It’s a tiny percentage of the population that even knows what a FLAC file is … so no surprise to me at all! In any case this isn’t a vote for which source people think has the best sound. It’s just noting what suits them as their usual listening source in the car. I’ve got thousands of tracks on a USB SSD available but in practice when in the car I’m more likely to listen to the radio, so I had to be honest and put my vote there!
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thesmokingman
Active Member
Yea not making a comment on which source is better as a format but definitely surprised by the small number of USB users. Not a whole lot of stock systems will play high arse bitrate FLAC w/o issue. It's nice to have another place toi play these 24-192hz FLACs. I've even played SACD 5.1 FLACs and the player did not throw a single fit, we're talking over 7k kb/s. You should try some surround recordings on FLAC in the car, it's great.
Truth is that the USB player UI is fiddly to use when on the move … that’s one of my reasons. The other is that if with my wife it’s easier not to have to negotiate the music choices!
cat7
Member
I also found many of the FLAC files in my collection simply didn't work in the car, giving a file error. I couldn't be arsed to figure out what the limitations were of the car player and what was causing the issue, so just put high-bitrate MP3 versions on my USB stick.
I suspect the reason most people don't use USB is that it's a massive faff to get and manage audio files across multiple devices. A steaming service is far simpler and the right choice for most people.
I suspect the reason most people don't use USB is that it's a massive faff to get and manage audio files across multiple devices. A steaming service is far simpler and the right choice for most people.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
Me!
I haven't bought a track (as in "ever"). I have all my CDs ripped onto the music server at home. Most recent CD purchase is "decades ago" so they are all getting really old now ... the Xmas play list is still valid, once a year.
I have quite a long list of favourite artists in Spotify (in the car). I have a Spotify subscription (home) but have never bothered to set up the car to use that. At home we use Sonos if we want music (which isn't all that often). Can't remember when I last played my ripped CD tracks, other than Xmas Playlist. We just play something off Spotify. Or we ask Alexa to play something - not bothered to figure out how to get Alexa to ask Sonos to do that ... I tried it in the early days and the interface was so useless that I gave up, and haven't been tempted back again.
When kids are in the car they bluetooth a Playlist from their phones ... no idea why they want to listen to specific tracks, maybe I did that when I was their age ... wife and I occasionally do bluetooth for Podcasts. Wife and I probably listen to Radio more often than we use Spotify
I've read several reports here of the better audio quality of Tidal. So although I stored that in the back of my mind I've never attempted to try that in the car ...
I've worked in technology, specifically software, all my life. Generally I hate all IT as incompletely built and an arseache to use. Only thing I can think of that was the exception was when I first got Sonos. I read a review from a software guru I respected (other than that one piece he only ever wrote articles about software ...) where he said that Sonos was the only IT thing he had plugged in and it just worked. On the strength of that I imported some gear from USA (tells you how long ago that was, as it wasn't available for purchase here ... still got it; still working just fine.). Hugely expensive at that time / via that route. And, yup, it just worked. That was long before they brought out Phone APP and monkeyed with the UI to make it opaque - marketing folk got the better of the use-ability department I expect
From which source? On usb, there is a song/artist/album chooser at the top of the screen. Works well as long as your tags are well set up.
Spotify I can't reliably get to play an album quite often, but that may be user error as I'm invariably hunting and pecking at the ever changing UI while driving.
Spotify I can't reliably get to play an album quite often, but that may be user error as I'm invariably hunting and pecking at the ever changing UI while driving.
WannabeOwner
Well-Known Member
I think that:
I choose the album
Click
on first trackThen all tracks play
Then it switches to "Album's Band's Radio"
But that's from memory
Works well for albums I know but have forgotten to add to the USB, lesser known artists that you hear something from on the radio and consider investigating, I try to do this and always seem to end up with single tracks or 2 track EP'sI think that:
I choose the album
Click
Then all tracks play
Then it switches to "Album's Band's Radio"
But that's from memory
. User error probably.If it doesn’t load then you just click on a different source, so FM radio, and then back and Spotify has instantly loaded.
It is annoying when it doesn’t load though, it seemed to have been fixed with one of the recent updates but didn’t last.
Like yours, my tracks are 90% what I ripped from CDs ... all my albums ended up as tracks (files) ... even the ones that run together in that way we loved! [I don't play them that often but when I do I realise that I should play them more!]
Rooster6655
Active Member
That used to work after a few minutes but sometimes it took longer, less hassle to use bluetooth for me
I've read that the bundled Spotify limits the quality and also that it's limited to 160 kb/s. I'd believe the first but unsure about the second.
I reckon the bundled Spotify is better than many standard in-car systems (in my experience), but not quite as good as 320 kb/s MP3s over bluetooth, which is turn is not as good as the same 320 kb/s MP3s played directly from USB. This is as tested in a Model 3 RWD.
If the sound system is good enough to highlight the difference between FLAC and 320 kb/s MP3s then that's a nice problem to have.
I reckon the bundled Spotify is better than many standard in-car systems (in my experience), but not quite as good as 320 kb/s MP3s over bluetooth, which is turn is not as good as the same 320 kb/s MP3s played directly from USB. This is as tested in a Model 3 RWD.
If the sound system is good enough to highlight the difference between FLAC and 320 kb/s MP3s then that's a nice problem to have.
PR-UK
Member
thesmokingman
Active Member
Yea, this is a really important step. I use mp3tag to tag which is darn powerful for this. I use it to attach album covers and to over the limited sorting that the UI can manage.
jabloomf1230
Minister of Silly Walks
Native Spotify support has been on HomePod for a while now, I used to use it with mine until I changed to an Apple One subscription. I waited ages for Apple to add Spotify support and now I’m waiting for Tesla to add Apple Music support, I can never win lol
CaptUAL
Member
I use XM or Sirius…same thing. It may not have the very best quality VS Tidal, but it is a direct Satallite signal, which works everywhere all the time. I drive a lot in areas with no LTE, and Cell signal streaming is useless for me many times. (2021 MSP)
johnnycnote
Member
IMHO, Tidal sounds much better than Spotify. But the user interface is so similar, it makes me wonder if they are related in some way
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