Need help with Dension Gateway sound quality

[Jables]

So I finally got a dension gateway 100 (bought from Enfig) installed a few days ago, enabling me to play music through my iphone via the steering wheel controls with info on the driver info panel. I have to admit it took me almost a week to figure out how to use it correctly but now that I have, I absolutely love it and can't live without it.

The only thing is, the sound quality is not as good as it should be. It is stereo for sure, but it doesn't feel as rich as a CD or even satellite. Before you say its because of mp3 vs CD quality, trust me, I've taken that into account and still somethings missing.

So to anyone out there with a similar hookup, do you notice a lower quality? What can be done about this? I tried tweaking the eq on the ipod and that helped a little bit. Since the Symphony unit on the B7 apparently does not have a hidden eq, what else can I do?

Maybe the guys at Enfig can chime in.

Thanks!

[8520]

Are you using the headphone jack on the ipod or the dock connector?

[Jables]

Are you using the headphone jack on the ipod or the dock connector?

Its coming through the dock connector.

[Jables]

bump

[petercw2]

i just installed the same setup and are not experiencing any noticeable difference from the same files I had on SD cards in the head unit. I know you've mentioned you know the difference between MP3 and full audio files, but I have to ask if you know what bit rate you are ripping the CDs? 128? 256? Apple Lossless? If its the first, that would be a rather dramatic difference especially if you have never listened to both on a decent setup.

[Jables]

I don't think this is causing the issue because last night I compared the audio quality between my CD player and the Dension unit using the same song. The CD was burned from iTunes using the same compressed mp3 as my iPhone had on it. Thus, both songs were compressed at the same quality.

But compared to the Dension, the CD sounded much, much fuller, like I was being enveloped in the sound. The Dension sounds okay I guess, better than, say, an FM transmitter would. But it is a pretty drastic reduction in quality from what I hear from the CD player, which tells me the Dension is not utilizing the full potential of the Bose.

[petercw2]

I would then ask if you have checked the sound settings for both inputs (the cd and cd changer)... I assume you have the CD in the player in the head unit and the iPod has replaced the changer.. If they are different inputs, each one can have different settings for treble, bass, fade and balance. In my opinion, they should all be flat, but you should set them to whatever sounds best to you. (edit), what headunit do you have? The one with NAV? If so, how are you listening to both the CD and the ipod? Did you get the passthru option on the Denison?

I would also suggest you look at your ipod and make sure that one of the EQ settings are not effecting the SQ.

Lastly, I apologize if I am telling you stuff you already know... but, what you burn a CD at is not necessarily the same "rate" you rip a song into itunes. Are you sure that you aren't ripping the CD at full audio quality, meaning are you sure that file on the CD is an MP3 and not a AIFF file?

My point is: If there is that much difference my guess is that somewhere there is a setting, in the car, in the manner you rip songs or burn CDs that is making the audio difference because there shouldn't be any from the standpoint of the Denison. Of course it could be defective, but really with hardware like that it generally works or doesn't.

[Sanjman]

do you have a bose system or non bose?

what is the bitrate of your mp3s and when you say you have "taken that into account" what do you mean?

[ua100k]

I am getting the same problem with the Dension Gateway 500.

On low levels everything is fine. On louder passages, you can hear the vocals distort. It is very obvious. There is a marked difference between the CD and the Dension output.

I use only WAV files, copied from CD's that check for error and jitter. I also place the same WAV files on my Stereo at home from the same USB with no problems.

While I have not completed the research, here is what I think is happening.
Either
a) The Converter on the Desion is a cheap on where the bit resolution is not high. Instead of using 16 bits, they are saving a few bits for cost or to put in other information, hence clipping the music.
b) Their output audio level in digital terms is too high, causing the distortion on high outputs.

I distinctly hear this on opera male vocals, tenors. Most of the music gives me listening fatigure, which means distortion embedded in the music.

If there are any Dension employee technies out there, you can help with this. Otherwise the Dension documentation etc is very limited.

[Sanjman]

I just got the GROM... have the same thing (not marking it as an "issue" yet) Not hearing the "quality" I would hear out of my mp3's burnt onto a CD.

To rule out the GROM/Dension/BlitzSafe... I'm going to create straight passthrough cable as a few have here already. If I hear a significant amount of difference we can say that all these units are filtering out some of the sound.

Another thing I'm going to try: change config of the bose pin. From my understanding the bose pin is there in case we want unfiltered sound out of the symphony (in case we want to route our sound through an amp, etc, like bose).

Stay tuned... but don't expect a quick answer.