There are a lot of different types of transmitters available for car audio system, each differs in performance and quality.

One is the iPod FM transmitter which uses an empty radio station in your location to play the iPod. Then it transmits the music from the iPod to your car radio in full stereo sound. The actual quality of the audio being played through the transmitter is generally quite good.

Second Most genuine products such as Griffin iTrip FM transmitter offer audio equivalent to a good radio station. Firstly select a signal which is clear of any radio stations, this will reduce the amount of interference heard, secondly if your frequency picks up any in the future simple change frequency. The Griffin iTrip Fm Transmitter for example has 3 pre-set frequencies to change to if you do happen to receive quality issues with the current settings.

A small saying that my granddad used to say to me "you get what you pay for" generally rings true in all walks of life. If you buy a cheap transmitter you should expect the performance to be poorer than other kits, from our experience the griffin tend to offer the best all round performance in the iPod FM Transmitter world.

Technology is continually improving, The design of the iPhone 4 is a perfect example of this. Although it has a few teething problems the improvements in terms of hardware is much greater that the previous iPhone 3GS. It was only a matter of time before manufacturers of iPod car kits & Fm Transmitters developed better ways of offering more from their products.

A prime example of the improvements being made to iPod FM Transmitters is the effort Griffin made creating an Apple App for the sole use with their products. Multiple Griffin products support the new App which allows the frequencies to be changed from the iPhone & iPod Touch. This doesn’t sound too great! However the App means you can took away the connection to the FM transmitter only leaving the iPod wire exposed. Frequencies can be changed at the touch of a button rather than going through the device its self. A much safer way of changing if your driving alone.

Although there are no major hardware improvements that will alter or improve the performance of Griffin products. The software upgrades indicate the products are continually improving and moving with the times, making usability & functionality much easier for all users.

This is another small reason the Griffin brand have the best selling iPod FM transmitters globally.

There are a lot of different types of transmitters available to purchase, each differs in performance and quality. As with everything else in life you get the good and the bad. The problem with transmitters is that the bad are very bad and give the other products a poor reputation on the back of theirs.

FM Transmitters by nature are designed with a slight fault, in that they are prone to interference from other signal frequencies. This can manifest in two ways either the transmitter signal is blocked because the other signal is stronger or interference is received over either audio playback, resulting in echo, buzz or both.

The actual quality of the audio being played through the transmitter is generally quite good. Most genuine products such as Griffin iPod fm transmitters , dexim and or logic3 offer audio equivalent to a good radio station (radio 1 for example) however its generally expected if you use a frequency close to a powerful local or national station you will receive a little interference at some point during connection.

The solution to this problem however is simple. Firstly select a signal which is clear of any radio stations, this will reduce the amount of interference heard, secondly if your frequency picks up any in the future simple change frequency. The Griffin iTrip Fm Transmitter for example has 3 pre-set frequency’s to change to if you do happen to receive quality issues with the current settings.

FM Transmitters are a good solution if you only want a simple iPod input in your car, If for example you don’t need an integrated kit that offers full digital quality, iPod control and text display the Transmitter could be the kit for you.

A small saying that my granddad used to say to me “you get what you pay for” generally rings true in all walks of life. If you buy a cheap transmitter you should expect the performance to be poorer than other kits, from our experience the griffin tend to offer the best all round performance in the iPod Fm Transmitter world.

The Touareg vehicles that VW manufactured before 2008 are not compatible with the new Dension CAN kits (either the gateway 100 & 300 VC1 & V21). The non CAN (non text VW1) kits from Dension are still compatible with the touareg’s of this period however they obviously do not display text, meaning that iPod UI mode will be the only realistic way of controlling the audio played through the stereo.

The Dension Gateway Lite is another solution which operates in iPod mode with forward and back tracks available from the stereo & Steering wheel controls. The benefit of the of the Gateway Lite is it also has USB input for additional media, and a simplified interface, making music choices much easier.

See How it works in the  VW Gateway Lite Video.

More information of the kits mentioned above can be found following the links.

VW Gateway 100

VW Gateway 300

Its an interesting question considering the general reputation gathered by FM Transmitters over the past few years. The quality of Fm transmitters are undoubtedly poorer than the hard wired equivalent, but too what extend is the quality sacrificed and how does represent to value for money?

The problem with the question is that it is very general, Which FM Transmitters are we talking about and what indicates “good value”. You can get an fm transmitter from £10 to £20 ranging to £60+, Obviously this has an effect on the quality of the product and subsequently the value for money.

How do we define good value for money?

Personally I would define “value” as representing a similar or better standard than you are currently experiencing. Whether that be Radio 1 Broadcast in the UK, Digital Radio in the US or another quality broadcast signal.

With that in mind, which FM transmitters are best value for money and does that represent value for money in general?

Based on quality there several types of iPod FM Transmitters, Griffin have several available which offer good quality one of which is the Griffin iTrip FM, Dexim again offer’s a consistent performance and logic3 offer good performance for the cheaper end of the market. It Is important to remember that you are likely to experience a poorer performance if you live or use the transmitter in an area of high Signal broadcasts E.g Larger cities like London.

Based on our tests the griffin transmitters performed better in built up areas than all the other kits, generally speaking the Griffin option is more a little more expensive. This indicates to me a better value for money when deciding which kit to choose.

Do iPod FM Transmitters offer good value for Car Audio?

In My opinion iPod FM Transmittes do have a place in the market of Car Audio systems. It is correct you can get better quality systems which integrate in to the stereo offering more and performing better. However if you want a simple system providing a decent performance, YES I would seriously look at FM Transmitters as an option for playing music from your iPod in your car

If you don’t want a fully integrated iPod car kit with steering wheel controls and text display, and your not interested in the Dension FM Modulator kit for increased sound quality and charging. Your next best option is the Griffin FM Transmitter range, either the iTrip FM transmitter or the Roadtrip FM Transmitter.

Both are now available with smart-scan mode, which is a device that automatically scans through available frequencies and picks three with the lease interference. This system allows you to pre-set three frequencies in your stereo, so switching between them is easy when or if you hit an area with a high signal in the frequency your using. Push the Next button and select the appropriate button the stereo and you’ll begin on the new channel.

Do People experience Problems with Audio Quality of FM Transmitters?

There is a general consensus that the quality of audio produced by the FM transmitters are poor, this is actually false in most cases. Obviously certain kits do perform worse than others, as the audio played through the stereo depends on the quality being broadcast from the kit and received by the stereo. If the kits broadcasts a poor strength signal or there is another signal with greater strength than the kit, the quality is going to be decreased. The key is to select a frequency with no or minimal other broadcasts and the transmitter will work well.

Previously charging iPod / iPhones from a FM transmitter was very difficult, it required an alternative device to connect in to the Cigarette lighter port which then connected into iPod, meaning the FM transmitter had to work on the AUX (head phones socket). The new griffin products come with the same connection however as its an all in one kit so the iPod / iPhone connects into the griffin via the docking cable.

FM Transmitter with the Dension Unimount.

The advantage of using the Unimount with a transmitter is it holds the device in a usable position when driving. Making selecting albums, artists and tracks much more simple and convenient as you are unable to cycle the tracks from the stereo or steering wheel controls.

What did we do before the invention of the iPod? Its like Mobile phone, how did we communicate before we had these? Back in the dark ages (10 years ago) we had to play music on tape and had to be at home to make a phone call. Just like most things in these times, we want everything on demand. Instant Music, Instant TV, Instantly contactable. Well the good news is Music is now just that, even in your car.

Digital Media Vs Radio, which do you prefer? Your own choice of music, albums and play-lists available for you to browse through at any point or tuning in to a radio broadcast and listening to the DJ. Not always, but usually making an anecdote about a story that really isn’t worth listening to, and playing a predetermined play-list dependant on weekly budgets rather than playing good music. Most people choose playing music from their iPod. Or at least have the choice to do so.

Your Music is available on your iPod when ever you want it, and presumably you like all the music tracks you have on there? Otherwise they wouldn’t be there right! Well combine the music you love and with the iPod car kit and you have the perfect solution for the long and tedious drives when your usually either reduced to tears or subject to road-rage before the end of the journey. I’m not saying that these are a miracle cure for road-rage but they may help reduce stress a little?

When Wanting Music in your vehicle the most convenient and easiest way of doing so is usually an FM Transmitter. Its a simple process to get music playing, which usually entails taking it out the box, setting a frequency and pressing play on your iPod (The process couldn’t be simpler). Music is played through the stereo via an FM frequency, providing the frequency isn’t used often you’ll receive a good quality audio signal through stereo and subsequently the speakers.

So you have weighed up your options, realised you want access to more music when driving and decided you want to listen to your iPod / iPhone in your car as pretty much everybody with an ipod does. All you have to do now is decide how you want to connect it.

There are a variety of ways to connect your iPhone / iPod into your vehicle. From a simple AUX input into a 3.5mm jack to a fully integrated iPod car kit connecting into the CD changer port and numerous kits in between.

However one of the most popular kits available on the market are FM Transmitters, this is mainly down to two reasons. Firstly the price, secondly the ease of use. However there are other advantages of using an FM transmitter over other kits available for your vehicle.

If you want access to music in all the vehicles you use, the FM Transmitter is the kit for you, it isn’t physically attached or integrated into your car, this means you can take out and use in any car you drive or are driven in. It might be your Wife’s, Friends or other family members. What ever car your driving it you can swap and change as suits. This is obviously a benefit over other kits as it increase ’s the usability.

The other major advantage of the FM Transmitter is the compatibility. Hardwired kits usually have a complex compatibility list of vehicles and stereos. FM Transmitters do not have any compatibility with stereos (as long as has an aerial input). Just select an unused frequency match the stereo frequency and press play. Simplez.

The problem is, which Transmitter to choose from, there are loads of different types and brands offering FM Transmitters. However Griffin and Dexim are the market leaders and offer better quality over other FM kits. The Griffin iTrip FM transmitter is one of our favourites as it combines good value for money ans usability.

Griffin are market leaders in the iPod FM Transmitter market, there kits offer a more advanced interface and improved operations over other kits. The Griffin iTrip FM Modulator is the most popular transmitter on the market today. Find out why here. 

After recent news that Dension are due to release a new product entitled the "Gateway Five" we received our sample models and set about to get testing just how good it is. Dension promised the item to have a much better integration than a Parrot MKi 9200 (Parrots Flagship Bluetooth and iPod car integration kit) and after working with Dension for a few years – we believe them!

The main big advantage that the Dension Gateway Five will have over the Parrot alternative is that the Dension integrates into the stereo’s display and controls (either from the stereo itself, or from the steering controls). This in itself gives it a better selling point compared to the Parrot but pair this with the way that the Dension Gateway Five actually takes control of the iPod and the Phone in comparison to the Parrot MKi 9200 and you really do have something special. Could this be the product that knocks Parrot from its perch?

Lets start off by providing  a comparison chart, showing which kit has which features. After the chart we can move onto discussing each feature or specification, one by one.

From the above chart you can sort of get your head around why this product is so exciting. We will now talk about our findings and go further in depth for each feature listed above.

1. Full CD Quality Audio
Bluetooth as a technology doesnt provide enough bandwidth for the music to be sent to the stereo in perfect audio. Pair this with the fact that the Parrot DOESN’T use the car stereos amplifier (it uses a pretty poor 15 watt internal amplifier) AND the fact that you can only get sound through your front speakers (unless your lucky enough to be in the 2% of people who have a vehicle which can handle a better wiring harness, all be it for another £80!) mean that the Dension simply wipes the floor with the Parrot kit here. The Dension kit fully hard-wires into the car stereo via the CAN-Bus system so the entire connection is optical digital, quality is just perfection. The only time you will hear bad quality with the Gateway Five is if the MP3 file on the iPod is poor quality.
Dension – 1
Parrot – 0

2. Hard Wired Digital Connection
We have touched on this a little above so there isn’t too much need to go into detail but because the Parrot MKi-9200 transmits the iPods music via Bluetooth, the quality isn’t the best. Compare this with the Dension’s CAN-Bus connection and Dension take the spoils again!
Dension – 2
Parrot – 0

3. Works through ALL speakers
Another simple response needed. The Dension works through every speaker and utilises the cars amplification (be it from within the stereo itself or from any upgrade like a Bose system). Because the Parrot MKI kits use older SOT lead technology, only the front two speakers work.
Dension – 3
Parrot – 0

4. Control Bluetooth from the stereo (Including Missed Calls, Received Calls & Phonebook)
Obviously the Parrot comes with an external display which can control the phone functions. Its not a terrible display but its nowhere near as good as using the vehicles display. It looks out of place in most vehicles and just doesnt look "OEM". However, you can search by missed calls and received calls etc. The Dension does exactly the same thing but through the cars display and cars controls (steering wheel controls and stereo controls) instead of fiddling with a little external screen.
Dension – 4
Parrot – 0

5. Control the iPod from the Stereo
Now this is obviously where Dension excell, they have been at the forefront of iPod integration since the iPod was first made. Anyone who wishes to integrate iPod in a car always use Dension systems as the standard but they can never achieve what Dension have achieved because everytime anyone gets close, Dension raise the bar. The Dension Gateway Five can control the iPod fully from the stereo, this includes searching for artists, albums, track, playlists, podcasts, genres – all using the stereo controls and the steering wheel controls (control can also be reverted back to the iPod if needed anyway). The Parrots iPod interface is pretty simple but not impossible to use. Obviously the control has to be done from the external display again.
Dension – 5
Parrot – 0

6. Requires external display
Some like external displays, others think there are numberous issues with using an external display. One of the main concerns is that theifs know that there is an aftermarket Bluetooth kit fitted into the vehicle – making it a target. Other issues are that the displays look fairly ugly (the ones which dont look too bad tend to be too small to use accurately). Instead of using an external display, the Dension Gateway Five uses the vehicles display to tell you everything you need to know.
Dension – 6
Parrot – 0

7. Integrated through the vehicles display
The same as above really, obviously the Parrot needs the display to be operated where-as the Dension uses the vehicles displays. This point isn’t a win or a loss for either Dension or Parrot so the scores stay the same!
Dension – 6
Parrot – 0

8. Integrates though the vehicles display
Again, as above. No conclusion can be drawn from this point other than give the facts.
Dension – 6
Parrot – 0

9. Phonebook displayed on the stereo/cluster
Well another point for Dension here. The Dension Gateway Five allows the phones contacts to be viewed from the cars display.
Dension – 7
Parrot – 0

10. Control iPod Playlists from the stereo
The Dension can, the Parrot cant. Simple.
Dension – 8
Parrot – 0

11. Control iPod Artists from the stereo
As above.
Dension – 9
Parrot – 0

12. Control iPod Albums from the stereo
As above, again.
Dension – 10
Parrot – 0

13. Control iPod Tracks from the stereo
As above, again, again!
Dension – 11
Parrot – 0

14. Control iPod Podcasts/Genres etc from the stereo
And again…
Dension – 12
Parrot – 0

15. Compatible with most mobile phones
Neither a winner or a loser on this one so both get a point. Both kits work with nearly every phone around today. The Dension utilises the new Blue Core Chip which is considedered the new standard in bluetooth technology. The Parrot uses its original chip – which is by no means far behind!

Dension – 13
Parrot – 1

16. Charges the iPod/iPhone, including 5v charging iPods
The Dension certainly does do this. The Parrot’s NEWER models does this.
Dension – 14
Parrot – 2

17. Add-ons (Like Video Output from the iPod into the stereo/nacigation)
Another point for the Dension. Because it utilises the CAN-Bus system, there is a possibility of sending so much more information through the system.
Dension – 15
Parrot – 2

18. USB Input for flash drives and hard drives
Yet another point for Dension… They are really destroying the Parrot kits here!
Dension – 16
Parrot – 2

19. Aux Input
Both get a point here.
Dension – 17
Parrot – 3

20. Pricing
Both are on par. However, its important to remind you that the Parrot kits DO need an additional part to connect it to the vehicle, the Dension doesnt. Another point for Dension.
Dension – 18
Parrot – 3