GROM USB Adapter - Anyone Using?

[rick3478]

Was looking at GROM USB adapter, maybe for my 2012 M3iT5D. Anyone have one of these, care to tell me a bit about it?

 

[ta240]

I'm not real impressed. I've emailed them to see if mine is normal or if something is wrong but so far:

It doesn't always show the song information. Sometimes when it does it shows the wrong info. Sometimes each line will just show the folder name. Sometimes it will show the info for a completely different song and that info will stay on the screen for the next 6 songs.

If I set it for Random and hit the track up it will restart the track it was on. If I let it get to the end of the song it will usually play a random one after that. Once you turn the car off the random goes away.

It always has power to it so the main box gets fairly hot even when the car has been sitting for days, which can't be good.

I guess I shouldn't have pointed out bad features before I pulled mine and sold it.....

 

[rick3478]

Thanks, your feedback is much appreciated. I downloaded everything I could find from their website and may be more confused than before. From the application guide, the model for the late M3 radios has no iPod or Aux adapter available, so I guess all we get is USB. And from your experience maybe not so good at that task. Also large portions of the installation and operation guides become irrelevant. And it appears to plug into the CD changer port, so I would lose use of the Aux input. Also puzzling that it would lose track of its play mode even though, if you are correct, it is powered all the time. And if it gets hot, it must be sucking a lot of current from the battery (not a good thing). Makes me say hmmmmm.....

 

[ta240]

It actually has a connector for a ipod cable (not included) and switches between ipod, usb and aux which is a pain if you inadvertently hit the sequence of buttons that changes the mode.

I contacted them and they sent a firmware update.

It seems to be slightly better now but it still just restarts the song you are on if it is set for Random and you hit the track up button. Which is a pain since in random it is easy to end up on a song you want to skip. The only way I found to skip to the next random song is to hit the Scan button and it will find a new random song. Then hit the Scan button again to stop it from going on to yet another song and then hit the Random button to put it back in random mode.

It doesn't seem to get confused as to the song information as much now but it will still sometimes freeze the songs info and keep the same song on the display long after you have moved on to another song multiple other songs or even another folder.

I keep meaning to check the current draw with it plugged in as it makes me nervous both for battery life and for having an overheating component inside the car in the garage.

We love this car but it drives me crazy that Mazda didn't put a USB port in it. We've tried multiple different bluetooth options (sony mp3 players, nokia phone, sony phone, blackberry playbook) with mixed success and from what I've read even Mazda's iPod interface isn't perfect which it would need to be given the price for the adapter and having to buy an iPod.

I miss the days when it was easy to just replace the factory head unit.

 

[rick3478]

Did they give you part numbers for the iPod and Aux cables? I ask because the list I downloaded from their website shows n/a for iPod and Aux. And how do you do a firmware upgrade? Put a .bin file on a thumb drive and plug it in (just a guess)?

 

[ta240]

it was a .hex file for the update on the USB

I don't have a parts list for the cables, maybe the ipod doesn't work on this model but it has gotten into ipod mode a couple of time on accident...

I'd recommend contacting them through their site, they are actually quite good at replying.