Adding a glove box USB outlet

[DFozzy]

I've seen other members post that they have connected a portable HDD with no issues. Is that because they are using the USB port in the console?

Or is it just a bad idea period?

Reason I want to go that route is I have a large (>700GB) collection of FLAC/WMA Lossless files, so want to take advantage of the better sound quality; I have the same files in .MP3 (about 55GB), so my fallback is to use those files on 64GB USB stick. Just exploring options

[Technic]

Go ahead and try it then let us know how it goes...

Originally Posted by DFozzy

I've seen other members post that they have connected a portable HDD with no issues. Is that because they are using the USB port in the console?

Or is it just a bad idea period?

Reason I want to go that route is I have a large (>700GB) collection of FLAC/WMA Lossless files, so want to take advantage of the better sound quality; I have the same files in .MP3 (about 55GB), so my fallback is to use those files on 64GB USB stick. Just exploring options

[DFozzy]

Parts for the glovebox USB port ordered... now sit and wait

[Brady1984]

I have read several posts on F30 Post that some hard drives work, some don't, also some odd issues with artwork not showing up. I would say you need to go with a SSD due to the shock and vibration environment and also the power draw. This is the best guide I have seen to setting up a large external drive. Somebody want to try it and let us know how it goes? http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...mat+hard+drive

[DFozzy]

Originally Posted by Brady1984

I have read several posts on F30 Post that some hard drives work, some don't, also some odd issues with artwork not showing up. I would say you need to go with a SSD due to the shock and vibration environment and also the power draw. This is the best guide I have seen to setting up a large external drive. Somebody want to try it and let us know how it goes? http://f30.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho...mat+hard+drive

I just picked up the 2TB version of the external HDD from that thread. My music collection is structured similarly as well, so for first shot, I'll just mass copy the whole directory structure over to it and see how it goes .

My structure is as follows:

1. /artist/album/track
2. all meta data is in ID3 tags
3. album art is in a .jpg file in each ablum folder (in most cases)
4. files are a mix of FLAC, WMA Lossless, and rare cases of MP3's at various bit rates

let the copying begin....

With respect to HDD vs. SSD, I do agree that SSD is the better choice for the car environment, however, the only reasonably affordable SSD is around the 512GB mark (bigger than that, and the prices go waaaay up), which is still too small for my whole collection. If I were to keep the drive in the centre console long term, I would probably sacrifice either selection or use my down-rez'd copy of my library and go with the SSD. But I think that if I put it in the glove box, hanging in that neat net, I think the HDD will be fine. But time will tell I guess, and if the HDD dies, I'm only out $100 and will then go the SSD route.

[DFozzy]

So far so good. I copied about half my collection or (about 8700 tracks/400GB), got impatient, and took it out to the car.

Played right away, no more of a pause compared to a USB key.

Indexing/caching of the metadata took about 5-7 minutes.

What I want to see now is what happens when I restart the car, as some people have reported a long pause before music playback begins. I tried this, but I think power stays on to the port for a bit, as the HDD did not turn off when I shut the car off (two presses, so everything was supposed to be off).

Will report back after I gobble down the lunch I picked up on my little test drive

[Brady1984]

Do you get the artwork?

[DFozzy]

Originally Posted by Brady1984

Do you get the artwork?

Yes, all tracks I tried had the artwork, but it was a quick drive/wait in line at the drive-thru/back home, so I only sampled maybe 5-10 songs.

I would say from that limited run, that it behaves exactly like the USB stick, including playlists (M3U with the absolute path prefixes removed).

Will let you know if anything is different/quirky after some more extended playing around

[DFozzy]

o.k, so went back out, confirmed drive had shutdown, and restarted. Playback was instant, so no lag. I think possibly these new drives are a lot faster than some of the older ones, which would explain the lag times for those.

[rebirth24]

Originally Posted by DFozzy

So far so good. I copied about half my collection or (about 8700 tracks/400GB), got impatient, and took it out to the car.

Played right away, no more of a pause compared to a USB key.

Indexing/caching of the metadata took about 5-7 minutes.

What I want to see now is what happens when I restart the car, as some people have reported a long pause before music playback begins. I tried this, but I think power stays on to the port for a bit, as the HDD did not turn off when I shut the car off (two presses, so everything was supposed to be off).

Will report back after I gobble down the lunch I picked up on my little test drive

These are MP3's? You are at 400GB and only have 8700 tracks? Curious to see how many the system will index up to.

[DFozzy]

Originally Posted by rebirth24

These are MP3's? You are at 400GB and only have 8700 tracks? Curious to see how many the system will index up to.

No, only very few MP3's. Most are FLAC or WMA Lossless, so average file size is 40-50MB.

I believe I've read the the limit is 40,000 tracks. Not sure what would happen if you go over that number on a single device .

[rebirth24]

Originally Posted by DFozzy

No, only very few MP3's. Most are FLAC or WMA Lossless, so average file size is 40-50MB.

I believe I've read the the limit is 40,000 tracks. Not sure what would happen if you go over that number on a single device .

I have read that myself but was curious to see if anyone tested beyond it. I will know by the end of next week. I am currently on ED with a 256GB Flash drive with over 40k songs but can't stick it in due to the European Nav USB Stick sitting in there.

[DFozzy]

Originally Posted by rebirth24

I have read that myself but was curious to see if anyone tested beyond it. I will know by the end of next week. I am currently on ED with a 256GB Flash drive with over 40k songs but can't stick it in due to the European Nav USB Stick sitting in there.

Why do you need to know where you're going? Just drive!!

I would have loved to do ED, but in Canada, no price break, so just couldn't justify the cost to the better half

[rebirth24]

Originally Posted by DFozzy

Why do you need to know where you're going? Just drive!!

I would have loved to do ED, but in Canada, no price break, so just couldn't justify the cost to the better half

Hahaha! With all these damn roundabouts I would have gotten nowhere without that damn Nav. Oh and I travel a lot for work so ED was a no brainer...finally utilizing all those FF Miles...

[DFozzy]

Spent some more time in the car over the weekend, and the HDD solution still seems to be good. Only issue so far is some of my FLAC and Apple Lossless albums are not showing up in the index. They are there to browse via the 'browse' function, but won't play. I'm not sure this is a HDD issue or just a problem with my files; don't see a pattern so far. Will look at it more closely after work today.

[Vectors2final]

How much space is available on the HDD again?

[DFozzy]

Originally Posted by Vectors2final

How much space is available on the HDD again?

On the one I bought for the car? 2TB capacity, and I've taken up about 700GB of it.

[Vectors2final]

The factory one.

[DFozzy]

20gb partition, I believe.

[WHK]

I haven't had much luck with .flac files, so I'm going to convert a pile of them into high bit rate mp3's.

[Vectors2final]

Originally Posted by DFozzy

20gb partition, I believe.

Shit, that isn't much at all when you're dealing with FLAC, AAC or AIFF.


Unless you're breaking it down into playlists, but I'm an album type of guy. Looks like I'll be keeping a closer eye on this.

[DFozzy]

Originally Posted by Vectors2final

Shit, that isn't much at all when you're dealing with FLAC, AAC or AIFF.


Unless you're breaking it down into playlists, but I'm an album type of guy. Looks like I'll be keeping a closer eye on this.

yup, I was disappointed when I realized the onboard HDD partition for music was so small. I'm like you, I don't want to have to "pre-pick" what I might want to listen to in the car, so I want my whole collection, and want to minimize how many versions of my library I have to maintain. My goal is to eventually have one library for any use (home, car, boat, phone, etc.).

Maybe a pipe dream, but it's a good dream