Griffin iTrip FM Transmitter for iPod mini; iPod classic 3G, 4G (White)

After reading reviews online about the iTrip, I discovered there are two camps. People that thought it was the greatest product since sliced bread and people who considered it a piece of garbage. I have to say I fall into the group who thinks the iTrip is a high quality product.Many people say it is hard to set up. I use a Mac and I had it set up and completely working in about 3 minutes. I installed the software from the CD, synced my iPod and had sound coming out of my car stereo literally in 3 minutes!Many people say that it does not work well in urban areas. I live in Annapolis, MD and we receive all of the stations from Washington DC and Baltimore, MD (two huge markets where there is a station at virtually every frequency). With little effort I found two stations which exhibit perfect functionality (87.9 and 101.7).Many reviews say that the iTrip only works from a couple inches/feet from their stereo). I took the iPod about 30 feet from my car and was still getting fairly good reception. Every spot in the car provided perfect reception.The final con that most negative reviews state is the sound quality. Technically, I agree. The sound is not CD quality. But, the iTrip sounds as good as any FM radio station I have heard which is all you really can ask for.All in all, I strongly recommend buying this product.

The problems I have with this product are not specific to just this product but to all ipod-to-FM devices. The sound quality is just terrible and it is very hard to find a middle of the band station to use. Basically you get the best speaker sound separation when you use a station in the middle of all the stations. If you live in a metro area this is impossible, and even out here in SD it is pretty much impossible. Also FM just cannot handle low end bass sounds and causes the sound to crackle when any bass is introduced.Bottom Line: Just find another way to hook up the ipod. If you have a tape deck use a cassette tape converter. If not then find some way to rig the ipod to the sound system using rca cords. Using FM devices just makes music sound horrible.

This version of the iTrip works the best. I don't know what they did with the new versions that have the LCD. I have tried both that display the LCD, the one that docks on the top of a 4th generation Photo iPod and the one that docks at the bottom of 4th and 5th generation iPods. And they both don't work as well as this original version.This original version you can clearly sit far away from the radio (about 30 feet) and have no static. Unlike the LCD counterpart that if you just are a few inches away, the signal starts to fail and gets weak.I just ordered a few of this suckers, because the price is great! I originally purchased this version when it was $30+, but at these deals, it is good to have a few spare in case one gets lost or broken.

I bought the iTrip for my new 15G iPod. The software install was effortless- Just skip the included CD and go straight to Griffin's web site. Install the drivers and station menus from there. I downloaded the US and European stations. This gives me access to every channel on the dial. As far as using it goes: My advice is to set yourself up before you start to drive. The iPod's controls are intuitive, but distracting. I use the lowest channels on the dial (like 88.1, 88.3, etc.) and have no trouble. Sometimes when I pass a semi-truck, their CB or something interferes. I was forced into the iTrip because my Chevy Trailblazer has CD only, no cassette. I would rate the overall sound quality at about 7 out of 10. Some crackles can be heard from time to time, and if your song has heavy bass (dance, techno, rap, etc.) then there will be some distortion. Still working on figuring that one out. Also, some hiss can be heard if the song is real quiet. Overall though, it isn't any worse than a regular FM station on the dial. The coolest thing about the iTrip is I can now just set it to play on my home stereo, which runs though the house. I have my entire CD collection on the iPod, and as long as it's plugged in, I can play all day.One reviewer had a problem setting the iPod/iTrip up. It's actually pretty easy. Just select the radio channel you want to use on the iPod and on the car/radio. Play the channel selection on the iPod, and let it run for a second or two (half way accross the bar). Pause the track. In a second, you'll hear the iTrip take over the radio, and you'll know when this happens because the static will stop and there will be only silence. Then "menu" back to your playlists and start playing whatever song you choose. That's it. As long as you don't turn the iPod off, it will continue to control the radio channel in the car, even if you turn the car off. This is great when I'm out running errands- I don't have to keep setting it up.Pretty good product.The bad:Hiss at low volume (not too bad, but noticable)Bass distortion on upbeat songsLimited range (must be within about 10 feet of the tuner)iTrip sucks the battery power from the iPod. Expect 40% less play timeThe good:Good priceEasy to useConvenientCool solution to comlicated problem