Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
iTrippy: good product design, destined to become better, October 25, 2004
Griffin's iTrip fills the technological void of .mp3 playability on existing audio systems through FM transmission, a Mr. Microphone for the 21st century. Whether you want to play music on your car stereo, or on the FM tuner of your home stereo, the ease of playing your iTunes could not be more effortless. A quick software load from cd-rom onto a personal computer updates iTunes with a special playlist that allows the user to select almost any frequency in the FM spectrum which iTrip is to broadcast on. Once the iPod is synched and updated with iTunes on your personal computer, the user can reselect at any time a preferred FM frequency directly from the iPod interface.
The range of the iTrip FM transmission is viable, as I could transmit at almost 20 feet with no distortion or loss of signal to my home stereo. 30 feet is its stated maximum range, yet in urban environments, half that range may be all one can coax from iTrip in a burdened FM spectrum.
Car travel in Washington D.C. with the iTrip can be hampered by power lines and other transmission sources which flood the signal with interference. The iTrip requires 50% volume output at a minimum from the iPod for an effective signal, and suggests no more than 70% output. At a higher output, I found the iTrip can deplete a new iPod battery (Summer 2004) within 3.5 hours. Griffin Tech.'s claim that the energy usage by iTrip is nominal may be an issue of dispute when applied to my personal usage and experience.
The iTrip requires no external power source other than directly siphoning iPod power using the headphone/audio output jacks. iTrip's size is that of a roll of coins, yet weighs as light as feather perched atop the iPod.
Do be careful: there are more than one version of iTrip available on the market for different versions of the iPod (and iPod mini). I suggest you research compatibility before making your final selection.
The largest drawbacks of Griffin's iTrip: external interference from power lines while driving, and battery drain. Yet with careful power monitoring and recharging, and keeping your iTrip/iPod in close proximity to your car stereo, a very satisfying experience can be achieved with the iTrip at a nominal price. A three-star rating for a good product I would recommend. iTrip is destined to become 4-stars, with a little tweaking and concise compatibility descriptions from the manufacturer in product description.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent compromise, October 18, 2003
The iTrip is a radio transmitter, so all of the problems (and benefits) of FM reception apply. Benefits: no wires, decent sound. Problems: adjacent channel interference, narrow freq. response, physical signal range.Best iPod sound in a car is obtained with a line input. Next best is a cassette apdater. But if those are not options, the iTrip is a well designed alternative and easy to use (if Macworld couldn't figure out how to change stations, maybe they need better tech writers - hint: turn up the volume). My iTrip works pretty well in the four cars I've tried it in. The biggest issue is channel interference in urban areas, but even that can often be tuned around. And it is great for parties at friends' houses. At the price, it is a decent compromise. -dan
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not a good solution., March 2, 2004
I thought I'd give the iTrip a try, in lieu of installing a CD player in my 1990 BMW 525i. The unit is small, light and cute, and installs easily (a quick software install and then just pop it on top of your iPod). It worked okay with a radio here in the office, but even turning the unit slightly away from the radio would introduce static. So out to the car we go. The unit sits on the center console less than six inches away from the radio -- and the signal is okay until you start moving. Then with every turn, even though the unit doesn't move, there's static. The sound quality is poor, and the signal pickup is so narrow and weak that if you are in any kind of urban area where there are stations all along the dial, you're going to be SOL with this baby. Even though we have plenty of open air here, this was the case for me regardless of how low in the band I went, and how I fiddled with the sound level, position of the unit, etc. It's going back, unfortunately. :-(
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