- Wireless FM transmitter/charger for playing iPod through car stereo system
- Broadcasts iPod tunes through stereo via choice of almost any FM radio frequency
- Charges iPod during use while optimizing audio performance
- 3 favorite station presets; 24k gold contacts for max power transfer
- Compatibility: iPod nano (1G and 2G), iPod mini, 3G iPod, 4G iPod with click wheel, iPod Color, iPod Video
First off, people are getting this transmitter confused with the previous Monster FM transmitter. You are NOT limited to only 8 stations. This transmitter allows you to program in ANY station you choose, and it's very easy to do so.
Pros:
You can program in any station! The stations are NOT predetermined so any empty station you find, just program it in and youre set to go, which makes this perfect for road trips.
Charges up your iPod while you go.
You can set three 'favourite' stations so you can switch back and forth between a couple if one goes out.
Very simple and easy to use. Not a lot of cords to get tangled up.
Cons
Every FM transmitter you buy for your iPod is going to have a loss in sound quality. It is NOT going to sound like youre playing a CD. It sounds like the radio.
No dock or anything to set the little station switcher on. I would've like even a double sided sticker mount so I could stick it to the dash or something instead of it hanging there, but I'm really just being picky here.
Finding a station in the surrounding Cleveland area was tough! There are hardly any completely static stations (I never realized how many darn country stations there are here, yeesh.) So far I have found 4 open stations. However, this is NOT the companys fault. Finding a clear open station is soley going to depend on where you live and where you are when you drive.
I found 3 completely open static stations starting at 87.5 and up. OF COURSE, this FM transmitter starts at 88.1. Grrr. But it wasn't a problem because in the end I was able to find 4 open ones throughout the spectrum. However, it would've been nice if it started at 87.5.
Okay this is COMPLETELY an aesthetic complaint but I dislike red LED lights. My car has blue so it doesn't match, but once again, that is completely nitpicking.
All in all, this is worth the money. It really is a must if you want to play your iPod on the road, but don't expect it to sound like your surround sound home theatre system. It is an FM transmitter.
Buy Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter Now
I recently purchased this product along with the 20GB iPod, as I was tired of constantly having to swap CD's in the car on the way to work. And forecasting several trips to Tahoe this season, I knew I wanted to have continuous music on my journey.
The product has several stations to select from, however, being in a metro area, all but one of them is actually occupied by a very strong local station signal.
Before buying the product, I recommend checking your radio dial to see if you have heavy stations from 88.1 to 89.5. If you've got a heavy station on all those channels, this product isn't going to provide the best performance. As the product manual says it's tough to compete with a 50,000megawatt transmitter :).
I was able to find one station that was mostly unused here, 88.5. It has some background static, but no music or talking. As soon as I plug the device into the ciglighter, there is an audible pop on the radio so I know it's broadcasting. I did follow the instructions to increase the treble on my stereo for best results, and it does help.
Because of the way it connects to the iPod, I have found that adjusting the iPod volume does nothing to the transmission. You'll need to use your radio volume to change it accordingly. In between songs you'll probably hear some static too, as if there's a strong signal around you, it will bleed in.
This morning I noticed that I got quite a bit of interference when a large truck drove by...perhaps from their CB/radio system, but I can't be sure.
Aside from these things, which frankly I consider minor compared to swapping 50 CD's, it was well worth the purchase, especially if you do not have a car with an iPod dock, or a tape deck (if you have a tape deck, you can get the tape accessory instead of this one, and you won't have to compete with radio waves).
Enjoy!
Read Best Reviews of Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter Here
Anyone who owns an Apple iPod realizes the importance of being able to listen to your collection of songs anytime, anywhere. It is for this reason that I researched a mobile device for my unit. Originally, I was determined to buy an iTrip due to the compatibility of the system. Well, upon further investigation, I discovered that for a little more I could get the Monster Cable rather than the iTrip.
The two are capable of the same thing; playing I-Pod tunes through a car radio receiver. The iTrip simply plugs into the top of the iPod and the music comes through the car speakers. Unfortunately, its simplicity makes up for its clarity.
There is much more static with this system, due to the fact that the reception is not as strong. On the other hand, the Monster Cable gives the option of eight different stations, one that is sure to be suitable for the area. By simply changing the setting on the deck to match the radio station, the music comes through without any static and very good clarity.
Another major difference in comparing the two units is their portability. The iTrip, although cordless, can not be placed too far from its base. That can be a challenge when driving since the movement of the car can cause it to fall if not properly secured. The Monster has a cord which holds the iPod in place and allows a stronger reception resulting in better sound.
Finally, the battery life is a very important issue when deciding on which unit to purchase. The iTrip drains the battery life of the iPod twice as fast as it normally would last. Therefore, long trips can be challenging for this device. However, the Monster Cable is designed to actually charge the iPod as long as it is plugged in, regardless of whether or not it is playing music. It is a great feature since the battery is virtually always being charged to its capacity.Finally, the battery life is a very important issue when It is obvious that the Monster Cable is a far better choice to take your I-Pod with you in the car. Even though it may cost more, the portability, convenience, and especially the quality of sound are definitely worth it
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Let me reiterate something people keep missing here: This product (note the "Plus" in the title) DOES allow tuning to just about every station on the spectrum (I believe excepting the lowest frequency, 87.9 or something like that).
The BIG advantage here over the previous version (also available on Amazon for $10 less, and elsewhere for $20 less) is two-fold:
1. If you didn't have a station below 88.9 open, the previous product was unusable.
2. FM stations in the "mid range", from what I understand, have a better frequency response than in either the "low range" or the "upper range", which leads to a noticably better quality sound (I could hear the difference between a low-88 and 97.5 quite clearly, but a lot of other factors also come into play here such as what the other stations are broadcasting, etc).
Note that your satisfaction with this product will depend largely on the vehicle and sound system you are using it with. Some radios do a better job of "locking" onto a carrier wave that is only slightly stronger than the general broadcast wave. Some cars isolate the external antenna such that an internal radio transmitter has much less of an effect. For my purposes, I've used this product in both a Toyota Echo and in a GMC van; the GMC stock radio picks up the Monster transmission nearly across the entire dial, loud and clear; the Toyota's radio only picks up at one dial location (97.5) and even then will often pick up chirping around construction sites (which it also does with regular radio; like I said, I believe this has to do with not locking on to the carrier wave very well).
Finally, comparing this to other products. I started with a Griffin iTrip. That device was very nice, but had two fatal flaws:
1. It did not allow for easy changing of the radio station (and I absolutely hate having a bunch of encoded "songs" in my playlist just so I can change the iTrip frequency if necessary!)
2. It did not charge the device.
However, it had two points in its favor:
1. A very strong signal (I've heard charger-transmitters like the Monster one which yielded less transmission oomph).
2. Works well with my iPod in its protective case.
Now, a word on that latter.
I like my iPod. I like it's shiny back. I like it's pristine white front. I do not like scratches. More importantly, I do not like the thought of minor bumps causing the hard drive inside to crash.
As a result, I keep it in a protective case every moment that I can. I take the case off at night to dock it with my computer, but that's it.
The vast majority of car charger/FM transmitters require you to "dock" the iPod in their own little cradle. None of those cradles allows for a protective case, so far as I've been able to find. Many many nice FM transmitter solutions are completely unusable in my opinion because of this.
Moreover, I like to be able to hold my iPod when pressing its buttons etc. Any "cradle" system which locks its location to within three inches of the cigarette lighter (which Toyota in its infinite wisdom chose to place six inches above the floor on the passenger side) is also completely unusable.
Anyway, I wanted to get a transmitter that charged the iPod, allowed for easy, full-spectrum channel selection, and still both cut through the static in my Toyota AND didn't require a confining "cradle" to operate.
The Monster device here definitely meets my needs. As I said, it does well (actually moderately better than the iTrip) in my Toyota, allows me to place my iPod in a nice little bin next to my fingertips, and makes my commute a refreshing one.
One last note on this: I have noticed that the use of a cigarette lighter "splitter" so that you can plug both this and, say, a cell phone charger in at the same time, will tend to cause problems with the Monster transmitter and the iPod (causing my iPod to reboot). I think it says more about Toyota's anemic electrical system than the Monster device, but just wanted to throw that little tidbit out there.
I bought this with great expectations because Monster Cable normally make great products. But was deeply disappointed when I hooked it up to my car. I got nothing but static. It was like not being tuned all the way to a station. I took it back the same day I bought it. I believe it's where my FM antenna sit at on my Honda Civic and where the FM transmitter is. The box states that it's range is 3.5 ft and my FM antenna for my car sits on the rear window. Just a few inches out of range. So I believe that's where the static is coming from. I also have XM satellite and XM wants you to put there transmitter right next to your antenna for premium sound so I believe that's why I and other people get static because it's impossible to get the FM transmitter closer to my FM antenna. So if your antenna sits on your rear view mirror or on your trunk, you may get static. But if your antenna is on the hood or front window, then this maybe a good buy for you. But for me, it's a bad buy. It should have a stronger signal so it can reach antennas that are in the rear of the car.
