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Poor sound quality with Aux input.

12K views 10 replies 11 participants last post by  KickinTires  
#1 ·
I have a 2011 fronty with the RF radio, It has the ipod interface as well. When i play songs through my ipod on the AUX input the sound is horrible, its clipping frequencies all over the place. The same song on the same ipod through the Ipod interface plays them as they should with great results.

Is anyone else having this problem? Im a bit of a audiophile, and I think it will be hard to get a tech to agree with me on sound quality.

-Dan
 
#2 ·
RF = Rockford Fosgate ?

Do not know if this applies to your situation, but ive read that while iPods are hooked to "iPod interface" (not the 1/8 aux in jack) that turning off any bass booster or EQ in the iPod helps with the sound. Do not know this first hand, just read it in more then one place for different iPod car devices.

_
 
#4 ·
i plugged my iphone into my pop's aux input to show him how ipods work and the sound quality was also terrible... static and inconsistent quality between songs plagued the sound.
i started a thread about it, and did some troubleshooting the last time i was in his truck, but i was unable to fix the sound. the last thing i could think of was the cheap aux cable i'm using, but it delivers great quality, consistent sound through my bmw's factory system, so my conclusion was just that the aux input on the RF system is garbage.

here is the thread i started.
http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f24/2010-aux-input-doesnt-sound-great-71503/
 
#5 ·
Im a bit of a audiophile

-Dan
Dan, you should know better than to think the stock deck will able able to satisfy your needs. even if it is the "premium" sound system, its still junk compared to whats available aftermarket.

the problem is the unit was not designed with aux/ipod input to begin with. it has been retrofitted, and a poor job at that.
 
#6 ·
I have the RF radio in my truck and use the AUX plug with my Ipod all the time and it sounds perfectly fine, no clipping or anything. If you are using the headphone output from the Ipod to the AUX input don't turn the Ipod up past 90%, this will cause sound issues. Also, as stated before if you changed the EQ settings on your Ipod that can also cause it to sound bad as well, just set the EQ on the Ipod to "Off".
 
#7 ·
Change the EQ settings and make sure the volume on the Ipod/Iphone isn't turned all the way up. If the volume is maxed out on my Iphone it sounds terrible, turn it down slightly and it sounds much better.
 
#8 ·
The reason why sound quality is poor with aux is because your iPod/iPhone is sending an amplified signal through the headphone jack. Anytime you amp an amp'd signal you will get clipping. This why the 30pin interface works better. The sound system is getting a "line out" signal (unamp'd) therefore providing the raw reference level and letting your stereo handle the amplification.

It's possible to get better sound quality through the aux by turning your iPod down to 50% volume and turning up the car more. Hope this helps.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app
 
#10 ·
turn the volume down on the IPOD to about halfway.
 
#11 ·
I considered getting the iPod interface added to my Frontier PRO-4X, but I tried the cheap route first. Got a Kensington 2-in-1 Charger and Audio Cable (K39204US) for iPhone/iPod. This thing really sounds good for the $$$. I got it at Fry's for under $20 and it's been fine thus far. In my last truck - '01 Dakota, I upgrade to a JVC Arsenal Head Unit KD-A805 with dual USB for direct iPod control. That unit was killer, the RF as others have said is premium factory OEM level at best and not much more. Still it works for now and someday this HU will too get replaced...