Squeaky Wheel

Earlier I had asked questions about the availability of Bluetooth on the C6. In that same vein, can anyone confirm when a USB input became available on the C6? And is it just for charging a device, or will it allow a music input ( such as a thumb drive or iPod/iPhone with multiple playlists) to play that music thru the car’s audio system?

Sorry if I sound stupid with these audio questions. I’m very much a dinosaur when it comes to modern digital technology. Just trying to determine when a Vette’s factory OEM setup allows a person to play his music from Apple devices without any modifications. Really enjoy that feature on my other daily drivers that date back to around 2014.

farmington

I think it became available in 2011. My 2012 has it. I keep my old iPod nano inside the console and keep it on shuffle. Best radio station ever.

Squeaky Wheel

Thanks. That’s my plan as well. Hoping perhaps an 08 or 09 model year might have one as well.

Oh Boy

USB port in the center console did indeed start in the 2011 model, but you had to have the OEM nav radio to get it. You also got the 3.5mm aux jack right next to it. Otherwise you got the 3.5 jack on the front of the non nav radio. Oh and yes you can plug a thumb drive in the USB to play music also.

TomdaToolman

I have a 2012 as well and use a memory stick plugged in inside the console, works great! I had my ipod Nano plugged in, but couldn't get it to work. I later read, owner's manual I believe, that music files are limited to 500 songs. My favorites list on my Nano has 1600 songs and figured that was the problem. Haven't tried the Nano again since.

Turbo6TA

Ditto that ..... My 2011 GS does not have the Nav option .... No USB port

JustGoFly

You can also flash music to a CD in data format, not audio format. This allows hundreds of songs, since mp3 audio files are tightly compressed. I get about 4 hours of music from one CD in my 2011 base Vette.

Frankie15

Yup,you need the nav with a 2011+. I have an 08 but I retrofitted the 2011+ nav along with the 2011 rear center console to get the USB input. Very easy project.

Squeaky Wheel

That’s interesting. If I only knew how? Sounds like we’re simply talking about how the files are formatted? Is that correct? Can any computer handle the process, or does it take some specialized equipment (or type of disc) to create the CD or play it? Is that what it means if your car is said to have an MP3 player? Would be happy to get more than about 20 songs on a disc.

Told you I’m a cave man when it comes to this technology stuff. Flashing, streaming, etc. Find it all very confusing.

Turbo6TA

If you make a CD on your computer using the MP3 audio format, you can generally get about 100 songs on one CD.

Your C6's CD player is capable of playing MP3 audio CDs.

As far a burning songs on a standard blank CD using a this 'Data' format, and getting many more songs on the CD than using the standard MP3 format .... I have no idea (never heard of it before)

Squeaky Wheel

So it’s not the CD that is different, but rather the way the file is copied onto it? Is that correct? In other words, any standard CD can have “compressed” audio “data” files in the MP3 format placed (burned) onto it by most of today’s computers? But it then takes an MP3 capable device to be able to read (or play) it back?

Feel pretty dumb asking such stuff, but hope I’m starting to make some sense of it.

Turbo6TA

In the begining, a CD player would only play music burned on the standard type format (such as a CD you would buy at the store), but all the CD players made in the last 10 years or so also play CDs that have been burned using the MP3 format .... The actual CD disk is the same used for standard or MP3

Again, I know nothing about this 'data' file system that allows so much more music to be burned onto a CD ... Maybe someone else here can explain

.

JustGoFly

An audio CD flashes uncompressed audio, which holds a dozen or so songs. MP3's are tightly compressed. A CD stores about 650-700 MB of data. Depending on the quality of the song in MP3, you can get hundreds of songs on a single cd. If after you burn the CD, you put it into a PC CD/dvd drive, it should show each song as a separate file. If your music is 1MB per song, then you can fit near 700 songs. 3 minutes per song, that's almost 4 hours of music

hawkgfr

but does it sound like crap?

JustGoFly

Not at all, I crank it, it's great. I can get better data for you. The quality of the MP3 is important, but most MP3's are recorded at very good quality. It just takes time to accumulate 300 songs you want on a music CD. Try it, is the best way to know. It'll cost you a couple quarters for a suitable CD. I tend to collect the top 100 songs, and listen to them on my PC. I copy into a folder the songs I like, until that folder hits 600+ MB. Drag it to a CD, label, and toss in the car. You can do the same for pod casts. We don't have updated music systems in our slightly older Vettes, so works for me.

Dman302

Just subscribe to Spotify, there you have every song you could ever want avail to easily download and play back. 9$ A month and start listening. My playlist has countless songs downloaded in seconds. Download the app, join the monthly membership and have every song you ever wanted legally

JustGoFly

Spotify provides music at 160kbps, unless you buy premium where you can adjust the quality to 320kbps, mobile also offers 96kbps.
320 is a subtle improvement over 160, and it's only really noticeable while using a good pair of headphones or speakers, but it's there. Make sure your not getting 96.

There are plenty of options. Streaming while driving will also run up your phone data plan, unless you download first. I usually reserve that for podcasts that I listen to once, and quality doesn't matter.

Dman302

You’re simply download the music on the premium account for nine dollars a month, there’s no data usage.

SPSandman

My 2012 GS with NAV has the USB port in the console. I can connect my iPhone X to it and have access to all of my songs. Not sure where a 500 song limit would come from. I can play anything on it via the Phone. Can't stream the music obviously, but over the USB connection it is fine.
I will say that the USB must be a very low voltage as it charges AMAZINGLY slow. I can drive into work about 30 minutes and it has gone up maybe 2 or 3%. Granted, I am listening to music or a book, but in the 2015 Camaro it would charge about 20-30% during that same period.

Squeaky Wheel

WRT the above MP3 discussion, is every model year of the C6 able to play MP3 formatted discs with the factory installed audio system?