Customer Reviews

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters DLA57878/17 TransDock micro FM Transmitter / Charger with IntelliTune for Zune (Black/Silver)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I've never been impressed with FM transmitters that I've owned (3) or using friends before, but this is a completely different story. Great reception, super easy to use (Intellitune one press) and nice features - saving presets, switching audio level and mode (mono vs stereo). The only drawback is the Zune connector is a bit stiff going in/out, but maybe that'll get smoother with use. Charges your Zune while playing which is great. Would have liked to see a 3.5mm aux in on the side of the device in case you wanted to use a 2nd device that was not a Zune, but that's nitpicking.

I live in a 1st ring suburb of Minneapolis, MN on the west side only 5 miles from downtown. No problems with interference whatsoever and the auto search on my aftermarket deck picks up 27 FM stations so there is a lot going around.

Get it, you won't be disappointed.

I got the DLO Transmitter a few months ago and it worked perfectly. Great reception and sound for an FM transmitter. Unfortunately, the connection to the Zune gets a bit hinky now. I'll have to unplug and plug back in the device to the ZUNE in order to hear it over the radio. It's almost like there's a connection loose but 1) it charges fine and 2) I don't have this problem with any other device/connection I have with my ZUNE (I have 3 other cords or devices that I plug into it). So I'm left thinking there must be something wrong with the transmitter. It's not a huge problem but it can be annoying to have to keep plugging in your Zune in the hopes that THIS time you'll hear something come over the radio.

I have gone through a handful of fm adapters, none of which worked even slightly- I was fed up and ready to put in a new stereo with an aux adapter, but I was recommended this one in particular so I gave it a try, the Last Chance for all FM transmitters to prove themselves. It works! The intellitune is great, it finds the station for you, but you can still dial in to any station you want if you find your own blank channel. It is disturbingly easy to use, I don't even have to look at it to set it- theres only one button, and you only push it once to have it auto tune. thats it. if you're looking for something that does exactly what you wanted it to, this is it. And it looks good plugged into my dash.

In terms of reception, this model of FM Transmitter for the Zune is the best I've ever used, and I've gone through 4 different kinds. The reception is hands down better than any other model I've ever encountered. In the St. Louis area it seems to work flawlessly with next to no static except in one area of town (Shrewsberry/Affton) where it does pick up a little bit of static pretty consistently regardless of what channel I'm on. But compare that to other models where you have a little bit of static at all times, and then unbearable amounts off and on as you move through town, and there is no contest. This is the best FM transmitter you can buy for your Zune. It has the intelligent search feature that many models have (although I question its intelligence at times as I've seen it select popular FM stations with strong signals when it's supposed to be finding "blank" stations) and it also charges while you use it.

The big negative is the connector to the Zune. It seems to only work when it wants to. At first it worked every time. Now it requires me to plug and unplug the transmitter from the Zune over and over until it finally decides to connect and start broadcasting. Once it connects, it works fine and seems to work for the rest of the day. But it's the same fight every morning for me. Sometimes I just need to unplug it and plug it back in one time. Other times I'll sit there for 10-15 minutes unplugging and plugging 20, 30...40? times before it finally decides to detect the connection. It can be infuriating and reading the reviews here leads me to believe I am not the only one with this problem.

All that said, the reception of this device puts it over the top when it comes to a recommendation. I would recommend this product as it really is the best one on the market, but just be aware that it still has problems. And if it doesn't work for you one day all of the sudden, try unplugging it and plugging it back into your Zune until it does work...and welcome to my world every morning.

The FM transmitter that came with my Zune 120gb stopped working after about 2 years, so I bought this one. The big selling point is that you don't have to fiddle around with finding the best station to transmit through - the device finds that for you. The problem is, even if you are on a seemingly 'dead' frequency, you get a ton of feedback. I'm not sure if this is because I'm near New York - maybe there are just too many stations out there - but I can barely hear my MP3s through all the static. Stick with the original Microsoft Zune FM transmitter even if it costs a little more.

I bought my 1st one May 2010 and it just started flaking out on me now (Dec 2011). The problem is the same as others have noted, the cord eventually shorts out near the connection with the player. Mine still works if I wrap the cord at a certain angle but it's just a matter of time. The stinky part is that this is a older model and I would buy another in a heartbeat if they were easier to find. There just aren't enough good transnitters out there for the Zune. I tried 4 different ones that were all a let down or did not charge my Zune also. I guess it's back to universal transmitter hell until I give up and buy an iPod.

The first 5 or so times using this item I had to keep putting the connector in and out of the Zune until it would finally start working, but then it started working perfectly for the next couple month. However one day it stopped working again and no matter how much I jiggled it, it would just keep making an electronic clicking sound over the radio and would not play any music.

It worked decently while it lasted, but broke down after a few months.

I have used many FM transmitters. Surprisingly, this is among the better I have used (but not the best). The sound quality is good. The features are GREAT. Being able to adjust the audio level and customize the display and features (like stereo or mono) are great and most transmitters do not feature. The one-touch auto-tune works fabulously.

The one drawback is that I have owned two of these and both of them are in fair to poor condition now. One was owned for 6 months and the other for about 2 before it started giving me grief. The problem comes in the construction. The cable developed a short on my first one. This caused the sound quality to fade in and out as I was driving. I had to place it perfectly and leave the Zune alone to keep the sound quality at maximum.

The second one had a similar issue but it involves the connection between the device and the Zune. The connector piece (though form-fitting and designed for the Zune) needs to be precisely positioned in the Zune itself to receive perfect sound connectivity. I resolved this by using a rubber band to wrap around the Zune and the connector piece. This allows for proper tension and connectivity between the two (most of the time). This set-up is ok for my work truck but not my personal vehicle.

Overall, I love the features and sound quality. However, the product manufacturing design could use a little work.

I read the reviews for this dlo zune fm tranmister and i thought that everyone was just being to harsh....no way they were spot on! you have to plug your device in like 20 different times before it starts playing. And now after having it for 2 months it randomly shuts itself off and then i have to start plugging it in another 20 times until it starts working again.

NOT WORTH THE MONEY!!!

Overall I am very happy with this product. The device is extremely easy to use and the display screen is lit up for easy viewing. It works best when there are more open frequencies so if you live in a highly populated area you might have more trouble finding an open one. I live in the suburbs of Chicago and it can be kind of a pain to find an open frequency that stays open as I drive, but it's great for when I make longer road trips back to Iowa. The scanning feature works fairly well, sometimes it will pick a frequency that isn't available but works most of the time.

As far as sound quality, if you have a good frequency that sound quality is great, very clear. But when your radio starts picking up other stations it becomes staticky.

For the price, this is a great buy.