[pinkfrost]

Does anyone know if the Phatbox MP3 player will work in a 335i Logic system radio? The phatbox hooks up to the CD changer in older 3 series models and I am wondering if it could possibly work in the changer of an '07...

thanx

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by pinkfrost

d I am wondering if it could possibly work in the changer of an '07...

thanx

no

[uofmtiger]

You would have to find an adapter and you would also need a kenwood display. They currently do not have a way to tie into the optical system on the new BMWs.

Here is how I did it.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by uofmtiger

You would have to find an adapter and you would also need a kenwood display.

No, that is not correct at all. A Phatbox will not connect to a Kenwood display. Please be careful not to give out incorrect information. The Phatbox connects directly to the BMW CD changer port on I-Bus cars but will not connect to the CD port on MOST bus cars.

In addition, the Phatbox does NOT support a display - it uses text-to-speech technology which they call SSA. You can read about it here

[obLu]

You would have to find an adapter and you would also need a kenwood display.

Uh, from his website it appears he did just that.

Oh, or are we arguing over whether a "music keg" is the same thing as a "phatbox"? Otherwise I don't get it, looks like he got it to work.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by obLu

Uh, from his website it appears he did just that.

Oh, or are we arguing over whether a "music keg" is the same thing as a "phatbox"? Otherwise I don't get it, looks like he got it to work.

It's not an argument, it's two different products that share some hardware but are very different, esp. in operation and UI.

The thread is about a Phatbox which works with many BMWs and cannot and does not use a Kenwood receiver as an interface.

[Jean330xi]

Not surprisingly, JS is spot on - it is absurd for someone to say Phatbox but have a completely different product.

[uofmtiger]

No, that is not correct at all. A Phatbox will not connect to a Kenwood display. Please be careful not to give out incorrect information. The Phatbox connects directly to the BMW CD changer port on I-Bus cars but will not connect to the CD port on MOST bus cars.

I actually had the Phatbox and the Keg. Once again, THE PHATBOX WILL WORK WITH A KENWOOD DISPLAY WITH A KHD-5L1 ADAPTER!!!! PLEASE RESEARCH BEFORE ACCUSING ME OF POSTING INCORRECT INFO!!

Info from Phatbox when asked if it would work with my BMW Phatbox:

"You can use a Kenwood head unit or the Kenwood FM Modulator (which sends an FM signal to your stock stereo). You may purchase a Kenwood Cable from Pacific Coast Parts, Kenwood's distributor. Their website is www.pacparts.com. The part number is KHD-5L1. Please note that PhatNoise is not affiliated with Pacific Coast Parts in any way.

Please let us know if we may assist you further.

Best regards,

PhatNoise Customer Support"

Contact Jennifer at Phatnoise if you want to confirm this information.

The part was on backorder and I had a road trip planned before it got to me, so I went ahead and ordered a Keg (it was not much more than the price of the cable which was $50 at the time). The Kenwood software can be installed on the Phatbox and visa versa.

"What is the difference between the PhatNoise Car Audio System and the Kenwood Music Keg?
The Kenwood Music Keg is very similar to the PhatBox, but it's not quite the same. The Kenwood Music Keg is a slightly newer revision of the hardware, it has different firmware, etc.; most importantly, however, is the fact that it is specifically compatible with Kenwood head units. But by and large, it behaves exactly the same once you get it in the car. And if you want more storage, the Kenwood Music Keg uses the exact same DMS cartridges as the PhatBox

I am using my Phatbox 60GB cartridge with the Kenwood Keg.

Furthermore:

Can I move the PhatBox from one vehicle to another?
Generally, only systems purchased directly through the PhatNoise online store can be used in different vehicles. You will need a cable (contact support@phatnoise.com for one), and the firmware for that vehicle (available to everyone).

There are some limitations, however. Ford-compatible PhatBoxes are uniquely designed for Ford electronics, and cannot be used in other vehicles. Also, older PhatBoxes were not equipped with the electronics necessary in some of the newer vehicles.

The details:

If you purchased a PhatNoise PhatBox directly from the PhatNoise online store for any vehicle except Ford/Lincoln/Mercury prior to May 5, 2003 you may move your PhatNoise PhatBox to a compatible BMW, Ferrari, Traffic Pro, Sony, Porsche, or Kenwood vehicle.
If you purchased your PhatNoise PhatBox directly from our online store after May 5, 2003, you may move your PhatNoise CAS to a compatible Acura, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Kenwood, Porsche, Scion, Sony, Toyota, or Traffic Pro vehicle.
Ford Edition PhatNoise PhatBox may only be transferred to another compatible Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury vehicle.

[uofmtiger]

Originally Posted by Jean330xi

Not surprisingly, JS is spot on - it is absurd for someone to say Phatbox but have a completely different product.

And you are absurd for posting about something you know nothing about. Waiting for the apologies to roll in...

[uofmtiger]

In addition, the Phatbox does NOT support a display

This is also wrong. It does support displays, even without the Kenwood Firmware. You have to have a TrafficPro head unit for it to do so. Back when Phatnoise had a forum, there were BMW E46 owners that installed the TrafficPro to get the display. They also liked the way it blended it with the orange lights in the E46.

Several people went this route before the VIOT software was available..



Here is the Phatbox in my E46:




I still own the Phatbox and will eventually put it up on eBay. I just have not gotten around to it yet.

[canucklion]

+ 1

Originally Posted by obLu

Uh, from his website it appears he did just that.

Oh, or are we arguing over whether a "music keg" is the same thing as a "phatbox"? Otherwise I don't get it, looks like he got it to work.

[uofmtiger]

Oh, or are we arguing over whether a "music keg" is the same thing as a "phatbox"? Otherwise I don't get it, looks like he got it to work.

Just to clarify, they are not the same out of the box. You have to buy the adapter and install the Kenwood firmware on the Phatbox. Then the setup is exactly the same.

The Phathack website has a forum that explains what the KHD-5L1 looks like. It is fairly straight forward, you pull out the Phatbox adapter that is attached to the Blitzsafe and plug in the KHD-5L1. The other end is compatible with the Kenwood displays.

[firstkill]

could you post the dimensions of the head unit you are using?


THanks
fk

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by uofmtiger

I actually had the Phatbox and the Keg. Once again, THE PHATBOX WILL WORK WITH A KENWOOD DISPLAY WITH A KHD-5L1 ADAPTER!!!!

If you install Kenwood software and buy the kenwood cable/adapter, then yes it will work but you can't take a Phatbox and just plug it into a Kenwood.

I realize that you were not going into detail because the topic was whether youc can connect the PB to MOST BMWs, which you can't as there is no MOST adapter.

The problem is that I didn't want to leave anyone with the misimpression that you can just plug one into the other or that they are interchangeable.

But thank you for further clarifying what the commonalities and differences are - it's too bad that there is no MOST adapter.

[JSpira]

Question for uofm

Your installation is ingenious (I looked on your link) but I wonder if you considered the pros and cons of using your existing PB cartridge versus getting the BMW Interface for MOST cars which is a fully integrated way of playing digital music (which cannot of course support FLAC, so the PB has the upper hand if you use FLAC).

[uofmtiger]

The problem is that I didn't want to leave anyone with the misimpression that you can just plug one into the other or that they are interchangeable.

Then you should have clarified instead of stating "No, that is not correct at all. A Phatbox will not connect to a Kenwood display. Please be careful not to give out incorrect information". I did not go into detail, but I said he would need an adapter. You could have pointed out the adapter needed instead of saying it was incorrect. My post was CORRECT! Please ask me to clarify in the future before saying that I posted incorrect information.

Your installation is ingenious (I looked on your link) but I wonder if you considered the pros and cons of using your existing PB cartridge versus getting the BMW Interface for MOST cars which is a fully integrated way of playing digital music (which cannot of course support FLAC, so the PB has the upper hand if you use FLAC).

Are you referring to the iPod interface? If so, it was not available when I bought my car. I have not researched it since then, but does it use a technology similar to VIOT or SSA? I have thousands of songs on my Keg and the VIOT software makes it very easy to go from The Beatles to James Brown.

VIOT:

Our patent pending Voice Indexing interface is unlike any other interface available for the car. Using voice prompting, the PhatNoise PhatBox reads album, artist, genre, and playlist names to you while you drive.Our patent pending Voice Indexing interface is unlike any other interface available for the car. Using voice prompting, the PhatNoise PhatBox reads album, artist, genre, and playlist names to you while you drive.

You can read more and see a Flash Demo here.

I would not have gone this route if there was not Voice Prompting. I can drive with my eyes on the road and get to any album in my collection in a matter of seconds. If the iPod interface had this ability when I bought the car, I probably would have gone that route.

[uofmtiger]

could you post the dimensions of the head unit you are using?

From Crutchfield (although the unit is cheaper at Etronics):

(display)6-1/16"W x 1-3/4"H x 3/4"D

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-It48cmo...asp?i=113R71FM

If you go this route, make sure you get the KCA-R71FM instead of the R70FM. The R71 has RCA outputs so you can run it through the aux input in the center console.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by uofmtiger

Then you should have clarified instead of stating "No, that is not correct at all. A Phatbox will not connect to a Kenwood display. Please be careful not to give out incorrect information". I did not go into detail, but I said he would need an adapter. You could have pointed out the adapter needed instead of saying it was incorrect. My post was CORRECT! Please ask me to clarify in the future before saying that I posted incorrect information.

Truly sorry about that. I posted incorrect info at that point! Glad we are able to clarify.

Originally Posted by uofmtiger

Are you referring to the iPod interface? If so, it was not available when I bought my car. I have not researched it since then, but does it use a technology similar to VIOT or SSA? I have thousands of songs on my Keg and the VIOT software makes it very easy to go from The Beatles to James Brown.

I would not have gone this route if there was not Voice Prompting. I can drive with my eyes on the road and get to any album in my collection in a matter of seconds. If the iPod interface had this ability when I bought the car, I probably would have gone that route.

Yes, I'm referring to the iPod interface, which I have had since June and which became generally available in September.

I agree that the VIOT software can be very quick but I did miss the ability to see text when I had the PB in my 5er.

The beauty of the iPod interface is that the Onbord Monitor is designed to be within the driver's field of vision so you don't really take your eyes off the road when looking down. Its size allows for a lot of info on the Monitor.

There is no VIOT or SSA equivalent however. The iPod is controlled using the iDrive controller in a fashion similar to the clickwheel on the iPod.

One thing the iPod does have in terms of intelligence over the PB (correct me if they have added this to the PB recently) is smart playlists. These are very useful devices when set up correctly.

[uofmtiger]

There is no VIOT or SSA equivalent however. The iPod is controlled using the iDrive controller in a fashion similar to the clickwheel on the iPod.

I did not opt for iDrive, so that would definitely affect my decision. You still have to take your eyes off the road without voice regardless of where the text is located and navigating through a 10,000+ song portfolio would take longer than I wanted.

If I have the choice between text or voice, I will take voice control. If I could add a a great GUI and voice, I would take that.

I did look into getting the Traffic Pro setup with my E46. It seemed to offer the best of both worlds, but in the end, I decided that text was not that important. My current Kenwood display offers one line of text and I rarely look at it.

When it comes down to it, the iDrive iPod setup has a coolness factor that I know would impress my friends and neighbors. However, for everyday use, I would prefer voice indexing. It is just easier to navigate while I am driving. Oh, and there are people that think that part is cool, too.

In a way, this reminds me of the Pronto LCD remote (before they added tons of hard buttons) versus a, much less pretty, hard buttoned remote debate. The hard buttoned remote never required me to look down. While the Pronto had a coolness factor that was unequaled but I had to take my eyes off the TV. I ended up using the MX-700 hard button remote much more often and the Pronto is now in my bedroom and my hard buttoned remotes are in the living room. I since also added a Harmony 880 which has a decent LCD display and hard buttons. I prefer it for looks and usability. Which goes back to my point that I like to drive with my eyes on the road and navigate with voice controls. If I had a choice, I would take the iDrive GUI with voice, but as it is, voice is the better route for daily use IMO. Of course, I spend more time on the highway than sitting at red lights because of my commute, so that may affect my choices.

One thing the iPod does have in terms of intelligence over the PB (correct me if they have added this to the PB recently) is smart playlists. These are very useful devices when set up correctly.

I rarely use playlists. I do have Moodlogic on one of my computers, but I usually listen by album and sometimes by genre. What is a "smart" playlist? They may have added it, but I rarely use playlists, so I am not sure. I can always test it and find out. I am just not sure what to test.

I am not here to debate the best choice for media playback. I know many would prefer the GUI of the iDrive setup. I did explain my choices and why I made them, but if you prefer text, then go that route. Like I mentioned, I do not have iDrive and I prefer voice indexing.

[pinkfrost]

Well, it seems I have to sell my Phatbox which I love to bits. I liked having the voice control to scroll through the songs. And the Phatbox isnt picky on what MP3s are allowed to go on it either unlike the Ipod. I already phoned Phatbox and told them they better come up with a way to be compatible with all future models of BMWs if they hope to be in business in a year. The girl said they would have to get new licensing and stuff. I think they should have thought of that before.

[msimon18]

Hey, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Blitzsafe indicated to me in an e-mail last week that they expcet to have Phatbox interface for the MOST interface by the end of April.

So... if you like the audio operation of the Pahtbox don't sell it for awhile.