iPod vs USB Flash Drive Sound Quality

Retired Profile · #1 04-06-2010, 09:03 AM

Not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but to me, it seems that the music played in the X5 from a USB drive is much brighter and cleaner than the same music played from the iPod.

I did a non-scientific test and found that I preferred the USB stored music over the iPod.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

PasPar2 · #2 04-06-2010, 09:22 AM

same here.

XXX555 · #3 04-06-2010, 10:33 AM

I agree.

Anyone know how to play your individual tracks with Ipod or USB music randomly with iDrive?

bmwman3241 · #4 04-06-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXX555

I agree.

Anyone know how to play your individual tracks with Ipod or USB music randomly with iDrive?

Select a song, and then click down on the iDrive knob again to bring up a small menu. You should see random in there, so just click it.
Don't know if this is what you were asking..

DWill · #5 04-08-2010, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XXX555

I agree.

Anyone know how to play your individual tracks with Ipod or USB music randomly with iDrive?

Hit the options button with the USB selected. Scroll down with the toggle and select "random". The only thing is any time you leave "music collection" like say tongi to the radio or iPod. When you go back to the hard drive you to do the "random" setting all over again.

alewifebp · #6 04-07-2010, 11:16 PM

Same here. It surely has to do with the design of the iPod integration that the sound is transmitted through the RCA plug instead of being directly processed by the stereo.

PasPar2 · #7 04-08-2010, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alewifebp

Same here. It surely has to do with the design of the iPod integration that the sound is transmitted through the RCA plug instead of being directly processed by the stereo.

you hit the nail on the head...

playing music via a usb stick means the the data is transferred to the X5 for decoding while playing via ipod means the x5 tells the ipod what to transmit via the AUX input which is analog.

This is off topic but I am a firm believer that ipod sound quality is inferior to many other (cheaper) mp3 players. I "inherited" my son's Sansa when I got him an itouch and the Sansa just blows the itouch away in sound quality via headphones.