There are a number of issues it is best to examine.
If you have already got a superbly useful cable that helps Android Auto, upgrading to a 5Gbps cable is not going to make Spotify sound such as you rebuilt the stereo. Sure, a damaged or poorly constructed cable can result in dropouts, disconnects and different frustrations, however further bandwidth will not enhance an intact digital audio stream.
Google does advocate making an attempt a high-quality or alternative cable when wired Android Auto is performing up, however that is fundamental troubleshooting, not some secret hi-fi improve. If you have already got a secure connection, the most effective locations to search for enchancment are within the music, any processing your cellphone or app is doing and eventually the automobile’s audio settings.
Do not blame Android Auto first — Test the music app
In case your music app switches high quality relying on the community, a weak mobile connection can lead to poor streaming high quality, and pre-downloading your favourite playlists or albums will be one of many best methods to remove this issue. Spotify’s Automated setting adjusts the streaming high quality in response to the connection, whereas YouTube Music offers Premium subscribers the flexibility to set a separate streaming high quality degree for downloads. That is price doing for those who steadily go by means of areas the place 5 bars drop to at least one with little discover.
Subsequent, select the next download-quality setting, however do not essentially set all of the numbers to the very best. Android helps playback pattern charges as much as 192kHz, however Google would not present a common Android Auto output price to verify that your automobile is getting 192kHz audio. Greater numbers right here do not essentially assist.
It’s best to pay extra consideration to your EQ and normalization settings. An earbuds-oriented profile with a bass enhance can sound fairly bizarre in a automobile’s fully totally different speaker configuration, particularly if the automobile is including its personal bass enhance, encompass processing or EQ. Spotify is a superb instance (and generally an annoying one): On Android telephones with a built-in equalizer, adjustments made by means of Spotify can even have an effect on the sound of different apps.
Spotify’s Loud normalization setting additionally applies a limiter, so quickly flatten the EQ, set normalization to Regular or flip it off and play a well-known downloaded monitor. Add your most well-liked changes again separately. It is easy troubleshooting, however it’s higher than altering six issues and discovering nothing.
Use wired and wi-fi connections to slender it down
Wi-fi Android Auto makes use of each Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, fairly than merely sending music over a typical Bluetooth connection. The preliminary wi-fi setup pairs the cellphone and automobile over Bluetooth, with Wi-Fi additionally required for the connection. That makes going into Android’s developer choices to seek for aptX, LDAC or some supposedly higher Bluetooth codec a foul place to start.
If playback is uneven, playback stalls or sounds clearly incorrect, strive the identical downloaded track over wired Android Auto. If it sounds good, you then’ve remoted the connection with out touching the music itself.
If wired playback fails as properly, then the cable is lastly a suspect. At all times use a recognized, good cable and by no means use a hub or extension. What you do not want is a cable that you simply bought just because the packaging says it helps switch speeds that your music won’t ever even come near utilizing.
The final place to examine is the automobile itself. Flip off bass enhance, encompass mode or different enhancements, flatten its EQ and evaluate the identical monitor once more. There isn’t any constant menu path as a result of every infotainment system handles these controls in a different way (some appear to cover them for sport). If the issue persists, it might even be worthwhile to examine whether or not a firmware replace is obtainable for an aftermarket receiver. Wi-fi Android Auto does require a suitable cellphone with 5GHz Wi-Fi assist.

