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Bypassing the internal amplifier of the iPhone 5 for the car

K

KRB24

macrumors member
Original poster
Is there and will there ever be a cable that can bypass the iPhone's internal amp. It was possible with the old 30 pin connector. Here is a picture of the old cable:

nEO_IMG_CIMG2818.jpg


Will there be one like this with the lightning connector for the iPhone 5?
 
In theory it's possible. Apple designed the Lightning cable to have flexible and assignable pins, depends on the connector and the accessory.

I'm sure the accessory manufacturers are making a line-out cable for using in stereo or car. As long as Apple tells them what to do.
 
I have a 2013 Chevy Equinox. I can plug a lightning cable into my USB and it plays and allows me to see songs, artists, etc. I am guessing it is bypassing and picking up a digital signal since the lightning is all digital. Just to be clear, I am not using an adapter. I do lose album art on my cars screen though. I purchased a 30 pin adapter and it brings the album art and full ipod functionality back though. I think I will take it back though as its not worth it and I cannot say for sure but I believe it sounds better without it.
 
awtryau89 said:
I have a 2013 Chevy Equinox. I can plug a lightning cable into my USB and it plays and allows me to see songs, artists, etc. I am guessing it is bypassing and picking up a digital signal since the lightning is all digital. Just to be clear, I am not using an adapter. I do lose album art on my cars screen though. I purchased a 30 pin adapter and it brings the album art and full ipod functionality back though. I think I will take it back though as its not worth it and I cannot say for sure but I believe it sounds better without it.
Click to expand...

2013?!... Uh huh
 
They need to make it and then wait for it to hit ebay or else it will be like $30. Is it safe to buy lightning cables from ebay? I heard they weren't up to the digital standard. I don't want one of them to short my phone or something.
 
I am no sure why we need such a cable. There seems to be a lot of myth about the audio quality of 'line out'. I once connected my iPhone to a car stereo using line out and compared it to the heaphone jack, can't hear any difference, tried that with a dedicated headphone amp, again no audible difference. Maybe my amp/headphone are not high end enough 😉
 
xx01 said:
I am no sure why we need such a cable. There seems to be a lot of myth about the audio quality of 'line out'. I once connected my iPhone to a car stereo using line out and compared it to the heaphone jack, can't hear any difference, tried that with a dedicated headphone amp, again no audible difference. Maybe my amp/headphone are not high end enough 😉
Click to expand...

There's no myth. It depends on what amp is bypassing the internal iPhone's one and the quality of the output source (speakers,) but for something like a car's stereo system, the sound will be significantly better when a car's amplifier drives the sound versus the iPhone's.

Also, i'm using the same cable in the OP in conjunction with the Apple 30-pin to lightning adapter and it's working perfectly. You might get a high pitch tone when charging and playing music at the same time, but that can be fixed with a ground loop isolator.
 
SiPi said:
As the poster has omitted he does indeed have the 2012 model.

Perhaps you should read before posting.

Basics please
Click to expand...

That information is worthless. If you can not comprehend as to why I posted what I did, you need not reply. You are not even at basics.
 
Jalopybox said:
That information is worthless. If you can not comprehend as to why I posted what I did, you need not reply. You are not even at basics.
Click to expand...

I can indeed comprehend the meaning of your post.

Though i found it to be worthless.

Please take your aggressive attitude elsewhere and do not contact me again.

Have a nice day
 
SiPi said:
I can indeed comprehend the meaning of your post.

Though i found it to be worthless.

Please take your aggressive attitude elsewhere and do not contact me again.

Have a nice day
Click to expand...

You ever follow your own advice? Again, basics. 🙄
 
Jalopybox said:
You ever follow your own advice? Again, basics. 🙄
Click to expand...

As requested please refrain from contacting me.

If you continue to contact me in this manner i will report this harrassment to forum moderators.

Please do not pm me either.

Have a nice day.
 
Can't remember what forum it was but I'm sure if you plug the lightening cable into a bit1 audison it detects the phone correctly and uses the digital audio out.
 
KRB24 said:
They need to make it and then wait for it to hit ebay or else it will be like $30. Is it safe to buy lightning cables from ebay? I heard they weren't up to the digital standard. I don't want one of them to short my phone or something.
Click to expand...
That's way too vague a question. Depends on the specific seller and the specific cable. Ebay isn't a signle store selling every item listed and there's more than just one cable on ebay

xx01 said:
I am no sure why we need such a cable. There seems to be a lot of myth about the audio quality of 'line out'. I once connected my iPhone to a car stereo using line out and compared it to the heaphone jack, can't hear any difference, tried that with a dedicated headphone amp, again no audible difference. Maybe my amp/headphone are not high end enough 😉
Click to expand...
...or your ears just can't tell the difference. As indicated in the OP and another post above, line out bypasses the internal headphone amp which tends to be noisy. If you can't tell the difference then enjoy not having to worry about it.

SiPi said:
As requested please refrain from contacting me.

If you continue to contact me in this manner i will report this harrassment to forum moderators.
Click to expand...
No one is "contacting you" in this thread. They're posting on an open thread and they are certainly able to do so with or without your permission. If you don't like posts from specific users then add them to your ignore list. You attempted to call a commenter a liar for claiming to have a 2013 model without any basis for proving the commenter wrong at the time you made your original comment as 2013 models have been available from certain makes for some time now. In this particular case, the commenter did have a 2012 model but it's still entirely possible to own a 2013. That's the point that those are trying to make that you think are "harassing" you.
 
Last edited:
takeshi74 said:
That's way too vague a question. Depends on the specific seller and the specific cable. Ebay isn't a signle store selling every item listed and there's more than just one cable on ebay


...or your ears just can't tell the difference. As indicated in the OP and another post above, line out bypasses the internal headphone amp which tends to be noisy. If you can't tell the difference then enjoy not having to worry about it.


No one is "contacting you" in this thread. They're posting on an open thread and they are certainly able to do so with or without your permission. If you don't like posts from specific users then add them to your ignore list. You attempted to call a commenter a liar for claiming to have a 2013 model without any basis for proving the commenter wrong at the time you made your original comment as 2013 models have been available from certain makes for some time now. In this particular case, the commenter did have a 2012 model but it's still entirely possible to own a 2013. That's the point that those are trying to make that you think are "harassing" you.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I was correct

I asked the user to stop contacting me. Including PM's

Please read before posting.
 
Not sure if this has been said, but the audio that comes from the dock connector should be very close to, if not, line out signal level. So you bypass the internal amplifier.

Have you tried a lightning/30 pin adaptor?
 
aircanman said:
Not sure if this has been said, but the audio that comes from the dock connector should be very close to, if not, line out signal level. So you bypass the internal amplifier.

Have you tried a lightning/30 pin adaptor?
Click to expand...

Heck no! It costs like $35 after tax. Not worth it.
 
KRB24 said:
Has this been made yet?
Click to expand...

The lightning port cannot output analogue audio without a DAC. The lightning to 30 pin adapters (genuine) have a DAC built in.

Personally, in my car I use a full digital connection. Lightning to usb on my Sony dab700u . I'm not sure what format the Audio is sent to the car via usb though . It does however also send system sounds and audio from instrument apps so its not just the car stereo accessing the m4a files like a disk.
 
I use the lighting to 30 pin adapter along with an adapter from iSimple to connect my 5 to the HU in my van.

Works very well, I have a proclip dock in the car so it a very clean setup.
 
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