Do all portable FM transmitters suck, and what's the best stereo to cassette adapter? (1 Viewer)

[Eugene Hsieh]

OK, this is not exactly high end, but I didn't know where to put it. It's also been posted in the car thread.
What's the best cassette adapter available? I have just purchased the AVC Soul portable MP3/CD player and need to plug it in to my car system. The cheapo $5 adapter I got with it was a total piece of crap. (It's not the MP3/CD player sound quality because it sounds fine on my home theater system. Obviously it's not anywhere as nice as my Panasonic RP91 with a CD, but it was surprisingly acceptable.) The sound quality of the adapter is mediocre and the thing rattles - very irritating and easily noticeable during quiet passages in a song. I know there are better ones out there because I've heard them in other cars and they were pretty good. I checked out the US$15 Radio Shack one and the $22 Koss one, and they look like exact clones of the $5 I have. The $40 Sony and the $35 Panasonic seem significantly better built (and come with car DC adapters). I'm inclined to buy the Panasonic one because it has a little doohicky on it that ensures the head of the unit is in the right spot. That little doohicky is a plastic concave guide to fit the cassette head, with a space in the middle where the signal would be transmitted. The only concern I have is the possibility it could scratch the head.
I tried the Omega Sound Sender stereo to FM transmitter. It was useless. Much of the time it was static. If it wasn't static and I had good reception, then I would get mediocre sound quality, below that of most radio stations. It was if somebody put a towel over the speakers to muffle the treble. Are all small inexpensive portable FM transmitters this bad?
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Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!

 

[MatthewJ S]

for GOD'S SAKE just get a head unit with line level input!

 

[James Q Jenkins]

I used to have a Blaupunkt Tuscon casette head unit with a line in and it worked perfectly. MUCH better than any other method. I think some companies still make head units like this. (Aiwa?)
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-JQJ

 

[Zakariah]

Try these links for FM tranmitters reviews and products for use with portable MP3 Players:
http://www.nomadness.net/reviews.php http://www.canakit.com
I got a Creative NOMAD II MG, Link Removed but I haven't tried it with one of those mini FM transmitters in the car yet.
Zak.
[Edited last by Zakariah on July 31, 2001 at 09:33 AM]
[Edited last by Zakariah on July 31, 2001 at 09:35 AM]

 

[Eugene Hsieh]

http://www.canakit.com

Hmmm... It got a good review, but it's a bit too rough around the edges for my tastes, esp. for US$40 plus all the extras.
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Eugene Hsieh, VisorCentral FAQ Editor
1000 km on a tank of gas??? Check out the Prius and drive the future now!

 

[Jim A. Banville]

I picked up a $19 cassette adaptor from Radio Shack to use with my laptop PC for DVD playback in our Ford Expedition. Sounds great! Much better than the Audiovox RF modulator in our old in-car VCR/TV system.