Griffin iTrip mini FM Transmitter for iPod mini "I Shall Call Him, Mini Me" - Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me If you have an iPod mini you need an iTrip mini. The iTrip mini FM transmitter lets you play your iPod mini’s music wirelessly through any FM radio — in your car, on the road, even at home through your stereo. The iTrip mini was designed exclusively for the iPod mini. Its form factor matches perfectly all the curves and lines of the iPod mini. It sounds even sweeter. iTrip mini gives you the best possible performance because you can choose any empty station from 87.7 to 107.9. Best of all you choose and change your iTrip mini stations directly from the iPod mini itself. The iTrip mini does NOT need batteries. It receives a tiny amount of power directly from the iPod mini – saving you from wasting hundreds of batteries a year. That’s good news for the planet and even better news for your wallet. The iTrip mini can even be used while charging your iPod mini in your car or while docked. If you add our PowerPod iPod auto charger you can listen to your iPod mini while road tripping all the way across America. Now that’s cool! iTrip mini doesn’t have a power switch - it doesn't need one. Just plug it in and go. It shuts off automatically after 60 seconds of silence just like the iPod mini. You see, we designed the iTrip mini to be the ultimate iPod mini accessory because it lets you share the music and share the fun. Forget
The iPod mini has helped revolutionize the way people store and listen to music, but it's not particularly car-friendly. Unless your car stereo includes a cassette deck (increasingly rare) or an auxiliary input (more common among newer stereos) combined with the appropriate adapter, you simply haven't had the means to play your extensive iPod library through your car's speakers. Several companies, however, have sought to fill this void by releasing a product called an FM transmitter, which broadcasts iPod tunes via the FM airwaves. Griffin Technology is among the category leaders with its iTrip mini, a discreet little device that fits unobtrusively on top of the iPod mini. The iTrip mini isn't confined to car stereos--it plays on almost any FM radio--but because most home stereos and boomboxes have auxiliary inputs, it's most popular as a car accessory.
Design and Setup
The iPod mini is loaded with impressive features, but it's also an Apple product, which means that looks matter. A lot. And Griffin clearly recognizes this, because the iTrip mini is sleek and complementary. It's built to fit into the iPod mini's headphone and remote ports, from where its all-white body looks like an extension of the mini itself. Plus, the device measures less than an inch tall and exactly as wide as the mini, so it takes up almost no extra space--an important feature to people who value the mini's portability. The iTrip mini also works when plugged into full-sized iPods with dock connectors, but it doesn't fit as well shape-wise. Owners of full-sized iPods can buy alternate iTrips designed with their players in mind, including iTrips for 1G and 2G FireWire iPods, 3G and 4G iPods with dock connectors, and special-edition black iPods.
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The iTrip mini is designed to broadcast to any empty FM frequency on your dial--depending on where you receive the best reception--but it's only configured to play at 87.9 MHz right out of the box. That means a little setup is required using the included CD-ROM and iTunes. Fortunately, the installation is painless and takes only a few minutes. The installer adds a playlist to your mini (through iTunes) called iTrip Stations, which consists of a series of short audio files that correspond with all available FM frequencies.
Features and Performance
The iTrip mini performs best when tuned to an FM frequency that plays nothing but static, with no audible words or music. Finding a good frequency is fairly easy, but it requires your full attention, so it's best to do so while parked. We tested the iTrip mini on three separate frequencies in a midsize market with varying success. The sound was generally good in two of the frequencies, less so in the third. This remained true whether the device sat next to the radio, in the backseat, or under a stack of newspapers. While driving through bad FM reception areas, the iTrip mini received a bit of static, but it usually passed in a couple of seconds.
The iTrip mini is designed more for convenience than elite audio performance, so listeners shouldn't expect CD-quality sound. When tuned to a clear frequency, it's about on par with the average FM station. If the volume is turned high, users might notice a slight hiss through the speakers, but engine hum and road noise will generally cover that up. However, listeners who value top-quality sound--especially people with expensive speaker systems that pick up every minor flaw--may instead want to add an auxiliary input to their car stereos to get the most from their iPod minis.
The main drawbacks to the iTrip mini are fairly minor, but will bother some users. First, the iTrip Stations playlist is stored as part of your overall music library, meaning the individual audio files can emerge during shuffle play--and the sound isn't pleasant. Listeners can remedy this by creating a new playlist with their entire music libraries minus the iTrip Stations files. Second, the iTrip mini draws its power from the iPod mini battery. This is actually both a plus and a minus, as it means you don't need to keep buying new AAA batteries every week, but you also won't receive as much power from each iPod charge. If this bothers you, consider purchasing an auto charger, which powers your iPod mini through the cigarette lighter adapter while you drive. Third, the iTrip mini isn't great for long road trips through crowded regions, because the available FM frequencies may change every 40 or so miles (or less), making it necessary to frequently retune the iTrip mini. On the flip side, it's great for long drives through the country.
Ultimately, the iTrip mini is a good value. The convenience will please iPod fans that have been clamoring for a way to play their music in the car. Audiophiles may want to look elsewhere, but most other listeners should be satisfied. --Rivers Janssen
Pros
- Makes iPod music library accessible to anyone with an FM radio
- Sleek design fits iPod mini perfectly
- Simple, easy-to-follow controls using mini's click wheel
- Sound quality is solid, though not terrific
Cons
- Sometimes requires frequent retuning to find best FM frequency
- Hard to find good frequency in crowded urban areas
- iTrip audio files emit unpleasant noise when chosen for shuffle play, though problem is fixable
What's in the Box
iTrip mini FM transmitter, installation CD-ROM, user's manual.
1 Works very well so far...
I just tried my iTrip for the first time yesterday. I, too, have a Jetta, so maybe it's made for them, because it worked almost flawlessly. I have an aftermarket stereo, which combined with the premium soundsystem in my Jetta, pulls out some VERY nice sound from my iPod mini. I say "almost" because I have to crank up the volume on my stereo to get it to listening level, but that's a very small issue. I ordered the Belkin holder, which I'm hoping will make it even better. I did just plop it on my passenger's seat, and the sound quality was totally fine. Also, it's a whole lot cheaper on this site than at the mac stores or best buy... just FYI.
2 Useless!
This product sounds great in concept but doesn't work. I bought it despite some horrible reviews thinking that in a smaller sized city, there wouldn't be as much interference. Even with many "empty" stations to program from, it was not do-able. The preset station comes through with a lot of static and none of the "programmed" stations come through any better. Please invest your money into some other product.
3 Hated it. Terrible sound> Just terrible!
I was really looking forward to using this product> However, the sound quality was awful. Just awful...so I returned it. Don't buy it, waste of money.
4 Almost love it...
I think the iTrip is great for the iPod Mini. It plays straight out of the box, its wireless, and the sound is good.
A lot of people are saying it doesnt work, but it depends on where you live. In Savannah, it worked straight out of the box. I expect to have some issues with it when I get back to Atlanta, tho. If you cant get it to work on any station, I suggest buying the cassette adapter.
The only thing I dont like is that it drains your battery. I cant even get 3 hours out of a full charge on my Mini. Get a car charger.
5 The cleanest and most effective solution I have found
Having gone through several iterations, I have found that the iTrip mini is simply and clearly the superior method (for me) to listen to my iPod mini over my car's radio. In my mind, this is a must have accessory for your iPod Mini.
Let me start with my setup: I have an XM Radio setup and the iPod mini in my VW Jetta. Cup holders are located just above the radio location in the Jetta and both the XM and the iPod sit in their respective Belkin Tunedocks which are seated in the cup holders.
Initially, I used a Belkin Tunecast to broadcast the iPod signal to the radio. It was fairly miserable at accomplishing this task. Actually, it was awful - and could not even overcome weak signals from adjacent stations. Plus, the battery life was not very good and the little power cord kept getting disconnected. Enter the cassette solution - which I used with a y-adaptor to hook in both my XM SkyFi and iPod. This worked well - but I had cords everywhere and it was a bit annoying - but the sound quality was a ridiculously big improvement. Then I got the XM MyFi for Christmas - which has an internal FM transmitter - so I figured I would go completely wireless and picked up the iTrip Mini.
For me, the iTrip has been flawless - is the sound quality amazing? No. However, the volume out level is good (don't crank up the iPod volume all the way - you don't need to and it overmodulates and distorts the sound if you do) and I don't get static or fading or any problems like that. I have never had to add in the other stations - I always keep it on 87.9. I have heard that other stations in the middle of the FM band might provide better quality, but I'm playing this over a Jetta's factory radio - so I figure the incremental benefit is probably not there.
I should add, as you may well note, that I am in Dallas and yes we have a crowded FM band - there is no frequency that does not have a strong signal on an adjacent frequency - yet I have no problems. I think that finding a solid location in your vehicle - relative to the radio head unit or the antenna is vital - mine is always fairly proximate to the head unit. Moving it some distance - say to the passenger seat - has a deleterious effect on the quality and interference - although it is still quite useable.
I would also note that the transmitter is far superior not only to the Belkin that I previously used, but also to the one in my XM MyFi. With the MyFi, it is not unusual for me to deal with persistent interference that requires me to go channel hopping.
I'd also like to say a word about the form factor - it fits perfectly atop the iPod and is, in that regard, highly portable. If you want to listen to or share some tunes in a friend's car or at their house, you need only bring your iPod with the iTrip on top and you are ready to go - no additional cords or plugging into outlets, etc. - it is the easiest, most elegant solution. Granted, the iTrip uses the iPod's battery for power, so it does have an effect on that regard - but the portable nature far exceeds the convenience in any of the power cord/broadcast combos available.
6 Great product with mixed results
First of all let me say that I love the idea of this product and it's simplicity. It is a great idea that works well in most cases. I have noticed that the performance of the transmitter varies when I use it with my iPod Mini. In my car in my home city of Minneapolis, it works pretty well once I find a frequency with little interference or competition. I do notice that it fades and has static in certain areas, but overall it's not too bad. However, when I used it in the Chicago area, I encountered a LOT of interference and fade outs and static. So, if you are in a larger city, you may have more problems than most with this transmitter. If you are in a smaller city, or a smaller rural area, your results will probably be better. Still, it's a very cool idea that works fairly well in the right situation. I use it with with my home stereo tuner with no trouble at all.
7 Not good when moving
I purchased this with the intent of using in the car but found it hard to maintain a constant strong signal while driving. I do not live in a big city and there are several unused channels available to use in this area with the transmitter. Strongly do not recommend this if you are purchasing to use in the car!
However, it works fantastic next to a motionless fm radio in the backyard for grilling and outdoor events.
8 Simple & Elegant Solution
Looked at a couple of options for using the iPod in the car. Like the fact that there are no extra wires, just pop the iTrip on top of the mini and you're good to go. Very handy for us with two cars; can use our iPods without carting wires/plugs/etc between cars. The iTrip just uses the iPod's battery. Total run time seems about half - down to 3 or 4 hours.
Start up is amazingly easy, just unbox and attach to your mini, tune your radio to the default 87.9, and that's it. There's software included that interfaces through iTunes that lets you tune to different frequencies and also turn off the LED (to save power), but we haven't needed it since the default frequency is empty.
Also make sure to keep the volume in the range that Belkin suggests; over 70-80 percent of your iPod's volume and your tunes start to distort; so turn up the volume on your car stereo, not on your iPod. 80% is about the same loudness as typical radio broadcasts, so when you switch between your iPod and other stations, you won't get blasted out.
9 Amazing
The iTrip works amazingly well and i live in the UK. Instead of just using the default station make sure that yo find one wih only static on either side. I found 100.5 works best. Overall, for iPod lovers, it is a must have and will work continuously aslong as you treat it with car.
10 Easy to use and Clear transmission
Works really well. I originally had a cassette that plugged into my ipod and it just made this horrible clicking noise. So I decided to get this instead.
The transmission is clear and works when the ipod is 1/2 way across the room from the radio. The only thing that has been frustrating, is sometimes, the station that you've picked, will just stop working suddenly, so you have to adjust the station more then once.
Overall, it is worth purchasing.
11 Do not buy this!!
I never got it to work. It is a pain, you have to load all the stations as "songs". I spent 3 unsuccessful hours trying it with 4 different radios, several stations...I got a Monster ICarPLay and had it working in 1 minute!!
12 great
Although some of the reviews on this site were negative, I went a head and bought this product anyways. It was very useful. I haven't had it for very long; however, if you set the volume corectly an don't move it around excesivly much while listening it works great, I had looked at several options made directly by apple and they were expensive and required you to buy lots of equpipment. This did the job because I can use it in my car and at home on my own stero without buying anything else.
13 Inconsistent Performance Flaws Device in Urban Areas
I really wanted to like this device (because you have unlimited choices of stations to tune to, and it is powered from the iPod itself) -- but ultimately, it just doesn't work well when used in a car in an urban area. It MAY work well in a rural area that has lots of blank radio stations on the dial, but here in San Francisco, every station on the FM band is used, or the few that aren't still receive bleed-through from adjacent or far-away stations.
I've been using the iTrip for a month, trying many different stations, and driving between San Francisco and Sacramento -- and I consistently get some degree of static -- often a LOT of static. The only time the iTrip works well is when you 1) can find a totally clean station to tune into, AND 2), you're not moving (e.g. driving around in your car). The only thing I will use my iTrip for is for playing my iPod through a stationary home stereo -- where reception and conditions are fixed.
In fairness to the iTrip, it is POSSIBLE that the difficulties I have with my car stereo are unique to my particular car radio. For the record, this is a VW stock Monsoon-brand stereo in a 2004 VW GTI. This car has the radio antenna at the rear (roof) of the car, possibly affecting reception.
(As a side-note, I am not too impressed with Griffin Technologies on-line tech support -- they are VERY slow to respond to tech support inquires via e-mail.)
What has wound up working for me for playing my iPod through my car stereo is a cassette adaptor. I highly recommend the Sony CPA-9C, $16. I tried the much-less-expensive ($5) Radio Shack cassette adaptor first, but it was awful. The Sony version works flawlessly -- the sound is beautiful.
14 Not a problem here
Over Christmas I drove cross country and this device worked the entire way with the same station the whole way to and around L.A. (the default station). As long as your ipod is in a secure spot that doesn't move around a lot, I found the reception and sound quality to be great. There were a few times when I did have to move the ipod around a little and then the reception would work well.
15 Don't waste your time with this.
It broke after 3 uses, and I tried to install the software, but you need iTunes, but the only problem is that iTunes WILL NOT WORK with my ipod. Totallly useless! It sounded bad even when it did work.
16 Good in Theory?
The Griffin iTrip is super small and good in Theory. In my vehicle it works very well, and I like that there are sooo many options for different radio stations. If you only want to use this item in your vehicle, then this is a great item!
The sound is not as clear as most people would like, bit too much static for my taste. If you are picky, Monster Cable iCarPlay iPod Wireless FM Transmitter is the BEST I've found, but only useful in the car!
If you are looking to use this on just any radio, then you must have a good antennae, if you don't have a good antennae your sound will be CRAP. I have tried this transmitter on 5 different radios at work... everything from a boombox to an expensize surroundsound system. It all comes down to the antennae!!!
I will keep this product, but only for a back-up!
17 DO NOT BUY THIS!!!!
I got this when I got my ipod mini. The product worked fine for one day. I tryed to use it today in my car, and the static was all I could hear. This device also drains the battery. I ended up returning the I trip for the Belkin tune cast II, The Belkin works much better.
18 Good idea. Poor product.
Make sure you are able to return this product. It seems to work for some people, and others it doesn't. I followed the instructions, and got a clear channel, but the static was incredible. I could barely hear my music. I returned it within days.
Another con is that it uses a special kind of song to change the channel. This means you will not be able to use the shuffle feature for all your songs, because sometimes these special frequency changer songs will pop up into your music.
19 Better than I expected after other reviews...
No problems here. I had only to try twice to find a suitable station for broadcast. 100.5 works great in the Denver metro area. Not "Audiophile" quality but certainly no worse than the best FM broadcast here in town. And my play lists are a lot better than theirs
Enjoy.
20 Better than I expected!
I had orginally bought the Belkin FM transmitter for iPod, and it was horrible. So I was hesitant to buy another transmitter, but the cassette adapter I have is awful -- sound was only coming out of my passenger-side speakers in my car, and it was bad sound at that. However, I'm incredibly impressed with the iTrip mini so far. I haven't had any problems with reception on the default station, and the sound is much better than I expected. I have a factory-intall stereo in my VW Golf, and the sound is nice and full -- good bass and clarity. It's also super easy to program the iTrip stations out when your iPod is in shuffle mode if you don't want to hear the beeping that plays when a station gets thrown in the shuffle -- the user guide just directs you to the Griffin site to get instructions -- you simply create a Smart Playlist in iTunes that excludes "Griffin Technology" as an Artist name. Simple. If you have the patience to read the instructions and test out what works best for you, you'll have no problem with it. I'll certainly be using my iPod mini in my car more often now!
21 It's Pretty Cool
Decent FM transmitter. I have trouble playing some rap music, as the sound quality sometimes gets quite distorted with bass reproduction. All other music plays well. It works perfect in my car and the battery life on the ipod with this transmitter is great. As far as home stereos, I have about a 10 foot range before the signal gets distorted (FM static). Not sure if it is the transmitter or that my stereo's antenna is weak. You're dealing with FM quality sound, so you can't get your hopes up too much. Overall, I would recommend this purchase unless you listen to 100% rap or can't handle non-"crystal clear" music associated with CD playback. It's less than $30 bucks... buy it.
22 Worth the money!
While others (particularly those in large cities) have complained about the static and lack of broadcast channels, I have found several channels that I can broadcast to successfully. This item works AS ADVERTISED. If you live in a big city with no clear channels, of COURSE you won't find one that will allow the iTrip to broadcast to without any interference. If you have at least one clear channel, though, I think you'll find it works just fine. I've had no problem with the transmit capability from my car (whether the iPod is in the cup holder, the ashtray, etc) to my antenna (back center of roof). The sound, of course, is not the same as having the CD IN the CD player--you don't get the stereo capabilities and sounds. Even still, this eliminates the need to carry every CD that I want to listen to and it's easy to use. I do plug it in to charge it while I transmit since the iTrip uses some power. I've also found this device to work very well at home. Enjoy!
23 Terrible, terrible product
Spare yourself a lot of time and hassle and don't buy this wretched product. If you do not have the pre-programmed station available you will have to - try - to reprogram this device to select an available station. I tried and tried but it simply wouldn't select a station. Electrojunk.
24 Great FM Transmitter!
This is awesome! I took it right out of the box and started using it with the default settings thinking "if it doesn't work I'll read the directions later." A month and a half later I still haven't bothered to read them. It works great! I am shocked at some of the poor reviews as I have had no problems. Yes, there is the occasional static, and I say occasional, but that is to be expected since it is wireless.
Don't let the negative reviews turn you, this is a must have.
25 Woefully underwhelming radio tuner
The Griffin iTrip Mini for the Ipod Mini is a quite a disappointment. Originally, I had hoped to have the ability to listen to my Ipod Mini over the radio and enjoy the great music I have on it. Alas, when I used it, I only was able to listen to it on the default frequency, 87.9, first and was profoundly disappointed by the static-laden sound quality that came out of the radio. Honestly, I've gotten better sound out of an old portable AM radio. Sure, there seem to be ways to program it to access other stations and hopefully get better sound quality, but I've spoken to others who say that they get equally bad sound quality on other stations. Sometimes, it doesn't even work at all. It's just simply not worth it. It should also be noted that the radio station files emit and unpleasant sound when you come across them in the Ipod Mini's shuffle rotation (why are they even in the playlist files????). I took mine back to the Apple store to get other accessories.
26 No more lugging CDs in my car.
My iPod Mini with the attached iTrip FM wireless transmitter works nearly flawlessly where I am in Florida. The default 87.9 frequency carries some static, but most of the time it is barely noticeable if you are focused on the road and taking in the music. No product is going to be perfect, people--I don't need a mega $$$ sound system that costs more than my whole car--just want to hear my tunes. With my job requiring a great deal of driving everyday, this set-up is a relief now that I no longer need to carry around CDs. I just set my iPod to shuffle and it plays all day. For those who are complaining about their iPod playing the "frequency clips" in shuffle mode, there is a way to fix this if you read the directions!!!
27 Did you know...?
Did you know the iTrip is illegal, according to the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949 (as amended by the Communications Act 2003)? It was announced in this month's T3 magazine in an article about iPods. Just to let you all know.... Don't want you going to jail just for rocking out to your tunes...
28 Exactly what I expected
I've read all the horrible reviews for this, but honestly, I've had FM Transmitters before for my CD player and this quality was exactly what I expected. Yes, you get some static sometimes, but I found if I leave it in my lap and use myself as an antenna, the quality is fine. I didn't expect it to be perfect, because it's wireless. My car can't use the cassette adapters so this is a great alternative. I live in Los Angeles and the default setting worked just fine for my purposes.
29 Works well (so far) in my Scion xB
This is exactly what I needed for the Scion xB because the standard radio has no option for cassette, meaning I could not use the cassette adapter that worked for my last car.
Reading some of the other reviews here had me worried, but I ordered anyway. Since I've only had this iTrip Mini for two days, I can't comment on its performance under all conditions, but in my commuting (~25 minutes each way) in northeast Ohio it has been worthwhile. I found it worked with the default factory setting of 87.9.
Audio quality is not quite as good as with a CD (even an MP3 CD), nor up to the same level as listening to music on the iPod Mini with a good set of headphones, but after adjusting the EQ setting to compensate for a tendency to overemphasize the bass frequencies, I'm very happy with its sound.
The iPod Mini's equalizer settings that worked best for me with the iTrip Mini were Dance, Vocal Booster, and Jazz.
My history with earlier generations of FM transmitters (tuned by an analog wheel) also had me concerned (they were uniformly awful), but my new car does have its antenna arranged differently than my previous cars. The Scion xB has its antenna wires in the rear side windows, so that may contribute to the good reception. I've been using it in my shirt pocket, in the cup holder in front of the shifter on the front floor, and even on my belt and it does just great in all places.
The iTrip Mini's effect on the battery life of the iPod Mini is obvious, but not terribly bad.
I will agree with the earlier comments about the annoyance factor of hearing the iPod play those short clips of noise when using Shuffle, but apart from that I like it.
Overall, I'd say it's well worth the money, but for people whose car antennas are mounted on the outside fender or roof, it might not work so well. You'll just have to try it.
30 Horrible product
first off, this is probably the least expensive FM transmitter on the market. Is it worth the money to pay for this? NO! save up for a better one, or dont bother spending money at all.
why?
1) the manufacture claims battery life is not "greatly" affected. In my experience with using this product over the course of 2 days, my battery has lost almost half power playing 15 songs with the iTrip activated (somewhat). an iPod is supposed to last 8 hours.
2) programming the iTrip is very hard, and takes getting used to. I finally memorized the directions for doing so on the manufactures website, yet i still receive no/partial/temporary signal from the iPod to the radio. I have tried this mutliple times on multiple occasions. Sometimes i will receive a signal, sometimes none, and sometimes just plainly horrible quality.
3) Installation requires you to download a playlist of radio stations to your iPod (in essecense you will then use this playlist later to "try" and program it to broadcast over the radio.
This playlist is a bad idea and is incredibly annoying, because if you decide to use your iPod mini's shuffle feature, you will play songs on the iPod, however you will also include random bits of that entire iTrip playlist you HAVE to install.
Overall, i would rate this product a 1/5. If i could rate any lower, i would...Its rare you find products that are so poorly designed and supported, but i would have to say this is one.
My iTrip has since been returned for a FULL refund, because if it isnt going to accomplish its primary purpose 75% of the time, why keep it? The only thing good about this product is installation, which took roughly 5 minutes, however actually setting up the iTrip in your care EVERY TIME; 10.
I have asked around to some of my friends who currently had iPods, and most of them experienced similar if not the same exact problems. Buyers Beware and good luck!
31 Works great in Honolulu
Bought it at a retail store. It is essential that it is set at a "clear" channel that is neither occupied or has interference from other channels. Mine is set to 88.7, I can stand nearly 40 feet away from the radio and still no change in sound. What I did notice is that the quality of the receiver is also critical, they do not all tune in the same, some receivers will "catch" the channel better without even a hiss. Stereo seperation is also a factor. It is easy to setup and reconnect, no external power, no cords, many channels, and very affordable!
32 Looks good, discription sounds good - doesn't work in car.
From my experience it seems clear that this product does not work in an automobile. I spent several hours trying to get clear sounding music sent from my iPod Mini to a car stereo.
After several hours of trying "clear" station after "clear" station I could not get the unit to ever transmit a good signal.
I attempted this in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a Honda Pilot, and a Mercedes SL500 (with top down).
The iTrip works in our house, but it is useless if you want to listen to your iPod music in a car.
33 Really disappointing
This product is a real letdown; I've tried a few other FM transmitters like the iRock, and while the signal strength of the iTrip is better, that's about the only good thing that can be said for it. Let me break down the major drawbacks:
(1) This thing eats batteries; I get 2.5 or maybe 3 hours of play out of my 20GB clickwheel iPod with the iTrip attached. And don't forget to unplug the iTrip when it's not in use or it will continue to drain the battery.
(2) The only way to change stations is by playing a track; there are a very large number of them, and they seem to come up annoyingly often in shuffle mode.
(3) The iTrip seems to drop out and untune randomly, even with 25% battery or more left. If it happens to drop out while you're driving, you're basically stuck -- changing the station back requires a lot of button pushing that can't be done while driving.
I'm now waiting for a tuner that plugs into a charger and doesn't require loading a bunch of tracks. Don't waste your money on this thing.
34 Decided to try it, because it's cheap. Barely functions.
Doesn't work at all in two of our three cars. Actually works fairly well in the other as long as you sit the unit right next to the in-glass antenna in our highlander. Too damn bad the antenna is in the REAR OF THE VEHICLE. Also doesn't work on our home stereo unless I put it behind the reciever right next to the FM antenna. The stupid thing only tunes to some of the stations in its playlist so I thought it was broken until I found a station it would tune to and its so clumsy to tune it by playing little songs half way through and then hitting pause.
With the right playlist, and some duct tape, we might use it on trips, but I tend to think its easier to just bring a case of CDs since I have to climb in the back of the car to change songs.
Pros - thank god it was cheap, and it has really nice ergonomics.
35 I Soooo Wanted to Like It
I really, really wanted to like this product. I read all the reviews before buying and thought I'd take my chances despite numerous complaints about static and interference in metropolitan areas. But my experience has been just the same.
I downloaded the frequency finder and tried every station recommended for the NYC area. Still, the sound quality was mediocre at best - no where NEAR the fidelity of a normal FM station.
Went out yesterday and bought an RCA "Y" adapter and now use that instead.
36 Very satisfied
I have found the FM transmitter to be superior to the casette tape because there's no casette noise to deal with (which is quite noticeable in my car). I find the sound quality to be no different than the radio. Friends have found it midly annoying that when travelling across country you need to constantly look for a new "dead" station if the frequency is used by the locals. But for my purposes of driving to and from work it's great and spares me from the mindless morning DJs. For me, that is worth the price alone.
37 Piece of crap
I had similar products of these FM transmitters from 5 years ago. It was filled with static back then. I thought the technology surely would have improved since 5 years ago but I was disappointed once again. My suggestion, spend your money on other accessories.
38 No problems here...
I just bought this thing yesterday at the Apple Store. Today I pulled it out of the box, plugged it into the Mini, tuned my car stereo to the default 87.9 FM, and it worked just fine. Is the sound quality the greatest? No. But with all of the noise you hear while driving in the city, it really sounds quite good. I'll be using my Mini a lot more now.
39 I love it!
I use this to listen to Audible books while driving to and from work and it is amazing! I live in an area that gives me a good number of options for frequncy settings. If you download iTrip Station Finder from www.griffintechnology.com, you will note that some larger metropolitan areas will have very few frequencies available. But think about it: no FM transmitting device would address that issue. Try the cassette device instead. I also noticed that stations that were available on my stereo receiver were not available in my car. Perhaps my car antenna is more powerful.
40 Mine works great!!!!
I couldnt just let everyone keep ripping on this, I think its great!
I also live in Southern California, Irvine, sounds great, and went up to L.A. (Culver City) this weekend in fact. There is some static in some areas, I notice around power lines and under bridges, but other than that, on many songs it sounds almost as good as CD. I noticed it sounds a little better after I installed the software, I use the default most of the time. Great product, but sucks juice, I will also be getting their PodPod when it comes out next month!
41 Barely Functions As Specified
I was overly excited to have bought this product. Not only would I not need to purchase a separate head unit that plays MP3 files, but I wouldn't need to burn music CDs anymore. Well, IF this iTrip thing would function properly. Griffin says that you get the best sound quality on a station that has nothing but static. You won't find many living in L.A. Once you do, however, there is so much static that you hear during songs that aren't very loud. Louder songs will mask the static. i.e. a slow love song versus rock. Not only that, and I don't know if this is just a defect of my iTrip, after a couple of songs, the intended radio frequency will take over and shut my iTrip out. Its not my volume level because I'm not even touching the player. Nothing but disappointment for a product I very much wanted to enjoy and give a good review for.
42 I WANT to like it... but...
The itrip mini does what it advertizes: fits the sleek lines of the mini ipod without adding much bulk at all, and transmits your tunes to a radio tuned to frequency (defaults to 87.9, but you can adjust that by installing the simple software provided with the itrip).
Living in LA, there are VERY limited options insofar as stations not in use. 87.9 is actually one of the few options. The sound quality was awful. I tried using this device in my car, in my room, in my home stereo - all with the same lousy results.
I should have listened to the advice of the salesperson at the Apple store and gotten the cassette device to play my ipod music on other sound systems.
Bottomline: it works, but sounds like music playing on a radio station that doesn't quite come in clearly - static. Poor volume, and very poor sound quality.
43 You don't need it
Get the other iTrip, the one with the exact same headphone thing except it doesn't say "iPod Mini" on it. Save yourself money.
44 Nothing to write home about
this product offers poor quality sound
45 Beyond Cool
The fact that this transmitter allowed me to choose from more than four channels was what caught my attention. Living and working in the NYC metropolitan area, I knew that there are very few, if any, channels that would be clear enough to use a transmitter successfully, so a transmitter that gave me a wide spectrum of channels to choose from was in order.
This thing works! I use it on a channel on which I get a faint to medium signal and it completely overrides that signal. It's easy to use. It's incredibly sexy - not clunky or awkward looking at all (it completely fits the profile of the mini). It gets attention from everyone because it's just so cool.
