Popping Sound with USB

So after I updated to iOS 5.1.1 and experienced the issue, I did a full reset at that point. Since re-adding all my music and having the iPod work fine, the popping came back (which was when I posted my last comment). Since my last post though, I followed the advice of theooriginal and it seems to have fixed the issue. Now I always let my car system start the iPod and Music app, as opposed to starting a song and then plugging in the USB cable.

As far as running apps and all communications (WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.) I haven't turned off communications or closed all apps; though I rarely keep an app open once I'm done with it. It seems that the issue is when I start a song on the iPod itself, and then plug it in. I usually did this since my stereo takes over control of the iPod, and it's much easier to browse my library on the iPod vs. car stereo. Once the stereo powers up the iPod, I have no issues throughout the day when I continue where I left off, it just seems to be when I plug it in with a song that I've started.

It's very strange, but the popping is definitely gone. I'll also add that I just updated iTunes in and around the same timeframe, but overall it seems that the above advice has been the most consistently successful. I will keep updating this thread if anything changes of course. Hopefully this helps out some others here too.

plugging in the Ipod while its off fixes it for me

I just retro fitted a new head unit (RCD-510) to my mkv golf gti 2 days ago. I noticed the crackling and popping like an old record player the very second I played back from my iphone 4s (ios6) through USB. I then tested with 3 different USB cables, my ipad2, friends iphone 4s and ipod touch, and I hear the same static noise in all of them. I have gone through a few automotive forums and they all have the same feedback regarding this issue. My question is, if this problem is experienced by almost everyone, why isn't Apple doing anything about it?

There is a long going thread on this for the iPhone too. I really thought it was HW realted, as it is almost like a bad amplified sound. But, the more I played with my iPhone4, all the tricks of sync, turning the ounds up or down, I am more inclided to think it is a scheduler issue in the iOS working with the flow of the packets accross the transceiver for the USB connector.

It seems widespread accross various headunits, and devices and iOS versions. What seems to work for my is killing off apps and keep in the output of the sounds about 40%.

Does anyone have an iphone5 or a new iPod touch with lightning connector? I am curious to know if the lightning connector is Apple's cure to this issue.

Yes, I am experiencing this problem with iPhone 4 plugged into my Dual deck via USB cable. It's an irritating crackly popping sound and it seems the easiest fix is unplugging the USB then plugging it back in, no more noise. However, this is only a temporary fix until the next time it occurs... 😟 It does make total sense that it would be static considering when I unplug the usb then plug back in it's gone.

Hello;

this isssue has plagued me for about a year, on iPhone4 and iPOD. I was using a an Alpine headunit with USB. Since moving to a iPhone5 and keeping the volume level down, I had no issues. 2 weeks ago I purchased a new Peugeot that has dual USB connectors in the dash. I plugged my iPhone5 in and voila! cracking and popping noises.

I have used Apple products since I wa s a kid and I have always "felt" their quality was the "differentiator". I cannot say for 100% certaintly this is an Apple software or HW issue. But, I would expect the to comment since so many people have problems making the product quality perception sink.

I would agree it seems to be some scheduler issue, or cache around the buffer sending audio over USB. I also thought about how SCSI used to have a plug on the end of the chain. If you are old liek me and used Apple in the 90's you remember all the SCSI cables :~) So if USB is serial, maybe the bus is also contributing to signlas getting distorted.

All if it is theory.... worse thing is to have a new car, new iPhone and sound like a broken record player.

Hi;

what is even more strange is that I was able to take the iPhone5 this evening to my old car and try the phone, untouched in the Alpine and theire is no popping. Plug it back into the Peugeot USB on the new car and the popping is there. Hummm, so it is very mysterious. Becuase the old car and Alpine would have the issue, at times. After fooling with the iPhone5, like volume, closing apps it would go away.

The other thing to consider here is that the iPhone5 has a lighting connector, and you would think new "guts" around that. So, maybe it is a software issue. Back to the theory of the scheduler. But then why does it happen in the new car, with the factory USBs?

I agree with you about USB. Claerly the functionality is far supperior to the 3.5mm jack solution. Which this new car of mine has and works fine. The car display has all the album art, and much more controls for playlists etc. Also the sterring wheel controls work on the USB link.

I think we have to get this ore public, ARS Tech or one of the MAC portals? Letters to them cc the Apple CEO? Pity...

I've had this issue for a while as well and as an engineer would love to solve it. I have done a ton of troubleshooting on this and have also discussed it with electronics engineers. Our hypothesis is the same as you've stated regarding the grounding issue. I have tested a Sony car DVD receiver with an iPod Touch 2nd Gen and iPod Touch 5th Gen with mostly the same results. The Lightning connector does not seem to make a difference. So my working hypothesis is that since the receiver is properly grounded, there may be a lack of grounding in the USB cable. I am considering a direct ground wire to the iPod case to test. Will post if I discover more.

+1

I've got the problem with my iPhone 5s (running IOS 7.x) since I've upgrade my car stereo from the stock Mazda 3 audio to a Pioneer AVH-4000NEX. Apple - please fix this!!!

Hello All! Here's something more to add to mix! In my 2004 Toyota with factory JBL stereo, I get the random pops / distortion feedback. I always blamed it on the cassette adapter (yes a cassette! Old school, the stereo in this car has a cassette and 6 disc CD changer. The following year the cassette was dropped. What can I say I like the car so I kept it). I digress, the sound to me sounds like the kind of feedback you would get from over metering the recorded music, common practice in the days of tape; before digital recording. With this car as I said, I'm using the cassette deck with an adapter and connect my iPod with the headphone mini jack, I always thought it was limitations of the cassette deck. (So much for the theory it's the USB connection). In most cases if I keep the volume on my iPod 5, around 60% - 70% it eliminates the feedback in all but a few recordings. The one thing these recordings have in common is low end sound-- deep bass. Confirms the findings discovered from the earlier posts-- the tests with the violet and brown noise. Tried different source recording formats, with little effect. And as others have stated only have this problem with this one car stereo. Is it possible the iPod is simply putting out a frequency that goes beyond the sound range of the stereo? Just a thought. Does anyone have a better theory? Cheers.

I having the same issue in my ford it was working fine before and now it makes a popping sound at first I thought is was the car until i came across

this board did i then realize its not the car and that the cd player and bluetooth work great.

It happens when i plug in my ipod touch via usb then a popping/cracking sound starts to come out in my songs

PLEASE APPLE FIX this thank you