Do iPod FM Transmitters offer good value for Car Audio?

Its an interesting question considering the general reputation gathered by FM Transmitters over the past few years. The quality of Fm transmitters are undoubtedly poorer than the hard wired equivalent, but too what extend is the quality sacrificed and how does represent to value for money?

The problem with the question is that it is very general, Which FM Transmitters are we talking about and what indicates “good value”. You can get an fm transmitter from £10 to £20 ranging to £60+, Obviously this has an effect on the quality of the product and subsequently the value for money.

How do we define good value for money?

Personally I would define “value” as representing a similar or better standard than you are currently experiencing. Whether that be Radio 1 Broadcast in the UK, Digital Radio in the US or another quality broadcast signal.

With that in mind, which FM transmitters are best value for money and does that represent value for money in general?

Based on quality there several types of iPod FM Transmitters, Griffin have several available which offer good quality one of which is the Griffin iTrip FM, Dexim again offer's a consistent performance and logic3 offer good performance for the cheaper end of the market. It Is important to remember that you are likely to experience a poorer performance if you live or use the transmitter in an area of high Signal broadcasts E.g Larger cities like London.

Based on our tests the griffin transmitters performed better in built up areas than all the other kits, generally speaking the Griffin option is more a little more expensive. This indicates to me a better value for money when deciding which kit to choose.

Do iPod FM Transmitters offer good value for Car Audio?

In My opinion iPod FM Transmitters do have a place in the market of Car Audio systems. It is correct you can get better quality systems which integrate in to the stereo offering more and performing better. However if you want a simple system providing a decent performance, YES I would seriously look at FM Transmitters as an option for playing music from your iPod in your car

FM Transmitters – A Good option for iPod integration but are there better?

If you want to take your music on the road with you, your iPod is the best and most convenient option. But how do you connect it to your vehicle? Which method is best? And what options do you have?

You have many options depending on your car and stereo equipment you have installed, there are a variety of ways of connecting your iPod to your Vehicle. The Kits range from fully integrated connections that emulate your CD changer providing CD quality or better audio through your stereo, through to FM Transmitters that connect to your iPod and transmit radio signals to your aerial. The truth is there are thousands of options and a variety of different brands that offer slightly different functions.

The more basic of the options start with FM Transmitters; they are a simple kit but can provide good results. FM Transmitters plug into the bottom of the iPod / iPhone and translate your music being played on your iPod to a radio signal, The radio signal is then broadcast to the local area (Anybody using the same frequency can listen to your music / podcast etc). The FM Transmitters are usually the more cost effective option when purchasing an iPod car kit, however bear in mind the area you live in or commute to before you purchase. If the area is heavy with radio signals you can often receive a poor signal, usually resulting interference or a duplicate signal played over the top of the original frequency so you have two sources of audio being played.

There are several advantages and disadvantages to the fm transmitter kits, these can be broken down simply see below;

Advantages;
They are Easy to install
More cost effective
Move from vehicle to vehicle

Disadvantages;
Occasionally has poor signal
Can’t control the iPod from vehicles controls or radio
Drains the iPod / iPhone battery

The next best option is the FM Modulator; the modulator works on a similar principle to the transmitter however FM Modulation kit provides a better performance over all. The modulator is a hard wired connection to the back of the aerial replacing your previous aerial which connects further in the loop. This system reduces the interference from outside broadcasts meaning you receive a signal quality similar to that of DAB (Digital radio). FM Modulator kits are also provided with power clips that allow you to crimp onto the stereos power cable to provide kit with battery power from the ignition switch. This powers the kit and the iPod when the ignition is turned on so you’ll never lose battery charge while connected and your iPod is good to go again. Although the Modulator provides better performance than the transmitter it still doesn’t offer the ability to control the iPod through the stereo of steering wheel controls, which is a major factor for a lot of people when purchasing an iPod car kit.

The most advanced option is hard wired option. The Dension Gateway 100 is a good example of this. The hardwired kit connects into the CD changer port on the back of the stereo and emulates the factory changer. These kits are a little more expensive however in many people’s opinion they are worth the extra investment. The majority of hardwired kits allow the user control the iPod from steering wheel or stereo, charge the ipod, offer text display on the vehicle display or cluster screen and provide perfect CD quality audio through the factory speakers.

When ordering an ipod car kit it’s important to consider what functions you want from it. If you only want a simple kit that provides decent quality audio, and you’re prepared to put up with a little interference every now and then, the FM Transmitter is probably the better option for you. However if you love your music and want an all singing & Dancing kit you should be prepared to spend a little extra money.

An iPod transmitter is a good option for an ipod car kit connection. However if your looking for a more advanced ipod car kit solution you should look for an integrated ipod kit. Check out the number 1 iPod Car Kit Store