GROM-MST4 A way to add FLAC to the MMI 2G???

[ulfilias]

Hi There,

Since getting my '05 D3 i've been looking at audio options. The Bose system sounds great off the 6 CD changer, but to be honest it's a bit limited!

You can add an AMI which is not particularly cheap. Adds Usb/HD, Ipod and Aux however from what I can see all of those have lossy sound formats so you sacrifice some sound quality for convienience and sources.
Aux isn't lossy persay, but has no stereo control, so we can mostly ignore it as a practical source.

The Dension Gateway 500 is a cheaper choice and is a little more flexible but seems to suffer the same lossy handicap though you can get ADAP and bluetooth with extra add on costs / higher range models

Then i came across this
http://gromaudio.co.uk/products/grom...al-Information

It has FLAC support. Handy as my home server is all ripped to FLAC to start with (And I've used the marvelous Phatbox/Kenwood music keg for years!)

The only downsides I can see is that it's not OEM and it seems you have to loose the CD drive. I am wondering if you can split off the CD MOST in a similar way to the Dension (dual FOT) version ????

Any opinions ???

Lee

[Johnmed]

You can split the fibre optic off, so it will connect another device, like AMI in addition to the changer so this should work in the same way. Looks good. Will make some people very happy I think
Does it integrate into MMI, for control yeah?

[ulfilias]

I believe you can use the steering wheel and MMI controls on the hard disc. Seems to have support for text and track listings and stuff. 500GB limit on hard drive, but that's probably livable

The bluetooth dongle appears to also support ADAP and some limited AMI/Steering wheel control function too, though at a music hit.

There are three inputs, one is USB, two are 8pin mini din which they sell cables for. The USB can take stick/HD/Android/Ipod/Iphone however a bit of digging arround and you can get a mini din Ipod connector (and aux with power) so I think you can have a HD and Ipod that way (i have an ipod 30 pin to mini jack adaptor which usually works on most ipod cradles elsewhere)

Found this
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dension-LW...MAAOSwo6lWFmop

Which may give the bits to play with a loop the MOST bus arround. Still don't know if it will work as the Volvo version does that yet the CD changer doesn't work, which on my MOST therory sounds odd....Then again maybe they can't change the ID of the CD changer with Vagcom?

Lee

[mannyo]

The device ID on the D3 is obtained through the power cable and how it is wired, although if its wired incorrectly the only thing that seems to get confused is VCDS as it alternates between the two devices on the same ID.

For example, if you get the AMI retrofit kit, some only come with a cheap power cable and that means that the AMI and CD Changer end up sharing MediaPlayer 1, and you get the alternating issue along with a incorrectly coded error. Fix the wiring, and you get Mediaplayer 1, and Mediaplayer 2 and the coding error goes away. IIRC there is a Mediaplayer 3 and 4 as well.

Have a look at my AMI thread here.
http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9543&page=4

Page 4 onwards deals with that issue.

[ulfilias]

Thanks for that Mannyo.

From this I get that in theory if you loop the MOST round and make sure either the CD or GROM has the power pin extra. Seems to do what I want, even if the instructions say you can't (though I am guessing that is for ease of use for people)

I like having CD. They sound good, are easily purchasable, friends often bring them along etc. And if something goes wrong, you've always got them to fall back on to.

Besides I like multiple sources and options. In my D2 I had an awesome high end Kenwood fold out touch screen stereo that had a single DVD/CD slot, two USB ports, Ipod (which i also had an aux & blutooth adaptor for) and the Phatbox (music keg) in the boot with a huge hacked DMS. Also had a great satnav with tmc, speed cameras, custom POIs and postcodes. Could even watch Ipod videos (Music vids worked well as you didn't need to WATCH them but kept passengers amused and worked in traffic jams)
I miss that headunit!

[tc4332]

Mannyo,
Is this the light at the end of the tunnel?
Note I am only guessing here but if there is a capability to have four Media players are they "addressed" by the extra earth connection?

1. Earth on Pin ! is Media Player 1
2. Earth on Pin ! and Pin 4 is Media Player 2
3. Earth on Pin ! and Pin 5 is Media Player 3
4. Earth on Pin ! and Pin 6 is Media Player 4

I am guessing at pins 5 & 6 'cos they seem to be unused.
If this is the way of things then we should be on the way to having an A8 Juke Box

[mattylondon]

Originally Posted by tc4332

Mannyo,
Is this the light at the end of the tunnel?
Note I am only guessing here but if there is a capability to have four Media players are they "addressed" by the extra earth connection?

1. Earth on Pin ! is Media Player 1
2. Earth on Pin ! and Pin 4 is Media Player 2
3. Earth on Pin ! and Pin 5 is Media Player 3
4. Earth on Pin ! and Pin 6 is Media Player 4

I am guessing at pins 5 & 6 'cos they seem to be unused.
If this is the way of things then we should be on the way to having an A8 Juke Box

Exactly my line of thinking also Ray. Although pin 5 is already used, so maybe 6,7 or 8 could change media position to 3 or 4.

[tc4332]

Just had a painful in my right boot, only a brain fart.
Cannot be pin 5 because it is used.
Hows this:

1. Media Player 1 Pin 1 earthed
2. Media Player 2 Pin 1 & 4 earthed
3. Media Player 3 Pin 1 & 6 earthed
4. Media Player 4 Pin 1 & 4 & 6 earthed

Just trying to overthink it again.

[mattylondon]

This needs to be investigated, I'll add it to my job list

[ulfilias]

I picked one of these up last week and have been slowly playing with it!

The install is pretty easy. You pull out the CD player with keys (is tight and probably the trickiest bit even with the keys). You use a small screw driver to pop the fiber optic outer connector off the Audi and swap it for the Grom one with power (you don't need to play with the actual fibre cables if removing the CD just the sub connector).
Then you use a couple of screw in wire taps for power (Good and cool, though initially they didn't break the sheath so didn't get power).
Plug all in and away you go!!!

I've been playing with a USB stick and you get 5 folders for tracks that appear as CDs 1-5 with 6 being the settings. Files need to be in a folder to be seen. You can also have multiple depth of sub cd's. So Rock -> Aerosmith -> Pump and then track for example which is pretty neat!

At first flac didn't work. however on fiddling it recognises .fla rather than .flac Irksome but easy enough to deal with after i found a batch renaming program

Flac sounds great. Mp3 is a bit over bright but fine. Wav worked and so did mp4. Sometimes on start up the first flac is silent, mp3 is straight in and remembers, but there's quite a file size difference. Both present track titles on the display and work with the steering wheel controls.

I've just pluged the optional bluetooth module in and paired my HTC ONE M9 and that happily plays audio and again the track titles pass through which is cool and you can use next/previous. There's an App you can download which probably works best, but JetAudio worked ok as did Audible.

I also got a text tone blasted at me interupting listening from the MP3 list i was on, which probably indicates it's going to interupt for a phone call. I wasn't using ADAP at the time, but it made me notice so semi-useful.

Haven't tried my Ipod yet, but USB is cool and easy that i may not. Needs a USB to Ipod cable to work and you loose the USB drive as it only has one port which is a shame as I like connected options. Also not tried the £13 optional aux cable (with usb power) but I like having that as an option for the friends/future etc.

For £220 basic or £260 with the bluetooth dongle I think it's pretty awesome.

Now to see if splitting the optic cable as per the instructions for one of the other cars / Dension and I'll have the CD as another source etc!

Interestingly my CD has a loop connecting a pair of pins on the power connetor. The power on the Grom is just +12v & Ground.