Coby CA-745 Wireless FM Car Transmitter with Digital Display and DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter
by Coby
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List Price: Our Price: $13.65 You Save: $4.34 (24%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Car Audio or Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Coby CA-745 Wireless FM Car Transmitter with Digital Display and DC Car Cigarette Lighter Adapter
Customer Review: Very pleased, after doing TONS of research
Summary: 5 Stars
Right off, the price. If I paid double or even triple and it performed as it does, I would have been satisfied. FM transmitters by definition are supposed to be the last resort for sending audio through car speakers from a portable device, given their many potential downfalls. But I've used the Coby CA-745 daily for over two months now and I couldn't be happier. I even made sure to wait this long before posting a review, in case it worked well but broke quickly.
A few major points to consider regarding this model: first, this is not an iPod-charging device. For me, that was OK. Everything I plug my iPod into at home charges it, so I was purposely looking for a transmitter that would fit the iPod's 3.5mm headphone jack.
Second, it allows for selection among the full FM frequency band including the almost-never-taken 87.9. I set it there on Day 1 and never changed it. But it's nice to know that I am not limited to four preset tunings if I need to change it.
Third, it is designed thoughtfully. I didn't want a battery-powered transmitter, but my lighter jack is situated in a recessed part of my lower dashboard, so the tilting display helps. The coiled connection cable keeps things neat, as does the flip-off cover that exposes a piggyback lighter jack, so you can still plug in a cellphone charger or whatever. Funny that you don't see any of these options in the high-priced FM transmitters.
But none of the above would matter if it didn't sound good. I am a critical listener, though aware that I cannot expect my car audio system to sound as good as my home system. Three aspects of this unit's audio quality stand out: its output level strength is terrific, there is actual discernable stereo separation, and no noticeable coloration in frequencies. I tried all the preset EQ settings on my iPod with this and found that it sounded best flat, no EQ at all. To me, that alone spoke volumes about the quality of its transmitted stereo signal.
Background noise is virtually non-existent and I never get those bursts of static anymore. I can make out a very slight constant high-pitched whine, which I know is my car interfering with the signal (having the wipers on causes the whine to modulate some), but note - this is just one component of an overall VERY LOW LEVEL background noise floor. Unless you crank it up between songs or during very light musical passages, you're not going to hear any artifacts produced by this unit. And for you purists out there - try cranking up your built-in car CD player when a song is paused - with factory units especially, you may be surprised by how much low-level garbage is percolating back there that you'd never really notice.
My Ford Taurus was tricky for getting an iPod to play through it. The factory audio system is configured in such a way that adding an audio input would have been expensive and complex to install. The in-dash cassette goes into auto-forward when trying to use a cassette adapter, so I'm really stuck with the FM transmitter method. My antenna is a standard fixed-pole antenna at the back of the car, and the cheap no-name FM transmitter I was using before this could only be placed in certain locations to work at all, and even then produced constant light static that was annoyingly audible, plus regular bursts of loud jarring static. Yet I put up with that for a long time since I knew from researching online that no matter what model or price, there was nothing that was consistently lauded as working great, and every unit seemed to have the ability to work as poorly as the piece of junk I already had.
So again, the price. There are no guarantees, but a lot of people are having good luck with this unit. If your situation is like mine, the price alone should make it worth the gamble.
Customer Review: Amazing Product at bargain price
Summary: 5 Stars
I just recently received this item. Before ordering it, I researched several different FM car transmitters, read literally hundreds of reviews, and felt I was thus making an educated purchase. To begin with, Coby electronics, despite being a brand that prices things amazingly low, is one of the most dependable brands I've EVER used. [I purchased a Coby DVD player 7yrs ago for $40, and it still works perfectly, as well as out-performs many high-priced units.] There are a few details which set this car transmitter apart from most others at any price, making it not only a steal for around $17, but a genuinely great product.
- The first and most notable feature is that it offers a FULL RANGE tuner - meaning you can tune it just like a car stereo to ANY frequency, to find the one that is best for your car and your geographic area. I was astounded, in reading reviews of other transmitters, at how few of them offer this feature, considering that the best station for you can vary depending on where you live (these other products generally offer 5 or 10 preset frequencies, which I've read many reviewers say are mostly active radio stations, and thus useless). Generally speaking, 87.5 is one of the most common dead/empty frequencies nation-wide, making it perfect as a default for most people to tune for use of this product (that's what I'm using). But if you happen to need a different frequency, just click away until you find one that's perfectly empty and VOILA!
- The second feature, which I love, is that the cigarette adadpter (which powers the unit) has an additional port built into it, enabling you to plug you cell phone charger into it just as you would in the car's jack. Some people have said it's a little bulky (it sticks out a just a tiny bit more in order to accomodate that extra power port), but for the quality and convenience of having a second power jack, it's well worth it. The unit does not have a power button - it's on when plugged in, and you turn if off by unplugging it. I prefer this, because it's just not a good habit to leave anything plugged into your car's power adapter when the car is off for more than 30min (no matter what anyone tells you).
I took this out today on a test run, driving a 2 hour circle around the Blue Ridge Mountains, to see how it would fare while driving through the mountains' notoriously frequency-garbling geography, and it performed PERFECTLY. The signal is crystal clear, never once did I get even a blip of static. MOST IMPORTANTLY, as I've read many reviews of different transmitters saying that the sound quality was only "Radio" at best, the Coby unit (which I've got plugged into a 5yr old RCA Lyra mp3 player) was 95% CD/digital quality. And what's best is that, unlike CD's which get scratched, the quality will remain great. No more fumbling around a giant CD wallet while driving, dropping discs, or realizing that even your mix CD's just aren't eclectic enough. Load up your mp3 player and have hours upon hours of digital quality music on hand at the flick of the switch, and at a ridiculously great price. I haven't tried any other transmitters, but there's no reason to bother. BUY THIS
Customer Review: Anticipation
Summary: 4 Stars
I just ordered my Coby CA-745. Um, I don't know where to start. Hard to write a review when I haven't had my hands on one yet. This may be a first, but I'd like to offer some impressions based on my review of the reviews posted here, for what these impressions are worth. First, my sense is that the electronic design of the Coby CA-745 is fundamentally sound. That is, nowhere in these reviews is there any suggestion that audio fidelity is a problem when things are humming. This is to say that if the design were inferior, nobody would have good thing to say about how the unit sounds, ever, which is not the case. There are multiple reports of "static", frequently associated with movement of the audio input connector. This suggests a connector problem which could actually be an issue with the device to which the FM transmitter is connected. I reject the notion, as posted by one or two reviewers, that this is due to "static electricity". Many of the reviewers have noted "noises" creeping into the system during operation of windshield wipers (or even in one case, a supercharger - that cracked me up). It needs to be said that the automotive environment is fierce. Your vehicle may be a worst case environment for any FM device. Perhaps it's time to replace that '96 Jeep Cherokee! Second, and very important, is the seeming fact that the Coby CA-745 puts out a humongous signal. This is critical, as automotive FM receivers vary considerably in their specs (sensitivity, capture ratio, etc.) and the antennae connected to them are all over the map in terms of being positioned optimally for reception of a weak FM signal transmitted from the interior of the cab. In a nutshell, the FCC has imposed incredibly tight restrictions on permissible output power for these FM transmitters. The nature of FM signal reception, and the quality thereof, has everything to do with signal strength, other design factors being taken equal. If there is one single consideration in reception quality on the average (rural and suburban) it's probably transmitter power. As one poster put it, Coby is probably blowing these output power limits off. My Garmin 760, for example, does a decent job, but not quite adequate, which is why I've decided to boost its power with the 745. Next, there have been a number of disgruntled posters who have complained that they blew out their units by trying to run arc welders off of the secondary 12V connector.... darrr....keep it to under a half amp, dude. If you do pop the fuse, replace it, as a couple of other astute posters noted. Finally, I have the impression that, while this unit works extremely well for the great majority of posters, Coby has a fairly serious quality control issue. I don't know where they're built (likely China) but from what I've read, they're pretty sloppy in their manufacturing. Further, from a number of posters, it seems that they may well be recycling returned units (cosmetic blemishes noted on supposedly new units). I guess I'd have to say that, for this price, you could do worse than to buy a couple of them and either eat or return the one that breaks first, depending on the timing. This is my plan, and I'm sticking to it :-)Customer Review: Great performance, awful reliablity
Summary: 2 Stars
The first Coby that Amazon shipped to me broke within 30 seconds of use. It wouldn't transmit, though the LCD still worked and the fuse was intact. To reach the fuse, by the way, unscrew the tip of the white 12V plug.
The replacement functions perfectly. It's far more powerful than I expected. There are dozens of stations that you can use with complete clarity. The unit is actually capable of drowning out both 99X and Star 94 in the Atlanta area; there's a touch of extra static, but it remains listenable, and no remnants of those stations remain. On a frequency with less powerful stations (or, more rationally, a frequency with no stations broadcasting), the sound is clean, clear, and uninterrupted. My pet theory is that Coby doesn't pay much attention to FCC power output limitations. The difference in performance between this unit and other FM transmitters is startling.
Sound quality is up with the best FM stations, or perhaps even a bit better, though not quite to the level of a CD. Bass response is better than any FM station. The cord for the unit is one of those curled slinky-types.
The only qualms I have are that the white plug is longer than it needs to be, and that the unit lacks an on/off switch. If your car cuts the outlet power when off, there's no need for one, but mine doesn't. I have to dismount the unit when I want it to stop transmitting, and it doesn't feel durable enough to withstand excessive mountings. I'll find out soon enough whether it holds up.
The first copy I received looked slightly grubbier than I'd expect a new product to look, but only the white mount. Perhaps they test them at the factory with dirty machinery. The black facade was in perfect condition once I removed the thin piece of clear protective shinkwrap.
10-MONTH UPDATE:
I've run into two problems:
1) The sheath for the cord that leads into the base of the unit has pulled out, exposing the inner wires. It wasn't hard to push it back in place, but to keep it from dislodging again, I've looped it underneath with a zip-tie holding it to the back of the unit. Not a big deal.
2) It's started to make a high-pitched overtone, probably in the 9 or 10 KHz range. Usually this noise is drowned out by the music, but softer songs and silence make it more obvious. It's just at the threshold of annoyingness; any louder and I'd return the unit again.
Moral of the story: buy a car with an auxiliary audio input jack.
12-MONTH UPDATE:
The overtone has become unbearable. This unit is officially a waste of money.
18-MONTH UPDATE:
On a lark, I tried my Coby again recently with a few MP3 players. The overtone has disappeared, but the volume of the signal is now unusually soft. If I tune my radio 0.1 MHz higher or lower, I hear the music at full volume, but not clearly. This is very odd.
Customer Review: An excellent value
Summary: 4 Stars
Have you seen the price FM transmitters for the Ipod go for? Wow. Before anything else, $17.99 for this transmitter is a steal.
I've had an iRiver Clix and recently purchased an Ipod Touch. My last FM transmitter (used for the Clix) corroded and died, but my experience with it was mixed. It had a proprietary connector, which charged the Clix in addition to its use as a transmitter. I was happy with it, but had basically accepted some static interference as part of dealing with a transmitter.
Well, with my new Touch, I was suddenly in the market for a new transmitter. I stumbled upon this Coby, and I'm happy I did.
The sound is great. Its not audiophile quality, but its very clear. In fact, I don't have to boost the radio volume anywhere near what I had to for the iRiver transmitter. There's no discernible static. I have it tuned to 87.7. It will even tune to 87.5, but my car stereo won't tune that low. The built in car adapter is a great addition too. You can plug this in to your car and still plug in another accessory into the same outlet! Also, the input is a standard audio jack. That means it will work with any device though the headphone port. No proprietary plug - hooray! Both my clix and the Touch work with this transmitter.
My only issue with the Coby CA-745 is a function of the the device design and the interior design of my Subaru Forester. The lighter adapter cover in my car has a flip down cover. This cover does not flip straight down, but rests horizontal due to the curve of the console below it. Due to this, the Coby transmitter can not be input into the lighter such that the display hangs down. The transmitter hinge doesn't allow for enough rotation to lay the display flat out so it fits either. Basically I have to rotate the transmitter so it hangs out to the side or up, causing the numbers on the display to be sideways or upside down. Its a minor annoyance, but something to note. Its also likely not an issue for most cars.
Please note, this device will not charge your player. Its using the audio jack, not a USB plug or a proprietary plug. On the other hand, the transmitter does run off the lighter adapter in your car, so it will not drain your player battery any more than normal use of your player would. Also, the audio cable is a touch sensitive, and since the car volume may be elevated, you will hear some feedback when you jostle the cable around. I don't consider this a defect as this would be true for any audio cable attached to a powered speaker. Just leave the cable alone.