losiglow

iTrader: (1)

I know there have been a few folks that have used the Grom units here but it seems like the iSimple, USA Spec and Dice units are more popular. But since the Grom unit has worked great for me and their tech support have been very helpful I figured I'd give them a shout out.

I researched all of these but eventually settled on the Grom because it was the least expensive and I didn't need all the bells and whistles. Their units have some features you can get extra such as bluetooth, iPod cable, USB stick w/CD changer capability, etc. but their basic unit doesn't include these by default. You have to add them or get the next unit up. This is actually a benefit because if all you need is an aux stereo cable, you're not forced to buy all the extra's (which may be included with other units but you're only kidding yourself i you don't think you're paying for them. Nothing's free).

The unit was easy to install, similar to all the others, by plugging their cable into the XM radio slot in the head unit then plugging the XM radio cable into their cable. Another cable branches off which goes to the Grom box. From there, you can plug in two aux cables (or iPod, samsung, etc.) for sound input. It comes with a standard stereo jack aux cable as well as an additional slot for ipod or Samsung Galaxy phone cables which have to be purchased seperately for around $20.

I purchased the Samsung cable which is supposed to plug into Samsung phones and act the same as an aux cable but also charge the phone. Unfortunately mine didn't work so well. It played back music fine and charged the phone like it's supposed to. But it seemed to pick up interference which created a lot of background noise in the music. It took me a while to track this down. I thought for sure this was the XM radio at first but then figured out it was the cable when I began experimenting with the Samsung vs. standard aux cable setup. Once I contacted their support and told them about the problem, they explained that this sound wasn't normal and were happy to send me a new one for free. I haven't received it yet but we'll see if it works better. But in the mean time, the standard aux cable works fine and is interference free. It doesn't charge the phone but that isn't a deal breaker. I have the Samsung Galaxy S 4G which has a pretty good battery. Plus, it doesn't use much when just playing back music.

This unit, like most others, requires ripping the dash apart so you can plug in the cable to back of the head unit. You can avoid actually removing the head unit if you have nimble enough hands to reach back and unplug the XM and plug in the Grom cable. You'll definitely have to remove the console, gear shift plate and little cubby assembly under the head unit. It's a pain but do-able. Since I've taken the console and dash apart before it was all of a 20 minute job. But make sure you know how to properly remove the console before you go at it. It's not hard to break something if you're not careful.

The sound is excellent and the XM is still useable if you'd like. There is one drawback: if you have the XM enabled, you'll hear a little bleedthrough when the music is soft. This seems to be a common problem with many systems that use this interface. I don't use XM, so I simply unplugged the antenna to the XM unit which is located on the right (passenger side) pillar in the trunk. You have to remove the lining to get to it. It's hidden behind the piller, attached with three bolts. If you do this, only unplug the antenna. Do not unplug the cable from the XM module. The XM has to be functioning in order for the Grom unit to work and the head unit to even switch to the XM function. This isn't a drawback though since when you remove the antenna cable, no sound will come through XM. You'll get an "XM Antenna" displayed on the dash (non-navi) but that's it.

This unit isn't for everyone. If you like your XM but are annoyed by a slight bit of bleedthrough this may not be for you. But if you don't need XM and can simply unplug it (the antenna, not the main cable) or you listen to mostly louder music which will easily overpower the tiny bit of bleedthrough, then I'd go with it. The unit features head unit control for iPod's but not for the Samsung phones. It has a bunch of other features (USB flash drive/CD changer emulation) but I don't use that. And that's on the more expensive ($120) unit. I got the standard aux unit which doesn't have that feature. It's only $79.99. With the samsung cable I purchased plus shipping I was looking at less than $110.

Longevity is anyone's guess. I've only had it for a week. But they come with a one year warranty and none of the reviews on Amazon mentioned any failing units. Upgradeability is good too. While all I need is an aux cable for now, It's good to know I could add bluetooth or iPod capability down the road if I wanted (for a nominal charge).

All in all I'd say it was a great purchase. I'm finally done with the DVD-A stuff. I even purchased a full copy of Circlina a few months ago. Guess I won't be needing it now. I can fit all my music on a 16GB card on my phone. . And for those who use a Samsung or other smart phone, the "Car Tunes" app is great. It's all voice activated so you can just speak the artist or keywords in a song and it automatically plays. So far it's been a lot safer than skipping through different DVD's and groups in the head unit.

spidds

Are you able to use to steering wheel controls to change the music? also, If I use to usb flash drive, or samsung phone, will I be able to view track, artist, song, info on my navi screen?

10percenter

Thanks for the review.

One question...where did you install the Grom unit? I have been looking into getting one but can't find where it actually mounts.

geekybiker

So no steering wheel controls with the Samsung? How about the track info on the HU? That was my primary interest in the grom unit. Going from two cables to one isn't a big enough win to switch.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

There's a newer version of the GROM that should be much better and affordable now with total integration, I've heard.

J.

nobrakes

Got my TL a month ago and this is the first mod I did besides the tinted side markers. It works really well. I'm using a Nexus 4 with it. Here's a quick video of it in use. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/79534926/20130225_181606.mp4