Customer Reviews

iLuv i707BLK Automobile FM Transmitter for your iPhone or iPod - Car Kit - Retail Packaging - Black

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Since my car does not have a cassette (or ipod/MP3 plug), a product such as this is the only way I can listen to the ipod on the go. I have tried similar products previously and was not pleased with the results (excessive static, cutting in and out). Regardless, and with skepticism, I decided to take a chance on the iLuv. Results follow.

PROS:
- KEY POINT: You MUST find the right frequency. Do not try to just guess, you will get poor results. Go to "radio-locator.com" to find the lowest-used frequency in your area. Once I did this the sound quality was great.
- I'm using mainly with a 2nd Gen Touch - perfect fit. Also works well with the new Nano.
- 2 presets on the module so you can have a backup frequency to use if needed (my primary frequency works well, but good to have a backup just in case)
- Charges the ipod well/fast
- Easy to adjust (tilt and swivel). This is key because you're limited to placing this wherever your outlet is located...in my case it's way too close to the stick.

CONS:
- A little sensitive to bumps in the road. I've had a few times where it cuts off if the road is a little rough. This seems to be more of an issue with the Touch vs. the Nano (since the Touch is more "top heavy" when seated in the iLuv).
- Would be great if it could "auto-find" the best frequency. If you're driving any distance this would be a big plus (once you're out of your home area, you'll likely have to search for new frequencies)
- A little light static between songs - although not noticable when the music is playing.

All in all, a very good product...works better than I expected, and the price was reasonable.

Notes: using this in a BMW330ci with manual transmission. Power outlet location not ideal as mentioned above - a little in the way of the climate control and power top controls, and when you shift into reverse - but you adapt! But this is an issue with the car, not the iLuv.

I got this after my Monster transmitter started having some issues - probably due to cord damage. After some research, I bought this one since it also charges the iPod. It doesn't limit which stations you can choose, like some and I have no problem finding a good frequency. Only get static occasionally, which I've heard is a big problem in cities. I've only had it about a month, so I can't attest to its durability, but so far I am very happy with it - haven't had to charge my iPod inside for weeks!

This transmitter works very well for my iPod Video with very little static through the radio. However, the volume is very low as compared with my cassette. I use this to keep my iPod charged in the car but still use the cassette with it so I can jam out. Overall it is a excellent product, but if your looking for sound quality, this won't cut it.

I bought this transmitter thinking it was similar to my old one that I had which unfortunately broke after MUCH use. This transmitter was terrible. It never held the transmission. Very frustrating and disappointing. Luckily I saved the packaging and returned it.

i will preface this review by saying that I purchased this after reading the reviews nearly all related products available on Amazon and chose this because of the relatively high score. In the end, I am compelled to give this one star, which I rarely do. While it is a nice, simple, intuitive design, if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, I would recommend you stay away; unless you only drive on the smoothest of smooth roads, this product will drive you nuts. And yes, I did use the proper little adapter pad for the iPod Touch. Some Pros and Cons for your consideration:

PROS:
- Nice looking unit
- Two adapters (short and long) so you can connect to almost any 12V socket and clear your dashboard
- Easy to set your stations
- Two presets, which you will need if you move areas much
- Sound quality is just fine in most cases. Although, please read my CONS section for more discussion.

CONS:
- Very sensitive to road bumps if using an iPod Touch or iPhone. Don't know about smaller units as I haven't tried them.
- Basically what happens is a minor bump will cause the iPod to rock in the cradle, making it momentarily lose contact. When this happens, the iPod realizes it lost contact with the unit and pauses playback.
- Rate of disconnect is frustrating. On a trip from Ames, IA to Minneapolis, MN on I-35, we literally could only get through one, maybe two songs before it would disconnect and pause. Then you would have to keep pushing play to get it to restart (taking your eyes off the road in the process). Sometimes, you would have to push the unit back down slightly.
- Sometimes when you hit a small bump, it doesn't disconnect all the way, but enough to lose one of the two speakers, or to get really muffled sounding. You would then have to push it down to reconnect it.
- As a result, I found myself driving with one hand on the wheel and one on the unit trying to stifle the wiggling.

CONCLUSIONS:
- This product is really close to being a nice one but not there yet.
- If you have one already, I have found using a rubberband to hold the iPod to the cradle seems to help as it is the forward-backward bouncing that is the main culprit.
- I travel a lot and have not found many roads this will work on unmodified. As a result, I've used it twice and retired it.
- I do think that they could improve this with something like front hooks that would hold down the unit, but right now they don't have that.
- I would say purchase with caution...and only if you can spare $30-$40 to experiment on your roads.

Clunky, awkward, touchy and full of static. That pretty much sums it up. I had to contort it into a weird angle to keep it out of the way of the gear shift, particularly since if you tap on it in any way it disconnects and takes forever to connect again. A bump in the road will disconnect, a wayward breeze will disconnect. There is no auto scan so you are on your own finding a station and out of all of them not a one was without static. It comes with a hard extender to give you more space, but this only worsens the disconnect feature as now there is more open air for your ipod to bounce around in.

I really like the two memory buttons. I travel from Waco to Dallas many times a month and that is wonderful. I also like that it has an expandable stand. Without that it keeps on hitting my gear-changer-thing-a-ma-bob (I'm great with cars!). Sound quality is excellent, much better than my last transmitter and it charges, woo! Things that would make this not the best: the lip that keeps the Ipod in also covers half of the play button, so it takes more coordination to press play. Usually this wouldn't be a big deal, but it also does not pause the playback when the car stops. I didn't realize how much I loved that feature until I got this product. Also, my case does not fit in the cradle. But I think that's more of a cradle vs cord argument than a flaw in this product. But for the price I can stick it out until the cons outweigh the pros. Honestly it's great for long road trips, but it gets a little annoying for short trips.

I have a the 2nd generation iPod and it doesn't fit well for those. The older iPods are much smaller so it didn't stay in the connection. Whenever I hit a bump in the road, the iPod would come loose and I would have to hold it to hear my music.

I have used 4 other brands, this beats them all. The signal is so clear sometimes it overrides other local stations. I drive cabs and limos so installing an AUX is out of the question cause Im in different cars all the time. This is such a relief, now I can enjoy driving again.

Ordered this so I can Use My IPAD NANO in my Truck.
It was Easy to Set Up and Get Going. No Real Instructions Needed.
The Sound Quality is GREAT! I Recommend this to ANYONE!