I love my iPod Shuffle. I am of the generation who remembers saving up to own the first generation Walkman. I clearly remember what a big deal that Walkman was. I also can reminisce about the first portable CD players, and the first model I owned. So, I had to own an iPod Shuffle, and of course the accessories that go along with it. Here's my opinion on the Transpod for iPod Shuffle, used with a genuine Shuffle (not another MP3 player, although their use is possible with the Transpod as well)-
HISTORY
My husband's vehicle has an in-dash single CD player. What a drag while I have to drive it. So after buying my Shuffle, I went straight out to get an FM transmitter (or modulator to some). The first FM transmitter I bought was a no-name generic type with a slider button to choose one of 4 frequencies from which to broadcast the Shuffle tunes. What a let down! Although it cost me about $35, it was really worth about $0.35. Static, crunching sounds, interference... I would have better sounds quality if I just shut it all down and sang the tunes myself (not a pretty proposition, trust me!). So I bought another FM transmitter. The second one was by Centrios, and cost me another $30 (on sale). I loaded the batteries, followed the instructions, and... nothing. I tried everything again, and this time... nothing. Sigh. I returned it to the store, and pretty much gave up on using my Shuffle in the car. UNTIL - the DLO Transpod for iPod Shuffle Came along!
WHAT IS THE DLO TRANSPOD for iPod Shuffle?
The Transpod is an FM transmitter. It basically uses an unused FM radio frequency and plays your Shuffle's music through your vehicle's radio tuner. As the DLO website states: The TransPod for iPod shuffle is basically a mini radio station that broadcasts your shuffle's music to the FM radio in your car. The DLO TransPod plays on any FM radio station, from 87.9 to 107.9.
A cool little unit, this Transpod plugs into your lighter socket or power socket in your vehicle's interior. My husband drives a Caravan, so I can choose from the battery powered or ignition powered socket.
The Transpod is black and white, with a LCD display on the front. It has a USB port on the top, and this is where your Shuffle sits. Tuning buttons are found on the sides of the Transpod, and the plug for the power socket can be flexed up or down to adjust the angle of the Transpod as it sits plugged into your vehicle.
An added bonus of the Transpod is that it CHARGES your Shuffle while it plays! Unlike other FM transmitters, your Shuffle's battery life won't run down while playing. Another cool feature is that the Transpod can also charge other devices with USB connectors, like cell phones and video gaming systems.
The Transpod has a line-in and line-out function which add to the flexibility of this unit.
EASE OF USE
Simply put, it's simple. The owner's manual is clear and concise, but the Transpod itself is self explanatory. It's easy to look at it and just know what to do... after all, where else can you stick a lighter socket adaptor? The LCD display lights up once plugged-in, and all you need to do is tune your FM radio to an unused frequency. I live in a very large metropolitan area (Toronto, Canada), and had no trouble finding an unused frequency. The Transpod defaults to 88.5 FM, but I tuned to 88.3, and the Transpod adjusted itself to that channel - I didn't even need to adjust the manual buttons on the unit. You then turn on your Shuffle, plug it into the top USB port on the Transpod, and turn up the volume on your Shuffle until it sounds clear. From there on out, just crank the tunes by upping your stereo's volume. That's it!
PERFORMANCE
I have no complaints with this device. The sound is clear, even at very high volumes. I hear no distortion, but even more importantly, no static or interference. I would classify the sound as CD quality, which is pretty amazing for an FM transmitter in my experience.
The Transpod comes with accessories and options to be used with MP3 players OTHER than the iPod Shuffle, but I did not test any other MP3 players with the Transpod, and cannot attest to their performance. I would assume that the sound quality would be at least slightly lower, as other players would need to broadcast through the Transpod with its line-out feature.
Because the Transpod holds the Shuffle firmly in place in the USB port, movement is minimalized, and I believe this accounts for the fine sound and lack of interference. The Transpod has a adjusting knob which also allows you to customize the angle at which you can see your Transpod and Shuffle - you may easily select songs or skip through your playlist without rattling the unit around. Again, this feature also cuts away the chance of interference. Overall, I rate this FM transmitter as having VERY HIGH sound quality when used exclusively with an iPod Shuffle.
SPECIFICATIONS (from the DLO website: http://www.dlo.com/Products/TPShuf_Tech_Prod.tpl?command=showpage&cart=[cart])
FM Transmitter
Modulation: FM Stereo
RF Output Frequency Range: 87.9 - 107.9 MHz
Default Preset Frequencies (MHz): 87.9, 94.9, 100.9, and 107.9
Frequency Adjustment: 0.1 MHz per step
Frequency Response: 5Hz ~ 20KHz
Transmitter Power: 1.5 Watts
Transmitter Range: Up to 30 feet (9M)
Power
Input Voltage: 12 - 16 VDC
Input Current: < 300mA @ DC12V~16V
Connectors
Aux Input Jack: 3.5mm Stereo Mini jack
Direct Output: 3.5mm Stereo Mini jack
BOTTOM LINE
If you own a Shuffle, don't waste your time with other brands. Even Apple/iPod doesn't make its own transmitter for the Shuffle, and my friends who own the Belkin transmitters aren't pleased with the results. The Transpod is the best on the market so far, and can be found at excellent prices online at auction such as EBay. Buy it online with DLO for $59, or EBay starting at around $5. Trust your ears and have a listen - you can read the specs above, but the proof is in what you hear. And to my ears, the sound is great!