Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod Miscellaneous
Thread Author: IJWS14 Replies: 12

 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - IJWS14
Looking to move forward into the technological world

Currently have music in the car on a USB stick but the collection is approaching 18gb and is a little too large to search using the USB interface on the radio (VW RS510 ? Does not have Sat Nav but does have the large display) so considering investing in an i-Pod but not if it isn't going to gain me anything over the USB stick.

Anyone any experience of these and VAG radios, i.e. what functionality does it give you over the ipod link?

Which i-pod? Probably looking for 32mb?

The lead which came with the car connects to the old style ipods but the new ones seem to have a smaller (Lightning) connector - have seen converters to USB but what about a converter to VW?

 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - idle_chatterer
When SWMBO got her first Golf VI we bought a 160GB iPod - the sort that has just been discontinued. We used it with the appropriate (pre-lightening) lead in both our Golf VIs - I assume this is the same connectivity that your Passat has ?

IIRC, you could control most iPod functions from the RS500(?) or steering wheel controls and the display gave track info.

I imagine these devices are going cheaply on eBay now since they aren't iOS or touch and can only really do music and podcasts.
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - WillDeBeest
Still the best way to carry music in a car, though. I'm thinking of getting an end-of-line 160 to complement the 80 I've been using since 2008. It could take pretty well everything I'm ever likely to want in the car in lossless format, which is an appealing idea (although I might do an on-road test first to see if I can hear the difference between lossless and 320k.)
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - IJWS14
Hadn't thought of buying used. Didn't want to invest over £100 in a new one just to find it does not offer any more functionality.

Not used I-tunes either, my music is ripped from CD so I have track information.

 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - CGNorwich
If you do buy a new ipod with a lightning connector you will need an adapter which costs £25. Don't be tempted by a cheap ebay job. They don't work.

I use my old iPod touch in the car. Only 8g but hey how much music do you need? Actually I mainly listen to speech in the form of podcasts. You get full functionality so it's probably the best way to play music in the car

One thing to note is you will only get full functionality in your VW ICE if you are playing music downloaded via itunes. Downloaded playlists to Spotify will play but you don't get track info etc. I assume the same applies to Google Music etc.

As has been said if all you want is music storage an old ipod will do fine. IPod touch is a nice gadget but will duplicate much of the functionality of your smart phone if you have one.

You could of course by an iPhone.

 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - Crankcase
Not actually sure if this helps any, but I use Spotify in the car and stream via Bluetooth to the car, if yours has that. No cables to worry about, and in my case it does display the track, album, play time etc on the car's screen.

Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 29 Sep 14 at 18:18
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - Zero
>> Not actually sure if this helps any, but I use Spotify in the car and
>> stream via Bluetooth to the car, if yours has that. No cables to worry about,
>> and in my case it does display the track, album, play time etc on the
>> car's screen.

You stream spotify over 3g in your car? Just had a long weekend in north Zommerzet and Devon, half the time I couldn't even get a signal let alone 3g!
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - Crankcase
Nah, that's a mug's game as you say. Not often that works. Having said that, when I sit in Cambridge awaiting swmbo, there's enough 3G where I park to watch YouTube or Netflix quite happily.

No, I download what I need onto the phone before a trip and make it available offline in Spotify is all.

Podcasts the same, just make sure you've downloaded first.

Last edited by: Crankcase on Mon 29 Sep 14 at 18:34
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - CGNorwich
>> Not actually sure if this helps any, but I use Spotify in the car and
>> stream via Bluetooth to the car, if yours has that. No cables to worry about,
>> and in my case it does display the track, album, play time etc on the
>> car's screen.
>>
>>
What car is that? Spotify doesn't give full functionality on my Golf which has the same set up as the op's
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - Crankcase
Toyota Auris, and I know it does the same on a Prius.

 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - CGNorwich
Spotify do state that because of the different specs from car to car they cannot guarantee compatibility.
 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - Crankcase
Wouldn't be without it though. Listened to so much obscure stuff it's not true, none of which I'd ever have found or bought otherwise.

 Volkswagen Passat - Music and an i-Pod - CGNorwich
Yes, Spotify is great and 8 currently subscribe. Like the look of Google Music though and intend to see if it's compatible withe the car's ICE. If it is I might change over. It's the same price And in my opinion has a better interface. 60 days free subscription too.

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