RD4 X3 N1 Aux sound quality

[careca]

Hi there, why would the sound be worst through the auxiliar than the FM radio?
There's no Bass when connected with aux, the sound is... shallow for the lack of a better word.
This head unit is from the C5 II.

[GiveMeABreak]

There are lots of reasons, most won't be anything to do with the RD4 unit, but more likely your audio source.

Things that can affect audio quality from the AUX include

A poor quality AUX Cable which can cause distortion and 'noise'.
Poor Quality analogue output from your device (Phone / iPod or other device)
Grease, fingerprints or other dirt on the AUX cable metal connector.

You also have to remember that your source device may have poor or limited DAC (Digital to Analogue Conversion) capabilities, so unless you have an App (if using a smart phone for example) that you can use to clear up or tweak the sound, you're pretty much stuck.

Try some different devices / cables and see if you can see a difference, but I would certainly give the jack a good clean with some isopropyl alcohol / electrical cleaner for sure.

[careca]

Hi, thank you for the reply, the source device is my phone, which works perfectly with other devices i use, BT or cable, in other cars and devices at home.
Both by bluetooth and the cable the result is the same, which makes me discard the grease in the cable hypotesis.
Now if you say that the sound should be good and this behaviour is not expected or known of, then i will consider getting another head unit, because it is defective.
The reason i say it is defective, is because of the behaviour i described in another topic, where no buttons work, only the volume and on/off, no buttons respond.
So it may be the case that the unit is damaged and the byproduct of it is also the poor sound.
Do you confirm that the aux input should work normaly with good sound quality?
The cable that connects to the radio is pre-built, ordered as it is, but maybe there are other pins i could use in the back of the radio?

[GiveMeABreak]

Ok, several things to consider in your case:

1) You are not using the Head unit designed for your vehicle - it's from a C5 MK II and as you have already stated certain functions don't appear to be working. This is completely understandable as the units from a Citroen C5 are CAN / VAN electronic units and also rely on the ECU from the multi function display to operate correctly. A Xantia does not use the same electronic architecture, so you are on a loser to start with.

2) The output from an AUX is not going to be as good say as audio from a USB cable connection as the data has to be converted from digital to analogue. Later Head units with USB connection are therefore far more superior as they use digital to digital and support lossless sound, but this also depends on the codecs supported by the Head Unit.

3) Bluetooth audio will never sound as good as a wired digital connection. There too much to go into on the subject generally as it all depends on the devices and conversion and the protocols used.

You really need to replace the Head Unit with a more modern aftermarket system. As the Xantia is quite old by today's standards, you won't need to worry about affecting the vehicle's systems as it is not CAN based. Then you can use the capabilities of modern phones and a modern car audio system to get the best sound you can. You may need to upgrade your car speakers too at some point.

[careca]

I see i inadvertently induced you in an error, my bad, i had the xantia listed as my current car, but in fact i do have a c5 II, and the head unit is the correct unit and original to this car. Sorry.
The unit is not working correctly and buttons randomly stopped responding, but they did work when i bought the car. Ordered a used unit from ebay in hopes that it solves the issue.
Sorry for the mess up.

[GiveMeABreak]

Hi, no problems, thanks for updating your profile to show your latest car

When you replaced the Head unit did you code the unit with your VIN using Lexia? Was it an identical unit - some of these look the same but can be different internally. If the unit isn't coded properly - it goes into scrambled mode.

[careca]

I ordered it very recently, i expect it to only arrive next week or so. When it does, i will use lexia to code the vin. The one i ordered is the exact same model RD4 X3 N1

[careca]

Hi, installed the "new" used radio that arrived today, this one has all working buttons, but still have the same issue with the aux volume and quality.
I have seen some modules from the brand "yatour" and these are connected to the port C, which is for the cd changer, apparently then it can be used as aux.
Has anyone had any experience with this?