Porsche made good on OTA promise last night...

[evanevery]

Looks like the PCM can only read in 48Khz anyways, even from a USB stick.

Yeah, we looked at that elsewhere (in other threads). But this document appears demonstrably incorrect in several aspects.

I.E. "Supported Media" says "SD Cards up to 128 GB". ONE: we don't/can't use SDCards at all (without an adapter) and TWO: I routinely use a 256 GB usb storage device with over 160 GB of music on it. I have also tested a 2TB (2000 GB) storage device without issue.

I'm guessing that "documentation" was copied out of some other vehicles spec sheet - as it appears incorrect in several areas. (I believe somewhere on the same page it also tells us it uses a "micro SIM" for GSM connectivity which would be in conflict with other documentation that states it is an eSIM)

 

[Mwa3aan]

Looks like the PCM can only read in 48Khz anyways, even from a USB stick.

The interesting thing about that list is DivX which is video decoding. I have always wondered how that plays into the capabilities of the car. Maybe the ability to watch videos on the passenger display in the future?

 

[tigerbalm]

I checked and that spec sheet lines up much more closely with my Panamera (which I think is 2017 technology from PCM perspective). It has SD card slots, etc.

Interesting.

 

[evanevery]

Yeah, the accuracy of the documentation is certainly in question and we just haven't been able to find out.

Several of us have posted questions directly to Burmester and have not gotten a meaningful response. We don't even know if the Burmester is using its own (upgraded) DAC or if its simply an upgraded amp being fed the same analog audio from the PCM...

Folks should also appreciate that just because a "player" can read (play) hi-res audio files doesn't mean its being output in full quality resolution. I expect that spec sheet (right or wrong) is telling us what the max resolution that PCM can output (PLAY) - not what it can READ.

 

[Jaydoc]

Now if we can find a way to get rid of Sirius icon or at least move it to the end. Does anyone actually subscribe anymore considering we have Apple Music and internet music?

I do - I listen to Howard

 

[tez1]

The way Apple CarPlay works is as follows:
- Your files are streamed and temporarily stored/cached in their encoded format in an encrypted envelope on the device. Apple Music uses 256 AAC while Amazon uses variable-rate FLAC that includes high rez files if the DAC supports it.
- The player (Amazon Music or Apple Music) decrypts the audio stream but keeps it digital and then hands if of to the car's Head Unit in a file format rather than a USB DAC audio format (this is important because should you plug your, Mac, into your Taycan you will not see a DAC in the midi list. The car thinks it is an unsupported USB storage device).
- Lightning cables lacks an analogue out pin. All data travelling over lightning is digital.
- There is no DAC capability in a standard lightning cable unless it is a headphone where the DAC is either in the lightning adapter (Apple's cheaper earpods) or in the headphones itself.
- When your phone is connected to your car's head unit in either "iPod" mode or "CarPlay" mode with a lightning cable the original digital source is a stream to the Head Unit as a file, not a USB encoded audio stream (which is a defined DAC standard).
- The Head Unit is responsible for decoding the file data using its DAC and then amplify.

In other words, If you use Amazon Music streaming high-quality FLAC files, the Taycan's DAC decodes the audio into analogue, which is exactly the same as if you had a USB stick with FLAC files.

Your iPhone supports ALAC but you need to use iTunes to sync the files from your computer to iPhone.

One caveat is that to allow for highest compatibility the digital file stream out from an iPhone to CarPlay uses 48Khz max as a sample rate to ensure the car's head unit can handle it. There is nothing you can do to change this. The iPhone converts the files in higher bitrate to a 48Khz file stream.

So, even though your FLAC files might be 96Khz your iPhone won't send that to the DAC in the head unit.

Another reality is that modern cars use extreme post DAC equalization to get a flat gain level across all frequencies. Bose and Burmester EQ the heck out of the different audio levels before they go to the speakers to ensure what you hear is their "sound signature".

The only way to bypass this is to install an aftermarket DAC in the car. The Porsche Head Unit has the ability to use Toslink to send the digital data to an external DAC and EQ.

I did this in my Panamera where we replaced the DAC and EQ with an ARC Audio PS8 Pro. You get a Toslink control unit that keeps all Head Unit functionality in place but allows you to use the external DAC, EQ and your own speakers.

That's a lot of fo work but was worth it. We could balance the audio to perfection and get the benefits of the higher bitrate audio files.

Wireless carplay works differently because of the combination of Wifi used for visual and audio data and Bluetooth for handshaking. However, the audio file is still streamed in a file stream format over wifi to the head unit where it is decoded

So it is possible to stream FLAC and use the car's DAC, BUT what is not possible is using an external DAC and streaming analogue music to the head unit.

You can play higher-quality FLAC files from a USB stick than from an iPhone because the iPhone samples the output format to 48Khz when it is using CarPlay.

You will always be stuck with 48Khz in CarPlay.

Honestly, with road noise and post-DAC EQ from Bose and Burmester, it will be almost impossible for a normal person to hear the difference between 48Khz Flac and 96Khz Flac. I know some audiophiles can do this but it is a very well trained ear that can hear that above all the other noise in a car.

Upgraded speakers and Amp will make a dramatic difference that you will actually be able to hear.

This turned out to be a lot longer post than I planned and I am not sure it adds any value because like evanevery said, unless you rip Head Unit components out and replace them with aftermarket we are stuck with what we have in the Taycan.

Excellent information sir, thank you, most kind.

 

[struther]

Yes, but we can specifically control what we feed to the head unit by providing the associated RAW digital files directly via USB storage. No need to work around the architectural limitations of Apple Music, Amazon Music, iPhone, Android, etc..

I typically don't stream anything from anywhere (other than SiriusXM when I'm lazy). I've literally never used Amazon Music or Apple music on my phone at all... (As that was the question I was originally responding to...)

All my music is ripped directly from CD's that I have purchased. (I don't download music). In the car I use a 256 GB Thumb drive with over 160GB of FLAC files on it... Just for testing, I've also tried a 2TB (2000 GB) storage device (NVME SSD to USB enclosure) and have not had any issues with it in the Taycan (other than a relatively long time for indexing). We have also seen some issues in PCM startup with more than 3000-3200 files on a storage device. This is also documented elsewhere...

I do use Tidal at home (via several BlueSound Node 2i's) for MQA "master's" playback but not via my phone in the car. However, I have streamed Tidal to studio headphones via an external DAC (Dragonfly Red) connected to my phone - but obviously not in the car...

We have had several threads here trying to find out specifically what type of DAC we have in the Taycan. Also, whether that DAC would be in the PCM hardware (feeding analog audio to the Burmester) or in the Burmester itself. IOW: Does the Burmester option actually bring with it an upgraded DAC?

Regardless, if there ever was a car best suited to hearing the difference between marginal and very high quality music the exceptionally quiet Taycan may very well be it. Especially with the insulated glass and the Burmester option...

If you don’t mind me asking, what software do you use to rip the CDs to FLAC and do you get the album artwork and song list visible on the PCM with that software?

 

[TheFutre]

@Mwa3aan
I’m not an audiophile to any degree
I will listen mostly to Sirius XM, some Apple Music
Based on the above, am I just as well with Bose or is Burmeister that noticeable of a difference?
Also, do you know if the Burmeister system would be any better than Bose for quality / volume of phone calls?

Upgraded speakers and Amp will make a dramatic difference that you will actually be able to hear.

 

[Mwa3aan]

@Mwa3aan
I’m not an audiophile to any degree
I will listen mostly to Sirius XM, some Apple Music
Based on the above, am I just as well with Bose or is Burmeister that noticeable of a difference?
Also, do you know if the Burmeister system would be any better than Bose for quality / volume of phone calls?

@TheFuture, Burmester is a remarkable upgrade over the Bose System, in the same way Bose is a very good upgrade over the standard system.

However, music and how you listen to it is a very personal choice:

My Taycan has Bose in it. I didn't custom order and bought a Turbo from inventory that had everything I wanted, except the Burmester sound.

I had Burmester in my Mercedes AMG GTS and loved it.

The Bose system is really good and a lot of fun to listen to. I would not go for the standard Porsche system unless you really have little to no interest in experiencing music at slightly more energetic levels. The only time I would recommend the standard Porsche OEM system is if all you listen to is talk radio or NFL games on Sundays (which i sometimes have to do because of a commute ).

The quality of the additional speakers and the more powerful amplifier, sub and sound processor that comes with Burmester is very very good and you will experience it every time you drive.

I don't want to sound overly dramatic but you can really turn it up and everything just comes alive around you with the Burmester system.

You definitely don't have to be an audiophile to appreciate the difference between Bose and Burmester.

I truly regret not having the Burmester in my Taycan. More so than a heads up display or a passenger screen.

With that being said, music is very personal and there will be a lot of different opinions on these forums and I wont argue with how other people experience their music.

For example, if you drive 85% of the time with kids or other people in the car and cannot crank up your own music, paying for the upgraded audio might not be worth it. In my case its just me 85% of the time.

In short, I love the Bose sound and never get out of my car disappointed after listening to music, but I would have selected the Burmester without thinking twice if I had the option.

If it fits in your budget Burmester is something you will notice and will enjoy every time you experience it.

I hope this helps.

 

[evanevery]

If you don’t mind me asking, what software do you use to rip the CDs to FLAC and do you get the album artwork and song list visible on the PCM with that software?

Yes, album artwork and all the associated metadata comes along with the rip and is displayed as expected on the PCM screen(s). The software I use queries 4 online services (databases) for metadata (artist, album, song title, etc...).

Many software packages will rip to lossless flac but the one I use (and think is best) is: dbPoweramp (it will also rip to MP3 and many other file formats)

I also have a Nimbie autoloader which makes it a breeze to run through an entire library of music. (I needed it when I decided to replace my entire library of MP3's with FLAC's)

They both work together very well. With the autoloader you literally stack up a bunch of CD's and the software takes care of the rest...

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