Customer Reviews

Flexpod Car Mount System for Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS / iPod Touch 2nd and 3rd Gen - Cutting Edge FM Transmitter and Charger with DC Surge Protection and Stabilized Flex-Neck

5 star:		(122)
4 star:		(82)
3 star:		(48)
2 star:		(33)
1 star:		(74)

 

 

The GoGroove Flex Pod is a mixed bag - good, bad and just plain ugly. I'm reviewing it because none of the previous reviews seem to have focussed on its principal strengths AND weaknesses. Everyone seems to love it or hate it. Please note that there seem to be perhaps a dozen gizmos that look just like this one, but this review is about the GoGroove Flex Pod.

The Good: The price is right. $35 is a lot cheaper than my original iTrip for my iPOd (that doesn't work with the iPhone - Thanks Apple!) The gooseneck has not failed in over a month of daily use (despite other reports). It can be placed and/or bent into almost any position, allowing me to get it out of the way of my transmission lever as well as position it for optimum viewing of either the front panel of the iPhone or equally, the top where the FM transmitter frequency is displayed. There is a little knurled knob (that I suspect that some of those who say that the unit fails to hold their iPhone securely have failed to find) that adjusts the tension on the joint about which the iPhone rotates when installed. Tighten it to your preferred stiffness and the iPhone can be positioned securely in almost an infinite number of positions. The frequency can be adjusted to almost anywhere along the FM spectrum (unlike my previous iTrip that had only 10 or 12 preset frequencies) and can be changed by 0.1 mHz increments up or down or by a pushbutton that jumps to previously set frequencies. The FM transmitter is reasonably strong. It works better than my old iTrip did - that is - fewer frequency changes are needed to maintain a static free status. And of course it charges the iPhone perfectly. All that is good.

The Bad (or only fair): The D/A converted output from the dock port seems to have some inherent distortion, depending on the particular tune being played (all my stuff is MP3 compressed at 128 kbps). I suspect this has to do withe the degree of compression used in the original recordings, but has the effect of making some bass parts sound crunchy rather than smooth. When connected via the dock port, the iPhone volume control is disabled (which is a good thing) and you control everything through the car's sound system.

The Ugly: This unit is advertised to also function as a "hands-free" phone device. They give you a little patch cord to connect the headphone out port of the iPhone to an analog input port on the GoGroove. Very clunky. And it doesn't work for @#$^#! If you connect it, the dock port is disabled and ALL the sound (music and phone) is played through this port, controlled by the volume setting on the iPhone and is very obviously not as hi-fi as the low level output from the dock port. And the hands-free patch is so close to useless as to not make any difference. With my Monsoon 200 Watt sound system, I have to turn the volume to max to even hear the other caller through the car speakers even when the iPhone's iPod volume slider is at maximum. They can hear me just fine (i.e., the fault is not the iPhone's), but all I hear is hiss and noise and a little, highly distorted audio. So bad as to be useless.

If you are looking for an inexpensive FM transmitter for an iPhone or iPod. the Gp Groove is OK, or perhaps a bit better. If you are looking for Hi-Fi reproduction, you will probably be disappointed. And if you need hands=free phone capability, you will almost certainly want to return this and get something else.

Got this on a whim when I saw the sale.

Was worried since I didn't know the brand very well, and I hadn't seen this product in person before.

The build quality of the unit seems good. It's also pretty stylish looking. The back plate and clamps have rubbery foam pads on them which will protect your device from scratches and blemishes.

The digital display and buttons on the top work very well and are easy to use.

The FM Transmitter on this thing is very impressive. I've owned a handful of FM transmitters and this is the best I've had. It completely takes over the station I have it set to and plays very clean audio with zero static, hiss, fuzzy, breakups, or quality loss.

The audio also goes right through the lower dock connector, which is nice. You only need to use the headphone jack if you want to utilize the hands free features of the phone/device. Plugging the small cable (included) from your headhphone jack to the "hands free" port on the device allows you to play phone calls through your car speakers.

While the audio quality won't be as good as a direct auxiliary stereo input, I was very impressed... and I consider myself to have pretty high standards for audio quality. (Just make sure your device volume isn't blasted too high, or it will sound over driven. Be sure to put it at 50-75% and use your car stereo volume the rest of the way). On the plus side, you don't have to worry about tethering your device to the stereo input with this method (FM vs Aux in).

The "Goose neck" is sturdy yet easy to manipulate. The dock is also tilt able and is very easy to angle towards you, no matter where you are looking at it from. The dock holds the device (in my case, an iPhone 3G) very nicely and firmly. I noticed that the best way to ensure a snug fit is to pre-tighten the clamps and then slide the device in snugly, rather than placing the device in the dock first and then attempting to tighten the clamps around it.

I tested the stability of the dock and the fit of the device within the it, and all seemed well. I accelerated quickly, stopped fast, swerved and took sharp corners, etc. Other than a little bit of jitter here and there, it stayed quite stable and I had no fear of my iPhone falling out.

I got this so that I can use my iphone a bit easier without risking serious personal injury while driving. Having no tactile response is dangerous. While a windshield mount may be even better for positioning, This places the iphone within viewable range of my focus. Plus it charges and acts as my FM transmitter, which is great seeing as the iphone has somewhat weak battery life and I love listening to music on my long commute.

Today on my lunch break I had playlist running in the background while I used google maps for GPS and directions to the place I was going. All the while the phone was placed just a short ways above my shifter. Very convenient.

There is even a USB port on the side of the dock, which will charge other USB-chargeable devices.

I definitely recommend this product.

I used this for the past few days, and I have to say, it works really well compared to other transmitters I've tried. I had a DLO that just didn't give me the sound or consistency I was looking for.

This FM Transmitter in contrast makes up for everything my old one was lacking. This one has a nice cradle with grips so my IPHONE never rolls around when I drive. Also, locking of the station seems pretty strong... I can use it on a lot of different stations, even though I live in a big city. I rate the sound quality a 9 out of 10, and the design I give a 10 out of 10.

I've never heard of this brand, but it seems like they are good at making FM Transmitters.

One more thing... this is awesome because I can use it with my IPHONE tot alk while I'm driving. It is now illegal to talk on a cell phone in California while driving, but with this thing, when a call comes in, you just leave it in the cradle, the music fades out, then touch the screen, and the call comes through your speakers. I am always skeptical if the caller on the other end can hear me as well as i can hear them, but whenever I ask, they say they hear me just fine... I guess it's just hard to believe that this thing works so well.

I recommend t anyone with an IPHONE or IPOD.

After purchasing an Ipod mount system with a "locking wheel" that fell off and disappeared under the car seat within a week, I decided to try this mounting system instead and count the other one as a loss.

I couldn't be happier... and it's not even for me! It's for my wife. She thanks me nearly every day for getting this for her. The reception, she reports, is perfect... no static and no trouble finding a "clear" station as it was with my previous purchase. The flexible neck makes it very easy to position to a convenient location. It is very easy to use. It's also very easy to remove and stow in her purse or to carry inside. The "locking slides" on the side are cushy and make a nice seal to hold the Ipod in place.

We took a ride the other day to run some errands, and I was extremely impressed with the sound quality and the look and design of the unit. I am now going to purchase one for myself (since I just happen to be right here on the page!).

My wife is eight-months pregnant, and if there is anything that makes her driving experience a happy, comfortable one, I'm happy too. I look forward to getting one for my car.

****************** UPDATE *************************

Yes, I did end up getting one for my car, and I love it. My sister-in-law also saw my wife's set up, and she wants one for her birthday. So I absolutely recommend this product... and I am glad I gave it five stars! It deserves that rating.

This is a very convenient way to play your iPod in your car. I love how the iPod is mounted and out of the way when I don't need it. The quickscan option is great for quickly finding the best station and the charger is a must if you use your player as much as I do.

Notes for buyers:
1. This is called the Accessory Power Go Grove Flex Pod if you want to buy it elsewhere.
2. Watch the iPod settings, you'll need to adjust your EQ on the iPod so the heavier sounds aren't distorted by the player. I turned my EQ off, and it helps for most music, some of the bassier stuff sounds off at times. That is why i didn't give it a 5/5, but sound quality overall is good, especially for a transmitter.

I love this product! While there are some things that can be improved, if you live in the Greater Toronto Area, this is the best FM transmitter available for the iPhone. I compared this product to the Belkin Tunecast with ClearScan and Griffin iTrip Auto - both have no clear stations once you get near downtown Toronto and both are much more expensive. The Advance Car Mount by Accessory Genie however does the job - I have it set to 89.9 and drove from Stouffville to financial district in downtown Toronto and to Oakville and did not have to change the station at all. I have the inCase Slider and the phone in the case just fits snuggly into the Mount - if you have a thicker case, it may not fit.

Only complaints are:
1) There is an extra cable that allows handsfree calls through your car's speakers. When this cable is plugged in, there is significant deterioration in sound quality. I do not use this cable and use my bluetooth headset instead.
2) The LCD display on the Mount is at the top and hidden behind the iPhone when mounted - display should be in the front and visible. It would not be possible to safely change the station while driving.
3) There is no off switch on the Mount. You need to unplug it from the cigarette lighter in your car if you do not want to drain your car's batteries.

Otherwise, I am extremely happy with the product, especially at the price I paid.

Bought this FM transmitter after some online blogs few months ago for my iPhone 3G. I thought it came with a 3-year warranty so it wouldn't be too bad even if something went wrong. It turned out everything went wrong. The product was ok to begin with. I managed to get a couple relatively clean channels and used it for about a couple months. Then the transmitter started producing pretty bad static noise and eventually gave up (no longer in sync with the radio and would not even charge the phone).
Now the worst part, their customer service is NON-EXISTANT. I filled their online forums 3 times in past two weeks but nothing came back from them. Apparently they don't care about their customers. I finally fed up and threw this piece of crap into garbage can. My advice to you, the potential buyers, forget about buying this thing online, try local Best Buy and pay little extra for something else, you have much better chance.

This is an excellent product for the money.

I have had mixed success with FM transmitters for iPods before, so I was a little hesitant when ordering this. Better known brands can be much more expensive, but this had the features I was looking for. Living in a city with very little free space on the FM dial, I was concerned that reception would be a problem. I was also worried that the gooseneck would a weak point.

On receiving the unit, I plugged in my iPhone and installed it in my car. I tuned my radio to the station that the transmitter was set to by default and the signal came in loud and clear. I have not had to re-tune the unit once since I got it a few weeks ago, and I have driven all around the city with it. I have even deliberately driven through areas that gave previous transmitters problems. The gooseneck is very sturdy, and a rubber washer on the plug stops it from slipping. Having Pandora on the go is fantastic.

I haven't tried using the included cable to connect the headphone output for hands-free calls since I prefer to have a line-level signal driving the transmitter. In my car the iPhone's built in speaker is usually loud enough as long as I am not on the highway.

I needed something that would let me enjoy the contents of my iPod Nano 4G during my anticipated long distance drive over the holiday weekend. I tested this puppy out and it is simply wonderful! As noted by other customers, the FM transmitter gives out the clearest audio I have ever heard--no static whatsoever! It's setup to allow the user to easily control/view their mobile Apple device while having it charge. The plug is ingeniously engineered to where you can easily manipulate this plug from fully plugged in to partially unplugged-- this device is reinforced at the plug to stay put if you leave it slightly unplugged. Awesome!--no constant putting away/setting up routines! The USB jack allows me to trickle-charge my phone. 1 plug for both of my most important mobile devices. I am extremely pleased and impressed! A+++++

EDIT 8 JUN 09--After having used it since my trip, I have noticed the signs of shoddy workmanship that some of the more critical customers identified. I had issues with the bottom "prongs" that give the iPod footing inside the mount. The bottom would occasionally open and cause these things to fall out. If I were to lose either of these pieces it wouldn't be able to hold the device anymore--game over. It also has little to no resistance rotating in the outlet--especially with a heavier iPhone--resulting in more frustration than it's worth. I cannot say I would recommend to another customer at this point, since this thing might fall apart on me I'll probably have to get something else that's more built to last soon. A very good concept, but they have a lot of work to do to make this product perfect. I would now downgrade it to 3 stars.

This is a fantastic product. The only problem is the charging cord is a little long and hangs down but otherwise iit is super. I can see what is playing and charge my Creative Zen at the same time. Audio is through vehicle so if you have a good sound system you will love this.