Aux / USB player adapter

Bought one of these on Amazon:

$26 Yomikoo Car Audio Input Adapter, USB AUX CD Changer for Toyota Corolla 2005-2011, Camry 2006-2011, Auris 2007-2011, Avensis 2003-2011, Tacoma 2004-2008

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016BD7LKG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Will be posting a review shortly. Supposedly plugs into the cd changer input and provides an aux input and USB *player*.... won't charge anything out of this port, but load up a memory stick with mp3 files and it will theoretically play them.

If it works fairly well, it's a cheap and easy stereo upgrade. On Fleabay, one can order a nice little custom dash insert that has an input jack and a USB port, so all this could be wired up quite neatly with a jack/port in the center console or dash. Won't bother with that til this thing proves itself, though.

 

Sub'd

Was looking at these also, no Bluetooth on this one?

 

Not on this one, but I was going to hack a $20 bluetooth speaker that I have to make one that can mount up behind the dash somewhere and have it switchable from the input jack if I go that route.

 

Never mind the hack. https://www.amazon.com/URANT-Blueto...words=aux+bluetooth+usb+adapter+for+car+radio

 

I have an old iPod (160 gb version) that I used a GTA adapter kit with.

So far it is working great. I mounted it in my center console, and ended up making a velcro mounting thing to the top of my console to hold the iPod.

It is really nice to have all of my music easily accessible on long drives.

 

Here's another bluetooth option, though you'd have to recharge it.


https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Bluetoo...C|B00MJMV0GU|B00P20TFWM|B010HSRVVA|B01N4AV0SC

 

That should work nicely. Curious to hear your review

I thought about the GTA also. Little more pricey than Amazon/ebay knockoffs but seems better quality.

 

This is my current set up. Not the greatest, but it works for now, at least until I get a better headunit with dedicated Bluetooth.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A835MC4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

It was the first thing I did when I got the truck. I don't stream anything, and I have accumulated my music over a very long time (late 90's). I am going to miss having 160 GB of storage when the iPod finally dies.

The install of the GTA kit was pretty simple. I expect the others will work just as easily. The quality of the GTA is okay. I don't rave over it, but I am not complaining either. My big issue these days has to do with the tires I am running and the lack of sound deadening. It isn't the radio's fault (or GTA), but just the ambient noise I have.

 

Don't want to go the FM route. Where I live, there are public stations all over the low end of the dial...almost always interference...plus the audio degradation factor.

 

Good to know. With the increased storage sizes on iphones these days it shouldnt be too hard to replace your ipod eventually. But i'm with ya, I still have alot of love for the ipod classics. Simple, with huge storage for its time.

 

The good thing about this one is you can select any channel on the spectrum.

But ya, the audio isn't the clearest, and I hate turning the volume really high to hear my phone, then accidentally switching stations and blowing out my eardrums. Once I get a better headunit, I'd like to go with something along what you're doing. There's one with a USB cable that charges and mirrors the screen to the dash. I thinks it's called MHL or HML or something.

 

I use one of those aux adapters with the Bluetooth USB. I have to turn the volume up really high to listen at normal volume levels. It works though and it's all hidden.

 

Ok, I installed this thing and can report that it works very well.

Installation is a breeze. It took longer to route the wires out from behind the dash than it did to install.

It does an admirable job of finding your mp3 files on a memory stick. I used an 8GB stick...I don't know if there is a limit to size or what it is, I do have a 128GB stick I will try. If you put your mp3 files in folders, it sees each folder as a CD. You can FF and REW through the tracks, skip tracks and move from CD (folder) to CD. You can also switch from your stock CD player and this unit, it just sees it as "CD-1", or another CD player.

It plugs into the socket for a remote CD player on the back of your radio. Mine was a Type 1, but it should work with any of the non-GPS or video radios.

There are plenty of videos on YouTube on how to remove the radio. It's pretty simple. You need a butter knife, a 10mm socket, an extension and a socket handle. Gently pry the heat control panel off, then there are 4 10mm bolts...two up under the radio and two set back a ways in the dash. The radio then just pops out, flip it up and plug in the unit. I routed my wires off to the drivers' side and removed the coin tray and reached up there and grabbed them. I just tucked the unit up into the chaos of the dash wiring.

I'll be ordering an accessory panel that has a USB port and stereo jack and will mount that to the rear of the coin tray, a nice unobtrusive location, and wire this all up.

Note: The volume all depends on the volume of your mp3 files. It doesn't have the highest output in the world, but fairly loud mp3 files play about like an average CD. Your mileage may vary.

Note: This thing is made in China, and apart from a few good laughs, the manual is worthless. It may or may not function well as QC on such things is pretty much non-existant, so see that your Ebay vendor takes returns in case you get a stinky one.

 

Thanks.

 

I also tried a memory stick with no folders, just the files. It gets a little confused. I had 30 one-hour files and that seemed to bother it. I then put the memory stick back on my laptop and put each one in a folder. Problem solved. Lesson learned here is arrange your files into folders that would roughly be the equivalent of a CD and all should work well.

I'll post more data as I find it.

 

And as a final note, the jack that I ordered came today, so everything has been connected, the connections taped together and wires tucked under dash and wire-tied securely. Here's what it looks like: