Product Description

You are looking at the coolest iPod accessory in the world. The iTrip FM transmitter for the iPod can play your music through any FM radio in your car, at a party, wherever the mood strikes you--and you have a radio. It's clear that the iTrip is made specifically for the iPod. This gives iTrip advantages over similar devices. For example, with the iTrip, you can have the cleanest possible signal--because you can choose any radio station on the dial to tune for the best performance possible. You do this by 'playing' special station codes directly from the iPod itself. Another advantage of the iTrip is that it needs no batteries--it receives its tiny amount of power from the iPod. The original iTrip can even rotate out of the way to charge the iPod while still in use. No more batteries ever again. There's not even a power switch - just plug it in and go. It shuts off automatically after 60 seconds of silence--just like the iPod. The iTrip is the ultimate accessory for the iPod because it allows you to share the music and share the fun beyond your headphones. Don't leave home without it.

Product Details

• Brand: Griffin Technology
• Model: 4013-2TRIP
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.00" h x 2.00" w x 6.00" l, 2.00 pounds

Features

• Compatibility: iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G
• FM transmitter designed to play iPod music through FM radios
• Tunes to any FM frequency for the best possible performance
• Battery-free design receives power from iPod itself
• Sleek, attractive housing fits seamlessly on top of iPod

Amazon.com Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description The iPod has helped revolutionize the way people store and listen to music, but it's not particularly car friendly. Unless your car stereo includes a cassette deck (increasingly rare) or an auxiliary input (more common among newer stereos) combined with the appropriate adapter, you simply haven't had the means to play your extensive iPod library through your car speakers. Several companies, however, have sought to fill this void by releasing a product called an FM transmitter, which broadcasts iPod tunes through FM airwaves. Griffin Technology is among the category leaders with its iTrip, a discreet little device that fits unobtrusively on top of the iPod model. The iTrip isn't confined to car stereos--it plays on almost any FM radio--but because most home stereos and boomboxes have auxiliary inputs, it's most popular as a car accessory.

The iTrip is designed to broadcast to any empty FM frequency on the dial of any radio, at home or in your car.

Design and Setup
The iPod is loaded with impressive features, but it's also an Apple product, which means that looks matter. A lot. And Griffin clearly recognizes this, because the company has released several iTrips designed to match specific iPod models, and each is among the sleekest FM transmitters on the market. Plus, the device measures less than an inch tall and exactly as wide as the iPod it sits on, so it takes up almost no extra space--an important feature to people who value the iPod's portability. 

The iTrip is designed to broadcast to any empty FM frequency on your dial--depending on where you receive the best reception--but it's only configured to play at 87.9 MHz right out of the box. That means a little setup is required using the included CD-ROM and iTunes. Fortunately, the installation is painless and takes only a few minutes. The installer adds a playlist to your iPod (through iTunes) called iTrip Stations, which consists of a series of short audio files that correspond with all available FM frequencies.

Features and Performance
The iTrip performs best when tuned to an FM frequency that plays nothing but static, with no audible words or music. Finding a good frequency is fairly easy, but it requires your full attention, so it's best to do so while parked. We tested the iTrip on three separate frequencies in a midsize market with varying success. The sound was generally good in two of the frequencies, less so in the third. This remained true whether the iPod sat next to the radio, in the backseat, or under a stack of newspapers. While driving through bad FM reception areas, the iTrip received a bit of static, but it usually passed in a couple of seconds.

The iTrip is designed more for convenience than elite audio performance, so listeners shouldn't expect CD-quality sound. When tuned to a clear frequency, it's about on par with the average FM station. If the volume is turned high, users might notice a slight hiss through the speakers, but engine hum and road noise will generally cover that up. However, listeners who value top-quality sound--especially people with expensive speaker systems that pick up every minor flaw--might instead want to add an auxiliary input to their car stereos to get the most from their iPods.

The main drawbacks to the iTrip are fairly minor, but will bother some users. First, the iTrip Stations playlist is stored as part of your overall music library, meaning the individual audio files can emerge during shuffle play--and the sound isn't pleasant. Listeners can remedy this by creating a new playlist with their entire music libraries minus the iTrip Stations files. Second, the iTrip draws its power from the iPod battery. This is both a plus and a minus, because it means you don't need to keep buying new AAA batteries every week, but you also won't receive as much power from each iPod charge. If this bothers you, consider purchasing an auto charger, which powers your iPod or iPod mini through the cigarette lighter adapter while you drive. Third, the iTrip isn't great for long road trips through crowded regions, because the available FM frequencies might change every 40 or so miles (or less), making it necessary to frequently retune the iTrip. On the flip side, it's great for long drives through the country.

Ultimately, the iTrip is a good value. The convenience will please iPod fans who have been clamoring for a way to play their music in the car. Audiophiles might want to look elsewhere, but most other listeners should be satisfied. --Rivers Janssen

Pros

• Makes iPod music library accessible to anyone with an FM radio
• Simple, easy-to-follow controls using iPod click wheel
• Sound quality is solid, though not terrific

Cons

• Sometimes requires frequent retuning to find best FM frequency
• Hard to find good frequency in crowded urban areas
• iTrip audio files emit unpleasant noise when chosen for shuffle play, though problem is fixable

What's in the Box
The iTrip white FM transmitter, an installation CD-ROM, and a user's manual.

From the Manufacturer
You are looking at the coolest iPod accessory in the world. The iTrip FM transmitter for the iPod can play your music through any FM radio in your car, at a party, wherever the mood strikes you - and you have a radio.

It's clear that the iTrip is made specifically for the iPod. This gives iTrip advantages over similar devices. For example, with the iTrip, you can have the cleanest possible signal - because you can choose any radio station on the dial to tune for the best performance possible. You do this by 'playing' special station codes directly from the iPod itself. Simple.

Another advantage of the iTrip is that it needs no batteries - it receives its tiny amount of power from the iPod. The Original iTrip can even rotate out of the way to charge the iPod while still in use. No more batteries ever again.

There's not even a power switch -- just plug it in and go. It shuts off automatically after 60 seconds of silence -- just like the iPod. The iTrip is the ultimate accessory for the iPod because it allows you to share the music and share the fun beyond your headphones. Don't leave home without it.

Customer Reviews

Does what it's supposed to do
If you have a cassette deck in your car, you don't need the iTrip, just get one of those cassette adapters and you are all set. But if you don't have a cassette deck in your car, the iTrip does what it's supposed to do fairly well. In the majority of cases, it works fine. Although you should be aware that this technology is not perfect. Depending on your location, you may occaisionally experience some static from a radio station that is near where you have the iTrip set to.

Also, the quality is limited to FM radio quality. It is not as good as what the iPod is capable of and certainly not CD quality. That said, the quality from the iTrip is quite listenable for the price when there is no static. In my area (which is a major metropolitan area), no matter what I do, I get some occaisional static depending on the time of day.

If your car stereo has a line input, that would the the ideal recommendation. Some radios nowadays even have a jack right on the front of the radio. If yours doesn't, perhaps it has line input jacks in the back of the unit and an installer can wire this up for you so you can access it and plug the iPod in to it.

Another better option than the iTrip is to have a car stereo shop install a wired FM modulator for you. The FM modulator is wired under your dash between your antenna and the radio and includes a jack for the iPod. This works virtually flawlessly, with no static and a much more powerful signal into the radio.

In all, I would recommend the iTrip for use in a rental car or a friend's car or if you will only use the iPod occaisionally in your car. If you drive a lot and use the iPod exclusively, it would definitely be worth it to invest in a wired option instead.

Nice little addon, but the Technology isn't quite there yet
From what I've seen, the iTrip is the best FM Transmitter for the iPod, but that doesn't mean it's good, or even does what you need it to do.

Sadly, I get faint radio static from the iTrip no matter where I place it in my car, and when I drive around, the music might fade completely to static. This is distracting, and while you might get used to it, I personally didn't play $50 to have my iPod sounding like a record player. I get much better performance from a cheap $10 tape adapter. Long road trips will force you to change the radio frequency often, and while the iTrip thankfully while let you use any frequency you want to, setting a new one is too complicated to do singlehanded while driving by yourself. Driving through a big city (or even living in one) will leave you totally frustrated. The little add-on looks cool sitting atop you iPod, and runs off the iPod's batteries and not AAs like some others, but overall I just can't recommend it to anyone unless you absolutely have no other option, especially if you live in a big city with crowded airwaves.

cool looking doesn't cut it
I already had an FM attachment for my iPod, but it was clumsy - it had an earphone jack, but was powered by batteries, which I had to replace way too often for a transmitter that had a very limited range (about 1 foot).

The iTrip looked perfect for my needs - self-powered by the iPod, and sexy-looking to boot.

The iTrip ships with a CD, which contains several dozen .mp3 files, one for each station/channel on broadcast FM. If you only use your iPod in one city, then you will rarely have to change stations, as the station that's "free" - ie, doesn't have a radio station broadcasting a signal on it, is unlikely to change that often - but if you go on a road trip, you may want to change the frequency once in a while.

The first time I tried out my iTrip, I went on a road trip from the Dallas area to Shreveport, Louisiana. I was taking the trip anyway, not just to test the iTrip! Anyway, I didn't think to create a play list just for the iTrip stations before I synched (it would have been nice if the documentation w/ the iTrip suggested this), so I had my iTrip on random/shuffle play on my whole library - lo and behold, it hits another frequency .mp3 and resets my ipod to a different station. There is no way to delete an item directly from the iPod w/o synching with a computer - so I was out of luck and had an extremely frustrating trip until I saw a Radio Shack on the way and bought one of those Cassette-Jack adapters. So, everytime one of the Griffin .mp3 files would come up on random shuffle, I'd hit the "next" arrow on the iPod to skip it - since it's obnoxiously loud.

Griffin had an excellent idea with this gizmo, but I doubt they did any field testing first, otherwise they would have rethought their approach. With the Apple Software Developer Kit (SDK), they could have written an application for the iPod that let you control the settings for iTrip, instead of making .mp3 files be the trigger for setting the device... this way no one has to make different play lists to accommodate a third party gadget.

I was so happy to buy this item, and now it lays in a drawer because it's too frustrating to use. The range is also less than impressive. I know that the FCC has rules on how strong a radio transmitter can be for this type of device, but I should be able to use the iPod when it's in the passenger seat - but apparently that's too far from my stereo! I had to lay it in my ashtray to get a good signal.

Great concept, beautiful design, crappy execution.