Customer Reviews

DLO TransPod All-in-One Car Solution for iPod Black

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To keep things short, and to the point, I'll go ahead and just say what's important about the TransPod. It's the exact same product as the white TransPod (I'm assuming), under a different color. The unit itself has a relatively frail-looking build, as if you can crunch it in one hand. Fortunately, however, this is only skin-deep, and it's a pretty sturdy item. Granted, I haven't tried to stomp on it to test this durability, but... I'm assuming I'll never have to stomp on it, so we can go ahead and overlook this.

As far as functionality goes, the item is incredibly simplistic, but it gets the job done. Three buttons adorn the TransPod's right side, two of which are for up and down tuning of the station, the other gives you access to four or five preset stations. Nonprogrammable, mind you, but it doesn't matter. You have almost the entire frequency spectrum to choose from, and the selected station is shown clearly on the front LCD of the unit. It comes with an extension arm in case you need to do some maneuvering around with the TransPod (which I had to do in my 2003 Subaru Baja, as the cigarette element lies directly forward of the gear shifter).

Sound quality is decent-far better than that of the iTrip (which is to be expected if you put any faith in the old saying, "You get what you pay for." what with the TransPod's retail price of one hundred dollars when compared with the iTrip's price of thirty)-but nowhere near CD quality, in my opinion. I'm not finicky about the quality, mind you, as I'm content merely with the fact that I can clearly enjoy the music. The TransPod and iPod are far cheaper than my alternative option of XM Satellite Radio in the end, and I don't have to listen to music I don't want, as it's all from my own collection.

And of course, charging the iPod while in use is an added bonus. I've heard from many reviews that the iPod won't shut off in vehicles with a lighter element that stays on even when the vehicle isn't on, but for owners of the Baja, you're good to go. You can leave the TransPod plugged in without fear of having your car battery drained.

Complaints? The arms used to connect the TransPod to the lighter element are bulky and not very attractive to look at, even if they do get the job done. Also included with the kit is a dash mounting kit, if you're ever inclined to drill some holes in your dashboard (I'll pass, thanks). And of course, as many others have already addressed, the iPod fits loosely in the dock, so it'll probably be shaken loose now and again by the potholes, dents, nooks, and crannies of the Virginia highways and roads.

All in all, though, it's an excellent product, and well worth the price.

Update (August 4, 2005) - Alright, so I gave the mounting arm a chance for the day, and decided that it wasn't going to work out (since it'd keep falling off to one side or the other when I made tight turns... and I do that a lot). So, I looked at the dash mounting kit, and ended up using some double-sided mounting adhesive to mount it to the dash, and now, I have no complaints at all with the product. Works like a charm.

I won't repeat what the other reviews have said about some of the shortcomings of this product (such as the extension arms that go into the power outlet - weakly designed in fact the shorter one broke when I was trying to pull it out again from the socket)But I too used the dash mounted option with some industrial strength velcro and it works fine. I will concentrate on what you purchase the product for - sound quality. I am a former recording engineer so I am picky as to what I want to hear. This unit sounds great but with a few caveats. It only sounds as good as the source quality of the music you are playing and have ripped to the IPOD. Regular CDs ripped at 128kbps sound as good as an MP3 will. Also, I think it has a lot to do with the quality of your stereo in the car. My 2004 Prius happened to have a stock Toyota stereo out of the dealership that rocks. I haven't had to do anything to it. Yes it's true that it doesn't use the IPOD's amp so you might have to turn it up a bit, but it does utilize the EQ in the IPOD. Overall I am pleased with the product once I figured out the best way to mount it in my car.

After trying and giving up on Belkin's TuneCast II, I tried DLO's Transpod (White). At $100, it's expensive, but you can quickly forget that when you hear the sound quality. Things I like include the following:

1. It uses the 12V power supply and charges the iPod while it's in use

2. The multiple arms make it possible to fit almost any automobile

3. The transmitter is powerful (overrides most stations even in the Bay Area). I've almost never had to switch stations

4. You don't need to use the iPod volume control. The signal (fixed line out) is directly tapped from the multipurpose socket at the bottom of the iPod.

Negatives:

1. No user defined memory settings

2. No aux-in inputs for non iPod devices

Both these features are provided in the new model - in my opinion, that's a better model to choose.

Great product! Multi adjustable, will fit almost any position. Good reception with the wireless FM transmitter. Very nice looking.

I recently received an iPOD Photo and after loading in tons of CD's I said . . . hey why not buy an all in 1 adapter for my car. My transpod arrived but I had difficulty inserting the adapter into my car's charger. After working that out and using it everyday for a week, it stopped working. I realized that the fuse had blown. It's small and relatively compact unlike the Griffin RoadTrip, but it's a whole lot of drama for the price.

With regard to the quality of the sound through my vehicle's audio system, I am extremely disappointed. What sounds like a million dollars through headphones does not translate to what you hear through fm radio frequencies. I have adjusted the iPOD's equalizer and played around with some options inside my car, but I am extremely disappointed. If someone has a better alternative . . . GOD BLESS YOU but don't waste your money on this product.

If you don't have a stereo with an entrance for Ipod, this product will help you a lot, you won't use your CD's anymore.

i bought this 4 or 5 years ago and it still works perfectly. i like that it has a solid stem that plugs into my cigarette lighter so that i can position it where it's easy to view/operate while i'm driving.