Music disappointment

[electruck]

I've used all the combinations. There are some minor differences. What have you found best?

R1S is likely a bit different from R1T in this regard but biggest impact for me, by far, was adjusting the fader so the F/R was centered toward the back of the 2nd row. From the factory, it was positioned over the first row and the reflections from the windshield were overwhelming making everything sound harsh and like all the sound was coming out of the windshield. Because of that, I initially turned off the 3D Surround effect. Once the F/R fade was sorted I enabled the Enhanced 3D Surround. And custom EQ to my liking, of course.

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[Ingo B]

I'm a Windows guy and I use Media Player (sometimes). I found out something that could be useful. I copied some plain mp3 files into music in internal storage on my Android phone. I used a file browser to find the file. When I clicked the file, it asked if I wanted to use Youtube to play the file, I answered yes. I pressed the phone icon on the Rivian's infotainment screen and the sound came out of the car's sound system, not the phone (at least I didn't hear the phone). The picture on the screen said "Not available", but I got sound anyway. You could lay the phone on the charger pad and play music indefinitely. I think if I had an app that would play mp3 files and create a playlist, like Windows Media Player does, I would be happy. Is there such an app? I haven't found one yet. It still isn't the same as having a media player built into the car, but it is free and you wouldn't loose signal in remote areas. I live in a rural area with few FM stations.

Conceptually, that's the same as Bluetooth. Not mad at that, just pointing it out.

I use an old (like, iPhone 4 old) to play my mixes (former DJ) via BT. It sounds fine, and auto-stops/starts when the truck is off/on, and (mostly) remembers where it left off between drives. The biggest gripe for me is having to power the device. I don't want to leave it powered indefinitely, but the device battery is worn badly. I have to manually turn the outlets on and off. Not a huge deal, but it is an extra step that if forgotten, could result it the player dying mid-drive. A dumb USB stick eliminates all of that.

 

[56huck]

I agree, for when I'm driving through the mountains. Not a big fan of planning ahead and downloading music locally, I like more of a variety.

Another vote for Satellite radio. I live in the west and broadcast radio can be difficult, but I can almost always get Sirius XM

 

[87Ducks]

Sattelite radio would be nice, I am going out on some back roads today and will likely have not FM or streaming available.

Right on. Have had my RIT since March. Love the vehicle but the 2 biggest things i miss from my old ( and much less expensive) Ridgeline are a multi function tailgate and XM Radio. I like listening to live sports and also be able to switch back and forth between my favorite channels - which is really difficult while driving and using the XM App.
Also, there are miles of cellular dead spots on the Oregon mountain pass highways as well as at many of the lakes and rivers. There are very few places satellite is not available.
This is a stange ommission for an "adventure" vehicle.

 

[wicked2112]

Sattelite radio would be nice, I am going out on some back roads today and will likely have not FM or streaming available.

I stream XM Radio through my phone via Bluetooth. Works like a charm!

 

[electruck]

I stream XM Radio through my phone via Bluetooth. Works like a charm!

Sure, so long as you have cell service. I seem to recall changing channels had to be done through the phone app as well, that still the case?

 

[Count Orlok]

I've had my Rivian for a week or two. Possibly my only disappointment is the lack of a port for connecting a USB memory stick for playing music. Every other car I know of can do this. Am I missing something? The bluetooth seems to only work with a phone. It seems that you are limited to broadcast radio-type music sources like Tidal and Spotify and Pandora. I'd love to be able to use my music library. This seems totally nuts.

I mostly stream XM #74 via phone bluetooth or my own tunes from my phone. I recently got a free amzn music promo and have been using it but I don't see it replacing XM #74 or paying for it to play my own library.

 

[Steve A.]

Sure, so long as you have cell service. I seem to recall changing channels had to be done through the phone app as well, that still the case?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I though the Sirius/XM mobile app like the Spotify app and many others lets you cache as many songs/playlists as your microSD card (512g) can hold, no?

Also, the Sirius/XM app has a LOT more channels available than any of the in-auto receivers that I've ever owned which is why I cancelled my other vehicle's Sirius/XM account and use the streaming subscription instead.

 

[electruck]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I though the Sirius/XM mobile app like the Spotify app and many others lets you cache as many songs/playlists as your microSD card (512g) can hold, no?

Also, the Sirius/XM app has a LOT more channels available than any of the in-auto receivers that I've ever owned which is why I cancelled my other vehicle's Sirius/XM account and use the streaming subscription instead.

Yes, their streaming option offers more channels than their satellite service. I never used the streaming option, precisely because it required either a cellular connection or downloading content for playing offline. If I'm going to download for offline playback, I have much better options than SXM in terms of sound quality. I also don't stream SXM from my in-home system because sound quality lacks vs most of the competetion so there's absolutely nothing compelling enough about SXM to warrant a subscription to yet another music service just for crappy offline playback in-vehicle. I'm also not attached to any particular content that's unique to SXM.

The one time I did try SXM on my phone over BT in the car, there was no way to change SXM channels via BT. Had to do that through the app which was a no-go for me.

 

[JeffSTX]

I tried using SXM via the phone app over Bluetooth on my 2 hour commute yesterday and it was miserable. I have about 25 stations in my favorites and like to skip around a lot, which is difficult via the phone app as you have to scroll through your list (reading while driving) and click on one, then click Favorites and scroll down to the next one you want to try and click on it. Not fun. I haven’t had a vehicle in 15 years that didn’t have satellite radio. At the price point of the Rivian, it’s a huge miss.

 

[azbill]

I stream XM Radio through my phone via Bluetooth. Works like a charm!

Even in area s with no cell service?

 

[azbill]

Here w we’re last weekend in Crown King, AZ. Only service there is Verizon. Our phones are T-Mobile and the truck is ATT. The saloon

had music though!

 

[jwanderson88]

I thought I would follow up and mention that I found a free app on my phone that lets me play an entire album (mp3 files in my phone's memory) and stream it through the car stereo system. It sounds good. That's really mostly what I wanted. When I want to change albums I usually pull over and select a new one. It's clunky, but it works. It will get me by. I guess I could create a playlist. No app is "free". It's riddled with ads. Anyway, there are options. Maybe Rivian will come up with a USB solution if enough people want it.

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