Customer Reviews

Kensington FM Transmitter/Auto Charger for iPod (White)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Bottom line, unacceptable for me, although it might possibly work in your car. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and I drive a Mercedes E class. I also tried this unit in a friend's Nissan Sentra with identical results to those reported here.

This unit is, in essence, a tiny FM radio station that uses the connecting wire for the unit as the FM transmission antenna. In theory, this mini station transmits from inside your car to your car's FM antenna where the signal is picked up and listened to on your car's radio like any other radio station. This unit allows you to transmit on the frequencies 88.1 MHz through 88.7 MHz inclusive and 107.1 MHz through 107.7 MHz inclusive. In my area at least half of these frequencies are "blank" which I define as tuning to the frequency and receiving only white noise and no trace of a signal from any station.

I hooked up the unit, which was easy, and leaving out a lot of experimentation, I got no meaningful reception in the 88.x MHz range. I tried the upper reaches of the band in the 107.x MHz range and got the unit to work as well as it would work at 107.5 MHz.

I distinguish between two problems: the quality of the FM transmission, and the sound quality once the signal is received by the car's radio. For my car, the FM transmission is simply unworkable. There is a constant, obtrusive, background noise which I would describe as white noise; this noise can be lessened by moving the unit around but not eliminated to the point that it is not obtrusive. The general effect was as if listening to a distant FM station where the signal is starting to fade out to the point that background noise is coming through and interfering with the sound. I tried a number of different placements of the unit all over the car. There were moments - but only moments - where the unit worked flawlessly. In a way those few moments only made the overall effect more frustrating since they seemed to indicate that this technology could work but it wasn't working for me.

The sound quality, apart from the background noise, was quite good, at least as good as an FM transmission. Fussy as I am about sound, I found the sound quality - as separate from the noisy transmission - to be perfectly fine and as good as any other in-car sound source. This is one of those really frustrating situations where we all want to buy this product if only it would work.

How do we reconcile the differing reviews of these products - some of which are downright laudatory and some, like mine, highly critical? I think the difference must relate to the individual auto's FM system. In different cars the antenna will be in different locations relative to the placement of the unit; further, the FM signal shielding provided by the car's metal frame will vary according to the car's construction and the relative location of the car's antenna. Also, specifications like noise rejection and signal strength sensitivity will vary depending on the type and quality of the radio provided in various makes of car. So, my suggestion would be: 1) reviewers state the make and year of your car to create an information resource; 2) find a way to try this thing out before you buy it: if it works in your car, and it probably won't, you will be happy.

I live in the LA Area and there is not a single frequency on the device that is not in use. When in use, static is very common.

Before buying this, I checked out various FM transmitters, as I only have a cd player/radio in my car. The iTrip and similar top-mounted transmitters all had very inconsistant reviews, and I didn't particularly like how they looked on the iPod. Then I noticed Monster's iCarPlay, which seemed like a good idea, as it charged and transmitted, and I assumed it could be a better transmitter because there was simply more power for it. Looking around at other, similar products, I found this Kensington product.

I decided to buy this over the iCarPlay because it blends so well with the iPod and because it was "Aerielle Enabled." I actually had no idea what that meant, but upon further investigation, it seems that it is a new, patented method of transmitting which is supposed to be quite good.

It is. I plugged one end into my cigarette lighter, and my radio, which was already set at 88.1, went from static to total silence. That was when I knew this was a great product, because the complaint with tramsitters is that they transmit a little bit of static themselves, but this was completely silent. I was a little worried because all of the 107 sations are taken in my area (North of Boston), but all you really need is one empty station (you can only set this transmitter for 88.1-7 or 107.1-7). I plugged in my iPod and turned on the music, and there it was on my radio. It didn't sound weak at all, but it was a noticable downgrade from CD. So I played around with the settings. I turned up the bass on my stereo and set the iPod's EQ to "Acoustic," which worked very well; the sound was crisp high and low, and a good balance. That may just be my stereo though, so try different combinations if you're not satisfied, but I truly cannot tell the difference between a cd and my iPod now. I'm sure there is some lost quality, but none I'm going to notice, as I am driving a car, and cars can be quite noisy. The EQ can drain the battery a little faster, but it's charging, so it works out great. A nice touch is that when you turn your car off, the iPod automatically pauses, so you don't have to worry about leaving it in your car overnight and coming back in the morning to discover you have no music for the commute.

I recommend this product to anyone. Well, anyone with an iPod and a car.

This is the 4th FM transmitter I've tried in two years. I was a bit skeptical at first, thinking I'd get the same bad reception and bad sound as the others. Griffin, Belkin and Monster also boasted great reception and good stereo output. But when I plugged my iPod into the Kensignton FM transmitter, it was a world of difference. No static noise, great reception and the best sound quality I've ever heard from one of these attachments. The quality is better than a CD. I am genuinely impressed. The Kensignton FM transmitter boasts their Aerielle wireless technology provides superior audio quality, enhanced noice reduction and excellent stereo separation. I have no idea what Aerielle technology is, but I can say, it sure works great.

I have used several FM transmitters with my iPod mini, and this was the first that consistently delivered FM quality sound over the stereos in both of my cars. I was a bit worried about the limitation of 8 FM stations, but at least where I live (Denver, CO) I am always able to find a clear channel, and rarely have to switch off of 88.3. If you want crystal clear transmissions, this is the one for you.

First off, as every published review of fm transmitters suggests -- use a cassette adapter or a direct input if you can. But, if you're like me (no cassette player, direct input requires more $$ that I want to spend), the Kensington Charger/Transmitter is a good option (I don't know if the digital version ever came out, but that could be an option for those who need to use stations outside of 107/88, which this unit uses).

The reception is good in my car, and there's no worry about moving the iPod, since the transmitter is in the adapter. The sound is comparable to a home-burned mixed CD for AAC files; MP3 files seem to play at a much lower volume, but iTunes converts them to AAC easily enough. Turning up the volume to hear the MP3 leads to distortion (I have to max the volume to hear some of them, whereas the AAC files play at a similar volume to the CD player, at about half of the max).

The dock connection means you don't get the benefits of sound check (to adjust volume), or the iPod equalizer: this is a good thing, though, since you don't have music that's gone through two sets of equalizers (in a previous car, I found this led to over-amped bass and a muddy sound).

The transmitter doesn't have too much trouble getting over weak stations, and it seems to take a decent signal to cause significant interference (I live in a small city, though, so there aren't many stations to mess with). It's relatively easy to throw the switches to another station -- you can figure out by feel which switch you've moved and what the new station ought to be. Looking at the unit to see what it's set to is not easy, so I wouldn't recommend staring at it while driving :).

I do get some intermittent static on rare occasions -- usually with rock songs played at a loud volume (often Static-X is the culprit, go figure that one) -- which may be due to outside interference (different song, different day, same stretch of road, I don't get the static...).

Quick summary....

Pros: Charges the iPod
Decent signal
Lights indicate when the unit is broadcasting/charging
Sound quality is similar to a homegrown mixed CD (if not better)

Cons: Limited stations (8)
Treats AAC/MP3 files differently
Rare bursts of static with no apparent cause

I did a lot of research before I purchased an FM transmitter for my iPod Mini, and I ultimately chose this one because it seemed to have the best reviews (combined with being under $50) of any product. Let me just say I am thrilled with my choice! It works beautifully in my town of about 50,000 people. This is not a booming metropolis, I realize, but we do have quite a few radio stations, and this product is strong enough to drown out a little bleed-through.

By comparison, I have also tried the Belkin TuneCast II, and, even disregarding the fact that the TuneCast does not come with a charger, this product is far superior. Since the Kensington anchors into a lighter socket, the transmitter remains closer to the radio itself, and you're not stuck trying to secure the iPod someplace where your radio can pick up the signal. And there is, of course, the bonus of not having to suffer through weakened battery life in your iPod or the need to constantly replace transmitter batteries. I think this is probably the best product for the money.

Cave emptor -- Check prior to purchasing this that the area in which you will use it the most has at least one of the following 8 stations mostly blank: 88.1,3,5,7 or 107.1,3,5,7.

This device only operates on 85.1, 85.3, 85.5, 85.7, 107.1, 107.3, 107.5, and 107.7. If you have a radio station on OR NEXT TO one of the frequencies the quality of the device will be poor. If one of those is clear (and no station is on either side of it) this product will sound quite good.

We ordered two of these, one to be used with an Ipod and the other with an Ipod Nano, the reception stinks on each station.

Like all FM transmitters, the sound is not perfect, but this one is one of the good ones. The charging is a nice feature. The volume could be higher because it is a little lower than FM stations (the volume control on your ipod does not control the transmition).
The, plug fits perfectly the ipod (some cheaper transmitters no not fit as well). I've tried the product in crawded cities like Chicago and St. Louis with no problem at all.