Audio line out via USB?

Steve66

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Is there any way to get line out audio on the Evo via the USB port? I'm curious if any of the car kits have a single plug that gives you power and audio, or if I'm going to have to plug a cable into the top of the Evo to get audio? That's one area where the iPhone has an advantage...a single dock connector gives you everything.
 

uh60james

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I tried it in my car for you. I was able to play music from the stock "Music" app just fine over USB but couldn't play Pandora, bluetooth only for that. I selected the access sd card or phone as hardrive option, not sure of the exact name, when I plugged it in and the screen came up. So it would seem that you should be fine as long as whatever you want to play is on the SD card. BTW this was checked on Ford SYNC and the phone charges at the same time.
 

rfs830

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well if it works on a ford sync system it would be able to work then just need a good adapter. I just want the same thing as I have a hook up on my ipod that let me charg it from usb and has and aux hook up out of it for the best sound quality but I would also like to do the same for my phone.
 

VegasJay

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I tried it in my car for you. I was able to play music from the stock "Music" app just fine over USB but couldn't play Pandora, bluetooth only for that. I selected the access sd card or phone as hardrive option, not sure of the exact name, when I plugged it in and the screen came up. So it would seem that you should be fine as long as whatever you want to play is on the SD card. BTW this was checked on Ford SYNC and the phone charges at the same time.


Are you sure that your car's head unit wasn't playing the music files? That would explain why pandora would not work but MP3 files did. If that's what was happening, you weren't getting audio out via the USB, your car's stereo was using the USB connection to read files off the SD card and play them.
 

Paladin

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Are you sure that your car's head unit wasn't playing the music files? That would explain why pandora would not work but MP3 files did. If that's what was happening, you weren't getting audio out via the USB, your car's stereo was using the USB connection to read files off the SD card and play them.

+1. That is exactly what I was going to post. The USB standard is NOT an audio standard. There is no analog Audio passed through ANY USB port. There is only power and data. You theoretically could have audio converted to data and sent over the USB cable to be interpreted by a device but that would require a special setup. As VegasJay said, if you plug the USB into a standard head unit it is only using the EVO as a USB drive to play the MP3's from it.

You also could have the audio sent through the HDMI cable as that has audio on it. The main problem is it is digital and not analog. So again you need a unit to convert this to analog to play through your head unit.

I would also like a nice way to send BT audio to my head unit.
So the easiest way is to send the audio out via Bluetooth to a receiver that outputs to the standard headphone 3.5mm (1/8”) plug that could then be input on your HU's AUX port.
Make sure you get a BT Receiver and not transmitter. i:Di

This is the one I am looking at. I am still looking around for the best one.
http://www.amazon.com/Miccus-BBMR-0...tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU169253

Edit: Okay I think this may be the one for me as it has power and a remote. I think would be work GREAT with the Evo.
http://www.amazon.com/Kensington-Li...tag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU169253

Now I have a question. I already have BT on my had unit for phone calls. I wonder if I can stil use my main HU for calls but this adapter for the audio. Can I pair and use two different BT devices with the Evo at the same time like that? One for phone calls and the other for audio!
 
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uh60james

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Are you sure that your car's head unit wasn't playing the music files? That would explain why pandora would not work but MP3 files did. If that's what was happening, you weren't getting audio out via the USB, your car's stereo was using the USB connection to read files off the SD card and play them.

Ahhh, yes you are absolutely right. I wasn't even thinking of that! :p Sync is a computer and it was just reading the mp3 files. So I guess the only way this would work is if your car/head unit are capable from reading mp3's from a USB device.
 

ctwilliams

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For my older HTC phones there was always an adapter that plugged into the USB port and provided both a USB port for charging as well as an 3.5mm jack for analog audio out.

This makes it much easier instead of plugging in the charging cable and then plugging in the audio cable on top when you are getting in and out of the car often.

This is not exactly what I had but you get the idea: Amazon.com: OEM 3.5mm 2.5mm Headset Adapter Converter: Electronics


I wonder why none for android? I could not find one for any android phone.
 

Paladin

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For my older HTC phones there was always an adapter that plugged into the USB port and provided both a USB port for charging as well as an 3.5mm jack for analog audio out.

This makes it much easier instead of plugging in the charging cable and then plugging in the audio cable on top when you are getting in and out of the car often.

This is not exactly what I had but you get the idea: Amazon.com: OEM 3.5mm 2.5mm Headset Adapter Converter: Electronics


I wonder why none for android? I could not find one for any android phone.


As long as the adapter has circuitry to convert the digital audio data to analog that could work, cool. The Android OS would have to be capable of sending digital audio data out the USB port though. I bet someone could write a driver to do it. Maybe possible.