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Reviews October 2006 • Vol.17 Issue 10 Page(s) 18 in print issue |
Traveling Tunes Kensington’s Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger Unites Your iPod & Car Stereo | ||
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Jump to first occurrence of: [KENSINGTON] Traveling Tunes Kensington’s Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger Unites Your iPod & Car Stereo Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger For iPod (#33185)  $79.99 Kensington (800) 235-6708 (650) 572-2700 www.kensington.com When I bought a new car last year, it was the first time I’d had a vehicle without a cassette deck. As such, it was also the first time I couldn’t use a cassette adapter to play my iPod’s music through my car’s stereo. I quickly learned that most FM transmitters have staticky audio or don’t work very well at the preset frequencies. However, Kensington’s Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger For iPod is another story.  The Device That Dares To Be Different Kensington’s FM transmitter connects to the dock connector on the bottom of the iPod instead of to the headphone jack on top. The iPod’s dock connector provides a line-level signal that is cleaner than that of the headphone jack. Also, unlike most FM transmitters, Kensington’s doesn’t require that you turn the iPod volume way up to listen to it through your car stereo. Now I don’t risk blasting my ears after forgetting to turn the volume back down before listening with my headphones. There are a couple of other important differences between this device and many others. First, Kensington’s transmitter leaves the headphone jack free for use with accessories that connect through the headphone jack. Some of these include iPod remote controls and iPod voice recorders. Second, this transmitter is powered through your car’s DC power source (cigarette outlet), and it also provides power to and charges your iPod while you use it. Also, whereas many FM transmitters have only a limited number of stations to which you can tune your iPod’s signal, Kensington’s Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger lets you select any station between 88.1 FM and 107.9 FM. Just use the Up/Down button on the transmitter’s face to select a station. There are also three programmable buttons to which you can assign preset radio frequencies, and the transmitter has a backlit display that makes it easy to see which station you’ve selected. I should also mention that Kensington included an Easter egg (a hidden trick) that lets you set the transmitter to 87.9 FM, a frequency that is open in most parts of the United States. Just press and hold the second and third preset button simultaneously. On The Road I used this FM transmitter on a recent road trip to California. I thought if anything would test the transmitter’s ability to broadcast despite a crowded bandwidth, it would be the airwaves of southern California. I was surprised to find that I never had any trouble finding a frequency at which I could broadcast my iPod’s music over my car’s stereo. Not only that, but the audio was also much cleaner than that of other FM transmitters I’ve used. Don’t get me wrong; the transmitter doesn’t produce the same quality of sound as a direct, wired connection, but there was more bass than I expected to hear, and there was little to no static. At times, the treble was a little bit shrill, but overall, I was very happy with the Kensington transmitter’s performance. Kensington attributes the product’s audio quality to Aerielle wireless audio technology (www.aerielle.com). This product has only a couple of weak points. First, because it attaches to the dock connector, you can only use it with iPods. Second, the price is high compared to many FM transmitters. However, I’ve seen it only recently for about $50, and most of the cheaper $30 or $40 transmitters cannot charge your iPod as Kensington’s does. Kensington’s Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger For iPod is compatible with all iPods with a dock connector, has a built-in 48-inch cable, and comes with a five-year warranty. Overall, the sound quality, support for all radio frequencies, and battery-charging functionality make this FM transmitter well worth the money if you need a way to listen to your iPod’s tunes in your car. Send your comments to kylee@smartcomputing.com
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