16gb 3000 SONGS
 

Just picked up a new micro flash drive for my GROM USB audio. It's 16gb and as you can see it smaller than a nickle. Don't need to burn any more CD just drag and drop songs into the flash drive.

http://i426.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb0815def.jpg

For us low tech Luddites here, where does that Grom gizmo, or the thumb drive plug into?
I have an '01, low tech, no NAV, and 'Biz CD' radio.

3000 songs?! I don't have enough time left on the planet to listen to 3,000 tunes...;>)

They must be quite compressed? I am a CD sound fan, fwiw.
Thanks, mD

:popcorn:

In for the educational benefits; would love to know how to do this with mine without losing an arm or leg.

It allows you to load a flash drive with songs instead of using the rear CD changer, it allows you to use an ipod either by bluetooth or by hardwire (bluetooth module required and Ipod cable required). It allow you to pair a bluetooth phone with your audio system, even if your X is too old to upgrade to a factory bluetooth system.

With the 16gb micro flash drive I can load close to 3000 mp3 songs. If you have a cd you can get 15-20 songs per cd so the 6 cd changer can hold 90 to 120 songs (Older CD changer won't play MP3 format). Compare that with 3000 songs that the flash drive can hold.

If a picture is worth a 1000 words what is a video worth?

Video of the Grom in action:

BMW X5 2006 GROM-USB2 iPod iPhone Bluetooth Android Interface Adapter Usage instructions - YouTube

Thanks for the video link; I've been reading up on it a bit just now... BMW Mini 98-06 GROM USB Bluetooth Android iPod adapter - behind the radio

That's pretty slick! You say it installs in place of the rear CD changer; mine only has the Business CD and radio, and it makes me wonder if they are all wired for the changer. Anybody know? Where is the connector located?

It plugs into where the CD changer in the rear would go. You will have to remove the CD changer or at least remove the connectors to the CD changer so that you can plug in the GROM. If you have DSP like myself, you will need to buy the DSP converter. If you have the standard non DSP audio system you should be able to install it in under 10 minutes two connectors the 3-pins power connector and the 6-pins audio connector (basically plug and play).

The thumb drive plugs directly into the USB port on the GROM. You can also plug in an external hard drive into the USB slot, but with the bouncing of the truck I prefer to use the flash drive.

3000 songs for 16gb is most likely at a bitrate of around 192kbps. Nowadays that's kind of the minimum for most people with the slightest musical ear; anything below that and the diminished quality quickly becomes apparent. If you were to take those songs in a lossless .wav you'd be lucky to fit around 300 songs for 16gb. For most people though, 320Kbps and lossless is very difficult to discern.

Connectors are located in the rear left hand side of the cubby. If you don't have DSP you should find a 3-pins and a 6-pins connector. If you have DSP you will only have a 3-pins connector not unless you have a later E53. Becareful if you have DSP with only a 3-pins connector because there is an identical 3-pins connector for the phone which is NOT Compatible and may damage the GROM if you use it since the ground and power wires are in the wrong locations.

Grew up on vinyls and later cassette tapes, so with my age and my taste in music (60's, 70's, 80's) my ears are not going to be able to tell the difference between 192kbps vs. 320Kbps. :rofl:

Finally something that works for those of us stuck with the cursed DSP system! There was a thread started a few days ago about the unit in the link below also.

CP600BMW - inovative MP3 player CD-changer replacement