tgdA4

Yes, it happened to me a couple of times.

zooomart

Happen to me for the first time yesterday. Hung for 5 seconds or so then returned. I can't remember if I switched sources before it returned or not.

tgdA4

The momentary (5-10 seconds) hangs I think are just the MMI reading the artist/song lists. I have several hundred artists, and it usually pauses a few seconds when I goto that menu. Then once in a while it does really freeze up and a reboot is needed.

dman413

I don't think we will be able to get lossless to play in the car. iPod connection uses DAP on iPod (good, but not great, even through the dock connector). As you have found out SD cards can only play mp3, no apple lossless or FLAC, etc...

I'm thinking right now 320kbps mp3's will be the best option, considering road noise and so forth probably indistinguishable (though audio is very much a personal thing)

One thing I have yet to try is DVD-A. I do not have any dvd audio discs but maybe somebody else out there has one.

Another long shot... burning WAV files to a DVD?

John Thacker

What I personally would like is font support for Asian characters in the tags on the music files. It clearly supports Unicode fine, it just displays boxes (MMI) or blank spaces (dash).

Cyrillic text works perfectly fine, though, I have found.

srs

I've been converting my music to apple lossless in an iPod Touch. Please explain what the downside is with the iPod dock connector - I anticipated the dock connector was a digital connection (e.g., kept the "lossless" format intact), but it sounds like that is not the whole story.

So if "lossy" mp3 is the only format the radio will recognize on the SDHC card, I have a related question. Which would produce the most accurate sound with the Concert radio and B&O (no NAV) - the 320kbps mp3 with a SDHC card that plugs directly into the radio OR the apple lossless version using an iPod with the dock connector?

dman413

So first I'd like to say, I'm no EE nor do I know for sure what is going on with the MMI/ipod connection. I have done a good amount of research in the past with the goal of getting the best digital audio output.

That said, from everything I've read there are only like 2 or 3 devices in common existence that can actually take the digital stream from dock connector of the ipod and use an independent DAC further downstream. see this link as an example: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-10015132-47.html

Things may have changed in that game and maybe it is more common place to extract the raw digital goodness... but even if this was possible then that would mean there is a DAC in the Audi that can decode lossless files. If this was true then we should be able to toss Apple Lossless onto the SD cards and play them.

I honestly do not know the specs of the DAC of the ipod vs that in the Audi for the SD/USB connections. So that somewhat leaves you with doing your own tests

Maybe try a lossless (highest quality) on the ipod connection and then a 320kbps mp3 via SD card. You could probably reference both of these if you have the original on a CD and play that through the CD/DVD player. Though again I don't know what or how good the DAC for that is.

Believe me, it gets very frustrating when you try to get get all this hammered out. If you do try the above experiment, please let me know what you find. Thanks!

Xavas

C6 A6 owner here who lurks in the S4 forum so i can drool over pix...

Regarding the above issue, I installed a dension unit in my A6 to get ipod connectivity and I have the same issue. It's due to the unit being fed from a switched power source, so after 15-20 minutes the power from that feed goes out and the dension forgets where I left off.

I can't say this is the same issue with the AMI, but just providing food for thought.

srs

Well, I tried that experiment with an oldie - Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells. It's well-recorded with clear pure tones. I first have to say that my limitation is hearing that has "survived" the 60s and 70s music (I'm getting to be an old fart). I wouldn't claim it has survived intact.

The SDHC card version (320 kpbs - mp3 format) seemed harsh - especially the highs, compared to the CD. The iPod version (Apple lossless format)seemed midway between the CD and the mp3 version. Although I could notice these differences by switching back and forth among the three inputs, I was sitting in the driveway without outside noises and the music was up loud.

I guess my bottom line is that I'm not sure I would notice the difference with the car moving and road noise - at least at the volume I usually play music. But if I was intent on keeping the best quality for CD music, I'd play the CD, not the iPod or SDHC version.

Steve