[Rainbrounicorn]

I drove the Integra last weekend and really enjoyed it! One thing that stood out was the audio on the Tech Package - I blasted Seashore by the Regrettes and looked at my salesperson in awe. I’ve never heard anything of better quality.

What music do you think really shows off the system? Looking for some songs to put on a playlist as I hopefully pick up my Teg this week.

 

[Xhilr8n!]

You likely know this but the source can make quite a difference in quality. When I test drove an Integra I connected my phone and used Tidal. I was impressed. Anyone can make loud but there was some undeniable accuracy to this system. Want to explore it more.

No way to recommend for someone else, musical taste and appreciation as varied as anything can be.

But for some reason “Highway Star” by Deep Purple comes to mind.

 

[houndrunner]

I have already started making playlists. Many different genres, and I’m stoked to hear all of it — from the nuances of classical and jazz to the aggressiveness of hardcore and trunk-rattling trap. “Lossless” Apple Music via CarPlay is probably going to be my default; I don’t have higher quality audiophile formats handy, though despite my love of music, I admit I cannot always discern the subtle differences. (Significant tinnitus also does not help.)

 

[Leehro]

I’ve been thinking about what I want to audition first myself, but just play something you like. Gun to my head I’d probably load up Abbey Road or one of the other 50th anniversary Beatles remasters.

Like @houndrunner I’ll mostly be using Apple Music lossless through wired CarPlay. I might throw some of my favorite FLAC albums on a USB stick and have those handy too. Not sure if USB playback can do higher fidelity audio but I’m sure 16/44 lossless will be more than enough in a car.

One note about quality though, if you care about lossless. Wireless CarPlay doesn’t support lossless audio. So to get lossless audio from an iPhone (TIDAL, Apple Music, etc) , connect via USB. Not sure about android. And if you don’t care, don’t worry about it. Enjoy the car!

 

[Rainbrounicorn]

I will definitely enjoy! I love getting exposed to new music, so I figured I’d see what people thought sounded really good on their ELS systems. 🥳

 

[houndrunner]

One note about quality though, if you care about lossless. Wireless CarPlay doesn’t support lossless audio. So to get lossless audio from an iPhone (TIDAL, Apple Music, etc) , connect via USB. Not sure about android. And if you don’t care, don’t worry about it. Enjoy the car!

This is really good to know. I've been using wireless CarPlay via a Grom VLine2 in my Lexus; it sounds pretty good via the higher end Mark Levinson system, but it's also 15 years old, and I'm sure some of the speakers aren't at 100% at this point. Will keep this in mind though when I take home the Integra, as I may very well connect my phone via USB if I can really tell the difference.

Gun to my head I’d probably load up Abbey Road or one of the other 50th anniversary Beatles remasters.

Oooooh -- stereo or mono remasters? 🎶🪲🪲🪲🪲🎶

In an effort to get my wife more on board during the test drive, I let her pick the song for the sound test. She chose Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road," because of course she did. As much as that song irritates me, I gotta admit... it sounded pretty damn good. 😂

 

[Leehro]

Oooooh -- stereo or mono remasters? 🎶🪲🪲🪲🪲🎶

Stereo. I don’t think Abbey Road was released in Mono, and it’s not in the 2009 set. Regardless, I’m happy with the 2019 stereo mix.

 

[Xhilr8n!]

I’ve been thinking about what I want to audition first myself, but just play something you like. Gun to my head I’d probably load up Abbey Road or one of the other 50th anniversary Beatles remasters.

Like @houndrunner I’ll mostly be using Apple Music lossless through wired CarPlay. I might throw some of my favorite FLAC albums on a USB stick and have those handy too. Not sure if USB playback can do higher fidelity audio but I’m sure 16/44 lossless will be more than enough in a car.

One note about quality though, if you care about lossless. Wireless CarPlay doesn’t support lossless audio. So to get lossless audio from an iPhone (TIDAL, Apple Music, etc) , connect via USB. Not sure about android. And if you don’t care, don’t worry about it. Enjoy the car!

I may be wrong here, but it is my understanding that once Tidal is connected the exchange can be done wirelessly without a loss of quality. Our Si has a good aftermarket system with wireless CP and I have tried to discern a lesser quality without the cable. It is not an obvious difference to my old ears.

As far as selecting music, a very nice thing about Tidal and other services is they suggest new lineups based on your history. I am discovering a lot of great sound out there. Each day things are suggested and 👍 or 👎

 

[Xhilr8n!]

This is really good to know. I've been using wireless CarPlay via a Grom VLine2 in my Lexus; it sounds pretty good via the higher end Mark Levinson system, but it's also 15 years old, and I'm sure some of the speakers aren't at 100% at this point. Will keep this in mind though when I take home the Integra, as I may very well connect my phone via USB if I can really tell the difference.

Which Lexus? I used a Garlin device in our LC500 to have wireless CP. Hooked up everytime I started the car and the phone was nearby. That Mark Levinson was good. Very digital of course in that machine.

 

[houndrunner]

Which Lexus? I used a Garlin device in our LC500 to have wireless CP. Hooked up everytime I started the car and the phone was nearby. That Mark Levinson was good. Very digital of course in that machine.

It's a 2007 GX470. I ended up getting the GROM VLine2 unit and installing it myself; it sits in the glovebox compartment where it replaces the factory CD changer. It allows for CarPlay functionality while preserving the factory climate control, nav, etc.

It's certainly an improvement for me and it's not bad, but it's not 100% perfect or bug-free. I also was lazy about wiring up the microphone, so I'm effectively unable to make or receive phone calls while driving. Having said that, one of the reasons folks seek out the base/non-nav GX is because it's far easier to swap in an aftermarket system -- you have way more options. (Also, pulling apart that center stack in the dash was a nightmare. I struggled mightily to get the faux-wood trim pieces out. But it ended up working pretty well.)

In the plus column, however, the factory cassette deck is still fully functional!

 

[Leehro]

I may be wrong here, but it is my understanding that once Tidal is connected the exchange can be done wirelessly without a loss of quality. Our Si has a good aftermarket system with wireless CP and I have tried to discern a lesser quality without the cable. It is not an obvious difference to my old ears.

I don’t own a car with CarPlay, but based on this apple support doc: About lossless audio in Apple Music, you need to connect with a cable to get lossless audio.

Can I listen to lossless audio using CarPlay?
You can listen to lossless audio with CarPlay using a USB connection

The AAC-LC compression they use for wireless CarPlay and AirPods still sounds great though. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it. Just pointing out that if you care about lossless from your phone, use a cable.