Griffin iTrip Mini FM Transmitter for iPod Mini

by Griffin Technology

Product Details

Product Manual [203kb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0002F4EO6
• Item model number: 4025-MINI
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (215 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review 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.

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.

Product Description

The Griffin iTrip mini FM transmitter lets you play your iPod mini's music wirelessly through any FM radio whether it be while traveling or at home through your stereo. The iTrip mini FM Transmitter was designed exclusively for the iPod mini. Its form factor matches perfectly all the curves and lines of the iPod mini. It gives you the best possible performance because you can choose any empty station from 87.7 to 107.9.Packaging: Box

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

168 of 178 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I WANT to like it... but..., August 12, 2004

By 

A (NEWPORT BEACH, CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Griffin iTrip Mini FM Transmitter for iPod Mini (Electronics)

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.

64 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The cleanest and most effective solution I have found, March 28, 2005

By 

Richard Aubin (Dallas, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Griffin iTrip Mini FM Transmitter for iPod Mini (Electronics)

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.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple & Elegant Solution, March 24, 2005

By 

wcc2 (Washington DC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Griffin iTrip Mini FM Transmitter for iPod Mini (Electronics)

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.