Clip+ Car Audio

This is more of just a question than a problem.

I’ve had the Clip+ since it hit Best Buy. I love it, and the quality is great. Just recently I added in an auxillary cord to my JVC deck in my car. I have new pioneer speakers that I installed recently.

Anyway, my question is what is the best way to get the best sound quality out of a clip via aux cable?

I’m not sure whether to crank the volume on the player, or on my deck, or what equalizer to use on my clip or the deck…

I will say that I’ve never really had experience using an mp3 player in a car.

But when I tried turing the volume of the clip all the way up, i did get a little static and a bit of dissonance out of my speakers.

So any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Personally, and it’s not scientific, I just keep my player at its normal volume setting (it’s easy) and then adjust volume by my car unit.  That’s worked fine for me.  But I think it’s likely that others will have better solutions.  Oh, and I generally avoid the Clip’s specialized EQ bands–I find that they hamper rather than help.

I have a subaru forester and it has a normal 6-cd / radio stereo.

What’s the best way to hook up wiring to this thing to connect my clip+ to it?
I do a lot of audiobooks and connecting it up would be great.

I tried a MacAlly FM transmitter but found the audio quality inconsistent and then the device fell apart on me.

Any hardwire advice?

My car stereo has an auxiliary input. I hooked up my Clip+ this morning, and was disappointed in the quality.  Not awful, but very inferior to what I’m used to from MP3 CDs played on the same stereo.  I tried it with volume at full and half.  Even at full volume, I had to turn up the volume on the stereo quite a bit beyond normal.  With the Clip+ at half volume, I had to turn the stereo almost to full volume.

this is the first time i’ve heard that there’s actually a complaint about the clip+'s audio quality… what is the bitrate of the songs you have used and what type of cable? you might want to try the cable using other device just to isolate the issue.

I don’t think that the complaint is as to the Clip+'s audio quality itself, but the quality once connected to a head unit via the head unit’s aux port.

I know that this may seem like a silly question, but all the cables are inserted all the way, right?  (I know, but this sometimes has been an issue, in the end.)  And you might benefit from trying another patch cable.  

The MP3’s are ripped at 192 kpbs, CBR.  They sound great over headphones from the Clip+, or when played from an MP3 CD.  My only disappointment is with the quality when plugged into the aux port of my Mini Cooper, and yes, I did double-check the connections.  The cable is a  very short little standard interconnect (borrowed from an Altec Lansing ‘inMotion’ iPod boombox).

I think the low volume may be a clue as to what’s going on.  I once tried plugging in a Zen Stone (Creative labs) into this aux port, and its LED immediately started blinking red, indicating low battery (even though it was freshly charged).  I’m thinking the little batteries in these types of devices just aren’t up to the job of driving anything but headphones.

Message Edited by pastabatman on 10-04-2009 07:22 PM

Alright, not sure how much this helps anyone. I use the line in cable that is intended for my jvc deck (specific AUX connection), and I turn my Clip either all the way up or close to it. I get very clear sound quality, though at times I find that maybe the Clip is trying too hard to pump frequencies that my speakers either cannot maintain, or my deck. But I’ve found that quality wise, higher volumes will play better and utilize my speakers better. I’m hoping that with the addition of a small subwoofer which I plan on installing this week, maybe that will pick up the low ends and shoo away the overpower it appears my speakers don’t handle. In regards to an AUX cable killing the battery of a player, I find this hard to believe, being that I believe (not sure) most if not all headphone jacks act merely as a medium for audio and do not hold any connection to a power source. Think of your car as 4-headphone speakers if you will. Mind you I base this off of personal experience. So far I have not experienced any abnormalities with my clip through my stereo other than the need for a better low end drive. Also, don’t forget you can mess around with the audio settings on your player, as basic or complex as they may be.

I’m still definatly open for any suggestions to get the best possible quality out of a clip through my car stereo.
And I hope maybe my contributions help.

@letthemlisten wrote:
… In regards to an AUX cable killing the battery of a player, I find this hard to believe, being that I believe (not sure) most if not all headphone jacks act merely as a medium for audio and do not hold any connection to a power source. Think of your car as 4-headphone speakers if you will.

A ‘medium for audio’? :smiley: I hope you’re not suggesting that sound waves are passing through this cable!  It’s an electrical current, driven by the battery in the Clip+.  I’m certainly no expert, but I do know that if the impedences between the source and the destination are not properly balanced (or rather, properly ‘imbalanced’), the source can be loaded down.  I’m guessing that’s what’s happening in my case.  Hopefully someone more ‘electrically grounded’ than I can give a better explanation.

Message Edited by pastabatman on 10-05-2009 11:43 PM

@pastabatman wrote:


@letthemlisten wrote:
… In regards to an AUX cable killing the battery of a player, I find this hard to believe, being that I believe (not sure) most if not all headphone jacks act merely as a medium for audio and do not hold any connection to a power source. Think of your car as 4-headphone speakers if you will.


A ‘medium for audio’? :smiley: I hope you’re not suggesting that sound waves are passing through this cable!  It’s an electrical current, driven by the battery in the Clip+.  I’m certainly no expert, but I do know that if the impedences between the source and the destination are not properly balanced (or rather, properly ‘imbalanced’), the source can be loaded down.  I’m guessing that’s what’s happening in my case.  Hopefully someone more ‘electrically grounded’ than I can give a better explanation.

Message Edited by pastabatman on 10-05-2009 11:43 PM

if available, try using one of those portable amp… i don’t know if this will work but it might help