29 speakers, and I'm keen to understand which is the best input to use so that I get the best sound production from the music on my iPhone.

I'm currently streaming music from iTunes and Amazon Prime via Bluetooth and occasionally using CDs.

The choices as I see it are as follows :

Bluetooth
Aux-in
USB
CD 2019 L405 SDV8 Autobiography
2023 Defender P400e HSE X-dynamic - gone
2020 Defender P300 SE - gone

2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR - gone
2013 SDV8 Autobiography - gone
2011 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE - gone
2006 L322 3.6 Vogue Se - gone
1999 P38 4.0 se - gone
199? Classic 3.5 - gone

Post #531353 18th Oct 2019 5:49pm
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dexion7



Member Since: 06 Jun 2013
Location: Tynemouth
Posts: 291

2010 Range Rover Vogue SE TDV8 Alaska White

CD will be best.

most sources apart from CD have compression or other factors of various sorts which have a negative impact upon quality

Post #531360 18th Oct 2019 8:43pm
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DrF



Member Since: 30 Jun 2014
Location: South East
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United Kingdom 2013 Range Rover SVAutobiography 5.0 SC V8 Orkney Grey

CD definitely Thumbs Up

Post #531365 18th Oct 2019 9:14pm
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charlie croker mk2



Member Since: 21 Jun 2017
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 174

England 

In order of highest Q / bit rate / less compression
CD
FM radio
High bit rate mp3
Dab radio from primary sources
Low bit rate MP3
Dab radio from secondary sources

If you have the surround / meridian effect on ? this will change the pure sound into ( still good ) but less pure due to the phase difference built it to the effect .

An Iphone via bluetooth is unlikely to give the best quality although it may flatter to deceive , it will depend of the source you originally got the music from .

Post #531425 19th Oct 2019 11:46am
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Fleagle_UK



Member Since: 20 Mar 2013
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 409

United Kingdom 2014 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Luxor

can't speak for the other streaming services, but if you only have the basic Amazon Music, their streaming sample rate is quite low, hence they off their premium"HD music" (at a cost of course)

Post #531623 21st Oct 2019 11:14am
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Buz1500



Member Since: 05 Sep 2011
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 369

United Kingdom 2019 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Carpathian Grey

I plan to use my iphone via the USB input using a quality cable form AudioQuest. My phone has a mixture of MP3 and apple lossless formatted music.

My phone is an iPhone 7 Plus and as such it doesn't have an onboard DAC so the raw music data should be sent directly to the amplifier in the Meridian system for decoding. 2019 L405 SDV8 Autobiography
2023 Defender P400e HSE X-dynamic - gone
2020 Defender P300 SE - gone

2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR - gone
2013 SDV8 Autobiography - gone
2011 L322 TDV8 Vogue SE - gone
2006 L322 3.6 Vogue Se - gone
1999 P38 4.0 se - gone
199? Classic 3.5 - gone

Post #531680 21st Oct 2019 3:27pm
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gilesharrison



Member Since: 04 Aug 2018
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 163

United Kingdom 2008 Range Rover Vogue TDV8 Stornoway Grey

I'm no phone expert, but how can Ann iPhone NOT have an onboard DAC? It is able to play audio through its own speaker.

Post #531722 21st Oct 2019 8:02pm
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charlie croker mk2



Member Since: 21 Jun 2017
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 174

England 

Yes all devices that convert digital audio to analog Audio must have a DAC that's what DAC stands for, however there are many different types of chipsets and a high quality source connected via the jack as opposed to Bluetooth as Buz is doing will be the most pure available for that type of device .

Post #531756 22nd Oct 2019 7:24am
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notty



Member Since: 05 Jun 2017
Location: NE Hants
Posts: 35

United Kingdom 2015 Range Rover Autobiography 5.0 SC V8 Loire Blue

Pragmatically, lossless music (AAC?) at a high bit rate (up to 320kbps) via something like Tidal and using the USB connection should be best.

CD? What's that? Wink
Convenience (and tidal) killed CDs for me a long time back.

And, you know what, try different things out (including the various Meridian DSP settings) and just listen to what you like best and not what "should" be best. Very Happy L405SC just arrived... still working everything out!

Post #531984 24th Oct 2019 12:20pm
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Ginja



Member Since: 17 Mar 2016
Location: England
Posts: 26

England 

I've been using my iphone via usb to access my iTunes library which has a mix of apple lossless and mp3 files. I also have amazon music hd which also plays through the usb. Recently though I've lost the ability to access my iTunes library through the screen, or indeed skip files through the steering wheel controls. I've tried a reset, restart and repairing but I only ever get a temporary resolution, music plays but I can only control it through the phone itself. My wife also has the same problem in her evoque. Has anyone else had this and is there a solution? We both have iphone 6s phones.

Post #532556 29th Oct 2019 3:00pm
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DrF



Member Since: 30 Jun 2014
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United Kingdom 2013 Range Rover SVAutobiography 5.0 SC V8 Orkney Grey

Get a blackberry Thumbs Up

Post #532579 29th Oct 2019 7:38pm
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awclymm



Member Since: 09 Jun 2012
Location: Cheshire, UK
Posts: 135

United Kingdom 2012 Range Rover Westminster 4.4 V8 Santorini Black

As above - Tidal - fabulous! 2017 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography

Post #534256 14th Nov 2019 6:33pm
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Red Merle



Member Since: 19 Sep 2016
Location: Cornwall
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United Kingdom 2017 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Aintree Green

Gramophone Thumbs Up

Post #534267 14th Nov 2019 7:49pm
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roberlar



Member Since: 16 Feb 2019
Location: Buckinghamshire
Posts: 203

United Kingdom 2013 Range Rover Autobiography SDV8 Santorini Black

In my humble opinion, (and i'm very critical on sound) it very much boils down to the recording quality at source. I have tracks on ipod which sound far better than CD and vice versa. Furthermore, bass and treble often need adjusting accordingly if you're that way inclined.

Post #534278 14th Nov 2019 9:58pm
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ilard



Member Since: 21 Oct 2012
Location: London
Posts: 712

United Kingdom 

That's a very interesting observation, roberlar.

I confess I have been going through a bit of mental anguish. I recently ordered the 1700w, for convenience I will use iPhone and preferably over bluetooth but I wouldn't die in a ditch plugging it in. I didn't specify the CD player. I have tried Tidal but for everything else (basically Bang & Olufson earphones and B&O A8 or something hifi speakers, so not the highest end output) I could not tell the diff between Master and Apple Music. Shoot me. BUT I CAN massively tell the difference between my last car's hifi and what will be my new car's hifi, and it's amazing.... which takes me right back to notty's observation: does it sound right to you?? Answer: yes

So maybe I will not be chasing what is supposed to be the best quality but instead I will be happy if it just sounds punchy and delicious to my old ears (not too old to appreciate Ruff Sqwad's Functions on the Low!). Any audiophile friends can buy their own car. Thumbs Up L405 P400e Autobiography (MY2020)... Silicon Silver / Espresso

Post #534285 14th Nov 2019 10:32pm
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