Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter
by Monster Cable
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List Price: Our Price: $57.58 You Save: $22.41 (28%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $45.59 (click here) Category: Network Media Player 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 Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter
Customer Review: check your radio before buying especially in metro areas
Summary: 4 Stars
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!
Customer Review: The sound quality may depend on your car.
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading the reviews, I was confused. It sounds great. It sounds horrible. Which is it?
I decided to get it anyway because it looked like it got the best reviews from all of the FM modulators. I was most swayed by the ability of the iPlay Plus to broadcast on any FM station. It is not limited like some out there.
When I used it in my 2005 Grand Prix for the first time, I thought: "This sounds great." And it does. I found a few FM stations that were free from broadcasts and static and used those stations. The sound was much better than I imagined it would be. It sounds just as good as any very strong FM station does.
And then... I tried it in my wife's 2005 Equinox. It doesn't sound so good. On the same stations I use in the Grand Prix, it just isn't as crisp and clean. It's bearable, but not good. But why?
The only thing I can come up with is that the radio antenna for my Grand Prix is on the roof by the windshield - just a couple of feet above where the iPlay is. The radio antenna for the Equinox is on the front passenger corner - a few feet farther away. This apparently makes a difference. When in my wife's car, if I lift up the iPlay to get it closer to the antenna, the sound quality improves. In my Grand Prix, the antenna is so close, that it sounds great no matter what.
Keep this in mind while purchasing this product. Not only must you have a couple of clean radio stations to broadcast to, but also the placement of your car's radio antenna - where the signal gets transmitted to, may affect your sound quality.
Overall, I think this is a great product, because it works wonderfully in my car. I don't think I would give that same review if I had my wife's car full time.
Customer Review: Solid.
Summary: 4 Stars
Three and a half stars would be more accurate.
The Good.
-The cigarette port charger.
-You can easily change the station the iCarPlay is using with the push of a button.
-Works well in areas without heavy radiowave traffic.
The Bad,
-The station indicator below the button can be hard to read, and you must manually change the station on the radio to find where it has switched to.
-The unit plugs into the dock port on the bottom of the iPod, which sometimes can be a pain to plug and unplug (especially if you have some sort of protective cover over the iPod). Not always a quick release.
The Ugly.
-You may have to do some channel surfing in areas of high radiowave traffic, and on some rare occasions static is unavoidable.
iCarPlay is a solid product for an iPod FM transmitter. The problem is, these types of FM transmitters can suffer from chronic radio interference in certain areas, forcing you to constantly adjust the radio station you're piping your pod through.
I've used both the iCarplay and the iTrip, and they seem to be equal in the quality of reception they deliver. Of course, the iCarPlay distinguishes itself from the iTrip by also having the cigarette port charger. This difference is reflected in its price though (iPod car chargers are around $30), since its double the price of the iTrip (a standalone transmitter). You may also want to invest in a dashboard mount for the iPod.
Overall, the iCarPlay is worth it for its dual functionality, and its great to have along on a road trip, vacation, or work commute.
Customer Review: Best choice out there for convenience
Summary: 4 Stars
The Monster iCarPlay works pretty much as advertised.
I have been using the iCarPlay for a month now, mostly for audio books, but occasionally for music as well.
It has buttons to assign three station frequencies to and you can choose from most of the FM band for this so you should be able to find several unused frequencies.
If you travel much this is safer to be able to switch between three known (to you) frequencies with a push of the button, rather than trying to scan through the entire band while driving.
By inputting these frequencies as well into your car's radio presets you can jump between three frequency choices without looking away from the road significantly with a mere two button pushes.
As long as you can find a relatively inactive frequency the iCarPlay works well within the audio limitations of an FM transmitter.
It also doubles as a charger and has a long enough cable to pretty much place/position you iPod where you want.
The digital display could be brighter, more than adequate at night, but pretty faint in daylight.
Also, it is easy to accidently engage one of the additional buttons and switch frequencies by the unit bumping against something face down.
I think the fit/finish is not perfect on this unit (I use to have the multiple fixed frequency unit and did not have this problem) as it takes some forward pressure on the connection while pushing the sides of the connector to disengage it from the iPod.
Over all I love it and would purchase it again.
Customer Review: Works Great in San Francisco!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was worried when I bought this, as I live in San Francisco - a very dense radio market with lots of stations. As it turned out, I needn't have worried. The product worked perfectly right out of the box! In fact, the very first pre-set station (88.1) gets a clear signal anywhere in the City, so I was up and running in minutes without even consulting the manual. Since my new car did not have a cassette deck, I had been going without my iPod for a few months and I'm very happy to have my tunes back in my car!
I had given a lot of consideration to the competing product from Kensington, but I went with Monster because my car has a black interior and I don't like a lot of white cables. In my opinion, too many white cables tells potential thieves that you might have an iPod in the glove box! I also wanted to see the station very clearly and was attracted to the bright red LED's on the Monster product. I made a good decision on both counts, as the black cord blends perfectly with my interior and the bright red LED's are visible even in daylight. Not that it matters much, because I have not had to change the channel since opening the package.
As with other reviewers, I have noticed that the connector plug into my iPod fits VERY tightly and sometimes you have to tug pretty hard when unplugging the unit from the iPod. This is really a minor issue - you just have to pay attention when unplugging and be sure that you press the buttons on both sides of the connector.
Bottom line: this unit performs as advertised and sends a nice strong signal to your radio.