Audi, VW: Why iPod? Connect your car radio to an USB stick!

You don't need to iPod your car: Just take an ordinary USB stick with your music on and connect it to nearly all of the original radios of VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda. And all that for just 199 Euro including tax!

Solisto is an MP3-Player that can be connected to nearly all of the original radios of VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda. The Solisto replaces a CD changer and the music is stored on a USB stick instead of having to worry about damageable CDs.

The Solisto "talks" to the radio just like a CD changer does, i.e. the radio won't even recognise that it is not a CD changer.

Solisto features a USB interface, so nearly every storage device with such a connector can be used. Examples are the very comfortable USB sticks but also USB adaptors for different kinds of flash memory (SD, Compact Flash, Memory Card, ...) or even external hard disks (please consult the data sheet for system requirements).

On the USB device, each of the "CDs" is represented by a directory ("CD1" to "CD6"). Each of the directories might contain up to 99 MP3 files - they are the "tracks" of the virtual CD. If one or more of those directories do not exist, the radio will think that the respective slots of the "CD changer" are empty. It is no problem to store other data on the device, the Solisto will simply ignore that.

The device needs to be formatted with FAT16 (this is the standard of most devices anyway), so its maximum size is limited to 2GB. If your storage device is bigger you can create more partitions to fully use it, but Solisto will only be able to access the first partition.

The Solisto is treated by the radio exactly like a CD changer, so that you can use all of the standard buttons and displays of your radio. You can start using it as soon as a USB device is connected to the Solisto.

Most radios have a button for "Shuffle"-play - with this Solisto will start playing songs in a random order. The button "Scan" on a radio will make Solisto play 10 seconds of the middle of each song. When switching off the radio, the Solisto will remember the current song and start playing back at that point after switching on the radio again. The storage device can be removed and replaced during playback.

Installation is easiest if a connector for a CD changer is already installed in the boot or glove compartment. This is the case with many newer cars and you will only need to connect the Solisto with a short cable. You don't need to be an expert because it is really plug & play.

If there is no pre-installed cable, Solisto can be connected to the radio directly. The device is quite small (100x55x24 mm), so the glove compartment is an adequate place for the Solisto. You will need a connection cable of about 1m length. It must be run from the glove compartment to the radio bay. Then the radio must be pulled forward to plug in the cable. The Solisto can be installed at nearly any place in the car, please consider the necessary length of the cable when ordering.