New 2023 ES, Usb audio not working?

JJK · January 19

Hello.

I collected my new ES today, all as great as I expected. Just one thing, and it's significant for me as I love my music.

Usb. Tried two different sticks, three different formatting options fat32, ex fat etc, two different file management options, the car simply does not recognise the sticks, no options to browse or even select.

There is power to the USB ( one stick as a light built in) but seemingly no connection to the infotainment.

I'm using the usb A socket, not the usb c charging sockets.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks

Mincey · January 19

I use a stick formatted like this to play flacs and it works nicely.

peniole · January 19

Are you using the right USB slot? Some of them, in newer cars, are power only.

JJK · January 20

Hi, yes there is only one Usb A slot, the others are all the mini USB charging slots.

Thanks

JJK · January 20

Thanks Mincey that is really helpful. With this and what I have already tested, despite what others say on other forums, I think the Fat32 is the only format readable by the car. On this basis, I suspect then that any USB device will also need to be 32gb or less if I remember correctly.

I will test and report back

Thanks again

PDM · January 20

6 hours ago, JJK said:

Thanks Mincey that is really helpful. With this and what I have already tested, despite what others say on other forums, I think the Fat32 is the only format readable by the car. On this basis, I suspect then that any USB device will also need to be 32gb or less if I remember correctly.

I will test and report back

Thanks again

FYI 64GB works fine in MM19 systems with FAT32. You need a third party tool to format larger sticks such as http://ridgecrop.co.uk/index.htm?guiformat.htm

Paul

JJK · January 20

Thanks Paul, I'll try that.

I can also confirm that fat32 and less than 32gb works fine.

J

DLX · January 21

I have been using sandisk ultra fit both 256G and 128G......
https://www.westerndigital.com/products/usb-flash-drives/sandisk-ultra-fit-usb-3-1?sku=SDCZ430-016G-G46
Though on one occasion I took out the 256G to add some more music to it and when I put it back in the car music was not visible.
Put it back in the computer and all music visible and playable.
Plugged it into my hifi system all good! Worked fine too in the wife's car.
Reformatted, copied music again ....ES system would not see the music.
Bought a new 256G one which worked fine and has continued to do so.....
The original one is in the hifi system and working fine too......

Go figure!

JJK · January 21

Thanks. Appreciated. Upto now, even using third party fat32 formatting software, I haven't had anything over 32gb recognised by the car, or anything other than fat32 formatting.

J

PDM · January 21

Just to note that DLX has an older system (looks like 2019 ES) which is much more like the system in my 2021 RX. My RX supports 64GB (perhaps I am even using 128GB now... Can't remember, but certainly more than 32) but I never tried 256GB. There are limits to the total number of files and directories that the system can see.

So, JJK, it seems MM17/MM19 (which are very similar systems - MM19 is essentially MM17 with car play/AA added) do support larger sticks. You have an MM21 system in your new ES I believe (touchscreen no track pad?). Can it be that MM21 does not support larger sticks? (It would be odd if this is the case, but then stranger things have happened with Lexus software).

Sorry to sound patronising (I don't mean to..) does the multimedia manual say anything about a limit?

Paul

JJK · January 22

Hello.

I can't comment on the previous systems I haven't had dealings with them.

Yes, The system in my 2023 Spec ES is the one without the track pad, all touch screen., and I can confirm that I have tried two separate 64gb memory sticks (I.e more than 32gb) with multiple format trials including fat32 via third party software, exfat and NTFS.

The 64gb sticks are not recognised by the car, and I'm not aware of any reason why one brand of working memory stick would be any different to another in terms of being recognised by the car.

I really appreciate the suggestions in the forum but I feel like I've tried all that I can at this stage. I may purchase yet another different 64 or 128 stick and experiment with another memory stick at some point.

If anyone has this actual system 2023 ES touch screen and can detail the memory brand, process, format etc to get this working with memory above 32gb, that would be great.

It seems there are differences between the systems in each Lexus model.

J

ColinBarber · January 22

36 minutes ago, JJK said:

Yes, The system in my 2023 Spec ES is the one without the track pad, all touch screen., and I can confirm that I have tried two separate 64gb memory sticks (I.e more than 32gb) with multiple format trials including fat32 via third party software, exfat and NTFS.

As per the 2023/24 ES Nav owner's manual, only USB drives up to 32 GB are supported.

PDM · January 22

2 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

As per the 2023/24 ES Nav owner's manual, only USB drives up to 32 GB are supported.

Good spot Colin.

This is probably why, when I tried a new NX last year at some point and took the memory stick from my RX (primarily to see if the voice command indexing bug for music had been fixed between MM19 and MM21), it never worked!

Progress....?!?!

Dippo · January 22

Quoting the manual? What's that got to do with it?

DLX · January 22

1 hour ago, JJK said:

Hello.

I can't comment on the previous systems I haven't had dealings with them.

Yes, The system in my 2023 Spec ES is the one without the track pad, all touch screen., and I can confirm that I have tried two separate 64gb memory sticks (I.e more than 32gb) with multiple format trials including fat32 via third party software, exfat and NTFS.

The 64gb sticks are not recognised by the car, and I'm not aware of any reason why one brand of working memory stick would be any different to another in terms of being recognised by the car.

I really appreciate the suggestions in the forum but I feel like I've tried all that I can at this stage. I may purchase yet another different 64 or 128 stick and experiment with another memory stick at some point.

If anyone has this actual system 2023 ES touch screen and can detail the memory brand, process, format etc to get this working with memory above 32gb, that would be great.

It seems there are differences between the systems in each Lexus model.

J

Indeed I am in a 2019 ES...

Your device: Lexus Premium System MM17

The manual has no mention of stick size.

FWIW It does say FAT16/32, 3000 folders and 9999 files.

JJK · January 22

Thanks Colin for the confirmation. However that table is not in my ES user guide PZ471-U0137-EN V0 from what I can see.

Just one page refers to the USB on page 201 and no mention of GB limits or fat32 - hence my trials and errors!

Is there a separate digital user guide? - not that I need it as it appears to be 32gb fat32.

Progress indeed PDM. Maybe someone somewhere thinks that a phone connected by a cable (ANDROID AUTO etc) and possibly streaming from the internet with no guarantee of a signal is progress over a simple memory stick plugged into a usb with one's favourite albums on there ripped and filed in one's preferred manner, with a guaranteed data flow. Maybe it is, but not for me.

I have no issue with Android auto and streaming etc, I just find the USB option easier and more reliable - once it's up and running.

Having said all of this 32gb can hold a decent number of albums at 192 or 224 mp3 but not so many at my 320 mp3. I find 192 rips to be the lowest to go without significant noticeable degradation of sound quality, rather than a slightly noticeable degradation.

Thanks all for your input, appreciated.

J

ColinBarber · January 23

6 hours ago, JJK said:

Thanks Colin for the confirmation. However that table is not in my ES user guide PZ471-U0137-EN V0 from what I can see.

You need to look in the Nav manual not the main vehicle one for full details on the infotainment system.

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/about-my-lexus/manuals

PDM · January 23

8 hours ago, JJK said:

Thanks Colin for the confirmation. However that table is not in my ES user guide PZ471-U0137-EN V0 from what I can see.

Just one page refers to the USB on page 201 and no mention of GB limits or fat32 - hence my trials and errors!

Is there a separate digital user guide? - not that I need it as it appears to be 32gb fat32.

Progress indeed PDM. Maybe someone somewhere thinks that a phone connected by a cable (ANDROID AUTO etc) and possibly streaming from the internet with no guarantee of a signal is progress over a simple memory stick plugged into a usb with one's favourite albums on there ripped and filed in one's preferred manner, with a guaranteed data flow. Maybe it is, but not for me.

I have no issue with Android auto and streaming etc, I just find the USB option easier and more reliable - once it's up and running.

Having said all of this 32gb can hold a decent number of albums at 192 or 224 mp3 but not so many at my 320 mp3. I find 192 rips to be the lowest to go without significant noticeable degradation of sound quality, rather than a slightly noticeable degradation.

Thanks all for your input, appreciated.

J

Totally agree with you. All my albums are arranged as I want them (in 320kps MP3) on my memory stick and I can play them through the voice commands. When I bought the car the software that was on it had broken voice indexing for the memory stick. Eventually we found a pre release version of the software that works (they never fixed it in the current releases) but the staff always said "why don't you stream your music with car play or AA?". I gave them the same reasons as you, along with not wanting to compromise the quality of the Mark Levinson system.

I think a limit of 32GB is very poor, and can't see why they put in this limit. Any OS these days should be able to read much bigger filesystems than that. Why limit it? After all, even my wife's 2015 NX supports at least 64 (and it may even be a 128 in there now).