Musk Suggests Tesla Could Adopt Apple AirPlay for Better Car Audio

BY Chandraveer Mathur

Published 31 May 2022

Tesla Dash Unsplash

In recent years, American electric car maker Tesla has laid emphasis on the audio systems installed in its cars. The company’s CEO Elon Musk says Tesla is now considering using Apple’s AirPlay protocol to enhance audio quality.

Presently, Tesla cars rely on Bluetooth to transmit audio wirelessly from the user’s phone to the car’s audio system.

In recent years, audiophiles have heaped praises on the Tesla Model 3 for the quality of the onboard sound system. The Model S sedan is no exception, either. In fact, the sound systems on these Tesla models have reportedly been likened to the pricey Bang & Olufsen systems often found on luxury cars. One reviewer took to Twitter to share this comparison, earning a reply from Elon Musk.

“Tesla audio engineers come from B&O & many other companies. They literally rock. Our system is highly programmable, so we keep improving it via OTA codec updates.”

However, another Twitter user pointed out that the Tesla music systems are hamstrung by the quality of audio that can be transmitted using Bluetooth from the user’s phone. Further, they suggested Apple’s AirPlay technology would allow for a better lossless streaming experience. Musk said the potential solutions would be discussed with Tesla’s audio team.

For the uninitiated, Apple’s AirPlay is a wireless communication protocol developed by the iPhone maker. It allows media streaming between devices. That said, Tesla has been averse to the idea of integrating Apple technologies, including Apple CarPlay, into its cars. So, the future of AirPlay integration in Tesla cars remains shrouded in mystery.

[Via Electrek]