Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

High pitched noise when using iphone 4S headphone jack out for car aux input?

N

Neon01

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 7, 2011
92
2
I'm getting this phenomenon in my M3. I'm using a standard 3.5mm to 3.5mm stereo jack cable and playing Pandora in my car. When any volume is applied at all, even if there's no signal coming from the iphone, I get a rather loud very high pitched tone that overlays the signal. When I turn the volume ALL the way down, it goes away. It also appears to be sensitive to the volume (gain) on the car's audio system. It's extremely annoying, and I never had this problem before with any other phone.

Anyone experience this or know how to fix it? I'm wondering if it's some kind of weird ground loop issue on account of the metal iphone chassis. All my other phones have been largely plastic.
 
Same Problem

I am having the same issue with my iphone 4s 32g. I'm starting to winder if it's a BMW thing though, because my issue is with my 535xi. The noise really makes the iphone unusable as a mp3 player in the car....
 
Neon01 said:
I'm wondering if it's some kind of weird ground loop issue on account of the metal iphone chassis.
Click to expand...

Key to this is whether it changes with engine RPM, thats the classic signal of alternator whine if I remember correctly.

No idea otherwise; I have a direct dock connector connection to my Jeep headunit and no noise issues, but I'm not using the AUX input.
 
Ground loop would change only when the vehicle is on and it would get louder at higher revs. I had this issue once, and it was simply a bad cable. I purchased a higher quality cable and it was gone.

Instead of the $2 cable, try getting a better one.
 
N2DEEP3D said:
Instead of the $2 cable, try getting a better one.
Click to expand...

Who said they were using a $2 cable?

@APD79: Even if the car is somewhat to blame, it cannot be solely a BMW thing. I've never had a problem using any of my previous phones (including Epic 4G, Touch Pro 2, and Epic 4G Touch) with this same cable/arrangement.

For the record, it doesn't appear to be rpm dependent.
 
Have you tried using a different cable?

Did not mean to insult you, if that was the way you took it, but most people do not usually choose the $20 3' patch cable as compared to the cheaper alternatives; because many think they are the same.

Again, you might try a different cable.
 
N2DEEP3D said:
Have you tried using a different cable?

Did not mean to insult you, if that was the way you took it, but most people do not usually choose the $20 3' patch cable as compared to the cheaper alternatives; because many think they are the same.

Again, you might try a different cable.
Click to expand...

I don't buy the "expensive for the sake of being expensive" stuff, but it's a shielded cable (i'm a bit of an audio geek), if that's what you mean. I guess it can't hurt to try something else to troubleshoot. I'll probably have to buy one though - don't have male to male stereo headphone cables lying around.
 
Also, does it ever do it with headphones, or just the AUX cable?

I sold electronics for 13 years, and many times my biggest issues had the simplest fixes. Could be something as simple as the tip length of the 1/8" connector.

Hope you find the issue.
 
Same problem with 2010 Audi A4

Hey guys,

I have the same problem with my iPhone 4S 64GB. At first I thought it was the cable, but I compared the sound quality side by side with an iPhone 4 using the same cable/car audio system and it sounded perfect on the old hardware. It sounds like noise and Noticable right away when you play a song And pause it. The noise does not occur when i first plug in the cable, only after the song strts playing or after it's paused. It is even worse with the 5.0.1 update. Did apple not test it properly with car audio systems? I've had every generation iPhone and the 4S is the only one that exhibits this issue in my car. Did apple swap out your phone and did anyone resolve the issue? If so, how? Please share your solutions. Thank you.
 
Sofiaan said:
Hey guys,

I have the same problem with my iPhone 4S 64GB. At first I thought it was the cable, but I compared the sound quality side by side with an iPhone 4 using the same cable/car audio system and it sounded perfect on the old hardware. It sounds like noise and Noticable right away when you play a song And pause it. The noise does not occur when i first plug in the cable, only after the song strts playing or after it's paused. It is even worse with the 5.0.1 update. Did apple not test it properly with car audio systems? I've had every generation iPhone and the 4S is the only one that exhibits this issue in my car. Did apple swap out your phone and did anyone resolve the issue? If so, how? Please share your solutions. Thank you.
Click to expand...

Sorry I can't help - I ended up going with another phone (GSM Galaxy Nexus) and it doesn't exhibit the problem. I tried doing as the other poster suggested - swapping the cable out for a shielded one, but it didn't seem to help. I realize this is no help, but I thought I'd post it anyway. Hope you get it fixed.
 
Neon01 said:
Sorry I can't help - I ended up going with another phone (GSM Galaxy Nexus) and it doesn't exhibit the problem. I tried doing as the other poster suggested - swapping the cable out for a shielded one, but it didn't seem to help. I realize this is no help, but I thought I'd post it anyway. Hope you get it fixed.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply and I'm glad your new phone doesn't have the same issue. I wonder if it's just a bad batch, since someone else had the same problem with their iPhone 4, while my old iphone 4 is perfect. There are lots of people with the 4S that haven't said anything about this problem, so I'm hoping it is just an anomaly. I will try and get it replaced, but if I still have the same issue, I will resort to using the line out instead of the headphone jack if that truly fixes the issue.
 
If it were a hardware issue (with the phone), wouldn't it impact headphone use as well?

How does it sound when plugged in via USB?

How does it sound when audio is streamed via BT?
 
Same problem

I just upgraded my phone from an original iphone to iphone 4s (big jump!) I had no problems at all with the iphone but got the hissing / high pitched whine with the iphone 4s and BMW 335i (two common elements here).

My first attempt was a to fix by upgrading to some sort of $25 cable that didn't improve anything (Griffin 6' coiled stereo audio cable that says on the box it is good for connecting iphones to car audio). I think the hiss is from the cable being in contact with the external antenna of the iphone 4s ( not a problem for original iphone or other phones). My current solution is to use the old phone as an ipod touch. Wondering if anyone is having similar issues with the current generation of ipod touch - which may have similar engineering but not an external antenna.
 
I have two iPhone 4S's and neither produce a hiss in the AUX input on my Acura TL-S.

Have you tried your phone on another vehicle just to see if it is produces the same effecT?
 
High pitched hissing noise from AUX jack.

I had the same problem with my iPod touch gen 4. I have an x5 and i get the same high pitched noise now with my iPhone 4S. Both devices are useless to me in he car. I have tried multiple cables, Apple has replaced my itouch. My devices work fine in other cars. (3series, 6series, hondas) Just not mine. I have resorted back to using an old iPod for music in my car. Sad.
 
horrible noise using Iphone 4s with car aux

Hi just wanted to add my name to the list of unhappy iphone 4s users. Just bought iphone 4s brand new last week and I am getting the same high pitched noise when using it in my car aux jack...and yes I too have BMW 118. But I dont think it's a car related thing as my music works fine if using my iPad and it also works fine with my sister's iphone 4s in my car. Just seems to be my iPhone I think. I am purchasing the snap in adapter for phone from BMW, wonder if it will make a difference.

Thanks to whoever started this topic on this forum. I searched google to see if any one else had the same high pitched noise problem that I do and was wondering if it was just me! Clearly I'm not alone. :)
 
OP here checking back in. Sorry to say I never found a solution to this problem. I switched to an Android device and have been using that trouble free ever since. However, I just picked up an IP5 a week or so ago, and I'm gonna give that a try to see if it's fixed soon. I'm currently "in between" BMWs right now - just sold my M3 a few weeks ago and I'll be picking up a 2010 135i this weekend.

I'll report back with findings from the IP5
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back