- XtremeMac IPU-IFM-10 InCharge FM Wireless Transmitter for iPod - Black
Review from iLounge. This is the review I used to qualify this purchase. I had written a manual review prior to this but it seems Amazon 'lost' my review. So, I'm reviewing it again the lazy way. I hope you find it informative. I was originally considering the Monster or the Belkin brand prior to this purchase. Now, I'm glad I went with this purchase instead.
Surprises -particularly good ones -are very rare in FM transmitters these days, as the Federal Communications Commission's crackdown on overpowered radio broadcasting devices has compelled many companies to broadcast just within the U.S. government's legal limitations. Over the past year, we've become familiar enough with those limitations that it seems obvious when a device is unhappily struggling to match them or blowing right past the marks, hoping not to get caught. Though we might be wrong, XtremeMac's combination FM transmitter and car charger InCharge FM ($70) seems to be in the latter category: two sample units we tested outperformed recent FCC compliant transmitters we've tested by a fair margin.
Like the earlier InCharge Auto, InCharge FM appears to have been designed to physically match the iPhone, using chrome and black plastic in an attractive, minimalist combination for each of its key parts. First, there's a car charging bulb with a subtle blue light to indicate that it's receiving power, and second, there's a cabled FM transmitter that connects to an iPod with a Dock Connector plug at one end, and a case-compatible USB plug for charging at the other. InCharge FM doesn't run off of the iPod's battery, and so depends on the cabled transmitter to be connected to the charging bulb, or a USB-enabled computer or wall charger, for power.
This latter point deserves a little extra attention. Virtually every one of the "in-car" FM transmitters we've tested over the past few years is "only in-car," with the manufacturer assuming--probably correctly--that you're only interested in hearing your iPod's audio through a radio when you're driving. Because you can pull the car charger off and connect InCharge FM to any powered USB port or wall charger, this one can be used indoors too, which will be a bonus for people who want to charge and hear their iPods through home radios without using a dock or wires. Our one and only issue with XtremeMac's connectors was a slightly loose right lock on our second review unit's Dock Connector, which didn't interfere with the unit's performance.
XtremeMac's transmitter looks like a pill-shaped miniature iPhone, with buttons on its face and sides, plus a blue LED screen where the iPhone's touchscreen would be. A play/pause/next track button for iPod touch and a stereo/mono toggle switch are accessible on one side of the transmitter, while the other side has two preset buttons, and the face has manual tuning buttons for the transmitter. The screen's only for numbers, and keeps at least the bright blue decimal dot on display whenever power's running through the transmitter, as well as matching digits whenever an iPod or iPhone is connected. The currently shipping version of InCharge FM is only iPod-compatible, bringing up the iPhone's nag screen, but a nagless version is planned for near future release as well. Nag aside, both of the review units we tested worked extremely well with the iPhone.
In fact, the units worked extremely well with anything we connected. XtremeMac says that the InCharge FMs use a licensed FM transmission technology called Quintic PureFM that promises "a consistently clean signal and excellent dynamic range," and though the units we tested weren't immune to the subtle static levels that persist in all FM transmitters, they did in fact sound great--especially when tuned to everclear station 87.9FM. We preferred the dynamic sound of the InCharge FM to what we heard from Belkin's TuneCast Auto, as well as Griffin's most recent iTrip Auto--on good or bad stations, XtremeMac's transmitter sounded clearer.
To quantify this a bit more, on an empty FM station such as 87.9FM, InCharge FM sounded almost completely clear, which wasn't a shock, but it also had the ability to basically flood out an existing station that was weak to moderate on the dial, and didn't suffer as much from the transmitter's location in our test vehicle as the others. We were also able to get a clear signal from five feet away from the antenna indoors. While these are positive performance characteristics that any end user would appreciate, they're also hints that the transmitter is like a track runner on steroids, capable of outperforming its rivals but also leaving us wondering how long it would remain in competition.
Overall, we can't help but be impressed by the overall performance and value the current version of InCharge FM brings to the table. Bucking past XtremeMac pricing trends, it sells for $10 less than its key competitors, but still manages to outperform them on sound, and look great in the process. Its ability to work indoors, using a USB charger or computer for power, also adds value for some users. From a features standpoint, all it's conspicuously missing is Belkin's ClearScan or Griffin's SmartScan auto-tuning feature, and then, its inclusion of near-universally-empty 87.9FM on the dial all but eliminates the need for tuning.
Buy XtremeMac IPU-IFM-10 InCharge FM Wireless Transmitter for iPod - Black Now
I have been through 3 similar products (2 Belkin, 1 Griffin) with my iPod Nano (2nd generation) and was extremely unhappy with all 3: they were cheaply made, flimsy, broke (wires came out of unit, or batteries compartment kept falling open for example). I have quite a long commute, and listening to podcasts makes those hours into productive and enjoyable time. But I am THRILLED with this unit and highly recommend. I agree with the positive points described in the other review. This design works very well: the power supply to both the transmitter and the iPod are integrated all-in-one so there is only 1 wire in the car (which is plenty long) and only 1 connection to make, between the power supply and the iPod. The power supply plug is quite large and just fits in my cigarette lighter (is it still called that?), because of the USB port converter on its top -this has not been a problem at all. The transmission/sound is very clear (perhaps because this model goes to lower frequencies than the other 3 I tried) and it's very easy to read the frequency. And the sound is very, very good. Surprisingly given the market is only about a million people, here in Ottawa we have a very crowded FM dial: but this machine transmits very clearly on several frequencies, which was not true of other 3 models I have wasted money on. You can also use it very easily in the house to transmit through your FM stereo, which is not true of the other models which are car-only. Can't say enough good things about this. Some serious thought has gone into its design, features, and capabilities, and it shows. Highly recommend.
Read Best Reviews of XtremeMac IPU-IFM-10 InCharge FM Wireless Transmitter for iPod - Black Here
I recently sold a car that had dedicated IPOD controls for the car stereo. I was a little bummed when I found out the new car I bought didn't even have an AUX input for an MP3 player. So I decided to research the FM Transmitters out there for IPODS that can also charge them. The best reviews I found were from ILounge. I really wanted one that wasn't too bulky and that was more of a "cord" type rather than a "dock" type transmitter. I decided to get teh InCharge FM transmitter from XtremeMac, and so far, I couldn't be happier with the choice.
There are really two things to look for with these devices. One is its clarity in transmission, and the second is the quality of sound delivered. To the first point, I live in a pretty urban area, but had no trouble finding crystal clear stations at both the very low and very high end of the dials. (Yes, this transmitter does broadcast at 87.9, which many don't) Second, I am no audiophile, but I felt this transmitter delivers a very good sound with good bass, and very little distortion. I've read where some transmitters can make the music tinny sounding, but not this one. All in all, I think this was a great purchase, and I highly recommend it.
Want XtremeMac IPU-IFM-10 InCharge FM Wireless Transmitter for iPod - Black Discount?
I was very dissapointed with this transmitter. The main reason I had ordered this particular transmitter is because the other reviews indicated that it would transmit on the unused radio station 87.9. XtremeMac must have changed this capability because the one I received does not. I thought that being able to transmit on 87.9 would stop some of the static I get with the current transmitter I use (which doesn't broadcast on 87.9). Since it doesn't broadcast on anything but standard radio stations it is no better than my current transmitter, the DLO Tunesick, which is at least completely uncorded.
Other reviews here say that this device can broadcast on the clear frequency of 87.9, but XtremeMac must have made some changes because I bought one in March 2009 and the lowest frequency is 88.1 FM.
The signal strength doesn't compete too well with the radio stations in my area (greater LA) and I'm still looking to find a good clear frequency for it. However, I found that if I remove the external antenna on my Prius, then I get a very clear signal from this device! It seems clearer than the iTrip Auto that I used to use.
