Spotify's Car Thing works better as a desktop music controller

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Spotify's Car Thing accessory didn't revolutionize listening to music during commutes as intended, prompting the streaming audio giant to quietly discontinue the device over the summer. In hindsight, perhaps Spotify simply marketed it incorrectly?

YouTube channel Work From Home repurposed Car Thing as a desktop music controller and I have to say, it looks right at home in this environment. With it, you'll be able to skip tracks and adjust the volume using buttons and knobs with a tactile feel. There's also a touchscreen for those that like to swipe and a built-in mic for voice commands if you're feeling a bit lazy.

An ambient light sensor helps the display match the brightness of your environment. It'll add a splash of color to your desk that'll no doubt be welcome by those who enjoy album art. Car Thing requires just a single USB cable for power. Where to mount it is up to you, but above your keyboard or on the side of your monitor both seem like great options.

For some, Car Thing will elicit memories of consuming music on standalone devices like the iPod or Microsoft Zune. Personally, it reminds me of the Logitech Z-5500 speaker system or perhaps the quirky NewQ Gold 5.25-inch drive bay equalizer.

As the video highlights, there are some shortcomings you'll want to be aware of beforehand. Because it is official Spotify hardware, it only works with Spotify's streaming service. Apple Music, Napster, Tidal and similar services aren't compatible, nor are local tracks played using Winamp or the like.

While Car Thing can play music from Spotify on your computer, it must have a constant connection to your smartphone via Bluetooth. This is probably a non-issue for most but it is something to be aware of.

Car Play is down to just $29.99 as Spotify looks to move out excess inventory. It's a steal at that price and with no more units in the pipeline, you may want to go ahead and scoop one up if it is of interest.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/96264-spotify-car-thing-works-better-desktop-music-controller.html

 

[Gixser]

Should be noted that it requires Spotify Premium. ($10 a month)

 

[mbrowne5061]

Too bad it can't use a WiFi connection. I have a HiFi Berry at home. This would have been a perfect pair with it, to give my stereo its own control & interface, rather than relying on my phone/computer to control it.

 

[rrwards]

Too bad it can't use a WiFi connection. I have a HiFi Berry at home. This would have been a perfect pair with it, to give my stereo its own control & interface, rather than relying on my phone/computer to control it.

Could you connect something like a Fiio BTR5 to the HiFi Berry and then connect this to the Fiio?

 

[nismo91]

I like these sort of things but it always end up discontinued because there's too few people bought them.

remember the first iteration of Logitech G15? the keyboard with a volume knob and a dedicated screen to show you what music you're listening to. the newest keyboard from logitech has even better screen but is missing the circular volume knob. hard to believe the keyboard was launched 16 years ago. back when "gaming" doesn't translate to RGB.

there's also griffin powermate, a circular volume knob to control the windows volume. it was even launched like 20 years ago. I really wanted one of these but I was too late, only managed to get my hands on the airclick instead. so yeah these days I'm already used to pressing the volume button on my wireless keyboard and looking at the song title on the windows taskbar.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Could you connect something like a Fiio BTR5 to the HiFi Berry and then connect this to the Fiio?

Maybe? But I also don't really feel like going on that particular adventure.

If it was WiFi capable, it probably would be a matter of just connecting it to the network, and using Spotify's own "Connect to a Device" feature that lets you control Spotify on one device from another. The Raspberry Pi 4 that my HiFiBerry is built on has BT onboard already (no need for a separate BT amp), but I don't want to wrestle with trying to get the BT working into the HiFiBerry and/or with the third-party Spotify 'thin client' running on the whole thing.

 

[MaXtor]

I like the hardware design. It would be great if a custom ROM was available to make it a stand alone device and allow custom apps, but I don't see any development happening on XDA. Oh well.

 

[mbrowne5061]

I like the hardware design. It would be great if a custom ROM was available to make it a stand alone device and allow custom apps, but I don't see any development happening on XDA. Oh well.

Yeah, like, I don't hate it. But its about 10 years too late to market. Phone integration now exists in pretty much every car in modern markets. Why should you buy one these, over just using your phone on a mount or the built-in infotainment (still hate that word)?
But a device like this at home, to control a stereo system like a Sonos or something you DIY'd? It would have at least found a niche.

 

[madboyv1]

I like these sort of things but it always end up discontinued because there's too few people bought them.

remember the first iteration of Logitech G15? the keyboard with a volume knob and a dedicated screen to show you what music you're listening to. the newest keyboard from logitech has even better screen but is missing the circular volume knob. hard to believe the keyboard was launched 16 years ago. back when "gaming" doesn't translate to RGB.

I remember that beast of a keyboard, I had one. Never did find a use for all those Macro keys (18 was a lot, especially with three macro profiles). Loved how it looked back then, obviously feels dated now and a product of the times. That screen was supposed to be the killer app for it too (but wasn't), using it as a music controller and system monitor was nice though.