Interesting find

[JaseNZ 53]

Ok so i posted a little while back about getting a DICE setup for my car, Only problem is that i would also have to buy an ipod as well to use it and this all compounds into $$.

So while looking around today i just happened to stumble onto this which looks very promising.

Its cheaper than the DICE setup but the main thing is you just plug a usb stick into it which is what i was looking for all along. There are some other usb options out there but they are $250usd plus where as this is only $130usd.

Also for an extra $20 you can buy a cable to plug into it which connects to your ipod if you want anyway.

Also has 3.5mm socket for connecting other audio. Plus they even throw in a 2 gig usb stick to go with it.

I am looking very hard at this device and found a thread about it and it seems pretty good. Its also firmware upgradeable which is even better.

Anyway checkout the link to the product i am looking at and see what you think.

>> Clicky me for the GROM USB device<<

Edit : Total cost including shipping to my door is $230.44 NZD , Now thats pretty bloody good so i have gone ahead and purchased one.

Edited March 19, 2010 by M-Spec

[Mark 178]

"Higher than CD quality sound of your MP3 files"

Well that's completely impossible... but looks like a good buy otherwise.

[JaseNZ 53]

"Higher than CD quality sound of your MP3 files"

Well that's completely impossible... but looks like a good buy otherwise.

heheheh yup , Oh and it was $230.44 all up , I did it via paypal as i don't like using my credit card details directly if i did however if you use IRISH5 for the coupon you get a $5 discount USD i presume. Anyway when it turns up i will do a decent review of it but it does look promising.

[fuzyfrog 0]

Rip CD's at lossless if you are worried about quality

Your MP3s only sound like crap cause you rip or download ones at 128KB

[JaseNZ 53]

I am not an audiophile so don't really care, I don't have the music playing at a million decibels i just don't want to be changing cd's all the time on a long trip hence the purchase of this product.

[antil33t 90]

I agree with you wanting a USB setup, 230 bucks isn't half bad. way less than a really good headunit with USB function.

If all your MP3's are 320kbps, You won't care. unless you're some kind of sick audophile with 10,000 dollar speakers.

[Docile 64]

its not unusual to have mp3 size which are ripped at 1:1 from cd to have sizes like 20 megs each. standard one is like 8 megs.

oh yeh once you have installed it and tried. do give us a feedback on how it is. pros and cons. im quite interested in getting one. sick and tired of the cd changer in the back

Edited March 20, 2010 by Docile

[JaseNZ 53]

It can handle anything up to 32gig in the form of a usb stick i think, I currently have an 8gig one that has all my music on for car use, I used to use it in my E36 because i had a head unit in there that had a usb port, But because the E46 has a completly different layout i don't want to put a head unit in that looks stupid and out of place with one of those blanking plates you can buy thats why i am sticking with oem.

I love the clean no clutter look of how it is just standard, Plus it displays id3 tags of what playing on the oem setup. Will be interesting to see how it all goes i guess as it is a low cost solution to the problem i had as i was going to shell out for the DICE system but then i would have had to buy an ipod as well.

There will be pictures abound once it turns up (i am terrible for that my missus thinks i am nuts lol)

[antil33t 90]

Yes you can rip them at loss less and my MP3 don't sound like crap because I dont rip at 128 k

Not trying to start an argument, but 320k mp3's are not lossless.

a lossless format is something like FLAC.

[JaseNZ 53]

don't forget Plays MP3 / WMA / iTunes (AAC) files

Edited March 20, 2010 by M-Spec

[CamB 48]

Sadly, I can't hear the difference (and I sure as hell can't hear it in a car). I go at 192kb variable bit rate (I think):

http://www.noiseaddicts.com/2009/03/mp3-so...y-test-128-320/

I effectively guessed (wrong) - they sounded the same to me.

[fuzyfrog 0]

Speakers make a huge difference.

My Tannoys are night and day compared to the Naim system we have and then again compared to the EV's

< May or may not be an audiophile

[CamB 48]

In identifying low bitrate MP3s or just generally (which of course they do)?

[JaseNZ 53]

Getting closer.

Out of Foreign Customs, March 26, 2010, 11:00 am, NEW ZEALAND

Arrived Abroad, March 26, 2010, 9:27 am, NEW ZEALAND

international Dispatch, March 24, 2010, 9:38 am, ISC SAN FRANCISCO (USPS)

Arrival

Electronic Shipping Info Received, March 22, 2010

Edited March 26, 2010 by M-Spec

[JaseNZ 53]

So it turned up yesterday morning 5 mins before i was about to head out the door to go on the chch meet. So was a case of rip out of the bag and very brief read of the manual set up a couple of folders on the thumb drive and go and plug it into the boot.

Its all plug and play and when you order it you can select behind dash or boot install. I chose boot install so the correct cables where shipped with it, Was a case of just plugging in the cables into the cd changer harness and then main plug into the back of the unit then plug in the usb drive.

All up about 1 minute work and that included making everything tidy with cable ties.

It also came with a Velcro pad so you could just stick it where ever you wanted in the boot.

Turning on the car and stereo i pushed cd twice and this woman's voice say "usb mode" and then it started playing the files on the device.

You set out 6 separate directory's on the thumb drive and they act as virtual cd's for the stereo in the car. I loaded about 600 songs within those directory's.

On the chch drive it worked well but then all of a sudden the stereo locked up and you could not turn it off or on or do anything.

A quick stop and pulling of the fuse bought the radio back so i left the GROM unit unplugged until we got home and i was able to find out what was going on.

Turns out it was the way i have setup the directory's so was my fault. Fixed all that up and have not had a problem since.

For the price $200 give or take this is an excellent option if you want to keep things oem like i wanted to. The unit also has a female jack point for other mp3's players and a socket for an ipod but you have to buy the ipod cable separate.

I would rate this 8/10 and is perfect for what i need. I have been keeping a close eye on those dynavin (sp) units but they still seem to have alot of bugs, if they manage to get that sorted out i would upgrade to one of those but until then this GROM unit is certaniny worth the buy.

Here are a couple of images and a short video, Sorry for the images/video they were taken in the dark.

[lidistick 70]

Nice.

You do lose the CD changer don't you?

[rogan 7]

from the owners manual:

Note: No digital rights management (DRM)-protected content purchased through major

online stores will play directly through the USB-MP3 adapter as such content is

encrypted and signed by the media publisher. This includes but is not limited to iTunes,

Rhapsody, Zune Marketplace, and MSN. You need to burn such files to a CD and the rip

them back with any capable software.

The music purchased from Amazon and iTunes+ is compatible with GROM-USB2

without any modifications.

That would put me off a bit. I'm not 100% sure how it would affect me

[JaseNZ 53]

Yes you loose the cd change but hey you can fit thousand's more songs on a thumb drive as opposed to the cd changer.

Yes it cannot play drm protected content but that's only if you copy the files to a thumb drive and try and play them through there. If you plug the ipod/iphone into the unit it will access the files via the ipod and play them fine.

[lidistick 70]

My CD changer has gone Kaput.

Decided to buy the Grom I2 Ipod link.

Will see how it goes

[JaseNZ 53]

Did you end up buying one ?? , Hows it going ??

[lidistick 70]

Sorry.

Yes I did buy one and it works fine.

I haven't fiddled around with the playlists so I can't get it to display the names. I'm using an Ipod touch and it has playlists on the go so when I hit CD2, it defaults to this playlists. No names come up.

I think its fixable but I haven't had time to fiddle with it yet

Cheers.

[Huttey 0]

Subscribed

I am interested in how you find these units (the steering wheel controls, text display capability, navigating your way around). Do they provide cables to go from the boot to front of the car so you hook up an iPhone in the cabin?

[JaseNZ 53]

Subscribed

I am interested in how you find these units (the steering wheel controls, text display capability, navigating your way around). Do they provide cables to go from the boot to front of the car so you hook up an iPhone in the cabin?

I don't have the steering wheel controls but am in the process of saving a few $$ to retrofit them in, When you buy the unit you have the option of what package you want to go with. You can go with the boot option which just plugs into the cd changer unit or you can get the extra long cable to reach up to the front for your ipod. If you have a look at the site you will see all the options that you can get.

I just went for the boot install minus the ipod cable as i don't own one and everything is just on a usb stick which is fine with me.

As for control's if you have the earlier model of head unit (without the mode button) you have to push the buttons twice, if you have a later model head unit (with the mode button) then you only have to push the buttons once to navigate.

Either way i have had no problems navigating around, But I just tend to have it running and don't navigate around much anyway.

As for the display it does not scroll but just shows as much info as it can then flips to the next page of info.

[lidistick 70]

Steering wheel controls works.

I'm having problems with text display capability but I think the problem is with the operator (ie; ME). You need to have playlists so the Grom unit can identify the songs. Playlist 1 is in simple mode (no text display) and as I only have all my songs on 1 playlist = no text.

The install was incredibly easy. Even an idiot like myself could do it. Just get the correct cables. My CD changer was in the boot (Nav stereo) and the cables fit perfectly. What I suggest doing is going on TM and picking up a cheap Ipod (not touch/iphone) and leaving it in the back. It will charge the Ipod and as its out of sight, no one will know it was even there.

The Ipod version cost me NZ$178 incl freight. I think the USB version is slightly more. TBH, pick either. Both are great value.

If you want Iphone integration tho, I reckon there are better units out there with BT.

Cheers.