Reviews

81

Unless you stay in a parking garage interference from radio stations is a problem. I have not been able to find a frequency which sounds good. I also have the Sony cassette adapter and this is a much better and cheaper alternative.

Posted by snowmac on April 14, 2005 at 3:28 AM (PDT)

82

I can't believe that ipodlounge gave this an "A"..

I got one today, tested for an hour while driving around 3 different cities around Los Angeles.

Finding an empty station wasn't hard. the biggest problem was the high pitch tone of noise and heezing sounds that doesn't stop no matter what i do.

another thing i found about airplay was that it is not "STEREO"

that hurts, alot..

as the other people mentioned, sound quality is horrible. first i thought, it's FM, what do you expect.. but it's worse than FM.

I could have a better chance at just regular FM music station.

so bottom line? don't get this.

i am returning this asap. and then gonna try out the griffin iTrip.

Posted by frank84 on April 14, 2005 at 8:06 PM (PDT)

83

I bought an iTrip at my local Apple store about a week ago, and, for no apparent reason, quit working. So I went in today to exchange it.

The sales clerk recommended the AirPlay. So I paid the difference (the AirPlay was $4 more), and off I went.

Setting it up to work in my car was much easier than the iTrip, but that was the only benefit I can find to this device.

Poor sound quality, that high-pitched whine, not being able to tune to 87.9, and the inability to use it with my Showcase are all reasons I will be returning this thing later today.

I will try my luck (again) with the iTrip. When it was working, the sound was fantastic...

Posted by MLD on April 21, 2005 at 11:35 AM (PDT)

84

My AirPlay arrived today. I had ordered it from AudioOutfitters based upon other glowing reviews like this one, but before I read all of these negative opinions. Needless to say, I was a little concerned about the whine and it not fitting my 20GB 4G while in the #### skin.

Well, I can honestly say that it works amazingly well for me. Tuned to 95.9 and it's very clean and clear, at least as clear as a strong FM station. Only a bit of flatness or compression and absolutely no whine or static. Even the bass response is good, probably helped by the premium JBL system's 16 speakers and active sub. I drove around with it for 45 minutes and it was clear the whole time and didn't even move the battery gauge.

The bonus for me was that it DOES fit with my #### skin in place. No problem at all, it snaps right on and didn't work loose while I was driving around with it. So I'm doubly satisfied.

My personal experience coincides with all of the reviews I had read, including iPodLounge's. It's a great product and I'm glad I bought it.

Posted by dmorris68 on April 22, 2005 at 5:20 PM (PDT)

85

I bought an AirPlay because I have a Speck Products "ToughSkin" case for my iPod. I was able to move the rubber aside and insert the AirPlay. Once I found a station that was clear (88.1 FM in the Portland, OR region for me), it worked great. I also liked that I did not need to install any software. After driving around, I went to remove the AirPlay, and the tension from stretching the case caused the unit to come apart between the gray plastic base and the primary white housing. I exchanged it for another unit after looking around and deciding that I didn't find any others I liked. This time I'll cut part of the case so that it fits properly. Other than this minor setback, it performed well, and I was impressed with how it worked. Also, no one has mentioned yet that inside the box is a free one month subscription to Audible.com (pretty neat, I thought).

Posted by Matthew Groves on April 24, 2005 at 9:24 PM (PDT)

86

Just got my Airplay, and thought I would post some initial commente.
ipod version : 3G
location : London,UK
Car make : Citroen Xsara, rear-roof mounted aerial
Ease of use : dead simple, nice size, wont fit with my Contour Showcase, though.
Sound quality : Obviously not as good as my cassette adaptor. You lose a lot of higher frequencies and clarity, but I havent yet noticed too much hiss. Good enough for use in a car. If you compare with the cassette adaptor it is noticeably lower quailty, but I guess you would get that with any FM transmitter.
Whine? : Well, yes. However I only really notice it in very quiet parts of songs or when theres silence. In the 80's, i found that if I hold the ipod touching the metal back and the top of the Airplay at the same time the whine disappears! This does not work above the 80's though. At 107.5, there is no whine at all.
Overall, it is a good solution for cars with no cassette or aux input. On my home hi-fi, it also works very well over some distance, though I haven't had the chance to check the whine or different frequencies yet.
If my opinion changes, or find anything else relevant to comment on, I will post back.

Posted by tecstar on May 6, 2005 at 2:43 AM (PDT)

87

*****UPDATE******
I have found the cause of my whine. It is not the Airplay, but occurs when I also use my Belkin Auto Kit to charge the iPod. With this disconnected, no whine!
My good signal at 107.5 deteriorated, so i went back to 89.3 which was great.
The hiss is noticeable in the silence between tracks, but not really while music is playing. I havent yet tried an audibook.
You have to remember that this is an analogue medium, and is affected by external factors. Now a DAB transmitter, that would be interesting....

Posted by tecstar on May 7, 2005 at 8:26 AM (PDT)

88

I bought the AirPlay from the Apple store and ended up returning it within two week. I took it on a long road trip and immediately heard the very annoying high-pitched whine, which did NOT go away no matter what frequency I tried.

Even driving in rural areas, it was tough to find a consistant, clean, clear signal. so it seemed I was more often than not trying to find a new frequency.

I bought this based on the "A" recommendation here. I don't know how anyone could give this product anything above a C-, totally annoying in my experience with it.

Posted by eroell in Washington, DC on June 10, 2005 at 10:43 AM (PDT)

89

Ok, I've read most of the comments about this product and now I want to give as close to a real unbiased review as I can.

I've had the Airplay for about 2 weeks now. I live in a very crowded FM market, New York City (Queens County to be specific). This is my first FM transmitter, and I bought it because of the positive reviews it received.

The first time I tried it I became very frustrated very fast. I couldn't find a suitable station, everything was static. But then I realised I was doing it all wrong. I took my time and searched through EVERY single frequency, and I was pleasantly surprised when I found the first one that worked! Then I found a few others, and before I knew it I found 5 suitable stations that worked well with the Airplay (for the New Yorkers reading...the best ones are 93.3 and 90.5).

As far as sound quality is concerned, I am happy with it. I went into this expecting the worst, but the Airplay exceeded my expectations. The Airplay comes through with all types of music, including Rock/Pop, Hip Hop, Techno, Dance, and Alternative. I also think the base sounds great, especially from my Rap tracks. Now, I do have an amp and base system in my car, so I don't know if they are helping in any way, but I really think that the base reproduction coming from the Airplay is as good as or better than that coming from a regular radio station. Here is a tip: keep the base booster OFF on your Ipod, or it will come out muffled from your car speakers. Use the base controls from your car receiver.

I do admit, sometimes the background noise comes through as I'm driving. When it does I just change it to a better station and that usually fixes the problem. I'm figuring this is an inherent problem with all FM transmitters. So when you DO need to change the station, the Airplay makes it easy.

I do have one gripe though, and that is the battery drain. I noticed that the Airplay consumes battery life pretty quickly, so I will need to recharge my Ipod more often, as in every 2 days instead of every 3 days. I eventually will get a car charger, so it can be charged while I'm using the Airplay, and hopefully that will circumvent the problem.

And as far as the high pitched whine is concerned, I never experienced this problem. I guess I received a "corrected" model.

Overall I think this is a great product that delivers what it promises. I can't compare it to other FM transmitters b/c it is the only one I have, and I believe it's the only one I'll need. If you're buying it and expecting CD quality sound then stay away. If you're willing to compromise a little bit of sound quality for the convenience of listening to your tunes in the car, then I recommend the Airplay.

Posted by frankieg on June 11, 2005 at 9:22 PM (PDT)

90

I bought this the other day since my Transpod DLO didn't fit the new 60 photo ipod. Figured that things might have improved and given the rating I had a sure bet. Well, I did like the fact it was easy to change the channel on XtremeMac, but I don't want to change the channel. The device doesn't have a strong enough transmission, oh yeah and the whine which others have noted. Also where is the 87.9 frequency? So I wanted to give my review and see Xtrememac knows about the whine and all I have to do is call you and get a new one, no thanks. If you knew about it, pull the bad ones out of the market. It is much easier to return the Xtrememac andbuy the only FM transmitter to work for me and that is the DLO transpod. It is ugly and bulky, but it works for me.

Posted by kimbermatic on June 12, 2005 at 3:07 PM (PDT)

91

Alright so I have been sent one replacement for this little thing because the first had that same high pitched ring. I was able to get in direct contact with the customer service manager via telephone and she offered to send me a third unit to try and along with it, a pre paid return label for the other two. I'm really hoping the "third times a charm" in this case because if what I'm getting now is the best quality fm transmitter then I'm gunna wait a few more years until there is good enough technology. That or just get a direct link kit for my deck.

Posted by montie06 on June 17, 2005 at 6:57 AM (PDT)

92

After the past three days of listening to my new Airplay I had to figure out how to fix the situation, leading me to this site, and finding that I'm not alone, yet not really sure what the answer is.

Here is what I know. I have a 20 gig iRiver and purchased their FM transmitter, which connects to the 12 volt in my car and has a wire that runs to the music source. Quality with both the iRiver and my iPod mini were an A (almost always no static, sometimes songs a bit weak...I like rock..but no real underlying noise). I was never the fan of having another wire run around my console area so I liked the look of the airplay as well as ease of changing the station.

Shortly after plugging this in and heading down the shore (1.5 hr ride) I had to switch to a CD or the radio. I, too, was affected by the high pitched whine. I live with my wife and two daughters...the last thing I need is more high pitched whining in the background. I tried different stations, moving the iPod around the car, touching the Airplay while driving (hey...maybe it would work). Nada. After reading the comments here, I'm going to the car to try a couple things (plug it in fast, plug it in slow - see if that works or find a "clear" station). If that does not work, I'll be at the Apple store tomorrow. I'll switch units with them and try it in the parking lot. If that does not work, I'll try the iTrip though I'm not a fan of the crazy station changing process.

I'll keep you posted.

Posted by jdamkp on June 21, 2005 at 5:30 PM (PDT)

93

I had some interesting results. I'm in the NY metro area so I sat in the car for a few minutes with both FM transmitters (Airplay and iRiver) to do some comparisons. For me, 107.7 had the least interruption. I plugged in the Airplay. I could hear the whine. I unplugged and plugged it in fast (CEO recommendation). Same. Plugged it in slow. Same. Then I disconnected it and plugged in the iRiver, same address. Worked great (side by side plays to the iRiver's advantage).

So I plugged the mini back to the Airplay. As I sat in the car I moved the iPod around. Near the windshield, near the rear window, no appreciable difference. So I'm sitting there thinking of this other iPod website's photo contest. I started positioning my iPod and Airplay in differnt spots around my car interior. Dashboard, seat....then I sat it on my steering wheel...the base on the lower portion with the Airplay leaning on the horn/airbag (I drive a 2003 Accord EX. Suddenly, the whine went away. As soon as my hand approached to pick it up, the whine increased. I put it on the dashboard again...still whined. Put it on the seat, still whined. Put it on the ledge where instrument panel is, bingo, away the whine went. I moved my hand closer and it came back.

Something is going on in these two areas that allow the Airplay to have tremendous increase in quality. I would have to think the same situation would happen in other cars. I'm no electrician or radio wave expert but it seems to me there is a fix here somewhere - it is not having this thing sit on my steering wheel or next to the speedometer.

If the Xtreme CEO is still lurking - any reason why this works so well in these two positions? Any possible solutions in the works?

Posted by jdamkp on June 21, 2005 at 5:58 PM (PDT)

94

I went to the Apple store yesterday and exchanged the Airplay for another one. I went out to the car and tried it. Still whined. So I switched to the iTrip. The quality of the sound is adequate and there is no whine. Finally. I'm still not a fan of the playlist for the stations, but thankfully the default works fine in my area.

Posted by jdamkp on June 23, 2005 at 3:46 AM (PDT)

95

I just back from an extended road trip. I drive a convertible and so do not expect high sound quality. I just want to be able to listen to my iPod once I get out of range of FM stations.

The Airplay was more than satisfactory. At 120 km/h I could hear my music quite clearly. It did sound a little compressed but not distorted with adequate bass and the trable was not tinny.

There a few better expereiences than dring top down through the Canadian Rockies with AfroCelt playing on the 'radio' So, I recommend the AirPlay unless you are really concerend about high sound quality.

Posted by Biggles and Ginger on July 26, 2005 at 10:38 PM (PDT)

96

I too have experience an annoying high pitched tone. I am looking to return it, or give it away. Hiss I can deal with, but the high pitch tone is unbearable. I am also going to use a transmitter that uses 87.9. There are some out there.

Posted by rudayo on August 4, 2005 at 6:54 AM (PDT)

97

I recieved my airplay today and it didnt even turn on when i plugged it into my i-pod mini.

I am very disappointed with this and have sent for a replacement/refund dependent on which one they decide to give me!

Posted by Emz5 on August 8, 2005 at 12:23 PM (PDT)

98

I originally purchased the AirPlay at Tekserve in New York
Tried using it for a week, but it did not work at all
Returned it to Tekserve, and they were great
They made it really easy to return it
Picked up Moster iCarPlay with 8 fm frequencies, and it worked like a charm from the first moment
It had strong reception and no hiss, except when passing a couple of areas with interference.
Sound quality was excellent. Close to CD quality
Whereas AirPlay did not work in New York City at all, the Monster iCarPlay worked very well and charged the iPod.
I still do not understand how the lounge could rate AirPlay so highly.

Posted by crazybanana on August 10, 2005 at 7:21 PM (PDT)

99

I returned my for a refund. I already owned a Monster and assumed the Airplay would be better. It's not.

Posted by arnold931 on August 31, 2005 at 5:51 PM (PDT)

100

After reading the comments in this forum, I believe that the relative success or lack of success of any FM transmitter depends on the car radio on which it is being used. I bought the XtremeMac AirPlay in San Francisco at the end of August to play in the Mustang convertable we rented for a drive to Yosemite National Park. The results weren't too good, no matter which frequency I selected. There was lots of static. I tried multiple times to change stations, and then I gave up.

Last weekend I tried it again in my 1998 Honda Accord while driving from Providence, RI, to suburban New Jersey where I live. The results were amazing. I used 89.7 as the frequency of choice for the entire trip. I had no fading and no static. I was very pleased.

I'd like to see Ilounge start a database of which transmitter works best with which car/radio system. I think the results would be helpful.

Posted by JoeNJ on September 10, 2005 at 6:35 AM (PDT)

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