Quote (shardoflard @ Jan 2 2013 07:38pm)

also.. im not sure whats going on with your phone situation but.. if you install a 3.5mm aux jack in the car you can plug in mp3 players/ laptops etc and play music through that... so..
Doesn't look like there is a aux input in the front  of the head unit you chose so if its in the back of the unit it might be a good idea to hook one up during install.. If you get the right male to female aux cord you can install in a way that is aesthetically pleasing..
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll300/A0PG_1_20120620_7548463.jpg

that cable on the left is what im referring to( kind of.. its a little short lol.. but also the female end is just a standard end.. not the kind that can be secured into the trim of a vehicle).. you plug the male end into the input jack in the back of your HU then run the female end to where you desire in your car
there are specific cables made for vehicles where the female end is designed to be secured to where you want.. designs that are similar to switches where all you do is drill a hole.. run the female end to the hole and throw a threaded nut-like-deal over it and it stays secured to where you chose to install it.. some are a bit different ive seen some that require screws or something else like double sided tape (lol)

personally.. i prefer to just drill a hole and run that design as you can hide every inch of the cable and thats pretty sexy.

make sure you have the right dash kit ready to go, too.

Quote (Subwoofer @ Jan 2 2013 08:27pm)

its a rear usb unit. so he'll be using usb port for music.

Quote (shardoflard @ Jan 2 2013 09:43pm)

i bet there is at least one 3.5mm aux input in the back, too. probably two.

regardless.. they are both convenient.. id have jacks for both the usb and aux wired to a convenient spot somewhere on the dash or in a compartment of that lexus for sure

Quote (Subwoofer @ Jan 2 2013 09:52pm)

it has an aux input in the back as well but there is no reason to use aux when you have usb. usb=better quality.

Quote (shardoflard @ Jan 2 2013 10:50pm)

there are probably 20 aux cords for every usb in this world.. its just been around a lot longer and is still more prevalent... id have both wired for the sake of convenience

as far as AQ goes... that seems extremely trivial.. with good  quality cables/jacks and good quality data (mp3's , flacs etc in regards to compression) the difference between usb and aux is  probably hardly notable.. if at all!

Quote (Subwoofer @ Jan 2 2013 11:25pm)

how is wiring both when one is all you need more convenient? usb is the superior input for multiple reasons so unless you lose your usb cable all the time i can't see why you would even bother with aux.

the difference is noticeable to me. go get an ipod and use aux output and then use usb output on the same song.

also speaking of convenience...i like having my phone charged when i'm using it as a data source for usb.

Quote (shardoflard @ Jan 2 2013 11:33pm)

how isnt it more convenient? Ive had more friends want to plug their devices into my systems via aux than usb. granted thats merely anecdotal evidence..besides.. its better to have it and not need it than not have it when you need it.. convenience 101.

i ran a aux vs usb test (just by listening) a number of years ago and recall not noticing the slightest difference. i never tried running a true test and obtaining measurable differences, though. but i would be curious to see the results of such a test.

Quote (shardoflard @ Jan 2 2013 11:33pm)

i ran a aux vs usb test (just by listening) a number of years ago and recall not noticing the slightest difference. i never tried running a true test and obtaining measurable differences, though. but i would be curious to see the results of such a test.

Quote (Subwoofer @ Jan 2 2013 11:43pm)

think of this way....aux=cassette tape and usb=cd. digital is just better than analog.

Quote (shardoflard @ Jan 2 2013 11:49pm)

that is way way incorrect..


Type  Signal-to-Noise Ratio  Frequency Response
USB Input  Same as source          20Hz - 20,000Hz
Auxiliary Input  Same as source  20Hz - 20,000Hz
Bluetooth AdapterSame as source  20Hz - 20,000Hz
FM Adapter  70dB            30Hz - 15,000Hz
Cassette Adapter 50 - 70 dB  30Hz - 18,000Hz


what i had was definitely casual and not competition audio equipment, minus the amp/subs.. just like the OP

ive had various brands in my cars ranging from kickers to adires to RE's... rocked a pair of 15'' audiobahns for a while.. all that, is entirely irrelevant though.