Home > Consumer Reviews > Griffin RoadTrip FM Transmitter and Car Charger for iPod (Black)

I recently purchased this product and took it on a 30 day roadtrip across the country. I used it all over the nation, from the Midwest (where it's relatively easy to find a frequency), to more congested areas like around Washington DC and Philadelphia, where its not easy to find a signal. Through it all, the Roadtrip provided incredible sound quality for an FM transmitter.

The cradle and mount is very handy in that you can adjust it so that you can view both the Ipod's screen and the frequency the Roadtrip is on without really having to take your eyes off the road. As one would imagine, I had a lot of stuff in my car on the trip, so I didn't want to mess with a typical corded charger and transmitter. This allowed my Ipod to be mounted close to my radio controls and didn't take up any space on my floor or console.

A couple of things to note here, however. First is that the mount comes with two pieces, one which you plug into your cigarette lighter and one which is an extension piece if the Roadtrip is in your way. I used the extension and was very pleased with it, but over time the sheer weight of it would not let it fig snugly in my cigarette lighter, and it tended to move around when I went around corners. Taking off the extension solved this problem, and, while it was not as conveniently placed, still allowed me to see and use it easily.

The sound quality of this product is also not as good in my other car (a '97 Grand Am), but I suspect that's the fault of the car itself, not the Roadtrip. The antenna on that car doesn't pick up very good signals anyway. Overall this is a great product, certainly a great asset for me on my cross-country adventure.

After having bought the "Monster Cable iCarPlay Plus Wireless FM Transmitter/Charger for iPod" (and then promptly returned it because there was just too much static/interference), I decided to try the Griffin RoadTrip. First, I was shocked at the difference in sound quality between the two products. The Griffin sounds crisp and clear and there is NO static! I live in Boston and have set the frequency to 88.5 and have not had a single problem. Second, the Griffin is so much more convenient and easier to use because you just plug it in and turn it on (it remembers whatever frequency you used previously). No wires, no having to dangle my Nano around the rearview mirror just to get music to play (albeit with frequent static and a constant hissing sound in between songs), and I have a nice, solid, safe place to put my Nano that's right at my fingertips. My only caution is that the holder-adapter that's designed to fit the Nano will only fit if I take mine out of the leather "Marware" protective cover I bought to keep it from getting all scratched up (I have the 2G Black one). An easy solution (at least for me) was to keep my leather cover on and simply use the "larger" holder instead of the smaller "Nano-sized" one. Griffin conveniently provides two different thicknesses of padding to customize the fit for virtually all iPods (except the Shuffle, of course) so I just put in one of the pads and my Nano stays nice and secure and will never get scratched. I highly recommend the RoadTrip and am frankly, shocked that others have rated it so poorly. I love it and could not be happier with my purchase!

First, and foremost, we are talking about FM transmitters. Therefore, nothing will sound like CD sound or direct cable connections when it comes to music quality. You will lose some highs, and you will lose some lows, and you will have nowhere near great quality. That being said, sometimes there are no alternatives, and some transmitters can get the job done. In addition, I have owned and tested all of the following transmitters, to which I will review for you now to save you the time and money. A note: I have 2 vehicles, a SUV and a Saturn.

First up: Belkin Tunebase
I bought this after my Roadtrip base was stolen with my iPod, and I thought I would try an alternative. I liked the flexible connector in my SUV to allow reaching of all controls. However, it was disastrous in my Saturn, only preferring 1 position - lying down. It is a pain to control the iPod when driving in either vehicle, as the flexible arm gave too much in order to advance unwanted songs or control the iPod in general. Although a wider range of highs and lows was evident, the strength of output of this device is way too low; easily outcompted by either of the following transmitters. In the SUV, it is very good at broadcasting and being received by the radio. However, in the Saturn, it was an absolute disaster. I am transmitting on a completely free channel, and in my Saturn I got feedback from the background radio hiss! I even had the hiss increase in tune with the windshield wipers! How awful. This is not a bad transmitter in a larger vehicle, like my SUV, but in a small vehicle, you don't want to risk it. Finally, you can't disconnect the transmitter like the Griffin items. So, it's use in your car, or don't use at all. Although you rarely need to use it outside of your car, the other two below are the same price or cheaper, so you're already paying for it. Avoid this item.

Next - Griffin Roadtrip
Although this comes with an extension, the fixed location of the holder interferes with many of the car controls, even with the extension. However, the transmission is much better and can even be picked up in nearby cars at clear enough reception. I again had trouble making turns in the Saturn, as the roadtrip does slip around; but not nearly as bad as the Belkin. The transmission is good, but not great; as you do need to find a completely clean frequency in order to get a good reception. Finally, controlling the iPod is easy, as the adapter is a sturdy adapter and holds the iPod quite well. It got the job done in both cars, but didn't exactly knock my socks off.

Finally - Griffin iTrip
The best of the bunch. I doubt the transmission is greater than the griffin Roadtrip; based on the fact it runs off of the iPod, but it doesn't matter. You can move your iPod into position to be right under your antenna and get fantastic reception. In addition, because it doesn't need to be connected to the lighter, there is no interferce with the controls of the car and the iPod is easy to control. Finally, purchase this with the Powerjolt and you've spent the same as either of the above and can charge your iPod at the same time; except with a cable to keep the iPod clear of auto controls. I was expecting very little from this tiny device, but I am quite pleased. The only drawback is that, since there is no holder, there really is no secure place to put your iPod; as it will slide all over the dash. Putting it near the controls of the car (like in the center compartment area) obviously takes away its advantage over the Roadtrip. However, some velcro backing to it or sticky tape should afix it to the dash temporarily and you can remove it when you leave the car. But then you have tape on the back of your iPod....so..... Well, it still is the best choice, as the transmission is clearest because you can get it close to your antenna; and it is the only transmitter that worked well in my Saturn. In the SUV, all worked well.

Ok, based on many of the reviews written here, I decided to give the RoadTrip a shot. It arrived today from Amazon and I couldn't wait to try it out.

Real men don't eat quiche and real men don't read manuals (unfortunately, real men don't eat well and real men break a lot of things...but I digress). I was able to determine what pieces I needed to rig the RoadTrip up to my truck, tune it into a station, and begin playing my library of songs within 30 seconds of opening the box.

One star for ease of use.

Tuning the FM transmitter to a station (preset 88.1) was actually easier than finding that same station on my truck radio (the Ford factory install isn't exactly navigation friendly). But as soon as I hit the correct station, the tunes began to flow. At first listen, it's not bad quality. I had no static and got decent (but not mind blowing) bass.

One star for quality that is quite tolerable.

I have two cig-lighter outlets on my dash. The one I thought I would use (the accessory outlet) isn't the one I ended up using. I found that the shorter extension arm in the cig-lighter outlet closer to my steering wheel was more convenient. That puts my unit just inches from my hands at any time making tuning and adjusting fairly simple. The short arm in combination with the extension should give enough options to find the right position on any dash.

One star for mounting options.

The fact that my IPOD (5G video) will charge while in the unit is a huge plus. I get a holder, a tuner, and a charger all in a nicely bundled unit. It'll give the nice option of keeping the backlight on at all times while in the charger -- something I couldn't dream of doing while on battery power.

One star for juicing my pod.

If I did my math correctly, that's 4 stars. I have to deduct one star for a few minor issues.

First, I'm not getting anywhere near the output (volume-wise) as I would from a my head unit directly. Not that I have a need to vibrate any windows, but if that's what you're looking for, the RoadTrip isn't gonna get you there. I also think the RoadTrip is just a tad chincier looking than the photos might lead you to believe. It's not a solid looking polished and refined device. But then again, I have Yosemite Sam floor mats so I'm not too disappointed. The only other detractor is the angles at which the mounting arms adjust. There's a nice up down, forward back, and tilt adjustment range. But I haven't discovered any magic that will allow me to rotate the POD towards me or the passenger. It's pretty much straight forward. Again, because of my dash layout, it's not a major problem. But I can see where one might want to rotate the device so that you have a full frontal view (trying to keep the post PG rated).

Bottom line, I got as good as I wanted. For the price, I'm quite pleased and I'll be able to carry my collection anywhere. With the addition of some DVD ripping and converting to MP4, it'll be nice to have some movies on board for those traffic jams.

After reading many reviews of the fm transmittion criteria, I found myself in the market for one. The best reviews that I could find where the Monster IcarPlay (newer) and the Kensington 33185, I could not find either specific model anywhere near me, so I went down to the local bestbuy and got myself the Griffin RoadTrip. I was quite skeptical to see how this would perform because I read many negative reviews regarding Griffin products. After purchasing it for $118 CAD (about $105 US), I went in the car and tried it out. the set up is quite basic and after a few minutes I was listening to my nano with decent sound quality (same as local radio stations). I live in the biggest suburbia in North America, Mississauga, Ontario and the transmittion is quite good.

Pros:
It does not skip, even as the ipod wiggles from the road bumps
It stays in tact
Easy to use
Good sound quality
Comes with everything you need, every ipod model capability
Can be used with your PC or Mac to transmit sound for you home stereo
Convinient
comes with Doc+holder+clip (s)

Cons
Constant access to the ipod battery could mean that the battery's life is ending faster than it should.
the sound quality isn't top notch. (after all it is a transmitter, very minor complaint)


Ipod users limit your sounds to minimum when the ipod is playing because it will not have an effect on the transmittion at all.
This is probabbly a good thing.

Over all I'd like to give it a 5, but 4 seemes more appropriate, due to price and capability.
As far as fm transmittion goes this product will not dissapoint you.