Macally PodFM Transmitter for iPod (White) Reviews

• Great deal if you don't mind the inconveniences

  
  By A33ZUMJ446N7UL on 2005-01-11
  This accessory gives you several features for one low price. Of all the transmitters/adapters in the same price range, this is the best deal and least-disappointing. Considering I paid was able to find this for the same price as an iTrip (which has no charger), I'll live with its flaws.
  
  Pros:
  * Car Charger and FM Transmitter in one unit
  * Powers and charges iPod
  * FM Transmitter can be used without car charger
  * Retractable audio cable
  * Easy to use LCD-display for selecting frequency
  * Decent quality (on par with any other FM transmitter)
  * Can over power most radio stations
  
  Cons:
  * Uses headphones instead of line-out
  * Transmits at a low volume (turn your radio up pretty loud)
  * Must run two cables to iPod
  * FM transmitter requires power (AC or Car)
  * Short plug means it might not fit your lighter plug.
  * Sometimes it can't overpower radio stations, even weak ones
  
  You plug the transmitter into your cigarette lighter and then run two cables to your iPod. One goes into the Dock Connector slot and another goes into the headphones. You select a frequency, adjust your volume, and it's done.
  
  But why could they not send the audio LINE-OUT signal through the dock connector back to the FM-Transmitter? Instead, they chose to use the dock-connector for power and a separate headphone cable for audio.
  
  Unless you have an iPod holder (such as an iPod cupholder dock), it will be impossible to find a place to put the iPod. With a cable hanging off the top and bottom, it doesn't really fit anywhere in my car (and my cupholders won't fit a dock).
  
  Try this test: hook up your firewwire/usb dock connector and your headphones; now try to find a place where your iPod is safe, won't slide around, and can easily be accessed. If you fail, consider upgrading to one of the more-expensive Charger/FM/Holder all-in-one accessories.
  
  The second issue is common to most FM Transmitters (including iTrip). The PodFM hooks up through the headphone jack. This means I have to turn the iPod up to 60%-85% volume to transmit via FM (or leave it low and turn my radio up really, really high). I always forget about this and get a rude surprise the next time I use my headphones or turn on the radio. Ouch!
  
  The cigarette lighter plug is too short so it barely fits in my cars. If you have a door/flap over your lighter, this thing probably won't fit. If your lighter is close the gear selector, it might impede you from putting your car into park or shifting into higher gears.
  
  The FM Transmitter can be used outside of your car, but it requires an AC Adapter. There are no batteries and it cannot be powered off the iPod.
  
  
  

• works great, loaded w/ features, great price

  
  By A3GRRDOYGIEZ45 on 2004-12-30
  I bought this because it had more features than other similar products and was among the least expensive. I have been very pleased with it. I commute into Phoenix every day and had no problem using it with my car radio. Apparently some of these devices allow the background static from the unused FM frequency to mix with the sound transmitted from the device, but this product completely blocks out any radio static. When you turn it on, the radio static diasappears. When you start playing music, there is only silence in the background. The design makes it become part of your car's console, and the large readout is easily visible from the driver's seat. I like that I can choose whatever frequency works best for me, instead of only one of 5 available. I love the fact that it can run off the car's battery, or be charged in the car or from a wall outlet to be used 'unplugged'. I also love that it can charge the iPod and that the audio cord that connect the transmitter to the iPod is retractable. The other nice thing is that is works with any audio device that has a standard miniplug for headphones. I've never heard of this manufacturer, but this is one heck of a product for a very good price. I wouldn't waste time with Monster or any of the others that cost more and do less.
  
  

• Awkward design but excellent perfomance

  
  By AKG10KSF035WE on 2005-02-20
  I almost didn't try this device because of its awkward design (see below)--but I'm glad I did. I like it better than my iTrip because it is much easier to tune and far better than the AirPlay.
  
  The MacAlly works very well and is much more convenient overall than my iTrip. The iTrip is difficult to tune on-the-fly, whereas the MacAlly is a piece of cake to tune and offers a full spectrum of channels to use (unlike the Monster FM transmitter).
  
  The MacAlly is also clearly superior to XtremeMac's AirPlay--which has a very annoying high pitched whine in the background. In contrast, the MacAlly gives good sound quality at volumes easily audible even when driving a noisy SUV at 70-80 mph on the Interstate. (Sound quality is comparable to the iTrip, but tuning is SO much easier on the MacAlly).
  
  Why did I say the design is awkward?
  
  
  1) The MacAlly transmitter requires power, therefore it ties up your cigarette lighter.
  2) Therefore, if you want to be charging your iPod while it plays you must do so through the dock connector on the FM transmitter.
  3) Unfortunately, instead of drawing audio signal from the dock connector, the MacAlly requires a separate input coming from the headphone jack on your iPod.
  4) As a result, you end up with an iPod that is tethered to the MacAlly both at the top (audio out via headphone jack) and at the bottom (charging via dock connector).
  
  One workaround that helped me was to use an iGrip pad to hold the iPod in place either on top of the dash (still a bit awkward because the cables were at near full extension) or inside the storage shelf below the radio--which works very well except when I am running the heat full blast, at which time the iPod gets a little too toasty warm for my taste.
  
  Fortunately for me, the lighter adapter fits my Subaru just perfectly.
  
  In summary, the MacAlly ain't pretty, but it works pretty durn well.
  
  

• Works great, couldn't be happier

  
  By AV1G26J88C8J8 on 2005-01-23
  After using the Belkin transmitter for 6 months this transmitter works so much better I am mad I once wasted my money on another brand. I had many issues with the Belkin model including very poor reception and it cutting out for no reason until one day just six months later it quit working all together. It also was costing me quite a bit in batteries which it would go through at rate of at least 6 a day. The Macally transmitter uses power and you actually have to turn it off so if the music stops it doesn't shut itself off leaving the most annoying static playing at high volumes. The Macally also gets a lot better reception, at one point when using it my car I found out after turning it off that is was playing over a radio station, that never happened with the Belkin. At home the signal seems so much stronger I can even get in on my clock radio and I don't have to move it around everywhere to get good reception. The accessories it came with are nice especially the IPod charger for the car. Does it have more wires than other brands? Absolutely but I would rather have wires than a product that barely works and my conscience feels a lot better about not throwing a dozen batteries away a week.
  
  

• A bit bulky, but excellent quality

  
  By A3BC0WV3BNMWCM on 2005-05-26
  Indeed, this unit overpowers local radio stations. I've had iTrip, and airPlay and iRiver FM units, but Macally beats them all.
  
  
• Works Great... when not broken! You get what you pay for!
  By A1B1G8AYC5MGFR on 2005-06-15
  I bought the Macally FM Transmitter and Charger iPod about 5 months ago. It worked beautifully throughout Southern California (Los Angeles/Ventura/San Diego). I had to do some station swapping between 88.1, 107.7, and 107.9, but the signal was *much* stronger than the popular iTrip (which I had tossed out). For the casual user, this is a great, inexpensive FM Transmitter. However, it could not stand the abuse of daily use.
  
  Gripes:
  They need to use higher quality cables! (1) Within 1 month of extending and retracting, the headphone reel broke, I went to Walmart and bought my own headphone cable; (2) iPod charger cable plug no longer makes good contact with FM Transmitter -does not charge anymore! The iPod charging cable sticks out of the side of the device. Over time, this cable begins to permanently sag, thus ruining the inner cable wire and flexing the metal contacts within the FM Transmitter. I have to fiddle with this part and *hold* it in place to charge my iPod; safety issue if I'm driving!
  
  Additionally, like mentioned in other reviews, they need to integrate the headphone and charging cable into 1 dock connector. You'll get a cleaner signal and have less clutter.
  
  
• Good value, OK sound quality, but HORRIBLE CONSTRUCTION!
  By A6F82AE53RNMR on 2005-08-03
  Even though I was happy with the features and number of amenities that came with this transmitter, and even though its sound quality was okay, I have to give it a 1-star rating because I was not able to enjoy it for long due to the fact that it broke in half while I was taking it out of the car outlet about a month after I got it. Shoddy construction! And therefore a complete waste of money, unfortunately...
  
  
• The best FM transmitter I've come across, But keep the receipt.
  By A2Z8Q1F99JCJN4 on 2005-12-30
  I've had an interesting experience with this transmitter. It worked wonderfully for about four months. The sound quality was good, and there was hardly ever any interference. Overall, a very clean, static free sound. I also really like the fact that it will charge my iPod. I was enjoying it immensely until all of a sudden the sound crapped out. I thought the audio cable was broken ( because it has to be bent akwardly to fit in the ciggerate lighter: one of the cons of this device )so I replaced it, to no avail. It seems the headphone jack in the transmitter is broken. With some jiggling I could get it to play intermittently.
  
  I got a Griffin iTrip for Christmas to replace it, thinking it would be higher quality becasue it's more expensive and has digital connection through the iPod dock. Well, the reception was AWFUL. There was lots of static and hissing in the background always. I then replaced that with a DLO transpod - supposedly the "best on the market" and twice the price. Again, LOTS of static and constant interference, a real let-down overall.
  
  I tried my Macally again, jimmying it into a odd position so that it would stay working most of the time, and was impressed all over again by the decent sound quality and how little interference there is. I just wish it was designed a little sturdier so the jack didn't break. I also wished I had kept the receipt and warranty info.
  
  My final decision is just to replace it with another Macally because it seems to be the best transmitter out there in terms of broadcasting strength. I have little faith, however, that the new one won't break after a few months also. But this time I'll keep the receipt.
  
  
• I don't even have an iPod...
  By A2UV31CYSEB4T4 on 2005-03-04
  I don't have an iPod and I have no use for the iPod charging cable, but I still think this is a great item. I just got it yesterday and I've tried it out on 2 stereos at home and one in the car. It worked great on any frequency I tried (even ones with working stations in my area). I don't have the problem with it being akward since I can't use the charging cable. I'm lucky that my car has two places I can plug in charging cables for my mp3 player and this device, if you don't, it could be more of a problem.
  
  
• Any Cassette Adaptor is better than this.
  By A1QSGYUODNYG9A on 2005-08-17
  I bought it after seeing so many good reviews about it. I had previously used a Belkin one and I thought this could be better. But, I just don't understand why people are so eager to give good commemts simply because it works. Of course, it works. But it has annoying features as well.
  
  The most serious flaw in my opion is the tiny volume. I normally turn my car speakers' volume to 2/10 when I listen to CD or radio, which is loud enough for whatever speed I am driving. With PodFM or the Belkin one, I have to turn the volume to 8/10 and my mp3 player's volume to 32/35, which is ear deafening with any earbuds even on an airplane.
  
  The signal strength isn't strong. It does NOT overpower your local radio stations, it only overpowers the remote and really weak ones. So, when the radio station overpowers it, you will first get some very loud noise, and then it feels like someone is shouting directly into your ears.
  
  The sound quality is OK. But definately not as good as the FM radio stations. I just picked up a $9.00 cassette adapot from Walmart and immediately I heard the details in my mp3s again. I was blaming the speakers in my car. Now I know what to blame. The volumes went back to normal again. Now I can easily switch among FM, CD and my mp3 WITHOUT changing the volume.
  
  So, if your car has cassette player, buy a cassette adaptor. A cheap one will do the job well. Some old cars don't automatically change play directions. You may need to reverse the current direction if you don't hear good music. If there is only a CD player in your car, I would highly recommand to replace it with a mp3/CD player with an aux input jack. They are getting cheaper and cheaper, and a professional install should cost about $40.00.
  
  Overall, FM transmitter is a solution, but it has so many annoyances. I feel I just spent $40.00 to learn this lesson and got myself angry with it. I don't even want to sell it on ebay, because the poor guy will hate me when he find out the truth.
  
  Should you have ever complained about anything in the whole last month, you shouldn't buy it. You have to be really tolerate to use it. And if that 's the case, I congratulate on your personality. But still, you will be much happier with a mp3/CD/AUX deck.
  
  
• Good value for the money...
  By A1OP4G7HXB71EG on 2005-08-31
  After reading the reviews for several FM transmitters on Amazon, i picked up the Macally PodFM as my choice. I live 30 minutes away from downtown Cincinnati, and i normally don't have any trouble finding an unused frequency.
  I did not have any trouble with the product because i knew what to expect when i started using it. I did not expect CD quality sound out of my car speakers, but the quality was more near "passable" (i.e. there are "real" FM stations which provide better sound quality). I had to turn the car radio volume up whenever it was playing, and had to make a habit of turning everything off / down whenever i park (MP3 player, car radio volume, FM transmitter).
  The best thing that i like about it is that you can pick any frequency within the range, so that comes in handy during long drives, wherein frequencies not used in one area may be used in another.
  After roughly two months with it, i'm still happy with my purchase.
  BTW, I don't have an iPod, so i can't really give any inputs how well / bad the Macally works with that one.
  
  
  
• Good Price for the options
  By A1SEAB73ERFM50 on 2005-09-13
  This FM Transmitter for iPod is a great price for all it does. You can use it on any FM radio. Home stero, alarm clocks, car radios. The only downfalls are it only charges the battery when plugged into a car lighter, and when doing so you have two cords to deal with, one out of the top and one out of the bottom. If you can deal with the inconveinences of the cords than I would recommend it.
  
  
• Excellent transmitter
  By A39JXTP4N0ZJAM on 2005-09-22
  I purchased the Macally PodFM transmitter for use with my iPod mini and it has worked great. I use it regularly on my commutes to and from work, extended road trips, and even enjoy using it with our home stereo system. I find it easy to use and just a great product. I have yet to experience any negatives with this product.
  
  
• Great product!
  By A3I9DBY1CMHZFV on 2005-10-24
  This thing is great, I have it set up at the office so anyone can tune into my ipod. It has great range, mine is on a desktop and it broadcasts about 80 feet in any direction through walls with a lot of electronics around. It's very clean and clear and can power over any other station. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't have a battery powered option so I can't keep it in my pocket. But over-all, it works perfectly and hasn't failed me yet!
  
  
• OK, but wears out.
  By ASCDEOFM9INOS on 2006-02-07
  This definitely has the best features for the price. I've had mine 6 months and the cable just started messing up. It stopped working in the right speaker. At first if you wiggled it, it would play in both speakers and now it doesn't work at all. I'm not rough with it or anything.
  
  So, don't be surprised if it wears out.
  
  
• Don't waste your money
  By A2IHV9XQ8TUZRE on 2006-03-15
  I bought this for my 5g Ipod. I drive a late model Subaru with the lighter switch inside of the ashtray console. Firstly the transmitter was completely dangerous to operate while driving. Its impossible to use in Park and Neutral in my car. The controls are bulky. The transmission cut out in mountains, on hills, and on the highway whenever I drove over 60mph resulting in my ipod starting and stopping because it shakes and wobbles in the console. In short, it hardly worked and I was afraid to touch it while driving, lest I'd knock my gear shift out of place. Its cheaply made and all in all a complete piece of junk.
  
  This is hands down the worst IPOD FM transmitter I have ever used. I've previously used a basic Kensington all in one model (stolen by wife, worked well but awkward) and ended up replacing this with a far superior Griffin Road Trip. I reccommend spending the extra $15 on the Road Trip.
  
  
• Works great and economical too ! ! !
  By A1517PMLY5J6R3 on 2005-06-01
  Going by the reviews for the transmitters and comparing the same with the tape option I settled for this. And I am glad I did. I havent compared actual sound quality to others, so view might be biased (thats why 1 star less). Cons already discussed on another post.
  
  Here are reasons i like it:
  - All in one : transmitter, charger & ipod charger (See customer photos for setup). Also has sepearte A/C adaptor for home
  - Economical
  - Neat FM transmission. Get very good clarity on many different frequencies
  - Good range. 88.1MHz to 107.9MHz
  - Easy accessability and readability on unit (stays in place doesnt move around)
  - retractable audio cable
  - I can use it in most cars (rentals) easily as all decks come with fm sterio (as against tape option)
  
  Like to have on this unit:
  - dock connection for both charging as well as audio (to reduce clutter and increase volume quality)
  - frequency memory : to switch between multiple available(stored) frequencies
  - should be available in different colors (black or something) to suite car interiors
  
  Was a bit sceptical cause I had not heard the brand name but its really pretty good for the price. Guess it pays to try something new.
  Hope this helps you and if you buy hope the unit works for you! In any case do not opt for static frequency units. Bets of luck.
  
  
  
• Couldn't be Better for the Price
  By AUCISQA1YXX86 on 2005-07-23
  I didn't expect much from this Mcally FM transmitter, but it's a champ. Setup is easy, but don't forget to turn the volume down in your car before your start it as the noise could startle you. Once the car is started, activate the transmitter, then turn on your player. Contrary to what another reviewer said about the volume being low, he advised turning up the car radio volume to compensate. It works much better if you turn up the player's volume. Sound is then crystal clear.
  
  I like audio books and this thing insures that I'll be able to listen to my .mp3 device in any car anywhere.
  
  This thing is a gem. It's built to last.
  
  
  
  
  
• Good
  By A3ST9Q9664Q2JR on 2005-07-31
  Bought this transmitter already expecting it not to be that great (from other reviews I've read I haven't found a transmitter that has great reception.) Especially living in a big city it's difficult to find a clear station.. especially if you're driving around. But all-in-all I like this product. The charger comes in real handy and works pretty well. The transmitter works OK, I like the fact that the cord is retractable so it doesn't get in my way. Very easy to use. And a much more reasonable price compared to the other models/products they have out there. But if you're deciding between this or the old cassette style, I'd say go with the cassette. I would if my car had a cassette player :)
  
  
• Better than iTrip
  By A17PBVJGGOTM8D on 2005-08-03
  The Macally iPod FM Transmitter is awesome. It works great, you don't have to get any kind of special holder & it's less expensive than getting iTrip and a car charger for your iPod.
  But, you should know that when you try to charge your iPod and transmit at the same time, there's a lot of static, it's better to do one at a time.
  
  
• nice sound
  By A1CC6CDOBS37E2 on 2005-08-03
  Easy to use, good sound quality (the whole FM band available), works in the car and at home, does not use the Ipod (or other MP3 player) battery, charge the Ipod battery. In one word, the complete package!
  
  
• Can't get it to work
  By AGFTR1M2H5RZR on 2005-08-10
  I don't recomend this product, I can not find a station on my
  car radio that will allow me to listen to my ipod music. This is the third one I have purchased and none of them work in South Florida...
  
  
• My music made easy
  By A1BDET8DHVUZAN on 2005-08-31
  This makes listening to my RIO MP3 player easy! Whether in my car,home or boat and there's no need for those uncomfortable headphones.
  I highly recommend this product.
  
  
• Covienance over sound quality.
  By A8MCD011WX0X4 on 2005-10-27
  Ok, here's the deal. If you're tired of packing 100+ CDs around with you or are afraid of getting them stollen from your car, if you don't mind having to plug/unplug your ipod every time you get in your car, if you don't mind adjusting your radio volume everytime prior to powering on your fm transmitter (especially if you have a subwoofer), and most importantly, if you don't mind the slight white noise associated with even the clearest fm radio stations, then this product is absolutely for you. For shear convience of having all my CDs at my fingertips I am willing to deal with the sound quality loss. I mean face it, you're never going to get CD quality without upgrading your stereo deck, which is quite spendy. This is the next best thing and works like a charm if you don't mind its particular inconvienances. My only real problem is that on powering up my sub woofer spikes and chatters so loud that my lights in my car dim (if i don't completely mute the stereo or change it to another station) no big deal really. Being able to use at my house at, say, a party is big plus as well.
  
  Case and point: if you want CD quality stick with CDs or a costly upgrade. if you want convienance with minor and dismissable flaws at a much cheaper price than an upgrade, go with this.
  
  
• Great product
  By A32Q666R74BC4 on 2005-12-01
  one of the best fm transmitters ive seen....its way better than the giffin itrip. Gives no static at all. Only downside i think is that it should have the ability to run on batteries as well. This is the best fm transmitter and for a great price.
  
  
• better than expected!!
  By A3ANKYJ7DMHGLX on 2005-06-12
  at first, i had purchased the belkin tunecast II from best buy. i had thought, ok, $50 purchase, it better be worth it. it was HORRIBLE! so, after feeling fully satisfied with having received my $50 refund, i jumped onto amazon.com and browsed the FM transmitters, and came across this best-rated one. i was skeptical, but i gave it a shot anyway. and i'll tell you, this item was rated high for good reason! i've tried it in both of my family automobiles, as well as long-range in my house, and i have yet to find poor reception. as long as you get the ipod/portable audio and receiver volume balanced, you should get some good quality sound (remember, it'll only be FM quality anyway). the only down side was that the retractable cord broke on me the first day, but any standard audio cable (male/male stereo plug connectors) will work. amazon saves the day, definitely a good buy!
  
  
• Plenty of power to overcome other stations
  By A27C9LBZPWUC6B on 2005-07-15
  I was impressed with the broadcast strenght of the PODFM. It easily overpowers any radio station I have tried so I can literally chose any station I want in the DFW area. When I tried it in the house, using the supplied AC adapter, I can listen to my MP3 player on any FM radio in the house, the farthest being about 40 feet away and upstairs. The sound is better than a cassette adapter on one boom box I have though you have to crank up the volume on the MP3 player to maximum and turn up the radio volume to equal the volume of most radio broadcasts. This can lead to some loud music if you forget to turn down the radio when you change to another source but I have read the same issue with other brands. I'll bet the broadcast strength is strong enough to send to adjacent cars on the road, especially if you chose an empty station or are away from a populated area.
  
  Cons: It would have been nice if it supported a USB power out for powering other non-Ipod players (would have worked for my IPOD mini too). The proprietary ipod cable will work nice for my ipod but is useless with my Rio Carbon. Also, the retractable audio cable broke almost immediately. It looked like they did not glue the parts together so it makes me a little apprehensive about their quality control. The unit itself seems solid enough for now.
  
  BTW, as of this writing Amazon.com had the best price on this unit anywhere. Free shipping makes it hard to beat on the internet or at the standard retail chains.
  
  
• Simply the best. Period!
  By A38SNQQNIBQML3 on 2005-07-26
  If you are going to invest in a radio transmitter for your car, this is probably the best one out there. I bought it for my iPod so I can use in the car for the daily commute and it's great. I drove with it from Detroit to Chicago and back with it and I can't complain about anything. Sure, it's still not the quality of the tape adapter (which I would recommend any day over the radio transmitters) and not nearly as good as CD quality (and it won't get there anytime soon) but for what it does (broadcast a radio signal to your car radio) it's the best. I barely got any interference from the constantly changing frequency, and virtually no background noise, even when music is not playing. I had owned a Belkin TuneCaster II before this one, and it broke after just a couple of months of use, but even when it was working, it was a very moody device, with constant interference.
  I like that MacAlly has the swivel adaptor for the cigarette lighter, and that you can also use it at 110V in a house or office. It's nice that it also comes with an iPod charger.
  The only complaints that I have is that 1. The audio cable is really flimsey, and it could be better quality (they should really try to incorporated it with the audio-out signal from the iPod port) and 2. It is a bit bulky and it may not fit all cars.
  I just hope that it is as long lasting as it is good.
  
  
• Good but not perfect
  By AHJ4PDZSQR9MV on 2005-08-06
  It was a good product but didn't work perfect. you need to hold the transmitter close to the radio.
  
  
• Very useful.
  By AZLYMG9MHNX0Q on 2005-08-16
  I use this product at home and mostly on the way with my iPod.
  Audio quality is very good up to 50ft.
  The audio cord broke down after a short time.
  overall a good product.
  
  

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