I ended up buying a Sandisk high speed 128Gb SD card and it works great.

On the other hand, I also discovered that the car supports the bluetooth audio control protocol and so I can stream directly from my Android phone, control the playback and even see the audio track info in the car displays. It's more compressed so doesn't sound quite as good of course. But it's a real plus if you have a music subscription service. You can basically download anything the service offers to your phone and play it in your car. If you like it and want higher quality you can buy the uncompressed version.

 

The uncompressed version of what? Bluetooth streaming is, by its nature, not capable of high-resolution bitrates, even in the latest 4.0x versions and A2DP protocols. Algorithms such as Apt-X help combat this, but the trick with those is that both the source device and reproduction device have to use the algorithm -- and that's contributed to the non-adoption of an algorithm standard in the consumer audio space.

Bluetooth simply can't deliver high-resolution audio, which is why I personally don't use wireless headphones unless absolutely necessary.

 

Like Viffermike, I use SD cards for the reasons mentioned. I bought a pair of 32GB SD cards and ripped CD's to Hi-res (ALAC) music files. I haven't tried using USB thumb drive, but I do stream from my iTune Library on my iPhone. I find that the music ripped from CD's to Hi-res is consistently better sounding than music from my iPhone (AirPlay). However, sound quality is dependent on the source including ripped CD's.

I also stream radio stations from TuneIn and Simple Radio with great results as well.

I still have Sirius/XM after the free trial period, although, I'm only paying $5/month.

 

I've used both the USB and SD card. Both work fine. The SD card is in a more protected position. The USB places a flash drive in a more vulnerable place where it could be damaged.

Actually, I like the Jukebook in the 718. This is just a sort of on-board flashdrive that allows easy transfer (from USB or SD). Easy to delete and replace music as needed. It may not be big enough storage for some of you but it easily has enough capacity for someone like me.

And yes, when the satellite ended, I started using Jukebox more too.

 

Just bumping this hoping for more input on USB v. SD as my satellite radio free trial is about to end.

 

I use a SanDisk Cruzer Fit 32GB USB 2.0 Low-Profile Flash Drive to play music in my 981. (There is a USB slot in my glove compartment.) I got tired of listening to the music on Sirius/XM. The flash drive gives me several hundred of my favorite tunes . . . with plenty of room left over.

 

Pschaw.

I have 105GB of FLAC files on an SD card in my 718; songs number in the thousands. It loads far quicker, and is searchable far quicker and easier, than a thumb drive.

OP (and everyone else), keep in mind that:
- SD cards are designed for quick data transfer; most USB drives are not.
- Good SD cards are designed to operate at relatively extreme temperatures; most USB drives are not.
- The 718 can take up to a 128GB SD card in each slot; that means a max of 256GB of digital files. I have no idea what the limit is for thumb drives, but it's likely not that high.
- The 718 can play almost every type of hi-res audio file except AIFF and OGG.
- Why take up the thumb drive slot when it can be used for other things (particularly the one in the center console)? With the SD slots, you can just stick it in and pretty much forget it ...

To me, SD cards are a no-brainer in our cars.

 

This is all good info. But, can you play Doom in your Porsche?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRMpNA86e8Q

 

This is all good info. But, can you play Doom in your Porsche?



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRMpNA86e8Q

Meh. No Rosamund, no interest

 

Shrug. I would be happy not having a screen at all, but I don't mind the video functionality. I don't think I'd ever use it, but I can see it being used for a passenger, for being stuck in traffic (I waited 45min once for a road to clear), or just waiting in a parked car for a passenger to arrive. I would probably use my phone before the car's screen because I guess it would turn itself off after ten minutes or so just as the radio would.

I guess support for video games is next.

 

I use both.

The USB port has an old 32GB iPhone connected that is now in use as an iPod. The only thing that doesn't happen is that the tracks don't get flagged as played. This isn't a big deal for me as I record Radio Paradise via Radio Lover and just update the recording when the music gets stale.

The SD card is currently used primarily for concert video playing. I think it's a 64GB and it works fine.

I also have an old 8GB iPod connected to the AUX input for "favourites".

Greg

 

Thanks Greg...

Anyone else using USB or SD with their 718 for music and noticed any difference in performance (song access etc.) and/or features?