 Wouldn't it be great if you could hear all the digital music you have stored on your PC or in your portable music player throughout your house? Of course you can spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to do that, but this unique little device will do it for a pittance.
The Whole House FM Transmitter attaches to your PC or iPod or other digital music player. FM transmitters of this type are generally used to play portable music players through your car stereo. This one, however, is built for stronger transmissions, so it really does cover an entire home.
The Whole House FM Transmitteris a gold-finished rectangle which is about the size of a pack of cigarettes, only not as thick. It includes a retractable 1/8" to 1/8", stereo cable and a 1/8" to stereo RCA adapter so that you can plug it into any stereo or 1/8" jack. It also comes with 4 different ways to power it, including a 12V AC power adapter, a computer USB port for power, and a 12V auto cigarette lighter adapter. It can also run on 3 AA batteries.
The transmitter is easy to set up. Just plug it in or put in batteries, turn it on, and set it to an unused frequency. Then turn any FM radio or stereo in your home to that frequency and you are ready for music or audio that is synchronized over several rooms.
Choosing the stations on the transmitter is not difficult, but is somewhat archaic by today's standards. You set a certain frequency by pushing 3 small DIP switches either up or down. With the diagram on the unit, this is a fairly easy process, but this device is begging for a push-button setting and an LED screen in future units.
The Whole House FM Transmitter is restricted to frequencies from 106.7 to 107.9. I live in an area that is between big cities where I sometimes pick up FM stations and sometimes don't. That means that I might have to reset the transmitter occasionally.
In some circumstances using the USB port for power, I got some interference. Also although the transmitter worked better than some of the car transmitters that I've used, in one of the cars I tried, when I used it with the car adapter, I got interference. In these cases, however, if I switched to the wall power adapter or the batteries for power I got a useable signal. I also found that there were times when I had to fully extend the included antenna wire to full length (about 4') to get good reception. So although there were times that I had to experiment with different combinations, in several months of testing, I have always been able to get a clear signal. It comes with a 30-day 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if it doesn't work for you, it can be returned to the manufacturer.
I love listening to audio books, music, or podcasts while I do my household chores and cleaning which always take me from room to room. The transmitter worked even on my patio and in my garage, giving me freedom to roam while still listening to my favorite audio programming. In the main rooms of the house I listened through Bose radios. However, even my small, portable FM radio in the garage, was adequate for listening.
If you like to listen to streaming audio or podcasts or want to have music throughout the house for a party, this product may be for you. For the price of this transmitter and a few good FM radios, which you may already own, you can have a suitable substitute for an expensive whole house music system.
Date of Review: 9-13-2007
Retail Price at time of review: $89.99
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