Hi-Res Streaming for the Car
It was long thought that Hi-Res Bluetooth streaming in a car would never be possible. However, some clever tech companies could see enormous value in being able to do just that. Streaming in the car may not have been their first priority. The market for Bluetooth headphones is huge, coupled with the wire-free convenience of doing so all through the home, and there was a desire for a product with such capabilities.
Most devices are capable of outputting high-res music content. However, a suitable “carrier” was needed. A Bluetooth CODEC with wide-ranging compatibility was required. A Bluetooth CODEC is software that encodes and decodes Bluetooth data for transmission. These have been developed and improved over the past 40 years or so. Integrated circuit manufacturer Qualcomm is one of the key innovators and has released many upgrades to its in-house designed aptX CODEC. Initially, the uptake from device manufacturers was significant. However, Sony decided to create its own CODEC building on its existing compression and extraction techniques. And so LDAC came to be.
LDAC has become the favoured CODEC for Hi-Res music streaming, with many Android mobile devices having it on board. It is reported to be able to handle 32bit/96kHz files, thus allowing for future technical innovations.
This is all well and good, but how do we use it in the car? In answer, it takes work. Receivers must be purchased and installed, and both transmitting and receiving devices must have LDAC.
Help is at hand in the shape of the Audison B-Con Bluetooth receiver. This contains many CODECs and will self-adjust to suit the one any transmitting device uses. Audison has developed B-Con Go, a phone app that allows control of your streaming service by offering forward, reverse and pause/play and displaying artist and title.
The app goes much further and, when coupled with DSP-equipped Audison FORZA amplifiers or bit products, offers additional features such as volume control, fader, balance and subwoofer level. It can even select different DSP settings.
iPhone compatibility has always been a stumbling block, as Apple tends to go its own way in such things. However, this is about to change as we await the imminent launch of a port extender by tech firm Fiio. Their new devices are claimed to extract Hi-Res audio from an iPhone (15 or 16) and stream via Bluetooth with the LDAC CODEC.
The new Fiio device has a target market price of around £40. We have not tried the new device with a B-Con, but as soon as we do, we will report back to offer our verdict. If it does what it says on the tin, this will prove to be a very useful addition to the world of Hi-Res music streaming!
