Need recommendation for portable MP3 Player

[Squishman]

During my medical delivery route job, I listen to podcasts via USB drives in my 2018 Dodge Journey. I bought this vehicle with only 35k on it a couple months ago. There are 2 radio touchscreen sizes in the Journeys. I have the smaller one, probably less technical. So, my issue is that the podcasts can start over at any time. Some podcasts can go 90 minutes like the Megyn Kelly Show (one of my favorites), so it is futile to attempt to fast forward to where you were. Also, if you rewind a bit to re-hear a portion, it might go back 30 minutes, when you wanted perhaps to go back only 45 seconds! So the USB function on this radio is pretty heinous. I love the vehicle besides this.
So I think I need to find a drag and drop mp3 player. Drag and drop because I do not want to go through the hassle to tag the files each time and sync my iPod (such a hassle!). Does anyone know of a player? Preferably one that will play via USB connection. And if that fails I can just go aux (as in 1/8th inch line input). I prefer USB. I looked into Zune, but I hear that you need Zune software on your computer and that doesn't work on newer Windows OS. Probably have to tag the files too, and I'd like to avoid that. I always delete these files after I play them. No need for any tagging, unless a player only works that way.
It's a real drag my otherwise perfect delivery vehicle does this! I looked into upgrading to the larger touchscreen, but I haven't found one that works up to 2018. I think the latest possibility was 2015 model and that was very cost-prohibitive anyway.

My vehicle with this particular touchscreen has no Bluetooth connection (yeah, pretty primitive!), but I could definitly consider a player with BT as I think a BT reciever could be had pretty cheap that plugs into the aux. Hopefully someone has an idea or two!
Thanks!

 

[Squishman]

I found a cheap player with drag and drop and a BT receiver. Hopefully I don't have to tag the files.

 

[lovinthehd]

What did you get? In my vehicle I use a usb drive loaded with a ton of music for the most part (a usb port on my head unit), did use a bluetooth receiver with it for a while in the aux, tho, but gave it away.

 

[Squishman]

What did you get? In my vehicle I use a usb drive loaded with a ton of music for the most part (a usb port on my head unit), did use a bluetooth receiver with it for a while in the aux, tho, but gave it away.

I got this one. Came this morning but haven't opened it yet. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXXF1VHZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[Squishman]

I charged it and then dragged an untagged file onto it. And it works! Sounds good too. My BT aux adapter comes later today. It is 16 GB, which is plenty for what I need it to do. Expandable with a micro SD card. It has nice graphics too. Has a spinning record with a tonearm when playing an mp3. Then goes to an analog clock. It doesn't need any software. It just shows up as a drive. Perfect!

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Why not just use your phone?

 

[Squishman]

Because I don't have an unlimited data plan.

 

[Squishman]

Why not just use your phone?

Wait a sec. Are you saying for files or streaming? Some of the podcasts are not downloadable, that I have found anyway. So I record them. I didn't think about files on the phone. That's alright. This player is fine.

 

[tyhjaarpa]

Wait a sec. Are you saying for files or streaming? Some of the podcasts are not downloadable, that I have found anyway. So I record them. I didn't think about files on the phone. That's alright. This player is fine.

You can use it for either file storage or streaming, which ever works better for you. I haven't used mp3 player for maybe 10 years. Instead I have thousands of flac files on my phone always with me.

 

[Squishman]

I kinda like this little mp3 player. It's not much bigger than a halloween size Three Musketeers bar. Has a belt clip that I clip on my bag that is on my passenger seat. I already have this, so I can't see how the phone would be better at this point.

 

[lovinthehd]

I kinda like this little mp3 player. It's not much bigger than a halloween size Three Musketeers bar. Has a belt clip that I clip on my bag that is on my passenger seat. I already have this, so I can't see how the phone would be better at this point.

I think I know what you mean, I rarely stream from my phone, either over the net or just from on board content.....rather the phone be a phone. That's one reason I really like the thumb drive....easy to load up at home and gives an incredible amount of music for the vehicle. If I didn't have the usb port I may well do what you did.

 

[Squishman]

One thing my usb port in the car can do well is play my iPod. It has on-screen ipod control, which is cool and that has worked well so far. It just cannot be trusted to play a podcast via a thumb drive. At first I thought it was a bad drive. Tried about three of them over about a month time. All would have that intermittent issue. I have one of those usb adapters with SD and Micro SD slots. So I tried that with a micro. It work for maybe a day or two, then that also had the occasional frustrating same issue again. That I guess is a mystery that I don't need to solve now.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you can record a podcast to the thumb drive why wouldn't the playback be good? Personally I don't do podcasts and the constant recording of such on the thumb drive would get me back to streaming from a phone....but don't find most podcasts worth the time.

 

[Squishman]

If you can record a podcast to the thumb drive why wouldn't the playback be good? Personally I don't do podcasts and the constant recording of such on the thumb drive would get me back to streaming from a phone....but don't find most podcasts worth the time.

If you read my post at the top, I explain that the car is buggy playing from a USB drive and then same with a micro SD card. Had to find something else. Now, the mp3 player is connected via BT. BT adapter into the aux because this particular radio has no BT. It is the low budget radio from whoever ordered this car new. It's fine now with this remedy.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you read my post at the top, I explain that the car is buggy playing from a USB drive and then same with a micro SD card. Had to find something else. Now, the mp3 player is connected via BT. BT adapter into the aux because this particular radio has no BT. It is the low budget radio from whoever ordered this car new. It's fine now with this remedy.

Ah, so just funky overall....the thumb drive is properly formatted for that playback device?

 

[Squishman]

Ah, so just funky overall....the thumb drive is properly formatted for that playback device?

I don't know. I never had to do that and I've had probably 8 or 9 delivery vehicles in the last 20 years. Earlier ones, I installed aftermarket head units with USB, but the last handfull were Chryslers with USB and they always worked w/o formatting. I don't even know about formatting a USB to be honest with you.

 

[lovinthehd]

I don't know. I never had to do that and I've had probably 8 or 9 delivery vehicles in the last 20 years. Earlier ones, I installed aftermarket head units with USB, but the last handfull were Chryslers with USB and they always worked w/o formatting. I don't even know about formatting a USB to be honest with you.

Pretty easy to format, many need FAT16 or FAT32 (the two my head unit accepts)....thumb drive in a usb slot on your computer, right click on the drive and in the drop down menu "format" is an option....

 

[Squishman]

Those same USB drives worked perfectly fine in my previous vehicle sold about 2 months ago. It was a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan.

 

[lovinthehd]

Those same USB drives worked perfectly fine in my previous vehicle sold about 2 months ago. It was a 2019 Dodge Grand Caravan.

Different players may have been able to read different formats, hard to know. Too bad if the OEM documentation isn't helpful.