External portable DAC for Arkamys car audio system

[randhir_s]

I have an Arkamys car audio system fitted in my Hyundai Creta SX model. This audio system has a USB input and I was wondering if I can attach an external portable DAC to this USB port to improve the quality of music being played through Spotify on my phone.

Please note that my car audio system has no Aux input port. So will probably need a DAC which can connect to the phone through type c / Bluetooth and the output is through USB A.

I came across Bluetooth LDAC FIIO - BTR5 2021 which has a car mode so probably people are using it with a car audio system but it does not have a USB A output. Can a 3 5mm Aux port to USB A converter be used?

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

I have an Arkamys car audio system fitted in my Hyundai Creta SX model. This audio system has a USB input and I was wondering if I can attach an external portable DAC to this USB port to improve the quality of music being played through Spotify on my phone.

Please note that my car audio system has no Aux input port. So will probably need a DAC which can connect to the phone through type c / Bluetooth and the output is through USB A.

I came across Bluetooth LDAC FIIO - BTR5 2021 which has a car mode so probably people are using it with a car audio system but it does not have a USB A output. Can a 3 5mm Aux port to USB A converter be used?

Unfortunately no. As the system doenst support usb routing like android. Best bet is to tap the speaker wire and use a line level converter and a DSP and then to an amp.

 

[osci]

This is what I found on Fiio's website regarding car mode.
"After turning on the car mode, you can connect the BTR5 2021 to the on-board USB port, and the BTR5 2021 will power on automatically when the vehicle engine starts, and power off when the engine stops."

7. How to use the car mode?-FIIO---BORN FOR MUSIC

www.fiio.com

Meaning car mode only controls turning the dac on/off when the car engine turns on or off.
Audio will be sent from phone to dac via bluetooth and then from dac to car's audio system via 3.5 aux cable.

I do not think the USB port in the car supports audio transmission via USB through connected DAC.

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

This is what I found on Fiio's website regarding car mode.
"After turning on the car mode, you can connect the BTR5 2021 to the on-board USB port, and the BTR5 2021 will power on automatically when the vehicle engine starts, and power off when the engine stops."

7. How to use the car mode?-FIIO---BORN FOR MUSIC

www.fiio.com

Meaning car mode only controls turning the dac on/off when the car engine turns on or off.
Audio will be sent from phone to dac via bluetooth and then from dac to car's audio system via 3.5 aux cable.

I do not think the USB port in the car supports audio transmission via USB through connected DAC.

If m not wrong none of the factory headunits are equipped with some kind of digital out..

 

[Subbu68]

DAC in general will connect to your phone through USB-C and convert the audio file to analog or optical /SPIDF. How are you thinking it to convert it back to digital and feed to the USB port of the car unit? You need a DAC - ADC!!! USB ports can take in only digital signal to my knowledge.

In that case will not your car system read your phone directly through the USB port?

Generally these ports can host a HDD or a USB flash drive. And maybe read the memory of the phone like you connect to the PC and access the files. That way maybe you can control the files on the phone from the HMI of your car audio.

My CDP has a port that can read USB flash, HDD and phones /tabs and control the playback with it's remote. It must be something similar. Also my car audio (Skoda Yeti).

 

[Subbu68]

My CDP has a port that can read USB flash, HDD and phones /tabs and control the playback with it's remote. It must be something similar. Also my car audio (Skoda Yeti).

BTW I did nor buy the interface cable to convert the MDI port to USB since the unit already has a SD card slot. I just use it. Or BT to connect the phone.

 

[Kannan]

This audio system has a USB input

Unfortunately it is not possible. It is just for playing your music files from pen drives. For spotify you will have to stick with BT.

 

[randhir_s]

Unfortunately it is not possible. It is just for playing your music files from pen drives. For spotify you will have to stick with BT.

Thanks. I can also play Spotify through Android auto while my phone is connected to the car audio through USB.

 

[Subbu68]

Thanks. I can also play Spotify through Android auto while my phone is connected to the car audio through USB.

That solves it.

 

[randhir_s]

That solves it.

How ? Can I connect my phone to Android auto through USB while using a DAC inbetween ?

 

[Subbu68]

How ? Can I connect my phone to Android auto through USB while using a DAC inbetween ?

Hi Randhir

Please note that my car audio system has no Aux input port. So will probably need a DAC which can connect to the phone through type c / Bluetooth and the output is through USB A.

DAC cannot connect to your car audio system if it does not have an Aux in.

At least I am not aware of any DAC that can give output to USB A port to connect to your system. They give either an analog output , headphone out through a HP amp and / or optical / COAX digital out.

So use a OTG and extension cable or a regular USB-C to USB A to connect your phone to the system. If your system can read USB Flash or connect through Android Auto to your phone, it has a DAC inside.

 

[alladinkachirag]

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to connect various thumbprint (or larger) DAC's with my Creta SX Deisel. Never had any success. Finally gave up and using the plain old USB cable connected to my iPhone for apple music and spotify. The reason I don't use Bluetooth is for the functionality Apple CarPlay provides and nothing more. That being said, I always find that the sound system on Creta SX is very inadequate, not from a audiophile perspective, but even in general. Maybe I need to find the right settings for Arakmys thingy.

 

[bobbyprajan]

Is it worth swapping speaker on OEM stereo for better sound quality ?

 

[randhir_s]

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to connect various thumbprint (or larger) DAC's with my Creta SX Deisel. Never had any success. Finally gave up and using the plain old USB cable connected to my iPhone for apple music and spotify. The reason I don't use Bluetooth is for the functionality Apple CarPlay provides and nothing more. That being said, I always find that the sound system on Creta SX is very inadequate, not from a audiophile perspective, but even in general. Maybe I need to find the right settings for Arakmys thingy.

Yes, that's the best you can do with Spotify. I have high res wav and flac files stored on my phone which I play on Poweramp through Android auto. Power amp also has upscaling functionality and therefore acts like a DAC .

Is it worth swapping speaker on OEM stereo for better sound quality ?

I would avoid it.

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

Is it worth swapping speaker on OEM stereo for better sound quality ?

Yes, if you are willing to sacrifice several vehicle related features

 

[bobbyprajan]

Yes, if you are willing to sacrifice several vehicle related features

Can you give an example ?

 

[Subbu68]

I have tried, unsuccessfully, to connect various thumbprint (or larger) DAC's with my Creta SX Deisel. Never had any success. Finally gave up and using the plain old USB cable connected to my iPhone for apple music and spotify. The reason I don't use Bluetooth is for the functionality Apple CarPlay provides and nothing more. That being said, I always find that the sound system on Creta SX is very inadequate, not from a audiophile perspective, but even in general. Maybe I need to find the right settings for Arakmys thingy.

I am at a loss to understand which DAC will output a digital file back to connect to the system through USB!!

DAC = Digital to Analog Converter

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

Can you give an example ?

most cars nowadays display lot of vehicle information, some has most of the functions controlled through the infortainment display, one you change to a after market one, lot of these things won’t work as simply they aren’t designed specifically for any vehicle. There are vehicle specific ones, but again the cost of adding them is way too high to justify the prices.

On the other hand, decks from JVC, Kenwood and so on, (even under 15k) has higher quality DACs and usable equalizers and time alignment features built in which is really important if you want to change the speakers to a higher quality ones. Sometimes tweaking little bit on the eq even can fix the frequency response of the after market speakers in your car. Speakers are not created equal, and car interiors are different across different models resulting in different absorption and reflections even with the same setups in 2 different cars.

 

[bobbyprajan]

most cars nowadays display lot of vehicle information, some has most of the functions controlled through the infortainment display

Yes, in my car the climate control changes are displayed in the stereo display. Changing the stock stereo will be a bad idea as I have no idea what else it is hooked to, as you have explained

The stock front door speakers are co-axial, replacing them with entry level component speakers, leaving everything else as such will be beneficial in terms of soundstage, separation etc ? I listen mostly to old bollywood, malayalam songs while driving to keep me calm in the insane traffic at low-mid volume

Thank you for explaining in detail

 

[Passive_audio_enthusiast]

I think this thread is way past the answer of what the OP asked. And the answer to his question is simply NO.

Yes, in my car the climate control changes are displayed in the stereo display. Changing the stock stereo will be a bad idea as I have no idea what else it is hooked to, as you have explained

The stock front door speakers are co-axial, replacing them with entry level component speakers, leaving everything else as such will be beneficial in terms of soundstage, separation etc ? I listen mostly to old bollywood, malayalam songs while driving to keep me calm in the insane traffic at low-mid volume

Thank you for explaining in detail

Most component speakers has more parts in their crossover as opposed to a single capacitor for the tweeter in the coaxials. Hence they dissipate more power before reaching the drivers but the advantage is better integration of the drivers. Coaxials are hard to drive by most stock units, you may need an amp here.

damping the car doors makes a good difference as a first step, even before upgrading the factory speakers. Most factory speakers setup will have a tweeter and woofer for the front door, so when changing them to coaxials, you will loose the soundstage height. Using the stock tweeter mostly isn’t a good option as it’s very unlikely that those tweeters and the speakers you added will be matched in terms of sensitivity. One of them has a chance to be louder than the other here.