Portable MP3/music players that will plug in to the car's USB

July 20, 2022

Hi All,

Are there any decent cheap non-Apple Ipod portable MP3/music players that will plug and play with the car's USB and work with the car's brain/audio system?

Ipods are expensive, even when looking second hand at the moment, and was wondering what recommendations you might have?

with thanks,

Nick

Las Palmas · July 20, 2022

I use a rather cheap Samsung A71 with Neutron music player and have the files in flac lossless on the micro SD-card. Any smart-phone that can take a memory card can hold music tor a while.

I find that memory cards now are so cheap that using MP3 compression is no longer needed. The audio Lexus has built-in these cars is far above the quality of the MP3 format. Yes we do not keep our ears in same listening quality as when we were young, but I prefer to get as much out of it as is still left. Line-in is better than Bluetooth, but not as convenient.

Bluemarlin · July 21, 2022

Might be worth looking at cheap used phone instead of just an MP3 player.

I bought a second hand Moto G with a large screen (6.7") for under £100, that I can not only use as a media player, but also doubles up as a bigger screen than my phone to use Google Maps/Waze.

I have a cheap monthly sim in it for sat nav, and I can stream my music from my home media centre, but you could alternatively use your existing phone as a wireless hotspot for the maps or any other apps you might want to use.

Las Palmas · July 21, 2022

13 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

Might be worth looking at cheap used phone instead of just an MP3 player.

I have a cheap monthly sim in it for sat nav, and I can stream my music from my home media centre, but you could alternatively use your existing phone as a wireless hotspot for the maps or any other apps you might want to use.

And get one that can have a memory card installed. Music tend to fill more and more, and the more music you get, the more you want (I speak for myself). I have more than 350Gb music. This is one of the reasons not to buy Iphone. apple believe that 64 or 128Gb is enough and only unreasonably expensive phones can have have more in them.

Navigation system and software / interface is poor in our otherwise great Lexus cars so the freely updated navigation in a smartphone is worth having (if navigation help is needed).

PS.: Reason for using Neutron music player and not Poweramp, which is much more popular and also user friendly is that the normalization of sound level output in Poweramp is useless, meaning that you need to adjust volume button constantly, whereas in Neutron the normalization is functioning a lot better; not perfect but very much better.

Bluemarlin · July 21, 2022

The Moto G has a memory card slot, but I stream mine from my home media centre, so storage isn't a problem for me. I guess there's also things like Spotify if you're connecting it to your phone's hotspot.

Las Palmas · July 21, 2022

Streaming come with a price, music on your own memory card does not.

Streaming is lossy quality and the higher quality you want the more data, the more expensive.

Spotify claim they will come with lossless sooner or later, but as just mentioned: the more data the more it cost.

PDM · July 21, 2022

You could also just load music onto a USB stick and play direct from that.

Paul

Las Palmas · July 21, 2022

24 minutes ago, PDM said:

You could also just load music onto a USB stick and play direct from that.

Paul

USB sticks cost more than memory cards, but that way you do not need the phone. Also will not get the free navigation maps automatically updated. Lexus navigation sucks and is very expensive to update.

H3XME · July 21, 2022

23 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

USB sticks cost more than memory cards, but that way you do not need the phone. Also will not get the free navigation maps automatically updated. Lexus navigation sucks and is very expensive to update.

I don't know if we're chasing pennies here but 64GB USB stick is £7.97 delivered.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265336825655

Las Palmas · July 21, 2022

2 hours ago, H3XME said:

I don't know if we're chasing pennies here but 64GB USB stick is £7.97 delivered..

For that price you can get a micro SD-card here on 128Gb, plus what I think is most important you do not get any navigation system that is freely updating without a smartphone.

I just read what was asked for first:

Are there any decent cheap non-Apple Ipod portable MP3/music players

DavidCM · July 21, 2022

To give you some idea of how much you can put on your phone (or other device) ,I have apprx 680 music tracks on my phone-taking up apprx 17GB.

I would recommend Musicolet as a player app for your phone.It is free,doesnt have any adverts,is entirely offline and the app only takes 22MB to run.It's fairly simple to install and set up..highly recommended.

July 22, 2022

thanks all. I like the sound of £8 delivered!!

Don't want another phone, and as I have the satnav screen in view, don't really want another screen. I have been bluetoothing to the car quite happily, but my boy likes to connect and play his stuff and then it's a faff to reconnect. I also have a spare Ipod shuffle, but the car won't recognise it as a music player which is annoying, thee Ipod that does work is the missus' and she grumbles when I nick her stuff. What's mine is hers and what's hers is hers!?!

Agree the satnav isn't very good, I still don't understand how the diversion thing works, mine sent us miles out of the way recently, from London to Exeter, thought I'd let it guide us, we ended up on the M27!

was looking at this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09M3SZMHX/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A36WH4TUSUX9XC&th=1

but if it will recognise a USB stick, that would do.

Be nice to have something small enough to fit under the cover (no such thing exists, does it?), shame they didn't put the connector in the arm rest storage.

Moleman · July 22, 2022

5 minutes ago, Nick0 said:

Be nice to have something small enough to fit under the cover (no such thing exists, does it?), shame they didn't put the connector in the arm rest storage.

Something like this?

https://www.staples.co.uk/office-supplies/electronics/data-storage/usb-flash-drives/verbatim-store-and-stay-nano-usb-3-0-flash-drive-64gb-98711/

July 22, 2022

1 minute ago, Moleman said:

Something like this?

https://www.staples.co.uk/office-supplies/electronics/data-storage/usb-flash-drives/verbatim-store-and-stay-nano-usb-3-0-flash-drive-64gb-98711/

Bullseye !!

that's perfect, should fit in there and stay put - usb sticks work with the cars' brains OK? Mine's an early one, 2012

PDM · July 22, 2022

1 hour ago, Nick0 said:

Bullseye !!

that's perfect, should fit in there and stay put - usb sticks work with the cars' brains OK? Mine's an early one, 2012

We used to have a CT and a Sandisk Cruzer Fit used to allow the cover to close:

https://www.westerndigital.com/en-gb/products/usb-flash-drives/sandisk-cruzer-fit-usb-2-0

Looks very similar in form factor to the one that Maurice just suggested.

Our CT was a 2013 model and it used to work just fine. In your manual it should state the mp3/flac formats etc that are supported and things like how many files per folder, max number of folders etc. It should read ID3 tags for the artist and track name etc so you can search for the music. Simply choose USB1 or whatever as the music source.

You could just do a quick test by putting an mp3 file on any usb disk you have and try to make sure it plays ok in the car. The USB must be formatted FAT32.

Paul

July 22, 2022

2 hours ago, PDM said:

We used to have a CT and a Sandisk Cruzer Fit used to allow the cover to close:

https://www.westerndigital.com/en-gb/products/usb-flash-drives/sandisk-cruzer-fit-usb-2-0

Looks very similar in form factor to the one that Maurice just suggested.

Our CT was a 2013 model and it used to work just fine. In your manual it should state the mp3/flac formats etc that are supported and things like how many files per folder, max number of folders etc. It should read ID3 tags for the artist and track name etc so you can search for the music. Simply choose USB1 or whatever as the music source.

You could just do a quick test by putting an mp3 file on any usb disk you have and try to make sure it plays ok in the car. The USB must be formatted FAT32.

Paul

Nice one thank you Paul

RadicalCoupe-Fuji · February 25, 2023

put music on a usb stick & plug it in. the end.

Las Palmas · February 25, 2023

4 hours ago, RadicalCoupe-Fuji said:

put music on a usb stick & plug it in. the end.

That can give you music enough to last a long journey.

CT software will recognise m4a 512kbps on a 32Gb USB.

CT software cannot read lossless quality. Only way to get lossless in the CT is using line-in.

Spotify is extremely lossy and not worthy of being played in the fine audio installed in a CT from factory.

32Gb filled with m4a files 512kpbs will give you 131 hours of music.

DavidCM · February 25, 2023

https://amzn.eu/d/aTPjHkZ

I've recently bought one of these for my wife to listen to in hospital.

Imagine an Android smartphone,but two thirds the size(4") and no phone or camera.This model has wi fi/Bluetooth/3.5mm socket.It works like a normal touchscreen phone.Edit.has got usb c to usb a connection.