Gracenote Hdd

[Habu]

I'm toying with trading up from my gen 2 TS to an almost new gen 3 TS. Given my music collection is almost entirely iTunes will the Gracenote HDD just be an unused gadget? I'm guessing that the system is for uploading CD's onto the HDD?

So, c'mon guys. Tell me about your Gracenote.

[kithmo]

The Gracenote database recognises CDs and writes in the tracks for you as you record or play them, but it's out of date the day after it is installed. Unlike on a PC where it is updated when you connect to the internet, the one in the car is updated by updating the NAV system. The HDD will only record tracks from CDs in music CD format, not MP3 or WMA etc, although it will play MP3 and WMA tracks from a CDR. The only way to transfer your music from your pc etc. is to burn it to CD in the normal music CD format (CDA IIRC) then save/record to the HDD. I'm not up to speed on Itunes yet as I've only been using it a bit and I can't remember if you can burn Itunes tracks to a CD in normal music CD Format. But it would be a waste of time if you have an iPhone or Ipad as you can connect to the stereo via Blutooth and play your Itunes tracks that way. I have an Ipad and it connects no problem, but I can only control Play and pause via the Car stereo, not select tracks etc. but I can do that via the Ipad.

[jont-uk]

I've only just had my iPod connector installed but I thought you could copy mp3 tracks to the hdd via the USB port ? ... I will try converting some iTunes lossless files to mp3 and put them on a stick and see what I can do with it ...

Jon

[Jan&tone]

Hi Jonty - Kithmo is almost correct - well actually pretty much all the way, I however do play my I-pad occasionally thru the aux socket rather than bluetooth... not tried connecting it via bluetooth on either the Aygo or the Prius....

There is no usb connection on the Prius t-spirit - not that I've found anyway!! and as Kithmo says, the only way to copy music to the HD on the car is to use an original CD. Then if it is on the Gracenote list it will automatically put the track/title on the hd for you. To confirm what he says, Gracenote is out of date the day it's installed no matter how up to date the version that is being installed is!

T

[jont-uk]

Yes there is no USB as standard on the t-spirit - it's what the iPod connector is (inchcape were having a half-price install offer ;-) ...

It's a shame there is no manual update facility to the gracenote db - but I'll see if it transfers the tags from a new cd via mp3 ... now if all music cd's implemented the cd-text standard properly they'd be no need for Gracenote !

Jon

[Habu]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

[kithmo]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

I don't know if the iPhone is any different, but with my iPad the sound is the same quality as the Radio,CD or HDD

[Jan&tone]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

I don't know if the iPhone is any different, but with my iPad the sound is the same quality as the Radio,CD or HDD

Ditto, no problem from the i-pad.

[sjrainsford]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

I don't know if the iPhone is any different, but with my iPad the sound is the same quality as the Radio,CD or HDD

Ditto, no problem from the i-pad.

I use the aux in on my gen2 and sound from my iPhone is spot on. Do you have it on charge? Or do you have any EQ set in the iPod settings?

[Habu]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

I don't know if the iPhone is any different, but with my iPad the sound is the same quality as the Radio,CD or HDD

Ditto, no problem from the i-pad.

I use the aux in on my gen2 and sound from my iPhone is spot on. Do you have it on charge? Or do you have any EQ set in the iPod settings?

Yes, iPhone is always plugged into the car's charger and I have the phones EQ set as Bass Booster. Do you think I should turn off EQ or set a different setting? I might give the iPad a try tomorrow. Now will it be Slipknot, The Beatles or System of a Down?

Cheers

[kithmo]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

I don't know if the iPhone is any different, but with my iPad the sound is the same quality as the Radio,CD or HDD

Ditto, no problem from the i-pad.

I use the aux in on my gen2 and sound from my iPhone is spot on. Do you have it on charge? Or do you have any EQ set in the iPod settings?

Yes, iPhone is always plugged into the car's charger and I have the phones EQ set as Bass Booster. Do you think I should turn off EQ or set a different setting? I might give the iPad a try tomorrow. Now will it be Slipknot, The Beatles or System of a Down?

Cheers

With the iPad BT connection I can still adjust the "Sound" settings on the stereo, Balance, Fade, Bass, Mid & Treble as well as setting the EQ on the iPad. I usually use the "Pop" EQ setting on the iPad, by playing with different EQ settings I preferred "Treble decrease" to "Bass boost"

[Seamaster73]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

Alternatively, you could try one of these — you get better sound quality from line out than the headphone jack:

http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-miniusb.html

[dwilson]

Alternatively, you could try one of these — you get better sound quality from line out than the headphone jack:

http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-miniusb.html

Thanks for this tip. Amazing what I can learn from this forum!

Ordered and awaiting delivery with interest.

David

[sjrainsford]

I have similar to the above but cheaper. It's a normal dock cable lead, but it terminates in a USB plug as per usual but also has a line out jack too. So I've got a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet.

If you get one of those, I'm not sure about the Gen3 but with my Gen2 you need a decent quality cigarette lighter adapter as the cheap ones pick up noise from the car electrics.

[dwilson]

I have similar to the above but cheaper. It's a normal dock cable lead, but it terminates in a USB plug as per usual but also has a line out jack too. So I've got a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet.

If you get one of those, I'm not sure about the Gen3 but with my Gen2 you need a decent quality cigarette lighter adapter as the cheap ones pick up noise from the car electrics.

Thanks for the info.

I have ordered a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet but it was cheap so maybe I will have trouble!

I had thought it was the 3.5mm lead from the headphone jack that was picking up noise!

What make cigarette lighter plug adapter is yours?

David

[princeotter]

I have similar to the above but cheaper. It's a normal dock cable lead, but it terminates in a USB plug as per usual but also has a line out jack too. So I've got a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet.

If you get one of those, I'm not sure about the Gen3 but with my Gen2 you need a decent quality cigarette lighter adapter as the cheap ones pick up noise from the car electrics.

Thanks for the info.

I have ordered a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet but it was cheap so maybe I will have trouble!

I had thought it was the 3.5mm lead from the headphone jack that was picking up noise!

What make cigarette lighter plug adapter is yours?

David

You can get a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio lead that has a built in suppressor (choke) that cuts out the distortion (assuming that the distortion that people are referring to is a sort of high frequency whine that increases with engine speed). Griffin 6300NRCBL Noise-Reducing Audio Cable - it works very well - got mine for about £6 off Fleabay. I think Kensington do a similar one

[dwilson]

I have similar to the above but cheaper. It's a normal dock cable lead, but it terminates in a USB plug as per usual but also has a line out jack too. So I've got a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet.

If you get one of those, I'm not sure about the Gen3 but with my Gen2 you need a decent quality cigarette lighter adapter as the cheap ones pick up noise from the car electrics.

Thanks for the info.

I have ordered a cigarette lighter plug adapter with USB charging outlet but it was cheap so maybe I will have trouble!

I had thought it was the 3.5mm lead from the headphone jack that was picking up noise!

What make cigarette lighter plug adapter is yours?

David

You can get a 3.5mm to 3.5mm audio lead that has a built in suppressor (choke) that cuts out the distortion (assuming that the distortion that people are referring to is a sort of high frequency whine that increases with engine speed). Griffin 6300NRCBL Noise-Reducing Audio Cable - it works very well - got mine for about £6 off Fleabay. I think Kensington do a similar one

Thanks but driving home tonight I ran my Ipod from it's Battery rather than having it connected to the charger from the 12V outlet and no noise - then pulled up on my drive and connected charger and I could hear the high frequency noise, so conclude that it is the charger/charger's lead that is picking up the noise.

I hope that the line output will give even better results although the signal tonight from the headphone jack sounded excellent to me so not sure that I will spot the difference!

David

[dwilson]

Hi guys. Could someone stream over the car's BT some iTunes tracks and tell what the sound is like. With my current Prius, and using the 3.5mm jack, the sound is dreadful from my iPhone.

Alternatively, you could try one of these — you get better sound quality from line out than the headphone jack:

http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/lineout-miniusb.html

Hi, I have bought one of these with a lineout and miniusb, and attached it to a lead with mini usb to USB, and then attached the usb to a car charger with USB that fits into the power outlet.

Unfortunately the car charger I bought produces a lot of pulsing noise. Can anyone suggest a good one that is noise free please?

Seamaster have you got this set up?

Thanks

David

[Seamaster73]

I don't use this set-up myself, but the remedy might not be changing the charger, but rather changing the aux cable to a noise suppressing one like Kensington's:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kensington-Noise-Reducing-CarAudio-iPhone/dp/B0037NYYFY

[dwilson]

I don't use this set-up myself, but the remedy might not be changing the charger, but rather changing the aux cable to a noise suppressing one like Kensington's:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kensington-Noise-Reducing-CarAudio-iPhone/dp/B0037NYYFY

Thanks _ I will have a look

David

[IggyPrius]

I have just had the iPod adaptor fitted to my 2011 Prius t spirit at the local Toyota dealer. You can control the iPod directly from the radio through the cd changer tab. It is a bit of an expensive option, but I think it is safer than changing tracks on the iPod while on the move.

I have to admit, I did expect to see better user interface on such a new car though. It relies on playlists to categorise the tracks.