I am I correct in understanding the the thumb drive will not play if Android auto is on? If so, that may well be my issue as I have not been able to play my thumb drives that I use in other cars....
Installing An Aftermarket CD Player
Just curious if anyone has looked into installing an aftermarket CD player in a 2022. We were getting ready to purchase a new MDX and just discovered it no longer has a CD player. That's actually a deal breaker for me. I have a large amount of CD's, many of which are self burned, containing obscure stuff that I won't be able to find anywhere else. I really don't look forward to having to move it all over to a bunch of flash drives. I've been looking at the interior for a location to install a player but most of the real estate seems to be taken up. Might have been room in the console storage if they hadn't stolen that for the charging pad.
21 - 40 of 43 Posts
Sort of. As best I can figure out, you can't use both Android Auto and USB Audio at the same time. So if you plug in the thumb drive and then select USB Audio, it should play tracks from your thumb drive, but it will turn off Android Auto. If you link up Android Auto again, it turns off USB Audio. I think that's how it works.I am I correct in understanding the the thumb drive will not play if Android auto is on?
I'll try turning off Android Auto first.....when I plug in thumb drive it simply is not recognized if Android Auto is running
Yepper Malik !! When using AA or AP, you CANNOT play Thumb Drives on the USB connection in the console. Maybe, just Maybe, Acura may issue a software update to "fix" that. But of now, you need to Disconnect your Phone and then the USB connection is engaged. I believe there was another Thread about this on the forum. I posted what Acura Customer Service instructed me to do in order to "quickly" get put of AA ( I use AA with my Google Phone , but it's the same for Apple Play [AP]): If you are in AA or AP, goto the push the Home screen on the Touch pad; select Settings; select Vehicle; select audio, Infotainment ; select your Phone ; select Disconnect; and then you are good to go with using the USB Thrumb drive. Then if you want to reingage AA or AP, on the main Home screen, you should see the Icomn for both programs, select that and the system will ask to Connect your phone, select Connect, and Bingo... you are reconnected to AA or AP and can use that feature (WAZE, Spotify, etc..). This is NOT in the manual (I'm 70 yo, I do Read Manuals for "Fun" ) which is what prompted me to contact Customer Service , who did respond with a Phone call and these instructions. I hope this Helps.I am I correct in understanding the the thumb drive will not play if Android auto is on? If so, that may well be my issue as I have not been able to play my thumb drives that I use in other cars....
In addition, it is a PIA to quickly disconnect from AA. I originally thought that I could do that thru the phone. But NOPE. I had top follow the protocol that I posted. Re- engaging is easy by just selecting the Icon AA on the Home screen, then you can Connect your Phone per the screen prompts. I guess Acura supports Streaming Music (which is more $$$ bc of Phone connection time ), instead of using thumb drives easily. I miss the Internal HD that my 2019 had. That was Plug N Play. I could Play and simultaneously record my CDs to the HD and then had my entire CD Library at my immediate disposal. Oh Well, That's Progress I guess.Yepper Malik !! When using AA or AP, you CANNOT play Thumb Drives on the USB connection in the console. Maybe, just Maybe, Acura may issue a software update to "fix" that. But of now, you need to Disconnect your Phone and then the USB connection is engaged. I believe there was another Thread about this on the forum. I posted what Acura Customer Service instructed me to do in order to "quickly" get put of AA ( I use AA with my Google Phone , but it's the same for Apple Play [AP]): If you are in AA or AP, goto the push the Home screen on the Touch pad; select Settings; select Vehicle; select audio, Infotainment ; select your Phone ; select Disconnect; and then you are good to go with using the USB Thrumb drive. Then if you want to reingage AA or AP, on the main Home screen, you should see the Icomn for both programs, select that and the system will ask to Connect your phone, select Connect, and Bingo... you are reconnected to AA or AP and can use that feature (WAZE, Spotify, etc..). This is NOT in the manual (I'm 70 yo, I do Read Manuals for "Fun" ) which is what prompted me to contact Customer Service , who did respond with a Phone call and these instructions. I hope this Helps.
Yes, this one:I believe there was another Thread about this on the forum.
Android Auto and USB Audio
This other thread is about Apple Carplay, which is Android Auto for iPhone users, but it's the same idea:
2022 MDX ADV stops playing mp3 from USB when Apple CarPlay is connected
Thank you! That's very helpful.I posted what Acura Customer Service instructed me to do in order to "quickly" get put of AA ( I use AA with my Google Phone , but it's the same for Apple Play [AP]):
For me, I'm pretty sure all I did was to put a flash drive in the USB port and selected USB Audio from the home screen, and it automatically disconnected Android Auto.In addition, it is a PIA to quickly disconnect from AA. I originally thought that I could do that thru the phone. But NOPE. I had top follow the protocol that I posted.
One more note. Most of this discussion has been about how to connect a car-compatible CD drive to the USB Audio input, or how to rip CD's to a flash drive and connect that to the USB Audio input. Both those techniques mean you presumably have to disconnect Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to play from the USB Audio input. Another option - if you're ripping the CD's anyway, you can copy the ripped files to your smartphone and play from there using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. That way you don't have to disconnect AA/ACP.
The MDX does not have an AUX input.
Through the USB port inside the center console, the 2022 MDX can play music sources in a number of digital formats (.wav, .mp3, etc) which are listed in this post from the owner's manual. It will not play by just connecting a CD/DVD drive through the USB port, the way you could on your computer, because the native format recorded on the CD/DVD drive is not playable that way. The files on the CD/DVD would need to be "ripped", which is exactly what you describe having to do externally (your computer reads the CD/DVD and creates files in a format like .mp3, .wav, etc that can be stored on a flash drive playable on the MDX). EDIT: Or you would need a CD player that can read a CD and make files that are in a format that the MDX can read; see next paragraph.
EDIT: I just checked this Youtube video and it claims that, rather than the usual CD drives that get connected to computers, there are a few that are specially designed to connect to a car and "look like" an MP3 player, playing tracks in a .wav format, so they would be usable in the MDX. For a specific example, it appears that this one on Amazon might be able to play seamlessly through the MDX. Please, someone, try it and let us know!
One other thing you could do - they still make portable CD players, so you could use one of those in the car, connected to headphones/earbuds but not connected to the car. (Please don't call me "Captain Obvious" for mentioning it, since nobody else did.)
THANK YOU ADDICTED TO ACURA, you are a hero. The link for the Amazon cd player worked in my 2023 MDX. I am going to move my cds but in the meantime, I get to enjoy my music -- thanks to your wonderful advice!
Ooops, I need to edit my reply above -- the person who posted is not addicted to acura, my apologies but you gave good advice, thanks again!
mmartz, what brand of CD Player did you get? The link to Amazon denotes a number to select from? My question is this: Why would you want to do this ? If you "burn" your CDs on a Flashdrive, isn't that more practical than playing 1 CD at time in the car? Why spend upwards of $85 for a Car Portable CD drive? Unless you just want to be able to Pop in a Fav CD and stay in AA or Carplay mode w/o interuption. At the EOD, life would be so much easier if Acura (and others) just included both a CD player and a Hard Drive to which all your music could be recorded like my 2019 MDX and my 4 Previous Infinits had !! Like the song says: "You Don't Know What You've Got Until It's Gone". Who knows, maybe the car makers will listen to the users like Ford Just did, reversing their idiotic policy to remove AM radio form All their 2024 vehicles. As of yesterday, After much pressure form various sources (actually Millions of texts and emails) Ford Reversed that decision.
I just posted about this issue. I guess if you had an old iPod....you could do the same as a Flash Drive too!! Troubkle for me is I can't Find my old iPod around the house.One more note. Most of this discussion has been about how to connect a car-compatible CD drive to the USB Audio input, or how to rip CD's to a flash drive and connect that to the USB Audio input. Both those techniques mean you presumably have to disconnect Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to play from the USB Audio input. Another option - if you're ripping the CD's anyway, you can copy the ripped files to your smartphone and play from there using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. That way you don't have to disconnect AA/ACP.
I should add..... If you don't subscribe to Music Streaming services, then this CD workaround would or could make sense. All car makers have eliminated CD players !! Why? Because like many are doing is to impose Fees for various features. The lack of CDs and/or supplying USB ports that only function when you are disconnected from AA or CP Forces you to use Streaming Services which you subscribe to (to avoid Ads ) : Pandora, Tidal, Spotify, Amazon Music , etc.
Youtube music (formerly google play music) lets you upload your own music to their service and it will stream to anywhere.
Just an FYI to anyone struggling with the modern era.
I had to buy a CD of a live show I like to listen to off amazon for a pretty penny to get it in good quality in my car. Ripped FLACs and uploaded to youtube music.
Just an FYI to anyone struggling with the modern era.
I had to buy a CD of a live show I like to listen to off amazon for a pretty penny to get it in good quality in my car. Ripped FLACs and uploaded to youtube music.
You ask a good question. I did attempt to move the cd to a flash drive but it didn't work. I have around 200 cds, it will take me a while to move them and I like to listen to my music now. Also, what I briefly researched and experienced with my 2023 MDX, the usb port responds to certain file types, so I'll need to spend some time figuring this project out. If I understood your comment correctly, you can't be connected to AppleCarPlay while using the usb port, so it is not convenient but I spend a fair amount of time traveling in my car, so the $200 is worth the short-term fix.mmartz, what brand of CD Player did you get? The link to Amazon denotes a number to select from? My question is this: Why would you want to do this ? If you "burn" your CDs on a Flashdrive, isn't that more practical than playing 1 CD at time in the car? Why spend upwards of $85 for a Car Portable CD drive? Unless you just want to be able to Pop in a Fav CD and stay in AA or Carplay mode w/o interuption. At the EOD, life would be so much easier if Acura (and others) just included both a CD player and a Hard Drive to which all your music could be recorded like my 2019 MDX and my 4 Previous Infinits had !! Like the song says: "You Don't Know What You've Got Until It's Gone". Who knows, maybe the car makers will listen to the users like Ford Just did, reversing their idiotic policy to remove AM radio form All their 2024 vehicles. As of yesterday, After much pressure form various sources (actually Millions of texts and emails) Ford Reversed that decision.
The brand I bought from Amazon is Connect2, sold by Tunez US for $199.
I have over 1500 tracks spread over 100+ folders on a USB flash drive. I organized them for storage on my media server in WAV format, then use a utility to mass copy them to USB in FLAC format for the MDX and MP3 for my Ridgeline.
Using the search function on the trackpad by album, track or artist I never need to enter more than one letter to quickly get to where I want.
Using the search function on the trackpad by album, track or artist I never need to enter more than one letter to quickly get to where I want.
mmartz, I guess If I were in your "boat", driving /traveling in my MDX regulalry, I probably would do what you have done acquiring a Plug N Play separate CD player for use in the MDX. I don't own nearly as many as 200 CDs, and I have not really copied the ones I have to my PC. Then there is the need to "Burn" USB Flashdrives - I want CD Qulaity audio and I tend to shy away from Digital WAV files for sure. To me, even with more time on my hands being retired, it is all a PIA .... But as in many things, There's No Going Back. No CD Player For You!! I really miss that Internal Hard Drive in my previous 5 cars. Come to Think of it, I'm wondering if a Western Digital (or comparable) separate HD could be connected to the USB port and thereby be able to play all the CDs copied to that and play in CD Audio quality? Or must copied CDs to the HD have the files converted in that process? FLAC, WAV, etc?You ask a good question. I did attempt to move the cd to a flash drive but it didn't work. I have around 200 cds, it will take me a while to move them and I like to listen to my music now. Also, what I briefly researched and experienced with my 2023 MDX, the usb port responds to certain file types, so I'll need to spend some time figuring this project out. If I understood your comment correctly, you can't be connected to AppleCarPlay while using the usb port, so it is not convenient but I spend a fair amount of time traveling in my car, so the $200 is worth the short-term fix.
The brand I bought from Amazon is Connect2, sold by Tunez US for $199.
That seems like a good WorkAround, IanCH. In this manner it appears that you can then Stream from within AA or CP , using YouTube Music w/o needing to use the Non engaged Flash Drive. Yes, I do sometimes struggle with the Modern Era. FYI, circa 1983ish, when CDs came to the Music Market, as devoted music aficianado since I was a pre-teen, I stated "CDs won't last.....It's a Fad!! Man, Was I wrong.Youtube music (formerly google play music) lets you upload your own music to their service and it will stream to anywhere.
Just an FYI to anyone struggling with the modern era.
I had to buy a CD of a live show I like to listen to off amazon for a pretty penny to get it in good quality in my car. Ripped FLACs and uploaded to youtube music.
To clear up any confusion:Then there is the need to "Burn" USB Flashdrives - I want CD Qulaity audio and I tend to shy away from Digital WAV files for sure. ... Or must copied CDs to the HD have the files converted in that process? FLAC, WAV, etc?
- CDs store audio in digital format.
- WAV files are exactly the same as the data stored on a CD, uncompressed and unaltered - same quality.
- FLAC files are compressed in a lossless format - when played the audio is exactly the same as was recorded.
- MP3 files are lossy; the degree of degradation to the audio is dependent upon the bitrate at which they are recorded.
USBs are not 'burned' - data is copied to them and may be in WAV, FLAC, MP3 or numerous other formats.
CD audio put onto a PC or USB as a WAV does not have any of the audio data altered.
to add: Compressing to flac can be done with a number of free tools, and can save you a ton of space. 1.2gb of songs in wav/cd is 871mb in flac
I use "exact audio copy" but worth noting that the interface isn't new user friendly.
I use "exact audio copy" but worth noting that the interface isn't new user friendly.
21 - 40 of 43 Posts
Acura MDX SUV Forums
Acura MDXers Forum - a community where enthusiasts discuss engines, tires, service and everything you need to know about the MDX!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
