 FM Transmitters for Ipod - 3 Options |
| Review Date: December 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Mynt, Washington, DC |
I've tried three different types of FM Transmitters for IPOD and here are my rankings in order:
1) Griffin Itrip - $30-$50 depending on model
2) Griffin Road Trip - $80.
3) Belkin Tunecast - $40
First let's talk about sound quality. On all of the FM Transmitters, the sound quality isn't that great. It's somewhere in between AM Radio and FM Radio quality, a long ways from CD clarity. However, being able to play your IPod in the car on a roadtrip or at a party is a great convenience. After a short while, you don't notice the lower quality. My friends and I have happily listened to the IPod for hours.
The next important item is battery power. The Belkin Tunecast runs off AAA batteries and does not draw power from the IPod. The Griffin Itrip draws power from the IPod. The Griffin Roadtrip must be plugged into your car's lighter or auto power adapter. Of these three I like the Griffin Itrip the best. I can take the IPod a party and broadcast for a few hours unplugged or use a charger for unlimited play. In the car, I typically have my IPod charging to a separate auto charger. However it's not a requirement so I can also charge my cell phone and still listen to my music.
Tuning the Transmitter to a blank station: The Road Trip and the Tunecast were both easier to change radio frequencies. The Itrip could be tricky to adjust the radio station. This is important because you need to be tuned to a blank station. Reviewers who talk about station interference merely need to tune their Transmitter to a blank station. I've used the Transmitters all over the country including NYC and I've always been able to find a frequency on the dial to use.
The next consideration is usability. I liked how the Itrip attached to my IPod so it handled as one unit. Judging a separate Tunecast component and the IPod was awkward in the card. When using the Griffin Roadtrip, you must take the IPod out of its case and mount it to the cigarette lighter. At that angle it was impossible to read the screen, so if you wanted to make any selections or adjustments, you had to remove IPod and temporarily lose the signal. With the Itrip, you can hold the IPod on your hand and pick out songs while still listening to your music. Depending on the design of your case, you may not need to remove it to use the Belkin Tunecast or Griffin Itrip, which protects the easily scratched IPod.
Finally price - all three items do essentially the same task. The cost of a car chargers for your IPod is approx $30, so if you factor that in that cost, all three device are essentially the same price.
I prefer the Griffin Itrip for the reasons stated, but I know others who prefer to mount their IPod with the Griffin Roadtrip.
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Works GREAT.
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| Review Date: August 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Richard D. Cappetto, Moodus, CT United States |
| This is a nice little I Pod accessory, The Griffin Road Trip works terrific; I put it on 88.5 hear in Southeastern, CT and I get NO interference, anywhere I go. It is fantastic to have my whole CD collection, at my beck and call, in my car. Because of the position of my car lighter/electornic accessory plug, I don't have to use the extra extender arm, which might look a bit cumbersome, so the unit even looks good in my car, besides performing great. And on top of all that the Griffin Road Trip charges my I Pod up fast. I would highly recommend his product. |
Great product
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| Review Date: February 7, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Felix, Florida, USA |
I have been using this unit for over a month now, and after having tried other, similar products, I can say that this is the best bang for your buck.
While the audio quality is, as with every FM transmitter, not CD quality, it is definitely good. The signal is strong and can over-power most local radio stations. It charges the iPod fast, fits in my Ford Ranger perfect without using the extension, and is convenient to use.
The only other product anywhere close in quality is the Monster iCarPlay, which does not include a cradle, so your accessing your iPod is very distracting while driving.
The changing of channels is very easy compared to other products with two easily accessible buttons.
It fits all kinds of iPods...even the iPod video. Meaning on long trips your passengers can watch movies, listening to the audio on the stereo, and not have to worry about battery life.
The FM transmitter is detachable and can be used with any computer, powered through USB.
If you are thinking about using an FM transmitter, this is the one to get. |
Excellent sound quality & easy to use
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| Review Date: December 2, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Damon C. Ward, Wichita, KS |
| Overall, I am very pleased with the Roadtrip. The sound quality is fantastic! I was previously using a Griffin Itrip and thought the sound quality from it was good, however after using the Roadtrip for about five minutes I noticed parts of music that I normally only heard through headphones. The setup for the Roadtrip is pretty easy. I do agree that the one drawback is the size, it was much larger than I expected. However, it is fairly easy to manipulate into the position you need it to be in and it is nice being able to see the face of the Ipod while driving down the road (in a safe manner of course). |
Best FM transmitter for iPods on the market!
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| Review Date: January 7, 2006 |
| Reviewer: K. R. Tucker Seeley, Boston, MA United States |
After having bought the "Monster Cable iCarPlay Plus Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger for iPod" (and then promptly returned it because there was just too much static/interference), I decided to try the Griffin RoadTrip. First, I was shocked at the difference in sound quality between the two products! The Griffin sounds crisp and clear and there is NO static! I live in Boston and have set the frequency to 88.5 and have not had a single problem. Second, the Griffin is so much more convenient and easier to use because you just plug it in and turn it on (it remembers whatever frequency you used previously). No wires, no having to dangle my Nano around the rearview mirror just to get music to play (albeit with frequent static and a constant hissing sound in between songs), and best of all, I now have a nice, solid, safe place to put my Nano that's right at my fingertips. My only caution is that the holder-adapter that's designed to fit the Nano will only fit if I take mine out of the leather "Marware" protective cover I bought to keep it from getting all scratched up (I have the 2G Black one). An easy solution (at least for me) was to keep my leather cover on and simply use the "larger" holder instead of the smaller "Nano-sized" one. Griffin conveniently provides two different thicknesses of padding to customize the fit for virtually all iPods (except the Shuffle, of course) so I just put in one of the pads and my Nano stays nice and secure and will never get scratched. I highly recommend the RoadTrip and am frankly, shocked that others have rated it so poorly. I love it and could not be happier with my purchase!
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