Bluetooth working, except music

[yousaidalligator]

Hello,

I am beyond frustrated with my X930BT unit. The Bluetooth seems like it is so close to working, but it plays my music at such an extremely quiet volume. Having a phone call through Bluetooth is clear and is actually outputted at an acceptable volume. The song and artist information also show up accurately on the screen. I am also able to control playback and skip songs through the touch screen.

I've tried every method of connecting, different devices of various ages, resetting to factory settings, and clearing Bluetooth memory. I've also already upgraded to version 6.0 (after trying 3.00) and tried both Bluetooth version 3.22 and 3.32. I have also confirmed my Bluetooth volume is turned up on my devices.

When I switch to Bluetooth mode, it just sounds like static as if its still on FM mode with no signal. However, if I turn the volume up extremely loud (like max), you can very faintly hear what song I have playing. 

I have no idea what could be wrong. If anyone could offer any help it would be greatly appreciated. This deck would've been perfect for me if I could get the Bluetooth music to actually work.

[RonS]

It might help to know what brand and model phone you are using.

It isn't clear whether the problem is with your head unit or phone. I know my Samsung phone has separate audio settings for media and phone calls.

Do you have another BT device to test your phone's music volume?

BTW I no longer have a Pioneer so I'm relying on memory as to what settings are available on the x940 for each BT pairing. I seem to remember having separate permission settings for music and phone calls. 

[yousaidalligator]

Thanks for the response Ron.

I have tried using three separate devices, an iPhone XS, iPhone 8, and an iPad Mini 2. These are all on separate iOS versions 16, 10, and 12. I have confirmed that the Bluetooth volume was maxed when I connected all three devices in separate instances.

When I select the Bluetooth mode on my x930BT, the 'static' noise is very much evident even at low volumes. Its only when I max the volume on the HU can I very faintly hear what song is playing.  It's very strange, it would've been easier to diagnose if Bluetooth just didn't work at all

Edit: Which car stereo brand have you switched over to?

Edited November 7, 2023 by yousaidalligator
follow up question

[RonS]

36 minutes ago, yousaidalligator said:

Thanks for the response Ron.

I have tried using three separate devices, an iPhone XS, iPhone 8, and an iPad Mini 2. These are all on separate iOS versions 16, 10, and 12. I have confirmed that the Bluetooth volume was maxed when I connected all three devices in separate instances.

When I select the Bluetooth mode on my x930BT, the 'static' noise is very much evident even at low volumes. Its only when I max the volume on the HU can I very faintly hear what song is playing.  It's very strange, it would've been easier to diagnose if Bluetooth just didn't work at all

Edit: Which car stereo brand have you switched over to?

I just wanted something that was Android based (so i could install 1000's of apps) and supported wireless AndroidAuto & Carplay. I replaced my 13 yr old Z110-BT with an ATOTO A6 Pro from Amazon for around $200. It has some quirks but I'm satisfied with the sound.

[yousaidalligator]

Ill definitely be considering those Android units if I can't get this Bluetooth to work. Do you know if 3.32 is the latest Bluetooth firmware for the x930BT?

[yousaidalligator]

What quirks are you finding that affects you the most? I was looking into these Android units and am having a tough time finding which brands are quality. Just like Android cell phones, there is a much wider range of quality between brands/models compared to Apple. I would love to have an Android unit if I could narrow it down to the elite brands.

[RonS]

2 hours ago, yousaidalligator said:

Do you know if 3.32 is the latest Bluetooth firmware for the x930BT?

Yes, 3.32 is the latest. You said you did a factory reset after installing? That cures most oddball side effects.

[RonS]

15 hours ago, yousaidalligator said:

What quirks are you finding that affects you the most?

Probably my fault trying to make it behave like my phone. Sometimes you forget the app is running on the head unit and not the phone which has direct internet access. For example the unit has Google maps installed - which works great while I'm at home (on my LAN wifi) but when I'm driving I can't enter or change my route. I guess set up my phone as a hotspot and tether the headunit but that's also a hassle every time you drive.

Also, it normally boots up in 3 seconds with everything as you left them (like sleep on a phone), but if you don't start the car for a week, it shuts down and does a cold boot and you have to launch things again. Seems a minor annoyance except you have to pull over and play around with it and the roads where I live have no on-street parking or shoulders so I have to drive several miles to find a place to park so I can get my apps up and running.

Basically, instead of having a simple dedicated media player, you've now got another computer to manage.   1st world problems!!!

[yousaidalligator]

Yes I have done that several times. Same with clearing memory on the Bluetooth settings. I just came back from unplugging the battery for 5 minutes then trying it again as a last resort. Still didn't work. I'm not sure if this is normal but it's like there is interference or something because of the loud static when I switch to Bluetooth mode. Every other car stereo I have just goes dead silent when I switch to Bluetooth mode with no active connection.

All the Bluetooth features work as well (including clear audio) except for music which is the only thing I care about.

[magicbeans]

Try turning off the proprietary (factory) stereo. I had the same problem which drove me beyond madness.