Review: GROM Audio USB interface for 2002 2003 2004 MKIII Range Rover
#1
11-29-2009, 05:43 AM
Review: GROM Audio USB interface for 2002 2003 2004 MKIII Range Rover
I was looking for a way to play MP3s, control playback form the steering wheel and be able to view song information on the radio display. I considered iPod integration kits, but the ones available for our Rovers seemed overpriced for what they do. Plus, I don't have an iPod and I hate iTunes. So, something that could play MP3s from a USB drive ended up being my best solution.
The GROM unit I have is model BMWU2.This unit allows you to play MP3s from a USB flash drive or external USB hard drive. You can control the unit using your radio or steering wheel controls as if you were playing CDs from the CD changer. It also allows your radio display to show song title, artist name and album title from your MP3 files' ID3 information. I bought mine from the manufacturer through eBay for about $150 after tax (California).
I have a 2004 HSE with Harmon Kardon (Alpine) audio system, no DSP. GROM says the unit will not work with vehicles that have DSP. If none of the menus on your radio/navigation display list “DSP”, you don’t have DSP.
I give it an “okay” rating. My only complaints are track order (order in which songs are played) and installation.
The connection is pretty reliable. It failed to detect the unit twice in the week or so I’ve used it, but all I had to do was turn the radio off and on again.
It does play MP3s reliably. Other file formats are supported, but I only tested MP3s.
Sound level is about the same as your radio’s sound level. So, I didn’t find it too loud or too soft when switching from radio to the unit.
To access the unit, you change your radio to CD Changer mode. Controlling the unit using the radio and steering wheel controls works well. Navigating folders works well. You access folders by selecting the folder number on the radio. For instance, to access folder #1, press the “1” button on the radio. You can only have 6 folders because the unit acts like your CD changer, which only holds 6 disks and there are only buttons 1-6 on our radios. Folder names are not displayed. (On other vehicles, where you can switch disks by pressing +/- or nex/prev, you can have more than 6 folders).
You can have over 1,000 songs in each folder. But this would not be wise, as it would take forever to scroll to song #1,000. The biggest problem I have with this unit is the way it organizes songs, which seems to be random. The order never changes, but it’s not alphabetized by file name, artist or song title. GROM tech support said a workaround is to place “01”, “02, “03”… in front the file names. This can be a problem though. Each time you add a song, you’d have to change a the file names of all subsequent songs unless you don’t mind adding the new song at the end of the list.
It does display song, title and album properly, but does not scroll text. You’ll only see the first (however many letters) that our displays will show in those giant letters.
Installation should take about 1-2 hours if you have complete, detailed instructions, which is my second problem with this kit. The instructions are for BMW. But even for a BMW, they’re cryptic and seriously incomplete. Although, tech support is responsive and helpful. The unit installs in the trunk area, where the radio unit is installed. This means the USB drive will also be in the trunk. Our radio / nav displays are just that. The actual brains are in the trunk. You need to replace one connector with the unit’s connector. There are 3 wires to splice, using the kit’s provided splicing taps. You’ll also need to remove the glove box and disconnect the CD changer. Removing the glove box is somewhat of a pain and the most time consuming part of the install. There’s probably a way to disable the CD changer from the radio unit in the trunk, but it’s not as easy as unplugging a connector. You’d have to find the right wire(s) to cut.
The GROM unit I have is model BMWU2.This unit allows you to play MP3s from a USB flash drive or external USB hard drive. You can control the unit using your radio or steering wheel controls as if you were playing CDs from the CD changer. It also allows your radio display to show song title, artist name and album title from your MP3 files' ID3 information. I bought mine from the manufacturer through eBay for about $150 after tax (California).
I have a 2004 HSE with Harmon Kardon (Alpine) audio system, no DSP. GROM says the unit will not work with vehicles that have DSP. If none of the menus on your radio/navigation display list “DSP”, you don’t have DSP.
I give it an “okay” rating. My only complaints are track order (order in which songs are played) and installation.
The connection is pretty reliable. It failed to detect the unit twice in the week or so I’ve used it, but all I had to do was turn the radio off and on again.
It does play MP3s reliably. Other file formats are supported, but I only tested MP3s.
Sound level is about the same as your radio’s sound level. So, I didn’t find it too loud or too soft when switching from radio to the unit.
To access the unit, you change your radio to CD Changer mode. Controlling the unit using the radio and steering wheel controls works well. Navigating folders works well. You access folders by selecting the folder number on the radio. For instance, to access folder #1, press the “1” button on the radio. You can only have 6 folders because the unit acts like your CD changer, which only holds 6 disks and there are only buttons 1-6 on our radios. Folder names are not displayed. (On other vehicles, where you can switch disks by pressing +/- or nex/prev, you can have more than 6 folders).
You can have over 1,000 songs in each folder. But this would not be wise, as it would take forever to scroll to song #1,000. The biggest problem I have with this unit is the way it organizes songs, which seems to be random. The order never changes, but it’s not alphabetized by file name, artist or song title. GROM tech support said a workaround is to place “01”, “02, “03”… in front the file names. This can be a problem though. Each time you add a song, you’d have to change a the file names of all subsequent songs unless you don’t mind adding the new song at the end of the list.
It does display song, title and album properly, but does not scroll text. You’ll only see the first (however many letters) that our displays will show in those giant letters.
Installation should take about 1-2 hours if you have complete, detailed instructions, which is my second problem with this kit. The instructions are for BMW. But even for a BMW, they’re cryptic and seriously incomplete. Although, tech support is responsive and helpful. The unit installs in the trunk area, where the radio unit is installed. This means the USB drive will also be in the trunk. Our radio / nav displays are just that. The actual brains are in the trunk. You need to replace one connector with the unit’s connector. There are 3 wires to splice, using the kit’s provided splicing taps. You’ll also need to remove the glove box and disconnect the CD changer. Removing the glove box is somewhat of a pain and the most time consuming part of the install. There’s probably a way to disable the CD changer from the radio unit in the trunk, but it’s not as easy as unplugging a connector. You’d have to find the right wire(s) to cut.
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