Android Car Radio - installed app gives poor quality sound

[konet123]

Plan

Premium Duo

Country

UK

Device

2din 7inch car radio 

Operating System

Android

My Question or Issue

 Hello people, 
 I am using Spotify through Bluetooth to my (Android) car radio and the sound quality is very good! The problem is,  to change album or playlist, I need to use my phone - which is not the best option while driving. 
 I've installed Spotify app on headunit device to drive more cafefuly, but the quality of the sound is terrible...
I did the test, I've played the same song with the same volume level etc through Bluetooth (very good) and through installed app (very poor). Tested on downloaded tracks to avoid any possible streaming issues (same result). 
 All the audio settings are set up to: 'Very high', Download to 'Very high' as well. 
I was looking on mobile app, there is 'Equalizer', but, becasue my car radio is 7inch, I can see only a PC version without Eqalizer (lol). 
 Additional information: inbuild radio, youtube, different aplications sounds good. 

 Can I have for support please. 
Thanks

[Novy]

Hey @konet123,

Thanks for posting on the Community 🙂
 

Can you do the following:

• Make sure your app and devices’ software are up-to-date
• Make sure your device is connected to the internet
• Restart the app
• Restart your car (by turning the ignition off then on again)
• If possible, delete the Spotify app then reinstall it

If that doesn't do the trick, can you send us a recording where you're using Spotify and any other app through Android Auto so that we can hear the difference directly from your end? You can send us the link if you upload it to another platform, or attach it to your next reply by using the Insert video option in the post editor.

Lastly and just to clarify, the Spotify app doesn't have a built-in equalizer. It uses the one from the phone, if available. That's why you don't see it in the Android Auto app.

We'll keep an eye out for your replies.

Take care!

[konet123]

Thanks for responding.
I've followed your bullet points from top to bottom, I've parked close very close to home to connect through Wi-Fi as well. 
I've restarted, reinstalled etc, downloaded songs too. 
The result is exactly the same as before. Here is the link from it (I am trying to send you a private message with the password through your account, seems this is not working too... maybe you could send me a private message, and I'll try to do fast reply):  
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AkFr1Q03upwJkrlMv8nu2M8V9sne2Q?e=7Qz9xH

The problem is, on this video, there is not much difference like you would like to hear live. In the second half of the video, the music is much deeper, bass sound is much better, and the sound is not flat like through the inbuilt Spotify app in the headset unit. I recommend listening this video using headphones.  

[CarlosE]

Hey @konet123,

Thanks for your reply in this thread 🙂

We can't see the video recordings you kindly sent us. Please attach the videos in your next reply in mp4 format, or you can also make those links public. This way we'll be able to watch them.

On another note, is this inconvenience present with another mobile device? It’d be awesome if you could check. You can ask for the device of a relative or a friend to open your account, connect it to the Car and check.
 

We'll keep an eye on your response! 

[konet123]

hello Carlos, 
I dont understand why I shoud use another mobile device if Bluetooth is working perfect through mobile. 
What am saying is: installed Spotify app on my radio unit is working wrong (with fresh app and max settings). 

Please find the dropbox video here (you dont need to log in, just close the login window):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jl9na0i0wfxtr5l/20220725_122927.mp4?dl=0
on the video, the first part is from app in a car (sounds bad) and the second part is from mobile phone(sounds good). 
Unfortunatelly video will not give you this effect...
thank you 🙂

[CarlosE]

Hey @konet123,

Thanks for keeping us posted and for the clarification.

Unfortunately, we haven't been able to see the video. Would you mind uploading them directly to YouTube or Google Drive and share it with us? Apologies for the inconvenience. 

On another note, could you try to replicate this logging in with another account? This could help us check if the inconvenience is in any way related to your account.

We'll be on the lookout for your reply.

Cheers!

[konet123]

Hello, I just used this dropbox link in incognito mode and its working fine. All you need to do is just close loging window by pressing X on right top screen if you using mobile device. Same for desktop. 

 I've tried on different spotify account. Its working the same.

😞 

[Alex]

Hi there @konet123,

Thanks for the reply.

We were able to open the video this time around 🙂

From the looks of it, this might be caused by low network speeds. Sometimes the Spotify app might automatically drop the streaming quality if the network signal isn't very strong or if it cuts out.

You can try adjusting this from the Spotify app settings > Audio Quality > Switch Cellular streaming to something different than Automatic. Switch off Auto adjust quality.

Note that by doing this your music might cut when there is no network signal.

Let us know if that helps.

[konet123]

Thanks Alex 🙂 

The music was downloaded through wifi (wifi extender (100mb downspeed) plugged in, close to window, and car was in front of the house, about 2 meters 🙂 )  

 This settings you have mentioned, didnt helped 😞 

[Alex]

Hi @konet123,

Sorry to hear that.

Can you try switching on Offline Mode from the app settings and playing some tunes that way.

This will help us check if the issue comes from the app or from the connection between the phone and the car onboard system.

Keep us posted.

[Gosmond]

Try going to Spotify settings, Equalizer and change it to normal. Mine was set to custom. Hope this helps! 

[Itsme_dorothee]

Unfortunately in my case there are same issues. I tried all the above options described in the topic, but no results. Radio/amazon music/mp3 etc works perfectly, but not Spotify. It automatically dropped the volume down, not to mention about bass which normally very deep, once listen Spotify I can barely hear it.

[Itsme_dorothee]

I have found this answer on different forum, and in my case it worked. The sound isn't as clear as I would like, compering to radio etc, but it's good now. 

"

Is it better to have your stereo volume all the way up, or your Bluetooth phone volume all the way up, or a 50/50 split?
I am so thankful for you to ask this question. There IS a certain amount of distortion in the BT signal and I shall elaborate on that.

Android OS running on most of tablets and non-apple smart phones uses the setting called Volume Control for MEDIA to affect Bluetooth volume from 0 to 60%. As soon as you reach above 60% on the Volume slider on your Android portable device, the SIGNAL ITSELF will become distorted, since you are no longer sending the original digital audio along with an information at which volume it should be played by the BT device, you are ACTUALLY MANIPULATING/AMPLIFYING the digital signal. And as many of you know, amplifying a digital audio signal past -0 dB will result in so called CLIPPING - a situation, where a normal original clear sound-wave gets distorted, because its parts with the highest amplitude get amplified beyond the digitally set limit. The amplitudes get squashed, squared off and a clear sinusoidal sound wave will become a rectangular or saw wave, which makes the audio distorted and hummed.

Long story short: Keep your portable device’s volume for Bluetooth broadcast at 50/60% for clear signal.

And

Amplify the clear signal to your liking by turning the volume knob in your car/on your Bluetooth speaker etc.

Just to clarify, the reason for Android OS to use this two-step amplification, which actually distorts audio is, that originally, BT was designed for voice. And if you absolutely need to understand the other person and NEED their voice louder, you just do not care about the quality anymore. You pay the price of distorting the signal somewhat, because in return, you get the information from the speaker on the other side of the phone line..."