Storing mp3 collection in-car

[kenamond]

Okay, so I've had little luck searching the greater web let alone this site for this information. Not specific to DSMs of course, but since I'm a member here and rockin stereos kinda go with rockin cars, I'll throw the dice.

I want to store a substantial mp3 collection in my car and get to it through my head unit. My Alpine is 15 years on, doesn't like burned CDs, can't play mp3, doesn't have an AUX, and is flaking out (I've had 2 Alpine high-end HUs in the past 20 years and both of them flaked out with a bad volume knob or button within a couple years).

It seems that a few years back, most of the better brands (Pioneer, Sony, etc) had SD card slots behind the face plate. Then they stopped.

Everyone has iPod interfaces, but I don't want to buy a goddamned ipod just to play mp3s in my car (have to stow it somewhere, deal with wires, blah blah). Macaholics bug me, and I've made iAnything my pet-peeve...sue me.

I really liked the idea of filling up a 32Gig SDHC or two and sticking one in my head unit...problem solved.

There are overkill methods like a notebook in the trunk connected to your 3G smartphone hotspot to sync up with your cloud and feed it to the head unit and all sorts of crap. I don't even own a smartphone.

I don't see why they don't make a head units with 1 terabyte internal disk ($130) and wi-fi connectivity to your home wireless network. Sit in the garage and sync up your car or just download to/from the HD through a USB device. My wireless modem's already in my garage for crissakes and would still connect to my car from the other side of the house.

Anyway, I need a new HU and don't give a shit about Pandora-compatibility or bluetooth phone connectivity, which is what everyone is bragging about these days. I just want *my* music collection in my car without having to lug 5 massive CD cases around that are impossible to flip through and change while driving. Or without having to have a damned mp3 player in my cup holder or in the little slot under the HU or stuffed under the seat or in a glove box. I also don't want a USB or AUX wire sticking out the front of my HU.

I know they sell the cheap-o head units with SD card ports, but they're cheap-o and I don't trust cheap-o. Some of them don't support SDHC, so you're limited to 2GB SD cards.

Most HUs now have USB ports in the back. If I hooked up a big USB hard drive and hid it behind the console, it gets power from the HU, right? And it would somehow be navigable from the HU (to search by artist, song, genre, etc)? I could even put the HD in the glove box...I'm not going to move it much except to put new tunes on it occasionally. Not as nice as SDHC cards IMHO, but it'd be better than the other options.

Is there a solution out there?

If you've read this far, I thank you even if you don't have anything to offer.

Thanks!

 

[genegoesfast]

I highly doubt that the USB port on any car stereo would bus power a hard drive. There's just not enough voltage happening there. I would lean the direction of using a very large thumb stick. They are making very large ones these days, and they require very little power. Add a USB head unit and voila! Hope that helps.
FH-P8000BT - Double-DIN CD Receiver with Built-In Bluetooth® and USB Direct Control of iPod® | Pioneer Electronics USA
It'll handle up to a 250gb hard drive. I downloaded the manual.

 

[kenamond]

So if I just run a USB extension from the back of the HU to somewhere discrete where I stow the thumb drive, I'm golden? I see 64GB thumb drives for $100. Guess I just snag the thumb drive and modify contents as necessary from my laptop/computer.

I'll probably go that route but with a single DIN HU. I like having that little compartment under the HU.

Thanks!

 

[genegoesfast]

So if I just run a USB extension from the back of the HU to somewhere discrete where I stow the thumb drive, I'm golden? I see 64GB thumb drives for $100. Guess I just snag the thumb drive and modify contents as necessary from my laptop?

correct! I have the single din version. Glad I could help!

 

[Kyle_T]

When buying a new stereo I also thought about the idea of using a portable harddrive for storing and playing all my music.

I got a Kenwood kdc-x794, and the usb input doesnt have enough power to run my 2.5" portable hard drive. I didnt think it would work so it wasnt a big deal for me. Not a really big deal since usb flash drives capacity is getting bigger and bigger and the prices are getting cheaper.

The stereo has usb input in the rear and i just ran the cord to the center console. Looks really clean because there are no cords in the way or in sight and with the touch of a button i can have access to my ipod or 16gb of music on my usb flash drive. Which i can navigate both through the stereo. Also has a ton of audio settings.

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[m1nd64m3]

What about loading the songs when you start the car?

My friend has a head unit that uses USB and it's a pain in the ass because if there is a lot of music on the drive it has to sit there and load it all which can take a few minutes. It doesn't seem like a problem but if you get out and turn it off to run into a gas station real quick, then you have to sit there and wait again before you have music.

I have completely switched to internet radio through an aux cable and had the antenna shaved and I love it.

 

[kenamond]

What about loading the songs when you start the car?

My friend has a head unit that uses USB and it's a pain in the ass because if there is a lot of music on the drive it has to sit there and load it all which can take a few minutes. It doesn't seem like a problem but if you get out and turn it off to run into a gas station real quick, then you have to sit there and wait again before you have music.

I have completely switched to internet radio through an aux cable and had the antenna shaved and I love it.

I read about the delay somewhere. The larger the device or maybe the more the files (songs) the longer it takes before it knows where everything is. I'll have to look into that. Maybe some HUs can assume the USB device is whatever was last connected or something. If it takes forever, that'd suck.

No thanks on radio only. I'll get that, too, to find new material, but I like my own mix and want to listen to some stuff my band records, too.

 

[genegoesfast]

You would need a unit that creates an index file of each device you plug in to bypass that load delay. It's simply populating the artist and song titles for searching.

 

[Dert]

Buy a cigarette lighter power adaptor, get a multiple port cigarette lighter plug, buy a small external hard drive, plug your hard drive into power outlet and the USB port on deck, keep a fire extinguisher close by just in case

 

[Ludachris]

I'm about to buy a new head unit for the Talon. I finally just picked up a new smart phone and was going to download an app called Spotify, which I use at work. It's similar to Pandora. Basically, it allows you to cache music on your phone so you can play it offline.

So my original plan was to use my phone as my main source of music since I always have it. I was going to buy a cheap Kenwood head unit that has a USB input on the front so I can plug the phone in when I get in the car... figured it would charge the phone at the same time - wouldn't it? Might not have enough power?

I don't want anything fancy. I just want to be able to play music stored on my Android phone or from an app on my phone. And it's been over 15 years since I've bought a head unit so I want to make sure I'm getting the technology I need. Do I need something bluetooth for phone connectivity? I don't care about bluetooth for phone calls in the car, but wouldn't mind it if it was necessary for phone connectivity in addition to the USB input.