Q520009

Are there any advantages to using an SD card vs an iPod for storing one's music library in the car? I'd be copying my music files from iTunes. Right now I don't have either, so I'm trying to figure out whether to buy an old Nano off of eBay or whether to get an SD card and reader instead.

Thanks for any advice...

GregH

With the iPod, you do have the benefit of the filing system that these units use. In other words you can choose to display your music by artist, track, album, genre, recently played. With SD you can't do that.

Personally I prefer to use a hard drive plugged into the AMI (same as SD when it comes to filing system) and create my own folder structure. just my preference, you may see the iPod as better.

JohnBoyToo

I was about to say use the built in SD card reader under the cd slot for better quality sound than the ipod, but I guess u have a 2009 based on your login name ?!?

and don't have the sd readers ?!?

we have tried both the ipod, sd cards, hdd, and cd....
all have different quality of sound based on the compression and decompression each has to do or not do...

Q520009

Nope, 2012! That's just my zip code.

luv2golf

The primary difference is that the digital to analog (D/A) converter in the iPod is inferior to the head unit in the Q5. This is especially true for B&O and Nav equipped Q's as the main trunk line between the amplifier (its in the cargo compartment) and the head unit (in the dash) is a fibre optic (i.e. pure digital) cable link. I only encode in 320kbps from a lossless source (APE, FLAC and WAV) and while mp3 is a lossy format there is a noticeable difference between 320kbps and 128kbps and a less noticeable difference with 320kbps and the lossless source.

GregH

Luv2golf, not wanting to hijack this thread but you say that an SD card will give better audio quality over an iPod assuming the same bit rate is used. Would this also be true of a hard disc plugged into the AMI in the glovebox?

Zigaroo

I like the SD over iPod. I have 2 SD of 32G, so lots of music. Easy to go from album, artist or song. IPod is too cumbersome, need to take it out of glove compartment every time i need it, while SD is kept in car.

mcd527

I think a lot depends on how tech-savvy you are, along with how committed you are to the Apple/iPod paradigm for music.

Using SD cards, you can copy, delete and re-arrange music through any file management program on your computer. At the cost of flash memory nowdays (under a dollar a gig), it is just way too simple to have a collection of different SD cards for your various musical "moods".

If, OTOH, you are really into the whole iPod "experience" and prefer working with iTunes and a separate device, then go with the cable into the glove box.