Bruce In Philly

To add to the information in this thread....

I found that you can't continuously add/delete to the thumb drive... for some reason the file allocation table gets complex and the PCM can't read it..... and or gets really slow.

So reformat the thumb drive if you plan on putting a ton of files on there. I make a mirror folder on my PC, and then drag/drop all the folders to the USB drive. I make any changes to the PC folders, reformat the USB Drive, then do the copy when I have changes. Clumsy but way better performance.

I now use a 128GB 3.0 USB drive with 59.5 GB total of music on it... total is 6,789 files 631 folders (includes artist folder, and album folders underneath).

I could not get this much music on the drive without re-formating and doing a once copy all. Oh, and I used a special formating tool to format the drive as a single volume beyond the Windows 32GB limit.... search around, there are a bunch of free stuff out there.

I want to find out how much I can really get on there and test the system limits..... but that is for another day.

BTW, I still have all the JPGs with cover art in the folders..... doesn't seem to bother it now with the reformatting and copying.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Chris M.

Bluetooth AUX adapter. $30 at Best Buy, works perfectly.

Glyndellis

Chris M - which model is this? Would it be possible for you to post a link?

F308gt4

How's that one different from the $3 eBay one below (besides being 10x the price?).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131579597994?rmvSB=true

Chris M.

It doesn't skip, doesn't interfere with Bluetooth phone use, automatically connects when you start the car, maybe that's worth $30 to some.

Bruce In Philly

Cool hookups...... however I am always suspicious of sound quality. We all have our priorities... for me, it is sound quality over all and I never heard a Bluetooth link that sounded good.... too much manipulation of the original signal is the first strike (no manipulation is a tenet of hi fi sound), how it was then implemented vs the price target is the other, third is the limited bandwidth.

But... the geek in me is always impressed that someone can construct a mnemonic memory circuit using stone-knives and bear-skins.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Chris M.

I find the road noise from the 30 series tires at highway speeds so loud that superior audio quality really isn't possible but I don't think the actual audio quality isn't much if any different than the Bluetooth capabilities of my 2016 Tahoe. I'd have to do a comparison to really determine this but the Tahoe is much quieter inside so it's not apples to apples. I also listen to more podcasts than music on long drives and don't use the stereo at all in the city.

Bruce In Philly

High fidelity ..... I used those words for a reason..... old timers understand. Hi fidelity in cars is not just about enjoyment, it is about how easy it is to listen and understand. With a hi fidelity system, content is easier to hear over road noise and at a lower volume setting. You don't have to turn it up to hear, you can actually keep it low thus eliminating some of the sonic chaos that drive me nuts.

With hi fi (or high defintion), your ear/brain has to work less to interpret. In my home system, I can play at "loud" levels, and you can talk to another person in a near whisper and still hear clearly. It is really something special and when you experience it, you get it.

Folks say they don't need hi fi because the environment is noisy; actually that is when hi fi becomes even more important ... at least for your own sanity. (BTW, hi fi isn't massive bass booms or tizzy ear-bleeding treble, it is hi resolution in the midrange where most musical content is such as the human voice).

Peace
Bruce in Philly

F308gt4

Hmmm, interesting. So you have the phone connected to the PCM bluetooth for phone calls, and this thing for music with no skipping/pausing?

Is control via the phone or the PCM? I assume via phone, although it looks like from the pic you can skip songs by pressing the button on the device.

I may have to check this one out.

Chris M.

Yes my phone is connected to both devices on the Bluetooth screen on the iPhone. You control audio content via the phone. It's exactly like having a dual 3.5mm cable that plugs into the headphone jack on your phone and the AUX inlet in the car except you don't have a cable. You're using the AUX input which means there's no display on the PCM for what you're listening to. You can use the buttons on the device but that would only be to skip to the next song. Since I installed it I haven't opened the console door.

The other cable in the USB port is the charging cable so that's another little perk, you don't have to take it in the house to charge the battery, it just stays there. Supposed to go for 6 hours on a charge though.

I read about some other ones that have to be turned on, paired, you have to select AUX...every time you start the car but this one automatically connects when you get into the car. If you try it out and don't like it just return it to Best Buy or wherever. We also use it for wireless audio in my wife's car that has an AUX input but no Bluetooth, works great.

I've done the USB/flash drive thing in previous cars and I prefer having all of Apple Music/Spotify at my disposal vs loading and unloading songs to a drive that I'm then confined to. To each their own.

Tj40

H s anyone ever used the Becker Aux input cable and got a dealer to code it up ?? Does this work?? Becker are the OEM for the system so I'm curious...


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-CDR3...-/262051389654

EpiKAC

Sorry for bumping this old thread, but when you say the USB isn't working anymore - is it still being recognized?

I have a similar situation, I had a USB drive working just fine, but took it out to add more music. Now when I plug it back in, the USB option isn't even there to choose.

Did I forget a step, or is it the USB?

Astur

I also have this situation... Bought a new Sandisk USB memory stick, formatted it for FAT32, loaded music and it worked fine. Removed it, loaded more music and now PCM does't "see it". Removed it again, reformatted for FAT32, loaded music but PCM still doesn't "see it".

Midnight Blue

Same here (though on a 2015 Cayman GTS; same PCM system). Using a Samsung 128GB USB stick, synced using MediaMonkey, all worked fine. Removed from car, re-synced with MediaMonkey and find that the PCM does not see ANY of the newly added files or playlists. Confirmed that they are actually there but PCM won't see them. The system must create some sort of index in the internal drive and it is not smart enough to realize the contents have changed. Maybe it looks at the device name? Maybe there is a way to force a reindex? Would hate to have to reformat and resync entire library every time I want to add music.

EpiKAC

I read somewhere last week that the issue MAY be if album art files were added to the flash drive the PCM can't read them and it causes the whole drive to be ignored.

It is very possible that I did add album art, but I haven't had the opportunity to check to see if this is the case and remove them to test yet. I'll post my findings when I get the opportunity. If any of you try this out first, I'd be very interested in what you discover.