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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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Monster A-IP-FM-CH-PS Wireless FM Transmitter
Customer Review: Great Unit, works as specified.... Read this if you've got a Nano
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a perfectly good solution to those of us who want to use our iPods in the car but for one reason or another can't use on of those tape deals (my car spits them out).
This thing works, not CD quality sound but its coming thru the FM radio, so it is what it is.
I had problems with mine and my Nano. Seems the Nano will sometimes need to be reset to learn the path or some technical thing that I could not find any info on anywhere.
My Nano did work at first but then stopped working, I could not hear any sound from the ipod on my radio thru the unit a few days after purchasing the iCarPlay. It would not play at all thru the iCarPlay so I called Monster tech support and they led me thru it. I will tell you here to save you the trouble, cuz it was a big pain for a few days not knowing what to do:
If your Nano stops playing thru the unit, but the unit is still canceling the static on the selected radio station and your nano works fine otherwise, plug the iCarPlay into the nano, plug it in to the ciglighter, and begin to play (make sure the hold switch is off, make sure the nano is playing a song, but no sound, right?) Put the nano down on a flat surface, and for 6-10 seconds push and hold both the "menu" and center button simultaneously. Hold these until the apple logo appears and the unit seems to turn off. It should turn back on in a sec, scroll thru and play another song. You should hear music! Its doing some kind of reset that helps the nano see the iCarPlay or something... whatever, it will work again and you will be happy.
Customer Review: Very good compromise solution
Summary: 4 Stars
When somebody recently broke into my car to steal my iPod, they also stole the Griffith iTrip gizmo that plays the iPod through the car's FM radio. Although I was basically happy with the Griffith, I was hearing very good things about the Monster Cable iCarPlay Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger for iPod, and therefore decided to try it instead of getting a replacement Griffith. Good choice.
I am much happier with the Monster gizmo. It's much easier to set stations. It offers three pre-sets so that you can change stations on the fly, looking for the best signal. Since I live in a metro area with few truly empty stations, this feature is very helpful. I've found sweet spots for each of the three settings along various parts of my commute and find myself changing stations at least once or twice during the commute so as to maintain the best sound quality. This is MUCH easier with the Monster due to its preset buttons.
The Monster gizmo's overall sound quality is much better that that of the Griffith, as well. Plus, instead of draining your iPod battery, the Monster cable charges it. All in all, a considerably superior solution.
Is it as good as a hard-wired system? No. But it's less expensive and doesn't require screwing around with your stereo/nav setup. The latter consideration is especially apt for those who, like me, lease their cars and must return them in original condition. For me, the Monster gizmo is a very good compromise between sound quality, cost, and convenience.
Customer Review: Perfect For Me...
Summary: 5 Stars
As an audiophile, a Podcast lover, and an individual with an hour-each-way commute, this FM transmitter is perfect for me.
My wonderful wife got me the iTrip by Griffin Technologies (for my iPod Nano) for our Anniversary (She's a doll!) but I was disappointed that a) it used the iPod's battery power, and that you have to remove any protective cover in order to dock the iPod on the iTrip - which for someone on the go is really impractical to do all the time. While I liked that you could change stations on the screen of the iPod, the interface was still a little cumbersome.
Monster Cable's iCarPlay Plus answers all of those concerns and then some. There are three pre-programmed stations, a nice LED display, you can charge your iPod while you listen, and there's no removing it from the case every time you get in/out of the car! And unlike what some people said in their review, this product DOES let you change the volume from the stereo, you don't have to use the iPod volume.
The signal may not be quite as strong as the iTrip so I hit a couple static pockets on my way to work - but then I just got it and am still trying to find the optimal station for my area. However, I don't have any of the concerns or difficulty that some people expressed with finding a station. It's easy to do, and plenty strong to feed into the nice Bose stereo system in my car.
I am very satisfied with the product, and except for the price-tag, I think it's perfect for me.
Customer Review: Terrible Broadcast Strength
Summary: 1 Stars
A waste of money because the intermittent static from the "most open" signal is almost unbearable. Expensive for what it is... better off paying an audio expert to give you a hook up directly into your stereo. One end plugs into your iPod, the other end into your cigarette lighter.
Pros:
-Small
-Program to any station, preselect up to 3 which you can flip between if you start to run into interference from a stronger signal
-Long cable
-Doesn't seem to run my car battery down if I forget and leave it plugged into the cigarette lighter
-Powers (and I think also charges) my iPod
-Worked with both our pre-video and video era iPods
Cons:
-Awful transmission strength, other signals frequently disrupt it even after trying every possible channel. I've even gotten interference from my wife's wireless FM transmitter when driving next to her (she has a different brand for her iPod... see my other reviews to see hers)
-Expensive for the $50 price range! (Many new radios allow you to have a professional install a direct connection to your (after-market) radio for not much more (this is the route we plan to go)
-No power off switch, I have to unplug. I have several items plugged into a splitter, so this is very inconvenient for me (which device am I unplugging? and I have the wires tucked away neatly and the unplugging process can mess that all up)
Bottom line: I do not recommend this item.
Customer Review: Great Compromise! High Initial Satisfaction!
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading countless reviews, I avoided the FM transmitter type adapter in favor of the cassette style. The Monster version of the cassette adapter was a huge disappointment - noisy mechanism, poor sound quality, low volume. I decided to ignore the reviews and try my luck with the Monster iCar Play plus FM Transmitter/Charger. Much to my amazement, the performace of this product was better than expected. Granted, the sound quality is not the same as the iPod on earphones (Monster explicitly reminds the customer that this is not a 50,000 megawatt source!), and my car stereo is factory (Toyota Corolla), so my expectations and demands are not very high. But I listen to a wide range of music from jazz and classical to rock, and everything sounds great for "road sound." I live in suburban Los Angeles, and had no problems quickly finding three well spaced stations at both ends of the dial. Be sure to get the programmable version of this product. (Monster also makes a lower priced preset model. Get the programmable one.) Time and travel will tell how well this product works on the long and widing road. But if you want decent FM radio sound with your entire music collection on the road and want to use your iPod in more than one car, give this product a try. If you're looking for CD sound, you'll have to go with one of the much more expensive direct interface products. As with everything automotive, your mileage may vary.