I recently bought the GROM USB2 Plus as an alternative to more costly and involved stereo upgrades. Pretty affordable and pretty simple to install, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I bought the trunk mounted one, as opposed to the one you can mount behind the stereo head unit. I have been using it for about a month. Here's a quick rundown of my experience.
I can't seem to find the video that showed me how to remove trunk lining, but they're out there. I'll update this if I find it. Not too tough but you need a little muscle as the carpet lining is stiff. Also look up how to remove the clips. I can't remember where I found it but it's a common thread.
Here's the audio/nav rack area. Mine does not have nav, so there's just a CD changer. Note: If you don't have a changer, you may have the wiring harness for one. If so you're good to go. Don't know if they set them all up changer-ready. You can see here I already removed the screws and started to pull the changer out. Read on for more on changer removal.
Here you see the wires sitting on top of the storage area under where the changer was. Removal of the changer is as simple as can be. There are two screws on each side and they look just like the ones I circled in red in a later photo. Just undo them and unplug the two cables from the back.
Here's the unit. Plug the big white plug into the back, and the other two go into the two cables that were in the CD changer.
Another view of the connections.
Velcro was my method of choice for mounting right to the top of the storage bin.
Installed cleanly behind CD changer door. Make sure to leave enough room for your USB stick - that's why I used Velcro, so I could adjust as needed.
Track 84!? What?
Track info is displayed (if file contains it).
SETUP/FOLDER INFO
Set up the USB drive containing six folders - "01" through "06," then drop album folders into there. You can name these main folders ("03 - Rock," "05 - Country," etc.) The manual warns against having other files aside from audio, so to be safe I deleted all the album art once the albums were on the GROM. The GROM will treat each "## - NAME" folder like a CD. Each folder CAN have more than 99 tracks, even though, for example, my display has only two digits. It just goes around again after track 99 to track 01, which is really track 100.
COMPLAINTS/CRITICISMS/ETC.
The above system makes it a little hard to find specific songs, or even albums, but the unit does cycle through entire albums before moving onto the next one, and you can just remember what's on what "disc" or folder. That's why it helps to organize by genre. (RELATED, HELPFUL TIP: Pressing SCAN moves by folder, rather than by track, so you'll jump from one album to the next without having to seek 10 or 12 times.)
This is a minor gripe, AND TO BE FAIR, the OEM display wasn't meant to be used for sorting so many tracks, and GROM put out a product that could somewhat easily deal with it. Really given that you're keeping the OEM head unit, there doesn't seem to be an easier way to do it. If you want to spend $800 and half a day installing, go out and get one of those Dynavins or something. I think if you have OEM nav, you might be able to see files on the screen and choose music more easily - at least this was the case in an E60 install video I watched.
Also, mine just didn't seem to work when I first installed it. Customer service was helpful in determining that my fuse was bad. The rep said it shouldn't be something that will go out again, and if it does, to call again. It was a 20 minute, $3.00 trip to Radioshack. No big deal.
Finally, and this is probably not even a GROM issue but in fact a good OEM feature, it seems to cut out over bumpy roads. This may be the factory head unit intentionally cutting itself out to prevent CDs from skipping, or us from hearing said skips, which obviously isn't a factor now with USB. But remember the OEM head thinks the GROM is a CD changer. If that's the case, I wonder if I can disable whatever motion sensor is in there.
OTHER INFO
You can add a cable for $49 that enables bluetooth audio pairing as well as phone calls through your stereo, and includes a mic to run up near the driver.
You can also add an iPod-specific cable. As-is on the USB2 Plus, you can plug an Android phone in and access music on there. For me, the USB stick route was what I wanted.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
For the money ($130 on sale), I like it. I didn't want to spend a lot, but I wanted a clean, functional way to play MP3s and other files in the car - it works with FLAC as well as other compressed files. I also didn't want cables hanging around for plugging in iPods or phones. The music sounds good and you control everything with all the factory buttons, including steering wheel controls. I dig it.
I can't seem to find the video that showed me how to remove trunk lining, but they're out there. I'll update this if I find it. Not too tough but you need a little muscle as the carpet lining is stiff. Also look up how to remove the clips. I can't remember where I found it but it's a common thread.
Here's the audio/nav rack area. Mine does not have nav, so there's just a CD changer. Note: If you don't have a changer, you may have the wiring harness for one. If so you're good to go. Don't know if they set them all up changer-ready. You can see here I already removed the screws and started to pull the changer out. Read on for more on changer removal.
Here you see the wires sitting on top of the storage area under where the changer was. Removal of the changer is as simple as can be. There are two screws on each side and they look just like the ones I circled in red in a later photo. Just undo them and unplug the two cables from the back.
Here's the unit. Plug the big white plug into the back, and the other two go into the two cables that were in the CD changer.
Another view of the connections.
Velcro was my method of choice for mounting right to the top of the storage bin.
Installed cleanly behind CD changer door. Make sure to leave enough room for your USB stick - that's why I used Velcro, so I could adjust as needed.
Track 84!? What?
Track info is displayed (if file contains it).
SETUP/FOLDER INFO
Set up the USB drive containing six folders - "01" through "06," then drop album folders into there. You can name these main folders ("03 - Rock," "05 - Country," etc.) The manual warns against having other files aside from audio, so to be safe I deleted all the album art once the albums were on the GROM. The GROM will treat each "## - NAME" folder like a CD. Each folder CAN have more than 99 tracks, even though, for example, my display has only two digits. It just goes around again after track 99 to track 01, which is really track 100.
COMPLAINTS/CRITICISMS/ETC.
The above system makes it a little hard to find specific songs, or even albums, but the unit does cycle through entire albums before moving onto the next one, and you can just remember what's on what "disc" or folder. That's why it helps to organize by genre. (RELATED, HELPFUL TIP: Pressing SCAN moves by folder, rather than by track, so you'll jump from one album to the next without having to seek 10 or 12 times.)
This is a minor gripe, AND TO BE FAIR, the OEM display wasn't meant to be used for sorting so many tracks, and GROM put out a product that could somewhat easily deal with it. Really given that you're keeping the OEM head unit, there doesn't seem to be an easier way to do it. If you want to spend $800 and half a day installing, go out and get one of those Dynavins or something. I think if you have OEM nav, you might be able to see files on the screen and choose music more easily - at least this was the case in an E60 install video I watched.
Also, mine just didn't seem to work when I first installed it. Customer service was helpful in determining that my fuse was bad. The rep said it shouldn't be something that will go out again, and if it does, to call again. It was a 20 minute, $3.00 trip to Radioshack. No big deal.
Finally, and this is probably not even a GROM issue but in fact a good OEM feature, it seems to cut out over bumpy roads. This may be the factory head unit intentionally cutting itself out to prevent CDs from skipping, or us from hearing said skips, which obviously isn't a factor now with USB. But remember the OEM head thinks the GROM is a CD changer. If that's the case, I wonder if I can disable whatever motion sensor is in there.
OTHER INFO
You can add a cable for $49 that enables bluetooth audio pairing as well as phone calls through your stereo, and includes a mic to run up near the driver.
You can also add an iPod-specific cable. As-is on the USB2 Plus, you can plug an Android phone in and access music on there. For me, the USB stick route was what I wanted.
OVERALL IMPRESSION
For the money ($130 on sale), I like it. I didn't want to spend a lot, but I wanted a clean, functional way to play MP3s and other files in the car - it works with FLAC as well as other compressed files. I also didn't want cables hanging around for plugging in iPods or phones. The music sounds good and you control everything with all the factory buttons, including steering wheel controls. I dig it.
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