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Griffin Technology iTrip FM Audio Transmitter for 3G Apple iPods (dockable iPod)

Griffin Technology iTrip FM Audio Transmitter for 3G Apple iPods (dockable iPod)

List Price: $42.99
Your Price: $37.54
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Works well; Some hiccups
Review: I bought the iTrip for my new 15G iPod. The software install was effortless- Just skip the included CD and go straight to Griffin's web site. Install the drivers and station menus from there. I downloaded the US and European stations. This gives me access to every channel on the dial. As far as using it goes: My advice is to set yourself up before you start to drive. The iPod's controls are intuitive, but distracting. I use the lowest channels on the dial (like 88.1, 88.3, etc.) and have no trouble. Sometimes when I pass a semi-truck, their CB or something interferes. I was forced into the iTrip because my Chevy Trailblazer has CD only, no cassette. I would rate the overall sound quality at about 7 out of 10. Some crackles can be heard from time to time, and if your song has heavy bass (dance, techno, rap, etc.) then there will be some distortion. Still working on figuring that one out. Also, some hiss can be heard if the song is real quiet. Overall though, it isn't any worse than a regular FM station on the dial. The coolest thing about the iTrip is I can now just set it to play on my home stereo, which runs though the house. I have my entire CD collection on the iPod, and as long as it's plugged in, I can play all day.

One reviewer had a problem setting the iPod/iTrip up. It's actually pretty easy. Just select the radio channel you want to use on the iPod and on the car/radio. Play the channel selection on the iPod, and let it run for a second or two (half way accross the bar). Pause the track. In a second, you'll hear the iTrip take over the radio, and you'll know when this happens because the static will stop and there will be only silence. Then "menu" back to your playlists and start playing whatever song you choose. That's it. As long as you don't turn the iPod off, it will continue to control the radio channel in the car, even if you turn the car off. This is great when I'm out running errands- I don't have to keep setting it up.

Pretty good product.

The bad:
Hiss at low volume (not too bad, but noticable)
Bass distortion on upbeat songs
Limited range (must be within about 10 feet of the tuner)
iTrip sucks the battery power from the iPod. Expect 40% less play time

The good:
Good price
Easy to use
Convenient
Cool solution to comlicated problem

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Better than Others
Review: This is my third attempt at trying to find an FM transmitter that actually works. I live in the metro Detroit area and a free radio station is hard to come by. I purchased this one about a month ago and I've had success. The sound is as clear as one can expect and I've had little static.

Note: Don't expect radio or stereo quality from one of these. it just doesn't happen. If your looking for moderate sound quality and the ability to transport your ipod to the car, this is the best I've found.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Oversold
Review: Difficult to install, extremely poor sound quality. Nothing more to say.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Its better than nothing
Review: I bought this to use an ipod in the car. I live in the fifth largest market in the country (Dallas-Fort Worth) and the only station that consistently gives a signal without crosstalk from other stations is the very first one - 87.9. So the one positive is that it does actually work.

There are lots of negatives:

The setup is difficult. The Griffin web site tells you that you need to manually install the station 'song' files if using itunes. Once you have them synced to your ipod, then you play just the first half of the station 'song' you want, then press pause. If you pause to early or late, too bad - it doesn't work.

The signal is very weak. On accustic songs, I often hear an irritating *splat* sound whenever the performer sings a long 's' sound. This is no matter what the sound level is set to. Static and signal loss are common.

The battery life is a killer. On a recent road trip, we got just under 4 hours of playing time before the battery died.

It's cheaper than getting custom inputs installed in the dash, but I don't think its much better than a cassette adaptor.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: terrible reception
Review: The itrip seems to have a sweet spot a few inches from my radio, unfortuantely I have to hold it suspended in the air there. Everywhere else there is too much static. I have great reception for regular radio stations. I have tried a couple different frequencies- including those suggested in the station finder.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Keep your expectations in line.
Review: On the sound quality issue brought up by so many other reviewers: People, be realistic. You're NEVER going to get CD quality sound or anything even close from an FM signal. So, my advice, if you HAVE to have perfect sound...DON'T buy ANY FM transmitter. You need to stick with a wired solution if that is your primary need. If you're flexible and want a great wireless solution then the iTrip is for you. It is well designed, easy to use, and install (software, etc.). Plenty of stations to choose from (unlike most of the other FM transmitters). In the car, use a power adapter to help boost the signal. I recommend the Belkin Auto Kit. To help combat signal interference, lower your radio antenna or just remove it if possible. The iTrip will generate the strongest signal and your radio will pick it up without issue. Much better (and safer) than having to change channels on the iPod/iTrip and search for an unused station while you're driving.
Keep your expectations in line with the products capabilities and you'll be very happy.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Crashes iPod Mini
Review: The fun started when I tried to install the included software on the CD ROM. It wouldn't install because MusicMatch file was not found. That's not surprising because iTunes is installed instead. The website FAQ for griffintechnology support recommended downloading the appropriate software for iTunes. Okay. 3 attempts at downloading the software resulted in "Server not responding" errors. Okay. I followed the instructions for a manual install of the iTrip frequencies.

I'm all installed and ready to go. I find a suitable frequency and begin playing. Sounds good so far. Until the next time I went to use the iTrip. I plugged it into the mini and it immediately froze. Not responding. I reset the iPod and tried it again the next day. It worked fine, no problems. The next time, it froze the iPod again. I gave up at this point and returned it for a refund. I think I'll go find my old cassette tape adapter and use that. Much more reliable and it has the benefit of not screwing up my iPod so I can use it the rest of the day.

Neat idea, poor execution. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: More trouble than it's worth.
Review: I saw a bunch of negative reviews about the first iTrip, but I noticed the ones for the 3G-compatible iTrip were better. I thought I'd give it a try, since I drive so often. I thought it would be a pain to hook up a wire from my iPod to my car stereo every day. Little did I know it was a bigger pain to deal with the iTrip.

First of all the software that comes with the new iTrip is old software--it's version 1.0. I thought I needed to download MusicMatch 7.2, but I didn't need to download it at all. There was no instruction manual, no "read me" file, no useful support on Griffin's website. It took my wife and I over an hour just to figure out how to use the thing. Then, I realized today on the way to work that stations that are full of static in San Francisco are not necessarily full of static halfway down the peninsula--so it works for fifteen minutes of my commute. Then, I'd have to reprogram it to another station to get it to work fifteen minutes away.

Basically, if you don't mind the trouble of figuring out how to use it on your own (without support) and you live far, far away from a major metropolitan area with many radio stations, go for it! Otherwise, this is a piece of junk that isn't worth $3, let alone $30 or $35.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Almost unusable
Review: On the plus side, it is very compact and fits great on the iPod. It looks like it is part of the iPod. It's a great idea.

On the minus side:
1. Finding gaps on the radio dial can be very difficult, especially if you commute a ways and pass through multiple radio markets.
2. The iTrip just doesn't put out a very strong signal, which means that your iPod will always sound like a radio station that is fading out. You'll get no stereo separation and lots of static.
3. The way you tune the iTrip to a radio station requires that you play the "song" corresponding to the station you want and then hit Pause half-way through it. This is an elegant solution in some ways, but you wouldn't want to do it while driving!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best FM transmitter for iPod
Review: After first trying the Belkin Tune Cast FM transmitter and being completely disappointed with the performance, I did not hold much hope for the Griffin iTrip. I am happy to say that I was very, very pleased with the results. This is the best FM transmitter that I've found for the iPod and I think it works great. Keep in mind that it's transmitting on a radio signal, so it's not going to sound as good as a CD, and there will be times when you occasionally get static and drop outs, just like you do with any radio station. But overall, having the ability to select any FM frequency on the dial is wonderful, compared to only four settings available on the Belkin device. I usually tune in to 95.5 and get great results. The sound quality is very good, but you do have to play around with the volume on the iPod to get the best sound. I usually keep the volume on the iPod to just over 90% and then fine tune the volume with the radio control. I really love this device. I carry it with me on business trips and it really adds a whole new dimension of use to your iPod. It's great to tune it in to the radio in the rental car and start enjoying your music no matter where you may be. I highly endorse this product. Just be aware that it is not CD quality, but close to it.


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