Anyone figure out how to connect an USB audio player to the JBL Trail 4100?

[ostrichdaddy]

The source button shows bluetooth and usb (and fm, etc) but plugging iphone into usb in either the dash compartment or armrest console just charge, no audio. guessing usb in dash compartment is only for updating maps n s/w?

2024 Northstar fwiw. Thanks!

 

[Sponge60]

The USB port in my glovebox works for my music stick. But I haven't tried to tether my phone (samsung)

 

[DogRunner2]

Different music services aren't formatted to play thru the usb.I use Amazon music,downloaded on my phone. It doesn't play.

 

[rlegal]

I plugged my iPad into the USB port in the glove box and have no problem playing whatever I would like.

 

[BugleLake]

I plugged my iPad into the USB port in the glove box and have no problem playing whatever I would like.

Really? I can't get my iPad to connect via USB or Bluetooth. Are you doing anything special to when connecting?

Thanks

Rob

 

[rlegal]

Really? I can't get my iPad to connect via USB or Bluetooth. Are you doing anything special to when connecting?

Thanks

Rob

You will need to connect to the usb port in the glove box. I did relocate mine.

 

[BugleLake]

You will need to connect to the usb port in the glove box. I did relocate mine.

Yeah, I tried that and also tried selecting input via USB - neither worked. I cant even get my iPad to connect via bluetooth...

 

[rlegal]

The Bluetooth works with nothing but a phone. The iPad should play music using the usb in the glovebox and the usb connection on your radio for audio.

 

[ostrichdaddy]

Using the plug in the glovebox did not work using either an iphone 15 pro OR an ipad. I need to find a usb stick to load some mp3’s on to see whether it will recognize them

Bluetooth is AWFUL on this bad boy with iphone15. Very Choppy. Sometimes turning off Bluetooth then back on fixes it after maybe two minutes, but it seems to stay choppy to the point where I just switched to FM. Love the machine, but it is so damn loud. I feel like I need some kind of background noise. I’ll check with the dealer and Polaris whether they offer the quiet clutch for free as in other threads but not counting on it.

 

[JTBarlow]

Using the plug in the glovebox did not work using either an iphone 15 pro OR an ipad. I need to find a usb stick to load some mp3’s on to see whether it will recognize them

Bluetooth is AWFUL on this bad boy with iphone15. Very Choppy. Sometimes turning off Bluetooth then back on fixes it after maybe two minutes, but it seems to stay choppy to the point where I just switched to FM. Love the machine, but it is so damn loud. I feel like I need some kind of background noise. I’ll check with the dealer and Polaris whether they offer the quiet clutch for free as in other threads but not counting on it.

If your Xpedition is late ‘24 model or newer, it already has the Polaris clutch fix. It doesn’t really reduce noise all that much. Just lowers the rpms by a couple hundred.
I use my iPhone 15 pro for streaming pandora in my Xpedition via Bluetooth, and while it occasionally cuts out, it’s minimal and not enough to be an issue.
Curious about the location of your phone when trying to use Bluetooth. Mine is typically in my shirt pocket or on the Quad Lock mount on the dash. So nothing blocking it.

 

[ostrichdaddy]

I need to check out the clutch fix more, have seen the quiet clutch part and some saying their dealer installing it for free, is that what y’all mean, or is there a simple s/w fix that dealer or I can install? Lower RPMs welcomed

I have the ram ball mount kit installed on top of the dash, literally right over the ride command. Have tried shirt pocket, down by the keys and other locations but cannot get thru one song without severe chopping. It is easily the worst bluetooth unit I own, including every car or 15 speakers, my iphone has zero trouble with anything else.

Once stopped, it is better but still not perfect, and I have tried spotify, amazon music and apple music.

Maybe it is due for a trip to the dealer to see what they can do for the clutch and this stereo. Drives nice tho!

 

[JTBarlow]

You could check the ride command firmware. The latest update is RC2415. Easy enough to update that and see if it helps. You can download the update from the Ride Command website onto a thumb drive, and upload it in the machine.
I’ve found that re-updating the Ride Command, even if it’s on the latest firmware, can fix glitches sometimes.

 

[ostrichdaddy]

Thanks JT, I will do that and report back, but will be away from xhex for about 2 weeks - stand by

 

[ostrichdaddy]

Finally found time to update firmware:

https://ridecommand.polaris.com/en-us/app/display/

Took her out for a couple rides, and would say it’s better but not resolved yet.

TMI: used both an iphone 15 nonpro and an iphone 13. Both used Amazon Music with all the files downloaded. Tried Apple Music on both also. Disabled any other earphones attached to bluetooth on both the phones and the ridecommand RC unit. Before connecting to RC, I rebooted iphones, turned off bluetooth then back on, waited 30 min or so for the phones to finish booting up.

• On each phone, the first 2-5 songs are VERY choppy, stop/start unlistenable. Then they do both seem to settle down but still get short 10 second bursts of chop for awhile, but better the longer you ride
• Neither still works connected directly to the USB port in the glovebox (which did work for updating firmware)
• Neither a sennheiser btd700 nor a fiio portable dac in bluetooth pairing mode were recognized by the RC Unit in pairing mode. The RC Unit DID recognize an old creative BT adapter in my garage but not these newer devices that I wanted to try as gateways to my phone instead of iphone native BT.
• all headphones I have tried with my phone work perfectly without any chop.

Best noise reduction experience so far is bt connection from both RN Unit and iphone and headphones with noise reduction enabled. Then toggle sound output from RN Unit to headphones in the RN display. Which yes totally bypasses the great sound of the RN Unit and does not allow the passenger to hear the music.

Hope Polaris keeps releasing firmware updates to eventually fix this, doubt I will waste much time at the dealer trying to convince them to replace the RN Unit.

Someday might just buy a USB music player to see if RN recognizes it, or just stay with FM radio, which does not enable to great potential of JBL.

 

[DogRunner2]

RC doesn't like Amazon music. Switched to Spotify and it works great.

 

[ostrichdaddy]

I wish it were that easy, I also have spotify for 2 more weeks and it has the exact same results as above for Amazon music for me - choppy on bluetooth and no worky on usb. Funny I actually switched from Spotify to Amazon Music for a few unrelated audiophileish reasons lately. I’m wondering if there are 2 USB ports on the RC Unit and my dealer installed the usb cord in the ‘service only, no music’ one? It works obviously for firmware but no music.

Will be away from xpedition now for 2 weeks, but appreciate any feedback if y’all got your music rolling!

 

[DogRunner2]

I wish it were that easy, I also have spotify for 2 more weeks and it has the exact same results as above for Amazon music for me - choppy on bluetooth and no worky on usb. Funny I actually switched from Spotify to Amazon Music for a few unrelated audiophileish reasons lately. I’m wondering if there are 2 USB ports on the RC Unit and my dealer installed the usb cord in the ‘service only, no music’ one? It works obviously for firmware but no music.

Will be away from xpedition now for 2 weeks, but appreciate any feedback if y’all got your music rolling!

Ya, I got my music rolling as described. Maybe a issue for your dealer?

 

[JTBarlow]

I wish it were that easy, I also have spotify for 2 more weeks and it has the exact same results as above for Amazon music for me - choppy on bluetooth and no worky on usb. Funny I actually switched from Spotify to Amazon Music for a few unrelated audiophileish reasons lately. I’m wondering if there are 2 USB ports on the RC Unit and my dealer installed the usb cord in the ‘service only, no music’ one? It works obviously for firmware but no music.

Will be away from xpedition now for 2 weeks, but appreciate any feedback if y’all got your music rolling!

There aren’t any usb ports on the Ride Command head unit. It’s all pin plugs. Since music files are just data, it should work the same as software updates. It’s just a matter of what the unit is programmed to allow.