Product Reviews

If you're looking to listen to your iPod while driving, but your car stereo doesn't have a line-in port then you've got two choices: either upgrade to a BMW with built-in dock or go for the slightly cheaper option of an FM transmitter.

Until recently, such devices were illegal as they broadcast on the cluttered, heavily regulated FM radio band. However, since it's unlikely you'd ever be able to boost one sufficiently to create your own pirate radio station that broadcasts further than your bedroom, Ofcom has since seen sense and given them the nod.

Since they've been officially sanctioned, many units have come onto the market, in multiple shapes, sizes, and shades of colour. Apart from physical appearance and whether they're designed with a specific iPod model in mind, there's not much to set many apart before you've turned them on to see how they perform.

Kensington, however, is hoping to ease the setup process with its QuickSeek FM Transmitter, which will scan the airwaves for you to find the best frequency to broadcast on. Since you're competing with high-powered radio stations that want to take preference over your puny transmitter, anything that makes the process of selecting the best band easier is more than welcome. Radios, after all, are designed to tune into the best signal available, not find you a

ADVERTISEMENT

spot where reception is at its worst.

The QuickSeek was very easy to set up - just plug it into the bottom of your favoured iPod flavour and hit the autoscan button. A minute or so later and it will have earmarked the most suitable frequencies available and all you have to do is tune in your radio to the same number. Although it will work with all iPod varieties bar the shuffle, it does look a little silly attached to a nano as it sticks out a fair bit at the sides.

Audio quality was passable, but not brilliant. It's not crystal clear and you can hear the fact it's being broadcast over FM, rather than transferred directly via a cable. It's good enough for life on the road, however.

You'll also find a car charger in the box, so you can keep your iPod topped up while you're driving along. The charger attaches to a standard mini-USB port on the QuickSeek, which also doubles as a data connection - so with the QuickSeek attached you can sync your iPod using a standard mini-USB cable.

While the Kensington will sit untidily on the bottom of any iPod, the Airplay Boost from XtremeMac is aimed those who prefer matching collar and cuffs. It's available in either silver or black and matches the styling of the second generation nano. You can just about fit an original nano on it, but it sits slightly off centre.

The XtremeMac doesn't offer any of the snazzy autoseek functions of the Kensington - you're left to your own devices to find the best patch of unchartered FM band. This is actually easier said than done, and in the end we gave up and just used the band suggested by the QuickSeek. Audio quality was reasonable, but slightly worse than the Kensington.

If you absolutely must have an FM transmitter than matches your shiny new nano, then the XtremeMac is worth considering, but for a mere £10 more and far less frustration finding a free band, the Kensington is the better option.