Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G (White)

by Griffin Technology

Product Details

Product Manual [1.24mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.5 x 6 x 5.8 inches ; 5.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000AAAPF
• Item model number: 4013-2TRIP
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (411 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The iPod 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 speakers. Several companies, however, have sought to fill this void by releasing a product called an FM transmitter, which broadcasts iPod tunes through FM airwaves. Griffin Technology is among the category leaders with its iTrip, a discreet little device that fits unobtrusively on top of the iPod model. The iTrip 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.

The iTrip is designed to broadcast to any empty FM frequency on the dial of any radio, at home or in your car.

Design and Setup
The iPod 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 company has released several iTrips designed to match specific iPod models, and each is among the sleekest FM transmitters on the market. Plus, the device measures less than an inch tall and exactly as wide as the iPod it sits on, so it takes up almost no extra space--an important feature to people who value the iPod's portability. 

The iTrip 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 iPod (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 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 on three separate frequencies in a mid-size market with varying success. The sound was generally good in two of the frequencies, less so in the third. This remained true whether the iPod sat next to the radio, in the backseat, or under a stack of newspapers. While driving through bad FM reception areas, the iTrip received a bit of static, but it usually passed in a couple of seconds.

The iTrip 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--might instead want to add an auxiliary input to their car stereos to get the most from their iPods.

The main drawbacks to the iTrip 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 draws its power from the iPod battery. This is both a plus and a minus, because 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 or iPod mini through the cigarette lighter adapter while you drive. Third, the iTrip isn't great for long road trips through crowded regions, because the available FM frequencies might change every 40 or so miles (or less), making it necessary to frequently re-tune the iTrip. On the flip side, it's great for long drives through the country.

Ultimately, the iTrip is a good value. The convenience will please iPod fans who have been clamoring for a way to play their music in the car. Audiophiles might 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
• Simple, easy-to-follow controls using iPod click wheel
• Sound quality is solid, though not terrific

Cons

• Sometimes requires frequent re-tuning to find the 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
The iTrip white FM transmitter, an installation CD-ROM, and a user's manual.

Product Description

The iTrip FM transmitter for the iPod can play your music through any FM radio in your car, at a party, wherever the mood strikes you--and you have a radio. It's clear that the iTrip is made specifically for the iPod. This gives iTrip advantages over similar devices. For example, with the iTrip, you can have the cleanest possible signal--because you can choose any radio station on the dial to tune for the best performance possible. You do this by 'playing' special station codes directly from the iPod itself. Another advantage of the iTrip is that it needs no batteries--it receives its tiny amount of power from the iPod. The original iTrip can even rotate out of the way to charge the iPod while still in use. No more batteries ever again. There's not even a power switch - just plug it in and go. It shuts off automatically after 60 seconds of silence--just like the iPod. The iTrip is the ultimate accessory for the iPod because it allows you to share the music and share the fun beyond your headphones.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

228 of 236 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does what it's supposed to do, December 1, 2003

By 

Mediahound (SF Bay Area, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G (White) (Electronics)

If you have a cassette deck in your car, you don't need the iTrip, just get one of those cassette adapters and you are all set. But if you don't have a cassette deck in your car, the iTrip does what it's supposed to do fairly well. In the majority of cases, it works fine. Although you should be aware that this technology is not perfect. Depending on your location, you may occaisionally experience some static from a radio station that is near where you have the iTrip set to.

Also, the quality is limited to FM radio quality. It is not as good as what the iPod is capable of and certainly not CD quality. That said, the quality from the iTrip is quite listenable for the price when there is no static. In my area (which is a major metropolitan area), no matter what I do, I get some occaisional static depending on the time of day.

If your car stereo has a line input, that would the the ideal recommendation. Some radios nowadays even have a jack right on the front of the radio. If yours doesn't, perhaps it has line input jacks in the back of the unit and an installer can wire this up for you so you can access it and plug the iPod in to it.

Another better option than the iTrip is to have a car stereo shop install a wired FM modulator for you. The FM modulator is wired under your dash between your antenna and the radio and includes a jack for the iPod. This works virtually flawlessly, with no static and a much more powerful signal into the radio.

In all, I would recommend the iTrip for use in a rental car or a friend's car or if you will only use the iPod occaisionally in your car. If you drive a lot and use the iPod exclusively, it would definitely be worth it to invest in a wired option instead.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars iTrip - Great (Most of the time!), January 3, 2004

By 

James Colborn (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G (White) (Electronics)

I live in Cambridge MA and find the iTrip a worthy addition to my iPod arsenal. At first I had no luck with the iTrip, it was so hard to tune in that I almost gave up, but after waiting 6 months for delivery it was worth just that last ditch effort to get right.

For some reason 97.7 on any FM radio is the station to tune to and then let the iTrip find the best signal. I've had it with zero hiss for long journeys, such as Boston to New York and it's been fine the whole way. I've also used it in the UK (on the same 97.7 frequency) and has performed excellently there too. There are more radio stations than sense in Boston so I actually collapsed my arial on my car which makes it work better as the closest signal to the radio will always be the iPod.

Don't get your cell phone too close as the constant signal exchanges between phone and phone provider can be annoying and power lines make it sizzle sometimes. Overall I like the device and if you have multiple radios in your house it's great to carry music from one location to the other without having to take the disc or tape.

Thumbs up from me. 4 out of 5 just for the fact that it was really hard to get going and that my LED is red and not blue as the instruction manual states and as such I was convinced mine was broken from day one!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for video iPod, November 9, 2005

By 

Leon Stearns "Sky" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G (White) (Electronics)

This will not work with video iPod. The video iPod does not have the power source next to the audio out like all the other iPods. The video iPod only has the audio out (headphone jack).