Customer Reviews

Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter

5 star:		(84)
4 star:		(82)
3 star:		(38)
2 star:		(44)
1 star:		(54)

 

 

First off, people are getting this transmitter confused with the previous Monster FM transmitter. You are NOT limited to only 8 stations. This transmitter allows you to program in ANY station you choose, and it's very easy to do so.

Pros:
You can program in any station! The stations are NOT predetermined so any empty station you find, just program it in and youre set to go, which makes this perfect for road trips.

Charges up your iPod while you go.

You can set three 'favourite' stations so you can switch back and forth between a couple if one goes out.

Very simple and easy to use. Not a lot of cords to get tangled up.

Cons
Every FM transmitter you buy for your iPod is going to have a loss in sound quality. It is NOT going to sound like youre playing a CD. It sounds like the radio.

No dock or anything to set the little station switcher on. I would've like even a double sided sticker mount so I could stick it to the dash or something instead of it hanging there, but I'm really just being picky here.

Finding a station in the surrounding Cleveland area was tough! There are hardly any completely static stations (I never realized how many darn country stations there are here, yeesh.) So far I have found 4 open stations. However, this is NOT the companys fault. Finding a clear open station is soley going to depend on where you live and where you are when you drive.

I found 3 completely open static stations starting at 87.5 and up. OF COURSE, this FM transmitter starts at 88.1. Grrr. But it wasn't a problem because in the end I was able to find 4 open ones throughout the spectrum. However, it would've been nice if it started at 87.5.

Okay this is COMPLETELY an aesthetic complaint but I dislike red LED lights. My car has blue so it doesn't match, but once again, that is completely nitpicking.

All in all, this is worth the money. It really is a must if you want to play your iPod on the road, but don't expect it to sound like your surround sound home theatre system. It is an FM transmitter.

I recently purchased this product along with the 20GB iPod, as I was tired of constantly having to swap CD's in the car on the way to work. And forecasting several trips to Tahoe this season, I knew I wanted to have continuous music on my journey.

The product has several stations to select from, however, being in a metro area, all but one of them is actually occupied by a very strong local station signal.

Before buying the product, I recommend checking your radio dial to see if you have heavy stations from 88.1 to 89.5. If you've got a heavy station on all those channels, this product isn't going to provide the best performance. As the product manual says it's tough to compete with a 50,000megawatt transmitter :).

I was able to find one station that was mostly unused here, 88.5. It has some background static, but no music or talking. As soon as I plug the device into the ciglighter, there is an audible pop on the radio so I know it's broadcasting. I did follow the instructions to increase the treble on my stereo for best results, and it does help.

Because of the way it connects to the iPod, I have found that adjusting the iPod volume does nothing to the transmission. You'll need to use your radio volume to change it accordingly. In between songs you'll probably hear some static too, as if there's a strong signal around you, it will bleed in.

This morning I noticed that I got quite a bit of interference when a large truck drove by...perhaps from their CB/radio system, but I can't be sure.

Aside from these things, which frankly I consider minor compared to swapping 50 CD's, it was well worth the purchase, especially if you do not have a car with an iPod dock, or a tape deck (if you have a tape deck, you can get the tape accessory instead of this one, and you won't have to compete with radio waves).

Enjoy!

Anyone who owns an Apple iPod realizes the importance of being able to listen to your collection of songs anytime, anywhere. It is for this reason that I researched a mobile device for my unit. Originally, I was determined to buy an iTrip due to the compatibility of the system. Well, upon further investigation, I discovered that for a little more I could get the Monster Cable rather than the iTrip.
The two are capable of the same thing; playing I-Pod tunes through a car radio receiver. The iTrip simply plugs into the top of the iPod and the music comes through the car speakers. Unfortunately, its simplicity makes up for its clarity.
There is much more static with this system, due to the fact that the reception is not as strong. On the other hand, the Monster Cable gives the option of eight different stations, one that is sure to be suitable for the area. By simply changing the setting on the deck to match the radio station, the music comes through without any static and very good clarity.
Another major difference in comparing the two units is their portability. The iTrip, although cordless, can not be placed too far from its base. That can be a challenge when driving since the movement of the car can cause it to fall if not properly secured. The Monster has a cord which holds the iPod in place and allows a stronger reception resulting in better sound.
Finally, the battery life is a very important issue when deciding on which unit to purchase. The iTrip drains the battery life of the iPod twice as fast as it normally would last. Therefore, long trips can be challenging for this device. However, the Monster Cable is designed to actually charge the iPod as long as it is plugged in, regardless of whether or not it is playing music. It is a great feature since the battery is virtually always being charged to its capacity.Finally, the battery life is a very important issue when It is obvious that the Monster Cable is a far better choice to take your I-Pod with you in the car. Even though it may cost more, the portability, convenience, and especially the quality of sound are definitely worth it

Let me reiterate something people keep missing here: This product (note the "Plus" in the title) DOES allow tuning to just about every station on the spectrum (I believe excepting the lowest frequency, 87.9 or something like that).

The BIG advantage here over the previous version (also available on Amazon for $10 less, and elsewhere for $20 less) is two-fold:

1. If you didn't have a station below 88.9 open, the previous product was unusable.
2. FM stations in the "mid range", from what I understand, have a better frequency response than in either the "low range" or the "upper range", which leads to a noticably better quality sound (I could hear the difference between a low-88 and 97.5 quite clearly, but a lot of other factors also come into play here such as what the other stations are broadcasting, etc).

Note that your satisfaction with this product will depend largely on the vehicle and sound system you are using it with. Some radios do a better job of "locking" onto a carrier wave that is only slightly stronger than the general broadcast wave. Some cars isolate the external antenna such that an internal radio transmitter has much less of an effect. For my purposes, I've used this product in both a Toyota Echo and in a GMC van; the GMC stock radio picks up the Monster transmission nearly across the entire dial, loud and clear; the Toyota's radio only picks up at one dial location (97.5) and even then will often pick up chirping around construction sites (which it also does with regular radio; like I said, I believe this has to do with not locking on to the carrier wave very well).

Finally, comparing this to other products. I started with a Griffin iTrip. That device was very nice, but had two fatal flaws:

1. It did not allow for easy changing of the radio station (and I absolutely hate having a bunch of encoded "songs" in my playlist just so I can change the iTrip frequency if necessary!)

2. It did not charge the device.

However, it had two points in its favor:

1. A very strong signal (I've heard charger-transmitters like the Monster one which yielded less transmission oomph).

2. Works well with my iPod in its protective case.

Now, a word on that latter.

I like my iPod. I like it's shiny back. I like it's pristine white front. I do not like scratches. More importantly, I do not like the thought of minor bumps causing the hard drive inside to crash.

As a result, I keep it in a protective case every moment that I can. I take the case off at night to dock it with my computer, but that's it.

The vast majority of car charger/FM transmitters require you to "dock" the iPod in their own little cradle. None of those cradles allows for a protective case, so far as I've been able to find. Many many nice FM transmitter solutions are completely unusable in my opinion because of this.

Moreover, I like to be able to hold my iPod when pressing its buttons etc. Any "cradle" system which locks its location to within three inches of the cigarette lighter (which Toyota in its infinite wisdom chose to place six inches above the floor on the passenger side) is also completely unusable.

Anyway, I wanted to get a transmitter that charged the iPod, allowed for easy, full-spectrum channel selection, and still both cut through the static in my Toyota AND didn't require a confining "cradle" to operate.

The Monster device here definitely meets my needs. As I said, it does well (actually moderately better than the iTrip) in my Toyota, allows me to place my iPod in a nice little bin next to my fingertips, and makes my commute a refreshing one.

One last note on this: I have noticed that the use of a cigarette lighter "splitter" so that you can plug both this and, say, a cell phone charger in at the same time, will tend to cause problems with the Monster transmitter and the iPod (causing my iPod to reboot). I think it says more about Toyota's anemic electrical system than the Monster device, but just wanted to throw that little tidbit out there.

I bought this with great expectations because Monster Cable normally make great products. But was deeply disappointed when I hooked it up to my car. I got nothing but static. It was like not being tuned all the way to a station. I took it back the same day I bought it. I believe it's where my FM antenna sit at on my Honda Civic and where the FM transmitter is. The box states that it's range is 3.5 ft and my FM antenna for my car sits on the rear window. Just a few inches out of range. So I believe that's where the static is coming from. I also have XM satellite and XM wants you to put there transmitter right next to your antenna for premium sound so I believe that's why I and other people get static because it's impossible to get the FM transmitter closer to my FM antenna. So if your antenna sits on your rear view mirror or on your trunk, you may get static. But if your antenna is on the hood or front window, then this maybe a good buy for you. But for me, it's a bad buy. It should have a stronger signal so it can reach antennas that are in the rear of the car.

I bought my wife an earlier version of the iCarPlay, and she has commented for months that it sounds "scratchy". For the first time today, I borrowed her Pod for my drive to work, and realized that the scratchiness was FM static due to a weak signal. It then dawned on me that the iCarPlay is broadcasting to the antenna, not the radio itself, so I hung the Pod over my rearview mirror, which brought the transmitter up off the floor and closer to the antenna. All the static went away...

Give it a try to see if this resolves some of those problems with finding a station to play on. It should allow the iCarPlay (or any similar transmitter) to override the competing signals.

I recently bought an Apple iPod nano and I love it. While many apparently have had some screen problems, mine has chugged right along like the good little 1.5-ounce color screen digital music player that it is. It even worked with my Belkin TuneBase FM Transmitter and though it didn't quite fit properly, it was close enough for government work.

Everything was fine and dandy until my Belkin device's fuse burned out. It uses a very odd fuse size that I couldn't find anywhere. So, being the "just make it work" kinda guy I am, I substituted a slightly bigger fuse. The fuse holder for the TuneBase has a spring to hold it in place against the metal and it worked...for a while. I noticed that on occasion, the FM transmitter would stop working, and then start up again. Not often enough to replace it, just enough to be annoying. Then one day as I was driving along, I pulled the device out and it fell apart in my hands, right where the plug goes into the auxiliary power hole (what used to be called the cigarette lighter). Pieces went everywhere and I think the spring sprung out the window. I never could find it. I needed a new way to get music from the iPod into my car stereo without resorting to buying a new audio system. Also I wanted it to keep my iPod charged. I decided not to get another TuneBase, so I started looking for another solution. While not perfect, The Monster iCarPlay Wireless Plus does what it's advertised to do.

A quick word about FM transmitters of this type. These devices by law must accept any interference from regulated FM transmitters (regular radio stations), so static and buzz can emit from your radio if a strong enough signal is present. Also, sound quality from devices like this is usually pretty good, but not as good as a direct connection from your iPod's audio output directly through some tuner's auxiliary port (if available). That's the nature of the beast folks. No getting around it. If you can afford and want better, a direct connection is always going to be superior. In the product literature, even Monster acknowledges the limitations of this device and everything like it with this from their product literature: "iCarPlay Wireless Plus acts just like a tiny FM radio station, however no FM transmitter will ever sound like your favorite 50,000 watt radio station." I admire their honesty for admitting this, but wish it wasn't buried in small type in the manual.

Back to the iCarPlay. It's a minimalist device with a simple plug for the power port on one end, a standard iPod plug (for all current iPods except the Shuffle) on the other, and the FM tuner with presets in between. The FM tuner has a bright, easy to read red digital display for showing the currently used FM frequency, the three preset buttons labeled 1, 2, 3 on one side, and a plus, minus, and M (for memory) buttons on the other.

Keep in mind that you can't use the following two FM frequencies: 87.7 and 87.9 (I have no idea what the limitation is for). Other than that, the entire U.S. range of FM frequencies (88.1 to 107.9) are available. In order to program the presets, you hold down the memory (M) button until the display starts flashing. Then, use the plus and minus buttons to select the FM frequency you want. Hold the desired preset number button for one second and you're all done. While it's easy to do, it's not as simple or as straightforward as the Belkin TuneBase. If you live in a large metropolitan area, finding a clear frequency can be difficult and the added steps the iCarPlay Wireless requires for other than preset FM frequency changes is a burden and not recommended unless you and your vehicle are stationary. Monster could make this device better by allowing the plus and minus keys to change the frequency on the fly instead of having to hold down buttons to get it in program mode.

Once your three presets are..uh..set, using the device couldn't be simpler. Set your car's FM tuner to the same frequency as the iCarPlay, connect your iPod, and you're ready. The cable is long enough to reach just about anywhere in the front seat of most cars available in the U.S. There are no clips or mounts to secure your iPod, so set it down carefully somewhere it won't fly around with any sudden stops. You'll still need to use the iPod's controls to select songs and playlists, but that's not what this device is for. If you need more, or wish to use wireless controllers (There are some available for most iPods, but not the nano yet), or your radio's controllers, you'll need a different solution. Monster's iCarPlay is a simple solution for a simple problem.

Highs
Works with every iPod that uses Apple's standard iPod connection (except the Shuffle which is USB only)
East to read display
Corrosion resistant gold contacts
Highest power FM transmitter allowed by the FCC
Quickly re-charges your iPod
Full frequency range (except for 87.7 and 87.9)

Lows
Must accept frequency interference
Sound quality not as good as a direct connection
Nothing to securely mount your iPod within the vehicle

If you can accept the limitations of a device like this, the Monster iCarPlay Wireless Plus is one of the better FM transmitters available today.

MyMac.com Rating: 3.5 out of 5

When you read the reviews for the various FM transmitters and the tape deck converters, you start to think that there is no way to successfully link your IPOD to a car that doesn't have a dock or a Aux plug in.

After reading the reviews I was sure that I was embarking on some sort of a Saga to find the system that would work in my city. I went to a retail store, where the salesman vehimently recommended the Monster Cable product listed here. They didn't have any in stock at that store, and I didn't have time to drive accross town to their other location which had seven in stock. So I went home and saw that it was $20 cheaper on Amazon, so I ordered it.

I was learing about buying it mail order, because I was convinced by the reviewers that it wasn't going to work and I was going to have to return it. (however you do that with Amazon, I don't know)

Anyway, if you read nothing else, read this line: I plugged it in in my car, hooked in the IPOD, picked a random station using the instructions that are attached to the cord (very good place for instructions) and there it was. Crystal clear success on my first attempt. I drove about 30 minutes to the post office and back and never heard a lick of static nor did my signal fade a single time.

At least in Colorado Springs, CO, this product is flawless.

Would have rated this product absolutely perfect (5 stars) if Monster had included a single additional phrase in the direction booklet: "If using a nano, reset your i-Pod while the FM/Charger is attached."

I spent two frustrating hours trying to get this thing to work, then I finally got fed up and called Monster's Customer Service division. The Monster representative then told me that when using this product with an i-Pod Nano, the user must reset the i-Pod. You can do this by holding down the Menu button and the Select button (center clicker) simultaneously for 6 seconds. This should solve all of your troubles.

Three months ago, after doing some reading in the web regarding this subject, I went to BestBuy looking for a system for my car. At that time I had narrowed down my options to either the Griffin iTrip FM transmitter for dockable iPods or the Moster Cable iCarPlay wireless FM iPod transmitter/charger but was not totally sure so I decided to ask for advice to a salesperson at the store (bad decision) and he recommended the Monster product.

He claimed he had one in his car and he loved it. He also highlighted the advantage of charging your iPod while you listen to your music.

About the same time, my son bought the Griffin product and he has been using it since then.

Well, I began using the Monster system for about 6 weeks and then switched with my son and began using his Griffin gadget and after gaining experience with both products I can say the following:

1) Because the Monster Cable system has only 8 pre-set FM stations you can use to send your signal to, you have to make sure that there is at least 1 free FM band in the city where you are using this product. If not, you are out of luck. Here in Indianapolis, after much work I found only one FM band that is not being used by a local station so I got lucky and my system works fine. The Griffin iTrip FM transmitter for dockable iPods has much more flexibility since it allows you to tune to any of over 100 FM stations in your FM dial.

2) Even if you find a "clean FM band" to use your Monster Cable FM iPod Transmitter/Charger, you will find that when you are riding your car using the system, you will hit some spots where you will pick-up considerable interference or "static". I have not yet lost my iPod signal when this happens but this situation is quite annoying. For the Griffin iTrip FM transmitter for dockable iPods this problem seems to be much less significant (but not totally absent as they claim in their manual) and this seems to be related to the fact that they use digital technology (versus analog technology which is used by competing products) to beam the signal to your FM radio and this apparently makes the quality of the signal better, stronger and cleaner.

3) The "Charge while you Play" feature is quite a plus for the Monster Cable product. The gadget does charge efficiently and very quickly and it keeps your iPod battery fully charged at all times. For long trips this is quite an advantage that the Griffin product does not have.

4) The price of the Monster Cable product is considerably more expensive than the Griffin iTrip gadget. At BestBuy, where both, my son and I bought these products, the Monster Cable iTrip product was $69.99 while the Griffin iTrip was $39.99.

5) Don't forget that another difference is that with the Monster Cable product you have a cable connected to your iPod all the time and this takes away flexibility and makes it very visible in your car. The Griffin product is wireless and thus there is no connection so you do not need to worry about hiding it when you park your car in oublic places.

In summary, these are two innovative products that allow you to listen to your own music in your own car in a practical and flexible manner. If you are mostly going to use this equipment in the city, while you comute to work and back to home and willnot make long car trips, save yourself some money and some headaches and get the Griffin iTrip FM transmitter for dockable iPods. On the other hand if keeping your iPod charged at all times is a must or if you make long, long trips on your car and want to listen to your iPod during these, consider the Moster Cable iCarPlay wireless FM iPod transmitter/charger.