Car Stereo with USB Port

[McLite]

So after 5 years my Ford 6 disk CD changer goes kaput. Ford wants $300 just to take it out, send it in, and have it repaired...without labor. Long story short I go to Frys and get a Kenwood KDC-MP438U...looks like this.

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/KDC-MP438U

Pretty nifty...even comes with a little USB and auxiliary port. Sweet I think since I own one of these.

https://usm.channelonline.com/rtech/storesite/Products/Overview/?id=M004114874

So I hook up my Sony via USB to the Kenwood. It starts to charge the Sony and the Kenwood says "Reading." Sweet I think...until 10 minutes later it's still saying reading. I can't figure out why it won't work. I try loading songs onto the Sony multiple ways (folders, individual, artist) and nothing. So I fire off an email to Kenwood and get this back (a few hours later I might add...impressive in this day and age).

>>>>>>>>>
Thank you for contacting Kenwood USA Corporation. As an authorized agent for
Kenwood, we are responding to your recent email inquiry.

The USB port was designed for units of the Mass Storage Class only. That is a
device that can be used without any driver or software (generally flash drives).

To use your MP3 player, you could connect a cable from the headphone jack to the
AUX input on the stereo. You would then have to turn on the AUX feature in the
MENU of the stereo.Please note: You must be in the MENU MODE, to make specific
setup changes to your KENWOOD unit.
<<<<<<<<<<

Huh? Mass storage class only? Connect via my headphone jack? What? I read over the Kenwood manual and find this. "The word USB device is used for flash memories and digital audio players which have USB terminals. KDC-MP438U (mine) is good for USB device Playable Model and iPod Playable Model. Anybody have any familiarity at all with this stuff? Very frustrating. I would hate to go out and buy an iPod but if that is the only thing that works I guess I would.

[p_rushing]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

You need to read in your Sony manual. You probably need to format the mp3 player first correctly so if will work as a mass storage device (ie you can put any data file on it and then take it and acess them on another computer). If that can't be done, just get the male to male mini headphone jack cable, its ~<$5.

[chippered]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

My Dodge Caliber has an AUX jack, and it works fine with my zune. Same sound quality as CD, IMO.

[aholbert32]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

My Dodge Caliber has an AUX jack, and it works fine with my zune. Same sound quality as CD, IMO.

Same with my Pioneer car stereo. Just plug it into the Aux jack.

[Hokie20]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

I have the Kenwood USB port stereo that came out before the one you have. I've had it for about 6 months or so and love it. Like you, I don't have an ipod, but have an iriver instead. It works with the USB, but not really that well in terms of using playlists and stuff.

If you're like me and like the straight digital signal, just hang on to your mp3 player and buy a 2GB USB drive. You'll rarely ever be in your car long enough to listen to every song on the thing and you have better control of what to listen to on the unit itself.

[McLite]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

Thanks for the help guys. One question. With a male to male plug does the MP3 player still charge? Or do I hook that part up to the USB to charge while I listen through the AUX?

[chippered]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

No, it wont charge with the male to male connection, so you'll want to charge it the other way, which is what I do.

[SkunkWurks6]

Re: Car Stereo with USB Port

No, it wont charge with the male to male connection, so you'll want to charge it the other way, which is what I do.

They make decks now that accept ipods so easily nowadays. I had one that pligs into the BACK of the deck, and it allows me to use all of my ipod finctions and it charges it on the go, it's great.