Thursday, 2. June 2011
Many older vehicles do not provide an easy way to play an MP3 player without investing in an entirely new audio system. Being able to listen to your own personal playlist using the car’s stereo system is important to people, but installing a new audio system can be very costly. Most people are interested in finding a more inexpensive solution to playing their MP3 player using the car stereo, rather than just relying on commercial radio for entertainment. Two possible ways to solve this problem are an FM transmitter and a car FM modulator.
Conventional wisdom suggests that car FM modulators are the better solution, as it is believed they produce audio quality that is unrivaled by any transmitter. This assumption, that a modulator has a significant advantage in audio quality, is false. A modulator works by converting the audio coming from your MP3 player into an RF signal. A transmitter converts audio to RF signals as well.
The key point to take away here is this: a quality FM transmitter (I’ll explain latter what I mean by that) will give you the same performance as a car FM modulator. While people may have biases that lead them to believe otherwise (a bad experience with a cheap transmitter for example), an informed consumer should be able to look at the facts and see that a quality FM transmitter provides many more functions and capabilities, without sacrificing performance. Below are some of the added capabilities I’m referring to:
1. Installation is hassle free: With a modulator the installation can be very confusing for someone not familiar with a car’s wiring system. Even if you are capable of making the installation there are still some obvious risk of damage or a mistake. Also, if you decide to have someone install it for you there is an extra cost to having this done. However, if you buy a transmitter you will avoid all this hassle and be broadcasting in seconds.
2. Entire FM band: In a big city it is important to have many options when searching for an available frequency. A quality FM transmitter will allow you the option of broadcasting on any frequency on the public FM band, so there will never be any trouble in finding an open frequency.
3. Variety of use: Unlike FM modulators, which are installed in your vehicle, FM transmitters are portable, and can easily be transferred from car to car. Quality FM transmitters provide you the unique opportunity to use your MP3 player in almost any imaginable location: your car, boat, office, camping trips, etc. The possibilities are virtually endless.
Identifying a quality FM transmitter requires some basic knowledge. A quality FM transmitter will transmit audio to a distance of roughly 150 feet – the full distance allowed under FCC law without obtaining a license. With that amount of transmission power, interference will be effectively eliminated and the audio quality is superb. Quality transmitters also provide multiple ways to power the device (battery, cigarette lighter, USB, and wall adapter), granting you the freedom to use your MP3 device practically anywhere.
A quality unit will also include a high number of helpful buttons and controls. The best setup would be to have volume and mute control, the capability to switch from mono to stereo, frequency presets to be able to switch between favorites, microphone plug-in, automatic gain control and a manual on/off switch. Check this out for a quality Car FM Modulator alternative (i.e. FM transmitter).
The ability to utilize an MP3 player, without sacrificing audio quality, in your car should be a standard function. While both FM modulators and FM transmitters are low-cost alternatives to installing a new audio system in your car, a quality FM transmitter provides the ease of use and portability that car FM modulators simply can’t compete with. If you are in the market for a quality product to best make use of your MP3 player, an FM transmitter is clearly your best choice.
TAW Global, LLC is a family owned business and has been in operation for over 7 years – based out of Portage, MI. TAW is the designer of the Whole House FM Transmitter which is a quality wireless car stereo FM modulator that produces clear, static free, audio for use in your car and other locations.