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Audio from Micro USB?

Bob Loblaw1

Android Enthusiast
Jan 29, 2010
372
24
The OC
I was wondering if anybody knows for sure if the Micro USB port on the Nexus supports audio. I'm trying to find a single cable solution to charging the phone and listening to music in my car w/o resorting to bluetooth. I found this adapter on Amazon but:

a. It doesn't allow me to charge the unit
b. I don't know if the Nexus even supports audio through the USB

usb%20to%20headpone.jpg



I spoke to a rep @ Google Tech Support and after some research he came back and said that it does but he didn't sound to sure of himself. I called HTC Tech Support and they were clueless and transferred me to accessories. Anyone have any idea if it supports audio, and if so, any 2-in-1 adapters out there so I can get at it (micro usb to 3.5mm jack + micro usb).
 
I don't know the answer to this, but I also am interested in the information and have been searching for a while on it with no luck. Let's hope someone has the information.

Thanks for posting what you've found out so far.

I've asked the same question in another forum as well so hopefully between the two we'll learn something. I'll post here as well as pm you if I get any good intel.
 
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That's incredibly stupid.

Not really. I can have the phone in my pocket and switch tracks. If I'm having a party or something and I'm out on the patio or in the garage, I can be real obvious about it and pull out my phone and announce, "I don't like this song, let me change it" :D (I actually did that once and nobody cared :()
 
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You could simply pair with any Bluetooth device and do that. My bt card was 10.00 us. The idea is that you're paying 45.00 for a bt RCA cable and charger. Seems silly, especially when the same can be accomplished much cheaper without it.

Maybe I mis-understood you when you said the phone communicating with the dock via BT is "stupid". Why would it have been smarter to make it communicate via usb? Now if it turns out that the Nexus does not support audio through the usb then yes, I could see an argument there. But if it does then I don't see why BT is stupid. You might think there are cheaper solutions out there that accomplish the same thing but that doesn't make it stupid, just too expensive maybe.
 
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YES it does. This is how I listen to music in the car. I plug the supplied USB cable into the car stereos USB socket then mount the USB when it shows up on the NEXUS. THEN, all songs appear on the Stereo. I have a pioneer stereo in my car but I'm sure any modern radio that allows playing music from USB will let you do this. The nexus appears as a USB hard drive to the stereo.
 
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That's incredibly stupid.


No, it's not stupid that the Dock communicated with the phone via bluetooth. This is so you can walk around the room with your nexus in your hand while shooting music to your external speakers via the bluetooth. If it only went thru the USB you would be tethered to that located instead of being mobile. As for music thru the USB. See my post above. That works too for your car.

Nexus and It's dock are both well thought out devices. Before you call it stupid you should do a little research.
 
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YES it does. This is how I listen to music in the car. I plug the supplied USB cable into the car stereos USB socket then mount the USB when it shows up on the NEXUS. THEN, all songs appear on the Stereo. I have a pioneer stereo in my car but I'm sure any modern radio that allows playing music from USB will let you do this. The nexus appears as a USB hard drive to the stereo.

Technically the Nexus is doing 'Sweet FA' via this method, you may as well remove the memory card, stick it in a usb adaptor and plug that into the car stereo. All that happens when you 'mount' the N1 is give direct access to the memory card via the USB connector of the phone so the N1 acts as a $580 version of a $10 solution! The Memory card is locked out whilst doing this (try using Google Earth at the same time or simply view your pictures on the N1). Atm A2DP is the only way to transfer music from the N1 whilst maintaining the use of the memory card where it is stored.
 
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Technically the Nexus is doing 'Sweet FA' via this method, you may as well remove the memory card, stick it in a usb adaptor and plug that into the car stereo. .


Actually that isn't true. Technically I'm charging my phone AND listening to the music on it. Doesn't matter that it treats it like a hard drive. My phone is getting charged at the same time. Can't do that if I take the card out... put it in the adapter (which would be a pain to do) and plug it in the usb port.

Just one of the MANY MANY options you have with a NEXUS 1
 
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Actually that isn't true. Technically I'm charging my phone AND listening to the music on it. Doesn't matter that it treats it like a hard drive. My phone is getting charged at the same time. Can't do that if I take the card out... put it in the adapter (which would be a pain to do) and plug it in the usb port.

Just one of the MANY MANY options you have with a NEXUS 1

Fair enough if you think that, but actually your charging the N1 at a lower rate than the N1 is capable of consuming power whilst fully functioning and at a considerably lower rate than a 'proper' charger!! (Don't believe me? Try charging your N1 via the USB of your PC or Laptop from empty and do the same via its charger- BIG difference in times owning to the difference of both the volts and amps the different supplies output and those usually give higher outputs than many other electrical devices that contain USB ports too!) and you cannot use the N1 properly! I subscribe to Spotify for my music -it's provided via both 3G streaming and tracks stored on the handset, use the Sat Nav and make calls too, all at the same time. Can I do all that via USB connection into a stereo? No I can't, but I can by plugging my charger into it and streaming audio via A2DP (or bluetooth if you wish), everything works perfectly well!

If it works for you then fine mate but don't say its one of the many many options of a Nexus 1, what you are saying is a standard option of just about any object that includes a memory card these days and not a particularly satisfactory one either!
 
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