iTrip Auto: iPod On The Radio

So for the past year or two I’ve been using a Griffin RoadTrip to send songs from my iPod to the car radio. I bought the RoadTrip after having a bad experience with an iTrip, one of the early models that hooked into the top of my 3G iPod. The iTrip had a weak signal, tons of interference, and always ended up playing my music with static mixed in. After a few years, I’ve decided to revisit the iTrip, using one of the latest and greatest versions, the iTrip Auto from Griffin Technology.

There’s not much to say about a charging FM Transmitter, but the latest ones from Griffin have been fantastic. On the signal side of things, everything is great, and the broadcast frequency changes with ease. There is a bit of static at times (compared to the RoadTrip with close to no static), but it’s fine. The quality is decent, but the iTrip Auto lacks a little bass and treble, so if your car offers an EQ, you may want to adjust it before using the iTrip. The only problem I had with the iTrip Auto was a bad piece of advice in the manual (PDF). While the manual says to tune to 88.3, 88.1 is the obvious choice as it is usually clear of other broadcasts. In fact, my RoadTrip’s manual says to tune to 88.1, so I’m wondering why Griffin changed their suggested frequency.

Otherwise, a great product. Sleek, a great design, and small. The iTrip Auto easily powers your iPod and sends a nice FM signal to your car radio without any hassle. At $69.99, its on the expensive side of FM Transmitters, but it’s well worth it.