Home > Consumer Reviews > Belkin Tunecast 2 Fm Adapter Black F/ iPod Pda Cd

Bought this for using to stream radio from PC to hi-fi and also to use in the car. It works but sound quality is very poor and there is a constant background hiss, no matter how close you take the unit to the aerial. If you want decent sound don't buy this.

Excellent reception in Honda S2000, Honda CRV and Citroen Xsara. No noticeable difference between FM radio reception and Belin TuneCast II for all types of music. Rio Karma MP3 player set to 73% of max volume then only need to set volume on cars one or two notches higher from that for radio. Found 88.1 frequency works well in E Anglia region.

Not a bad bit of kit if you don't expect MP3 or CD quality sound through the car radio - if placed to near and too loud it overloads the radio ciruits and the sound gets muddy - more noticeable on quiet passages. Reducing the output of the TuneCast helps. Would have been better a little larger and fitted with AA batteries rather than AAAs. Little drain on car cigar lighter socket. Bottom end of the output frequency range is lower than most radios - but, not a problem. Found it no use in the house with a Bose CD-radio, probably because the Bose circuits are well shielded. But... it solves a problem until mini-stereo jacks become universally fitted to all new car radios. Thanksfully, it's starting to happen, but not before time.

Sounded like a great concept. FM quality sound without the wires on the car stereo for my portable players. Also had vision of using it to transmit my favourite tunes throughout the house and tune in wherever I may be sitting.

However, the reality is that the transmitter is under-powered. This is clearly evident in the car setting where you can put it next to the car tuner unit and you would still get an audible hiss. I have spent hours trying every possible position, radio frequencies etc but to no avail. I am not sure if this problem is unique to this unit or if it is a more generic problem that affects all FM transmitters. However, I am not going to spend any more money to find out.

At best, you get below radio quality sound. At worst, you get interference from the normal radio broadcasts.

Further more, built quality is poor but in keeping with the price. To be fair, you do get a car charger as well.

I am giving my unit away to charity. I think it will make a nice toy for a boy or a girl learning about radios and radio transmitters. It is not for people who are looking for high quality sound, and definitely not for people who cannot stand background hiss like myself. One star because not only it did not do what it was suppose to do, but it also gave me a headache from the hiss and the effort of trying to "fix" it.

Bought 2 of these, 1 for me, 1 for the wife. Works great indoors. However modern cars have radios that are very well screened and so distant local radio stations can interfere. This is not (I believe) a problem specific to the Tunecast. However it works fine most of the time. Car travel is now so much better. (I listen to Classic FM but like most people their adverts drive me mad. Now I use shuffle on my Xen and I get lots of music and no drivel)!