Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Did not work; unacceptable hiss and static, October 6, 2005
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.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very Staticky, October 26, 2005
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.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At last an FM transmitter that actually sounds good, June 27, 2005
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.
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