Attached the file

 

posted a mini review over in the 3G RDX Audio, Bluetooth, Electronics & Navigation section. TL;DR current state is meh. Feels like a beta version.

 

Installed the update on my '19 RDX last night, got AA working in infotainment, using a Galaxy S8 phone. So far I can't get Waze to show up on infotainment screen, and no text messaging. Using Samsung's default text app.

 

Long press the voice button on lower left of steering wheel and say "send text to Joe" ...then it will ask you to dictate a message.

 

This is not using AA to send text message .. You are using the default infotainment voice functions .. Sending messages thru AA , you have to say " OK Google ..... "

 

Thanks for the response. I was referring to Text message notifications. So far there seems to be some limitations to Acura's implementation of AA vs on my 2018 VW's AA. I get text message notifications with AA in my VW, but not with the RDX.

 

In other words when receiving a text message, I don't get a notification of the txt in AA in the RDX

 

Long press is different than short press. With a long press you will see on the screen a line of colored dots, indicating Google is listening, then say "Send a text to Joe", it will answer, "sure what is the message?" Etc

I just tried this in my garage.

 

I do....when the phone is plugged in to the USB port by the cup holders.

You can have it read aloud, and you can reply by voice. one of the main reasons I want AA.

 

What txt message app do you use and what phone?

 

Samsung Galaxy S8 on Verizon....stock messaging app. But I have also used it with "Handcent" messaging (now may be called Next SMS?)

 

Interesting, I wonder if it has anything to do with the "advanced messaging" feature.

 

Dunno,,,but I'm fairly sure that on my last car, 18 CRV Touring, my daughter would text me using WhatsApp, and it came in fine. (I COULD be wrong on this part)

 

So after a year+ of waiting for AA, it finally comes out, and I'm very underwhelmed. Seems buggy, and very limited.

Whats the advantage of AA over just using my phone (Galaxy S8) with bluetooth??? .....I dont get the hype. Bigger font?

 

For one, the ability to send and reply to text messages by voice alone. (My primary desire for AA)
For two, constantly updated map data...no waiting for quarterly (or yearly) updates from Acura.
For three, significantly improved traffic details.
For four, say: "OK Google" (or LONG press the voice button on the steering wheel) to get sports, weather news, etc, etc all by voice command.

There IS a learning curve, and the latest interface is quite different than the one I used 9 months ago in my prior vehicle.

Anyone care to add to this?

OH, and I also have a Galaxy S8

 

I use Carplay, but I notice improved sound via the wire compared to bluetooth streaming.

 

It may be the placebo effect for me, but I noticed an increase in sound quality using CarPlay after the 1.2.1 update. Music appears more spacial in the cabin. Comparison being wired vs wired.

 

It's been a while since I used AA in a car, and with different versions, etc....so can anyone tell me how to close the green window that takes up 1/4 (Left Top) of the screen when not actually navigating? It seems to list random destinations, I assume based on places I have been with my Android phone.

I am happy to have AA now, (and the apparently glitch free infotainment system) and appreciate all it can do, this just seems an odd use of space covering the map when not using it for navigation.

Thanks!

 

That's because bluetooth still has a long way to go in terms of audio fidelity:

https://www.guidingtech.com/sbc-vs-l...ec-comparison/

Also, why a lot of audiophiles hate Bluetooth headphones and the loss of the headphone jack. I'm not exactly sure which codec the RDX headunit uses when streaming by Bluetooth but it's most likely SBC or Apt-x. LDAC is only used in a few devices, and those are mostly the expensive dedicated DAC players. Bluetooth is getting better but wired connection will always be better than bluetooth in terms of audio quality especially if you store FLAC or AAC files on your phone. In terms of music service it usually goes Tidal > Spotify = Apple Music = Google Music/YouTube music > Sirius. Like mentioned before AA only uses Bluetooth for phone calls. Audio/music and everything else is pushed through the USB cable.

 

I think a lot of people don't understand what they can do with the "Ok Google" integration with AA. Anything you can do with Google Assistant you can do through AA. That means controlling your home devices with AA. Need to change your thermostat at home while driving? Use Google Assistant. Want to broadcast a message to your family that you're heading home, use Google Assistant. Check to see if you locked your front door? Ask Google. Yes you can use your phone to do this but you would be taking your eyes off the road instead of just using the button or shouting it out. Depending on how you've set up your routines using Google Assistant, it could be pretty powerful especially if you tie it to IFTT routines.

 

Confirmed today that it DOES work with WhatsApp.

 

Amazon Music HD needs to move to #1. It beats Tidal in resolution and price. I have/had both.

 

I can't get Waze either. Thought i

 

Answering my own question, and for the benefit of others:

At the top of the green window (maybe not green all the time, or when not using navigation) is a place to enter a destination. At the right of this is an up arrow. Clicking on this will close most of this annoying box that covers a large part of the screen. The trick (for me) is getting the cursor to that up arrow. I had to get to it from the right side... first highlighting the + or - icon on the far right of the map, then sliding up and to the left to get to the up arrow. Seems very hard to do... but this reduces that window so as not to block so much screen.

 

I connected to my RDX with my new Samsung Galaxy S10+ using Android ver 9. In the Developer Options there is a setting for the Bluetooth codec. When connected to a device it will show what codec is in use. With the RDX it is AAC. I tried forcing it to aptX but it would always revert to AAC. For me this is odd as I associate AAC with Apple.

Thinking I was doing something wrong I then connected to a pair of Bluetooth bookshelf speakers that I know support aptX. Lo & behold, now the Bluetooth codec showed as aptX in the Developer Options.

I know someone else here showed a way to get into the Android settings of the RDX. I will have to look that up and see if there is a setting to force aptX.

Maybe the new Android Auto update will provide this (I have not yet installed the OTA update).

.