Griffin iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod (Black)
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| Special Feature | LCD Screen |
| Brand | Griffin |
| Item Weight | 12.5 Grams |
| Color | Black |
| Wireless Communication Standard | Radio Frequency |
About this item
- Combines a powerful FM transmitter with an integrated charger in order to recharge your iPod
- Transmits clear music through your car stereo
- Features selectable LX and DX modes for best-quality audio under real-world conditions
- Can operate anywhere from the 88.1 to 107.9 MHz frequencies; range of 10 to 30 feet
- Compatibility: iPod nano 1G, 2G, 3G; iPod mini; iPod 3G, 4G, 5G, 5.5G, 6G. Not compatible with: iPod Nano 4G and 5G and iPod Touch 2G and 3G
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Product information
| Manufacturer | Griffin Technologies |
|---|---|
| Customer Reviews |
3.7 out of 5 stars |
| ASIN | B000BWACX2 |
| Best Sellers Rank | #672 in MP3 Player FM Transmitters |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00685387095018, 00685387060573, 05055259701968 |
| UPC | 685387095018 085387995019 685387092079 685387060573 |
| Brand | Griffin |
| Color | Black |
|---|---|
| Additional Features | LCD Screen |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
|---|---|
| Rechargeable Battery Included | No |
| Item Weight | 12.5 Grams |
|---|
| Compatible Devices | Speaker |
|---|
| Bluetooth support? | Yes |
|---|---|
| Wireless Compability | Radio Frequency |
Product Description
Product description
Designed specifically for use in the car, iTrip Auto's large, easy-to-read backlit LCD screen affords quick, precise station selection and easy status at a glance. iTrip Auto connects to the dock connector of your iPod and optimizes the output volume. Speaker volume can be controlled solely from the car stereo controls; you won't have to touch your iPod to adjust the volume level.
Amazon.com
The Griffin 9501-TRIPCB iTrip Auto FM Transmitter and Auto Charger for iPod combines Griffin's renowned FM transmitter technology with an integrated charger. Designed specifically for use in the car, the iTrip Auto powerfully transmits clear music from your iPod through your car stereo, while the large, easy-to-read backlit LCD screen affords quick, precise station selection and status at a glance.
The Griffin 9501-TRIPCB is the most versatile iTrip to date, accommodating every dock connector iPod, including the iPod nano and fifth-generation iPod videos. The iTrip Auto uses the audio line out from the iPod's dock connector and optimizes the output volume, allowing speaker volume to be controlled solely from the car stereo controls, without having to adjust the iPod's volume level. This unit features all the innovations of its predecessors, including selectable LX and DX modes for best-quality audio under real-world conditions, best-possible RF technology, and Griffin's world-class industrial design.
The Griffin iTrip Auto is constructed with a built-in FM stereo antenna and a high-stability crystal oscillator with phase-lock loop control. This unit can operate anywhere from the 88.1 to 107.9 MHz frequencies, with a frequency response ranging from 50 Hz to 15 KHz, at a range from 10 to 30 feet. The 9501-TRIPCB is powered by an included 12-volt cigarette lighter power adapter that features an easily replaceable fuse through which it also charges your iPod. This unit comes in black, weighs 0.6 ounces, measures 0.49 x 2.84 inches (W x D) with a total length of 33.47 inches (including the cord), and it's backed by a manufacturer's limited one-year warranty.
iPod Compatibility
iPod nano 1G, iPod nano 2G, iPod mini, iPod 3G, iPod 4G (click wheel), iPod color, iPod video 5G/5.5G.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the functionality, value for money, and ease of use of the wireless audio adapter. They mention it works fairly well, creates good, static-free transmission, and is a great product for the money. Some are also happy with the build quality. However, some customers have mixed opinions on the sound quality, chargeability, signal strength, and static level.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the functionality of the wireless audio adapter. They mention it works fairly well, is simple to use, and creates good, static-free transmission.
"...At 87.9 it is working great...." Read more
"...heavily used, but to my surprise, I found that this transmitter works best on 97.1, which is one of the more popular radio stations in Salt Lake...." Read more
"...Most of the time, it works just fine. Other reviewers have noted that you can get better reception if you switch to mono, or DX mode...." Read more
"...drawbacks when it comes to flexibility with frequencies, non- or ill-functioning features, poor instructions, its range of i-product support*, and..." Read more
Customers appreciate the value for money of the wireless audio adapter. They mention it's a great purchase and inexpensive way to listen to their iPod.
"...bought other transmitters before, and this one is by far the best and cheapest...." Read more
"This is one of the cheapest prices I have seen (retail) for this product. Normally running $50+ in Best Buy, so $15 was a steal!..." Read more
"...What I like:- It was inexpensive.- I can easily listen to the spoken word while commuting.- I get very little static...." Read more
"...might have to work at it, but this is a good product, definitely worth the price." Read more
Customers find the wireless audio adapter easy to use. They mention it's simple, convenient, and easy to install. The manual gives clear instructions on programming your radio and the iTrip. Customers also appreciate the controls are easy to use and see.
"...So to sum up: This product has a great design--small and convenient--and, for the most part, does as it says, but has its drawbacks when it comes to..." Read more
"...Anyway, this transmitter works great. It's dead simple to use and creates good, static-free transmission of your music to your radio..." Read more
"...It takes my mind off traffic and keeps me sane. It is very easy to work and the pre-sets allow you to "remember" several un-used radio stations in..." Read more
"...The manual gives clear instructions on programming your radio and the iTrip. When you find a vacant channel to use the sound quality is very good...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the build quality of the wireless audio adapter. They mention it's reliable, durable, and has a great signal.
"...Besides that, this unit has been so dependable that I installed a cigarette lighter behind my dash and tucked the unit back there...." Read more
"...broadcast for stronger signal and it has definitely produced the most reliable and strongest signal I've experienced yet, but I'm still deeply..." Read more
"...Solid, SOLID sound...." Read more
"...The construction seems durable and is easy to transport between cars...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the sound quality of the wireless audio adapter. Some mention it's very good, while others say the sound can be completely overridden by the back seat entertainment systems in vehicles. They also mention there is always a slight background noise and static.
"...but this one charges my iPod as it's plugged in, and the sound quality is almost perfect. At 87.9 it is working great...." Read more
"...The sound quality was sketchy which meant I had to turn up the volume quite a bit, but I also live in a major city; interference is a fact of..." Read more
"...I live in the suburbs of Utah, and the sound quality of the transmitter was great...." Read more
"...The iTRIP works fine with some limitations, there is always a slight background noise, not unlike a cassette tape, only bothersome for quiet tracks..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the chargeability of the product. Some mention it charges their iPod while they drive, while others say it doesn't charge the iPhone.
"...I can't whole-heartedly recommend it, especially since it can't charge newer iPods/iPhones." Read more
"...I really like how easy it is to use, and it is also an effective charger for my iPod...." Read more
"...My current 4th Gen Nano plays, but it does not charge, and always boots me back to the main menu, even if I'm on a playlist, once the iTrip turns on...." Read more
"...iPhone and use it to play my music or stream Pandora, it just doesn't charge the iPhone. Other than that, I love this transmitter...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the signal strength of the wireless audio adapter. Some mention it's strong, while others say it's weak and doesn't broadcast very well.
"...At least it gives me the music I wanted, as my radio does not support plugging in an iPod directly...." Read more
"...I'll start positive. This iTrip is a lot like the others. The signal is weak, but if your car has its antenna in a reasonable place, your reception..." Read more
"This is a great iPod radio transmitter. I've been so pleased with it; it's one of the few products that I actually promote to friends...." Read more
"...either the unit's transmitter isn't strong enough or my car antenna isn't good enough because the audio comes through with static, or the volume is..." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the static level of the wireless audio adapter. Some mention it has a clear signal and no usual FM static, while others say they get static next to a running car.
"...the button a time or two, but it was an annoyance always hearing blaring static for a few seconds while I find the transmitter and scramble to plug..." Read more
"...It's dead simple to use and creates good, static-free transmission of your music to your radio (presuming you're on a relatively empty radio station)..." Read more
"...I'll be driving along and the static will set in and last for a time and then suddenly disappear, not the device but the conditions...." Read more
"...Sometimes, when pulling into a parking lot, next to a running car, you get static, even though the iTrip is within 3 inches of the radio...." Read more
Reviews with images
Very Happy with the iTrip
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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The most glaring flaws all have to do with the 12V car charger. I bought this iTrip to replace an old iTrip which plugged in to the headphone adapter, which broke after a few years of reliable service.
I'll start positive. This iTrip is a lot like the others. The signal is weak, but if your car has its antenna in a reasonable place, your reception will probably be good. Most of the time, it works just fine. Other reviewers have noted that you can get better reception if you switch to mono, or DX mode. To be honest, I didn't notice any difference and I wanted my music to be in stereo anyway. However, putting the device in international mode was pretty much required for me. I used 87.9 MHz on my old iTrip, as that gave me the best reception, and you can't use that frequency in US mode. It's annoying that when you set it to international mode, the radio station randomizes every time you turn it on, but you get used to it.
Now for the gripes. One thing I liked about the old iTrip using the headphone plug instead of the dock connector was that I could choose whether or not to charge the iPod at the same time, with a separate cord. Without it tethered by the cord, I could leave the iPod/iTrip anywhere in the car where I could get good reception. For me, this was clipped to the overhead visor. I can't put it there with the new version, though, because of a short cord and a bad design decision by my car manufacturer, explained further below.
With the iTrip Auto, having it plugged into the 12V outlet is REQUIRED. You cannot run the iTrip without it. If you have an iPhone/iPod Touch/newer iPod Nano, you can't charge it with the iTrip Auto, but you have to plug it into the 12V outlet anyway. Since I only have one 12V outlet which was previously occupied by a phone charger, this is a problem. Further complicating things is that the 12V outlet in my Pontiac Vibe is inside the armrest rather than on the front console, so whenever I want to change from the iTrip to my phone charger, I have to dig around in there. That's annoying, but if your 12V outlet is in a sensible place, that shouldn't be a problem for you.
Since the 12V outlet is in the armrest, and the iTrip's cord is short, I can't put the radio transmitter where it will get the best reception. As a result, I get static every now and then where with the old iTrip I did not. Again, this might not be a problem for you, but if your car's antenna is a bad place, you may get static anyway and you can't choose to put it anywhere in your car, since the cord is so short. I suggest you test it out, and if it works well, great. Make sure you're MOVING when you test it. I tested it in the driveway and it sounded a lot better than when I actually got going.
Another problem is with the auto-off feature. If you're not using the iPod, the iTrip Auto turns itself off. That's great. What's not great is that if later you decide to turn it on, sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. It acts like it's working, but it isn't transmitting. The only way I found to fix that was to unplug it from the 12V outlet and then plug it back in again. Again, since my outlet is in the armrest, that's really annoying.
In general, the iTrip is really not that bad. It depends on your specific situation - what frequencies work well for you, where your antenna is, where your 12V outlet is. Try it out and be prepared to send it back if you experience problems. I'm keeping it, as it works most of the time, but I still get static sometimes, and the short cord coupled with the required car charger means I can't whole-heartedly recommend it, especially since it can't charge newer iPods/iPhones.
Top reviews from other countries
Let me tell you I wasn't disappointed. It does exactly what it supposed to and the sound quality is excellent. I live in the Midlands and it works fine. I've only ever needed to search once for a free signal and I've had no problems with it.
However! On a recent trip to Slough I played my ipod all the way with no problems until I reached High Wycombe on the M40. Obviously the air waves are a lot busier around London and I had difficulty trying to find a clear signal. By the time I got to the Slough junction I gave up trying and listened to the array of radio stations available around there, but I'm pretty certain there are a few empty airwaves around there but I just couldn't be bothered to pull over and search properly.
But who cares? It works tip top where I live and I'm happy with that.
As for the hissing sound whilst listening to classical music, it's not bad at all. You're never going to get top CD quality with a device like this unless you're willing to spend serious money but for this price, you can't go wrong.
However, I found the audio quality to be not up to my expectations. I was not expecting CD quality sound of course, but there was continuous and noticeable static coming through irrespective of which station I chose. Some were a little more clear than others, but I could not escape from it on any frequency. I tested it in my partner's vehicle as well, which still had static coming through, although not quite as bad - which leads me to believe that it could be caused by vehicular electronics or sub-standard car stereos? I found that having it held in different positions around the cabin seemed to affect the audio quality as well - which I was not expecting.
On the whole, for sub £20.00 these are I suspect still the best iPod FM transmitter/chargers on the market, but that doesn't make them perfect. Until I am able to try a more premium product for comparison, I will persist with these for the time being.
Upon receipt I connected the iTrip to the car power without an iPod attached and tried several times to switch to International Mode so I could tune to the edges of the FM broadcast band as I did with the old iTrip, but the Auto kept resetting to its default US mode. A quick Google showed several forum posts and blogs suggesting that Griffin had disabled the feature on all US-sold iTrips to comply with the FCC. This wasn't a game changer for me (we live in an area with several free FM frequencies and my wife rarely ventures more than a dozen miles from home) but it was annoying that such a useful feature seemed to have been removed on the behest of an agency that doens't even police the UK frequencies.
However, when experimenting later with an iPod connected and tuning near to the 88.1MHz lower US limit, I tried again to switch to International mode and this time the setting stayed. I was able to tune to 87.9MHz, right on the edge of the FM band with zero chance of interference from broadcast stations. I still have no idea why this worked the second time. Could the iTrip be clever enough to read region information from the iPod to which it's connected and allow this mode to work accordingly? Impossible to tell. It's just something to be aware of if you're buying one of these things and the ability to tune out-of-band frequencies is a must.
As for the rest of the features, I have no major complaints. Sound, both mono and stereo, was beautifully clear even on free channels within the 88.1 to 107.9MHz default range. The usual caveats apply: if you live somewhere where the FM band is heavily congested your experience may vary. Audio quality was unexpectedly good after reading some of the negative reviews; unlike some users I found no necessity to raise the radio volume excessively, and the tiny amount of hiss on the channel was virtually unnoticeable when stationary and completely negated by engine and road noise when on the move.
The only other oddity is the fact that the device doesn't remember the last frequency it was tuned to when the power is removed and re-applied. It seems to cycle through an almost but not quite random selection of frequencies across the band each time power is restored. It's not a show-stopper if you only tend to use one frequency -- just pop in into all four presets and hit the Preset button whenever you start the car -- but it is an odd design choice and could become an annoyance if you have to do a lot of frequency changes and forget to use a preset each time.
In summary the iTrip Auto is much better than I expected it to be in terms of audio quality, but a couple of quirks leave it one star short of a perfect rating.




