Customer Reviews

CTA Digital 3 in 1 Car Kit for iPod

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

Several problems with this product. The main being that the sound quality of the FM transmitter is horrible. It doesn'tbroadcast stereo sound all the time, and unless you plan on sitting in your car in one area where you get a good signal, prepare to have the sound quality vary greatly. I also found I got a better signal when I held the transmitter in my hand or wrapped foil around it, which looks horribly.

Bottom line, do not buy this expecting to have your ipod play through your car speakers just like your radio. In fact, there are very few FM transmitters that will give you flawless sound. If you want good "consistent" quality, you are going to have to use a casette deck transmitter which provides a direct line into your ipod. But out of the many FM transmitters I've tried, this is the worst.

This product works fine as a holder and charger for my iPod (4G) in my 98 Jetta. However, as an FM transmitter, the sound quality ranges anywhere from fair to poor. I still use my cassette adapter for sound input.

I based my purchase on viewing the only customer review available....big mistake. The design is basically made up of 2 things -

1.) the main component that actually holds your ipod and plugs into your car

2.) an extension that plugs into the main component and then into your car (if needed).

The main component does not fit snug into your car lighter - the device "slouches" and falls forward (and I wasn't even driving yet). This was my first disappointment. Once I placed my ipod into the holder it was even worse!! The ipod wants to fall out because the transmitter leans forward so much. I didn't even attempt to drive around with the ipod in place for fear that it would go flying and smash into my shifter at the first bump (also you have to attach the ipod to the connector at the base of the transmitter, therefore possibly damaging the dock port connector if the ipod did fall out).

I added the extender to see if there could be any improvements....HA!! using the extension device made the product even worse!!! You can't tighten the joints enough to make the transmitter sit where you want it, and once you ad your ipod....FORGET IT! It looks like something out of the 80's...

I am packing up my purchase as we speak and sending it back to the company for a full refund.

I was using this iPod adapter for a few days when suddenly my car started to behave extremely strangely -- the clock stopped working, the central locking system failed, the door alarm went off all the time (even when the door was closed), and the RADIO STOPPED PLAYING ALTOGETHER!

When I took it to an electrical auto specialist, he checked my fuses and found that the 3-in-1 had actually FRIED my fuse. He swapped the fuse out, told me never to use that piece of junk again, and everything worked properly. This no-name product is total garbage and for that matter dangerous. Use at your own risk if you are foolish enough to buy.

This is on par with having nothing except a bit more expensive. Mine makes a high pitch whine when it plays. The sound quality is similar to the religious AM stations in the backwoods of Alabama. All in all, I'd suggest taking your money and giving it to a homeless person over buying this product.

the item is bulky. ugly. the phone wire is way too short, I can't belive regular iPod will connect, I have mini, and it bearly long enough, so the sound transmited is some time mono.

The box reads CTA but no where on the items does it show a name brand. I could live with this IF it did not produce a strong shissing sound when used. I tried all the pre set channels. They all did the same thing :-( I tried different types of musice to see if it just one track. But I got the same very loud shissing sound no matter what I played. I have returned it and had my iPod hard wired into my sterio system. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT! I repeat do NOT buy it.

Used for a while with mixed results, and then my ipod started hanging, only when using this product! Only solution was to reset. Once it wiped the contents and had to resync with itunes. (right before throwing the product in the trash!)

I've never written a product review on Amazon before, but I feel so strongly about this item, I had to. DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM! I repeat DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM! It whines, it hums, it's very cheaply made, it only has 4 radio presets, etc, etc. Between using this or not listening to my iPod in the car, I'd rather listen to silence. It's much more relaxing.

I got this item as a last resort only because my car isn't equipped to handle the hard wired version and I wasn't about to go out and buy a new head unit. I've heard both FM and hard wired versions before and the hard wiring is the way to go for the best sound performance. This works in the mean time though and keeps the iPod fully charged at all times. Can't use the EQ on the iPod because it just creates way too much static and only one setting play with minimal static. Every high treble or bass note creates some annoying static. The cigarette lighter adapter doesn't fight snugly in the cigarette lighter slot which creates some static. You always have to make sure to hit pause on the iPod otherwise the iPod will be dead the next time u get in, which is kind of annoying. Other than that all and all its a decent fix in the place of hard wiring, but I would say that's definately the way to go.