irock! Beamit Wireless Music Adapter (400FM) Reviews

• A functional product, but not the best

  
  By A3MJEPCKYPHTBC on 2004-01-16
  Actually, I'd like to give the iRock a rating of 3.5 stars, but settled on 3 stars.

  I bought the iRock to go with my 40GB iPod. Overall, I'm quite happy with it. Here are the plusses:

  *easy to use/install
  *small (takes up only a little space)
  *coiled power cord (helps!)
  *uses very little power (with the batteries)
  *reception is quite good on all 4 settings in a medium/large metro area (Twin Cities, Minnesota) with a lot of radio stations

  Here's the minus: I was disappointed in the clarity of sound produced by the iRock. I don't know if the decreased clarity is due to the iRock or my car stereo (an Alpine in my Honda CRV), but the sound produced by the iRock simply isn't as good as the sound I get listening to the iPod with a cheap pair of headphones. If the clarity was a bit better I'd probably give the product 4 to 5 stars.

  [I have discovered that I can improve the clarity of sound if I keep the volume on my iPod low and use the car stereo to adjust the volume. The clarity is 'fine,' but isn't great.]
  
  

• Pirate Radio

  
  By on 2004-02-12
  Arg...I bought me this nice little gadget to use with my new iRiver iHP-120 MP3 player. It's small and light and comes with a coiled cigarette lighter power adapter (top selling feature for me). A red led indicates that the unit is on. It can transmit on one of four selectable frequencies. Choose the frequency with the least noise and you're golden. It packs away nicely in my armrest storage or glove compartment.

  I found that the quality of the reception depends greatly on the quality of the car stereo picking up the transmission. I find that in my Civic the reception is a little scratchy, but still very listenable. In my wife's Contour, parked next to my Civic, the reception is near perfect.

  Here's a hint for those of us without EE degrees interested in boosting the quality of transmission. The antenna is the wire that attaches to the headphone jack of the music player. If you add an additional couple feet with a headphone cord extension, you'll get a stronger signal. Just don't tell the FCC.
  
  

• Works nearly perfectly

  
  By A35UPG7ZMZ03WG on 2004-01-11
  I'm using this in my car and it works great. I originally bought a Soundfeeder SF100 to use in my car, and had so many problems with it that I decided to buy the iRock 400 FM. The iRock works much better, I haven't had any problems with it. The reception is good, I never hear any static. The stereo separation and sound quality are good, it's almost full CD quality. And I've never had any problems with the frequency drifting, even when my car has been out in the bitter cold all day and I first turn it on.

  The frequency selection is kinda limited on this product (either 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, or 88.7 MHz). But I've found that even if you set it to a frequency that there is a radio station on, if you've got the transmitter close to your antenna (10 feet or so), there are no interference problems.

  I would highly recommend this for use in a car.
  
  

• Improving the performance of IROCK 400FM

  
  By A34RL0Z3DRY5G3 on 2004-02-04
  A small modification to the IROCK 400FM, is needed in order to improve performance. Signal strength is inversely proportional to the square of the distance of the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna, so the closer are the antennas to each other, signal strength can be considerably improved. The transmitting antenna of the IROCK 400FM is located within the audio cable, and to access this white wire, it is a simple matter of cutting about a 1½ inch slit along the sleeve near the stereo connector. Be careful not to damage the wires within the sleeve, and about one inch of the white wire can be pulled out. Attach about two feet of wire to the end of the white antenna wire so it can be placed in close proximity to the receiving antenna. In most cars, the radio antenna is imbedded within the rear window above the defroster, and the extended IROCK 400FM antenna can be taped right next to the cars radio antenna for optimum reception of IROCK 400FM transmitted signal.
  Some electromechanical MP3 players produce high frequency noise which causes annoying hissing sounds in a vehicle application of the IROCK 400FM. This can be eliminated by using a Radio Shack AUDIO SYSTEM GROUND LOOP ISOLATOR (p/n 270-054) between the MP3 player output audio connector, and the input connector for the IROCK 400FM .
  These modifications should provide the clear reception expected by the user, and is good alternative to cassette type adapters.
  
  

• Buyer Beware!

  
  By A3GSTW748ABSP1 on 2004-03-20
  I purchased the iRock for use with my iPod and i have been nothing but disappointed.
  I live in Chicago and all the 4 frequencies the iRock uses are assigned to radio stations so in the city i rarely get a good signal from the iRock. Except when i go through a tunnel and the existing radio stations are cut out. I can't however spend all my driving time in a tunnel.
  I have used it once when i drove out of the city and out of the range of 1 of the radio stations. Even then the sound quality I would describe as a sub par FM station. Especially when i turned on a bass heave rap song, every time the bass hit the sound was drowned in static.
  Also I have used in several different cars and i will say that it is very dependant on your car. In my Mercedes, this piece of equipment is completely worthless. In my Cooper S it is tolerable. I got one for my daughter's Civic and it had the best reception. I spoke with a friend who is does electrical engineering and he said different cars have different amounts of shielding based on the thickness of the body panels. Which serve many purposes, such as keeping our road noise. of course it also keeps the signals in and unable to reach the antenna outside the car.
  ITs not terrible but its not amazing and i would not recomend it.
  
  
• Works as advertised but somewhat flimsy design & NOT Stereo
  By A2VFML8GTBF5B on 2004-05-24
  I bought one of these things so that I could play my MP3's from my computer to all of the radios throughout the house. It works great! I hooked it up to my computer and set win amp to play my 3000 or so MP3's. Turn on the radio in the house or garage and voila!

  I found the range to be more than 30 feet. I live on 5 acres and cut my grass with a little Sony headphone radio. I pick up my computer about 50% of the time (about 100 ft away). It's so cool to listen commercial free. I see some people live in NYC having some difficulties. HA! That's why I live out in the country!

  Also, it's not truly a stereo unit. I did some experiments and transmitted only one channel, but you could still hear both left and right coming out of the speakers. I contacted the manufacturer and they said there is only an 8 dB separation. This means that if you transmit only the left channel, your radio will play the left channel in both the left and right speakers (only the right speaker will have a slightly lower volume). Most people will not notice this, but if you want true stereo, this isn't it.

  I highly recommend. I didn't give it 5 stars because the construction was somewhat flimsy and it's not true stereo.
  
  

• You're liars if you say this product is good
  By A1XEBR0162D1BV on 2005-04-08
  I bought this thing, knowing full well, it would be subpar, but would be good for what i needed it for, jammin to some mp3's while driving around all day delivering pizza. So i got it, and sure enough i was right, it sounded ok, there was some noise but nothing i couldn't deal with. but it worked great for what it was. Then a few weeks later i noticed the sound wasn't coming in properly, so i moved the player and the transmitter around. then it sounded fine again. then a few minutes later it happened again, from then on i had to keep fiddling with it to get the music to play out of all my speakers. after a few days i had to have the wire bent in all sorts of weird ways to get the music to play. Then one day it stopped working altogether (on a nice 2 hour trip into New Jersey no less). So then i went back to the store and exchanged it and promised to take extra great care of this one, i layed it out flat and nice in the car at all times, tok the best of care of it. literally 3 days later it crapped out just like the first one. Exchanged it one more time, 5 days later it crapped out. I threw it under my tire as i drove, screw the warranty, it's not worth my time to keep this thing. And the biggest liar of all, is the guy who said " *uses very little power (with the batteries)". That is a load! the thing drains two AAA batteries in a matter of about 4 hours.
  even if you don't have it on it seems. Not worth the 30 bucks i spent.
  
  
• very poor
  By A1KO0P2SDP185F on 2005-06-07
  FM transmitters of this size don't last forever. That is a fact I accept but I had hoped it would last longer than 2 weeks. I bought my first one from Target before a road trip in a uhaul without a cd player. The sound was marginal at best and by the end of the three day drive to Oregon it was extremely noisy. I plugged it in to my computer to transmit some streaming stations and it had trouble hitting the receiver (direct line of sight) no more than 40 feet away. Two more days and it crackled its last and died. I exchanged the transmitter at Target for a new one and a week and a half later I was returning that one as well. Spend a few extra bucks, save yourself the hassle and get a Belkin.
  
  
• Engine noise filter issue
  By AHNQ7JSDCFARQ on 2004-01-08
  This unit has several problems. First, it has a very limited amount of selectivity for the FM station. Second, my unit has a problem with picking up engine noise through the cigarette lighter. This manifests as a loud whirring sound when the engine is running. This sound is absent if the engine is turned off, or if you are running off the internal battery. This second problem is not present on both of my cars, which leads me to suspect that some vehicles have filters in place to prevent the problem. Battery life is nowhere near the nine hours I have seen advertised. Finally, the signal sometimes "drifts". I think that this is because of the mechanical tuner.
  I recommend this unit for in-home use. It is more of a crap shoot for use in a car
  
  
• would never buy again
  By A1CGTOUKHJ9EBU on 2004-11-12
  I owned this product. I would never recommend it or purchase it again. I ended up throwing it away. Why? The sound quality is weak and terrible. What's the point of listening to music, only to make it sound like it's coming out of an AM transistor radio? Plus, it was clumsy and bulky, and the cig lighter adapter made it even more so.
  
  I ending up buying an AUX adapter for my car's stereo, and I plug my MP3 player into that. The sound is INFINITELY better, and there's no batteries to run out, or cig lighter adapters to mess with.
  
  
• self destructed basically...
  By A2CA1GFG6Y0W2N on 2004-12-02
  Never buy this. It fell apart after a few weeks, the power button got jammed inside and the switch on the side fell in also. Then it stopped getting reception and I don't even use it anymore. It's a piece.
  
  
• Bought two, and neither lasted
  By A12E78L9515IF6 on 2005-07-13
  It is plain and simple, I bought two of them, and neither went for more than a month. I have a Belkin now, and it is lasting me for more than a year. Don't waist your money, buy Belkin
  
  
• Good Sound Poor Craftsmanship
  By A2JGSOKZ79497T on 2005-10-18
  It's sounds great for a FM transmitter. Beware I bought 3 of them, each time one of the channels would go out. Usually in less than a week. I liked the sound so much I even made up a splint type thing for the cord. Nothing works. Irock if you read these reviews then answer this. Why would you make the cord so flexible if it was going to cause it to malfunction?
  I would pay ten dollars more if the thing would last!
  
  Got the Belkin digital one (not the 4 station preset one) and it doesn't sound as good. BUT IT WORKS FOR MORE THAN A WEEK!!!!
  
  
• iRock is great, except with Panasonic personal CD player
  By A2XMMHNJV5I654 on 2004-01-08
  I have bought this primarily so I can move around my lab and have music. I hook this up to my computer where my music is stored, then have a $20 portable radio which I can carry around as I move.

  This little thing does all that I can want. It has good transmission out to about 30 feet when it starts breaking up. The only thing I found is that if you want to use this with a Panasonic CD player of recent lineage, then be warned that the power output to the earphones is so low that there is a lot of static with the music at the reciever. I was about ready to return it when I tried it with my CD player, but after using it with my computer, it is excellent and everything I wanted.

  I give this 4 stars because of it not working on my personal CD player, but it works great and it sounds excellent with my computer, where I want to use it anyway. If you have a panasonic and want to use it in a car, you are best off using a tape deck adapter.

  Hint: if there is static in the signal, turn up the volume on the transmitting device.
  
  

• Usable but needs work
  By A1SQ7NX5805BXU on 2004-02-07
  I've had my iRock for a couple of years, with most of the use at the beginning. The first thing I noticed was the limited range. I performed the same antenna modification that was done by a previous reviewer to get a more solid signal in the van I was using. The reason I knew about the little white antenna wire was because the connector self destructed the second day I used it. I'm a design engineer and not one to abuse electronic equipment. This was just plain flimsy. The outer housing of the connector was one-piece with the cable sleeve. The metalic portion of the connector simply floated inside this "sleeve" and could spin, thus twisting off the tiny wires. It didn't last. I replaced it with a proper connector with appropriate strain relief and all was well.

  Another caution is that the large and easy to use power switch is a little too easy to use. If you pack it away, toss it in the glove compartment, etc., often you will return to find it turned on and the battery dead.

  All the above being said, it did work and, after the needed repairs, it did give good service.
  
  

• Little dynamo!
  By A2DK2OY6R3WICK on 2004-03-12
  This little wunderkind is a very welcome addition to any car stereo system. I originally bought this device early last year so that I could play my MP3 player over my car stereo. Let me tell you, it sounds great. As long as I've owned this iRock I've never had a problem with it; even if there's a radio station coming in perfectly on the selected frequency, the iRock completely overrides it with no bleedover at all. (And I live in an area where there are sometimes seemingly up to six radio stations fighting with each other on the same frequency.)
  The battery life on the unit is outstanding and its small size (slightly smaller than a computer mouse) lets me put it just about anywhere in my car without it getting in the way. I don't even need a completely clear line of sight to the car antenna; no matter where it sits or where it's pointing, it works.
  About the only gripe I would have with this device is the power button. It's extremely sensitive; I could swear that once or twice I turned the thing on just by looking at it. Exaggerating a bit, of course, but just make sure you don't set it down somewhere that it could bump against something and turn it on accidentally. It doesn't have an auto-power-off feature or anything, so if it turns on by accident, it stays on until it dies. (I've gone through quite a few AAAs that way...) This one comes with a DC adapter, however (which mine didn't >_<), so you don't even have to worry about that.
  Overall, I'm very happy with my iRock, and I'd recommend it for anyone who wants to take portable audio on the road, be it an MP3, CD, or tape player.
  
  
• Excellent product!
  By A1ABMCDD203AFP on 2004-04-03
  The iRock works fine for me. I got mine yesterday and put it through its paces -- using a Rio Sport S35 MP3 player and the stock CD/radio in my 2002 Saturn SL1. The first thing I noticed is that if I put the Rio and the iRock together back-to-back in the nook between seats standing on end, so the wire connecting them (as another writer said, this is the antenna) forms a loop in the air, transmission is perfect. Laying the wire flat isn't very effective and is rather fuzzy. (NPR broadcasts at 88.1 and 88.5 in this area, so I chose 88.3 and was impressed that when the iRock is turned on the radio goes totally silent!) The sound is perfectly clear, like I was playing a CD. Yes, the volume of the radio and the device have to be cranked (setting 18 on the Rio, half a turn on the radio) because devices like that were meant for use with lower-ohm-requirement earphones, but it's digital sound so it can handle being raised like that without distortion. YMMV depending on device, of course. I'm very impressed with the product and recommend it.
  
  
• Eats batteries
  By AG64FTIG24IDA on 2004-11-19
  This product worked decently, except that it used premium alkaline batteries up rapidly, and would not do well with rechargeables. I ended up putting it aside, and using a C. Crane FMT Digital FM Transmitter instead. That made the irock 400 essentially a waste of money for me. I would have done better to shell out for the higher-end product in the first place.
  
  
• Technically I supposed you'd have to say it works, but...
  By on 2004-03-14
  The sound quality is tinny and weak. I had a hard time finding a balance between how high the volume should be on the receiving stereo, and how high the volume should be on my iPod. If I run the iPod right into a stereo with a component cable, it sounds great. Going through the irock however, just sounded hollow. and that was with the irock sitting right next to the antenna. Take it a few feet away, and forget about it. You could hear audible static on all frequencies.

  Basically, it came across more like a distant AM station at best. The thing is sitting on the floor of my car, and has been for several months. If I hadn't lost the receipt, I would have returned it.
  
  

• Works best with DC power
  By ADU0M5CDNLEUT on 2004-03-31
  I bought this product for use in my PT Cruiser with an IRiver IMP-400 MP3 CD player. I keep the player and Irock 400FM beneath the driver's seat while in use, and have had no problems. The 400FM works very well, and this is without making any modifications to the unit. When I took a road trip from southern MA to New London CT, the only adjustment I had to make was to change the broadcast/receiving frequency from 88.7 to 88.5, as there came a point during the trip when I (apparently) got too close to a station broadcasting on the former frequency; changing the station fixed the static I was hearing.

  One thing that I have consistently found to make a significant difference in the sound quality is the use of DC power (via the included cigarette outlet adaptor) instead of batteries. When I use battery power the reception is somewhat static-y. There is almost no static problems when I used the power adaptor. I've also found the best results when I turn the volume on my MP3 player up (instead of turing my car radio's volume way up).

  I recommend this product to anyone without the ability to use a cassette adaptor in their car.
  
  

• Does what it is supposed to quite well
  By on 2004-04-06
  Based on some of the reviews I read I was primed to send the unit back when I received it, but the IRock worked very well and I am enjoying the convenience. I hooked it up to my laptop, put it downstairs and was able to get good sound on the stereo downstairs, the one upstairs, and on my car stereo in the garage (2100 square foot house). 83.3 had some distant signal, but the IRock overpowered it no problem. It even overpowered the local NPR station on 88.7 as long as the unit was within 6 feet of the receiver. Driving around town with it hooked up to an iPod proved to be problem free as well. I have a hard-wired jack for connecting to my home stereo. I haven't compared the sound using both methods, but I'm sure an audiophile would choose the hard-wired connection. None the less, if you have been able to survive with FM radio all these years, I'm sure this will do the trick. I have read about modifying the antennae for more range, but even just draping a 3 to 5 foot wire over the unit increases transmission range. On accident I discovered that touching my headphone jack to the pin on the 12 volt jack of the unit increases the range and clarity even more.
  
  
• irock 400FM works as advertised!
  By on 2004-05-01
  This unit works. It's as simple as that. It works on battery power or with the included 12V adapter equally well. I use it with a Sony mini-disk in my car with great results.

  I first tried the Belkin Tunecast and Tunecast II with disapoining results. I had to turn up the volume on the mini-disk almost all the way up before it worked at all and then had a lot of interference and fading in and out on any frequency. The Belkin units have good designs and features but don't work for me. This may be due to the area I live in being fairly well saturated with FM stations but the irock 400FM works well on it's 4 available frequencies in exactly the same area and on the same streets.

  It's a bargain!
  
  

• Not better than wired....but it give you lots of options!
  By A2FROM3WLQBPJ5 on 2004-10-23
  I bought the iRock 6 months ago for playing my mp3 player in my car and quickly determined that it was NOT better than using a cassette tape adapter. As I drove around, there was lots of interference and static so I put it away.
  
  Recently, as I packed for a trip, I saw it and brought it along. I found its a great way to bring your mp3 player along with you. Now, when I travel, I use it to play my mp3 player in my rental car and in my hotel room on the radio or wherever a radio might be. so....its not better than wired, but when wired isn't around, its a great way to still hear your music....
  
  
• Do Not Buy This Product
  By ALQVQS971BQGO on 2004-11-05
  The irock's audio wires float loosely within it's blue connector cable. Every time it's bent, they fray a little more. Within a month of purchase, the audio started going in and out. Within two, it stopped working completely. I split the cable open and found that the audio wires had, through regular, non-abusive use, severed completely, just above the 1/8" jack. If you're looking for a decent, long-lasting FM transmitter, look elsewhere.
  
  
• Breaks too easy
  By A1T1YSCDW0PD25 on 2004-11-26
  Wasted money.... broke within a few weeks. Looks like others have had similar problems.
  
  
• sound is garbled and staticky
  By A1ELIE96GLQB51 on 2004-12-11
  FM-broadcasting music from my mp3 player to any radio sounded like a great solution for listening to my music in the car and the gym. Unfortunately, THE IROCK DOESN'T WORK WELL.
  
  In the gym: I *physically put the irock on top of the radio's antenna* and the music is still garbled and full of static. It seems like for it to work, there has to be *no* other transmission on the frequency you select (and the irock only offers 4 frequencies). I'm in Boston - if you're somewhere without radio stations, maybe you'll be in luck.
  
  In the car: Most cars have their antenna integrated into the rear windshield. The irock comes with a power adapter for the cigarette lighter. Which is nice. But it doesn't let it reach to the back window! Plus, even if it did, the music would sound bad, given my experience in the gym.
  
  
• irock 400fm fm transmitter
  By A3BF773WEN0CXG on 2005-01-27
  This product is hampered by its' seriously limited range. The device must be w/i a foot of the FM receiver to work with any semblance of any reasonably acceptable listening standard. I must with an unequivocal clean conscience rate this product as unacceptable.
  
  
• Pass on this
  By A1NN91JSNLLKSR on 2005-01-30
  Plain and simple, this thing just does not work. It's one of the poorest FM modulators I've tried. Awful sound quality. Pathetic adjacent channel rejection. Published specs MUST be from fantasy land.
  
  Go with the cassette adapter unless you absolutely must use FM. If you must go FM, don't use this.
  
  
• Bad Design
  By A2TLDOVBCGKCCU on 2006-02-22
  The iRock's sound quality is on par for most of these FM transmitters, they all sound bad. I was aware of the sound limitations when I bought the iRock, my big issue is the design and placement of the power button. It is set up in such a way if you put it in your glove box (or just about anywhere) you can guarantee something will press the power button and run down the batteries. Very frustrating. The iRock also limits you to only four station radio choices, 88.1, 88.3 etc. Since I live in Boston, a fairly large city with many, many colleges, those frequency are being used. So the iRock is useless for me when I am downtown. As soon as I get out of the city I'm fine. There has to be a better unit out there.
  
  
• irock fm transmitter, works well
  By on 2004-01-04
  first it comes w/ d/c chord for power and work well in my car. it hasnt cut out once or given static. transmition quality is good, not great..but its fm not digital
  definately worth it
  
  

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