Belkin TuneCast Auto Universal Live FM Transmitter and Charger with ClearScan (2014 Version)

I have been very very happy with this transmitter. I wanted to wait a few months to write a review to see how it would hold up. I had a previous Belkin Transmitter adapter for my old iPhone. It had the arm thing that plugged into the cigarette lighter and then you mounted your iPod or iPhone into it. I was Leary about buying this new unit because I had several issues with the old model. 1)the weight of my phone would make it fall over which was very frustrating 2)static was pretty bad 3)everytime I plugged in my iPod or iPhone a message would pop up on my phone saying "this accessory is not optimized for your device"I had low expectations because of those problems but knew one would be solved simply by not having the mountable arm but rather just a cord to plug into my phones USB port. Since getting this I have been so impressed with the sound quality in my car. The static I uses to get with the old transmitter is a thing of the past. There are times I forget it's a transmitter at all. It sounds clear enough to be a cd. I have driven 200 miles before having to change to a different frequency. This is something I absolutely love. I have found on some occasions depending on how the cord is hanging their may be a little static here and there. I bought a mount for my dash board so I could have my phone out of the way and easy to see when I'm using it's navigation. When I have my iPhone plugged in the the transmitter and positioned in the mount (that I bought separately) the sound is great. I love that it lowers the music volume when my navigation is offering directions then automatically raises the volume back after the navigation system has finished speaking. I love that all of this is integrated through my cars speakers. If someone calls me while my transmitter is plugged in (whether I'm getting directions or listening to music) it lowers the volume and my phone actually rings through the speakers of my car. I love that.Another complaint I had with the old unit but don't with this one is the error type message that would pop up when I plugged my phone or iPod in. This has not shone up once with this new Belkin device.The ONLY negative is when I have taken my transmitter into another vehicle there has been some static from time to time. In my mothers car I have to wiggle the wire around and reposition the transmitter piece. Usually closer to the center of the console between the two front seats works best. My dad's car there is very little static at all. Both my car and my fathers are manual transmission while my mothers is an automatic. I don't know if that would have anything to do with the static that is put off but it's the only real difference I could figure considering all three vehicles are different ages makes and models.If you don't have a USB adapter built into your stereo and you want to be able to listen to music and charge your phone at the same time this is hands down THE BEST TRANSMITTER I have ever owned.

I had the old version for my iPhone 4 and when I moved to the 5s, I had to also upgrade my Belkin Tunecast FM Transmitter. However, it works great for me. I love the fact that it charges and transmits my music. There is sometimes static and interference from other cars transmitting at the same frequency, but this is expected and honestly doesn't bother me more than having to listen to the same songs on the radio stations all day. It's a great device and I will always come back to it.

This was the most anticipated item on my Christmas wishlist and the only item I received for which I was disappointed -- almost to the point of returning.First issue - The lightning connector fitting was too fat to fit my iPhone while it was in its case and I'm not going to remove the case. The plastic around the lightning connector cable that came with my iPhone measures approximately 0.2 x 0.31 inches and fits my case without an issue. The Belkin connector measures 0.25 x 0.435 inches. Since the Belkin was the only solution I'd seen that would allow me to listen to my phone in the car and charge it at the same time, I eventually decide I would take a gamble and try trimming off the access plastic around the connector so it would fit my case. --- Yes, this was a mistake on my behave. While I did trim enough to barely it fit, I did expose metal well before getting to 0.31 inch width.Second issue - The Belkin comes with "Tunecast" and an app for the iPhone called Clearscan LIVE that is supposed to use my phone's GPS to recommend the best channel for the FM transmitter. WHAT A JOKE!!!! The only channels Clearscan has recommended are used frequencies in my local area. Not only did it recommend the frequency for the station I listen to daily, the most recommended frequency is that of a 28,000 watt local station.Third issue - With some time and effort, I manually found a frequency that worked, but I also found that I had to hold on the the Belkin controller, like a kid holding Rabbit Ears, in order to keep a signal lock with the car antenna only three feet from the transmitter. I soon learned that I could not travel through the community on that frequency. Eventually, I found another frequency that allowed me to travel more than 40 miles south without having to hold the transmitter or change to another channel.If this continues to work I will be happy enough. I just wish the connector fitted correctly in the first place. As for the Clearscan LIVE app.... well that wouldn't get ONE-star from me.

In terms of build quality this is the best I've found. All other transmitters I've tried around the $10 to $20 price range where cheap plastic gadgets that broke or failed to work in less than a week.I like that this actually charges the phone and reads the music stored on it, all with one cable. Keeps the car clutter to a minimum. I was also happy to see that the unit powered off automatically when the ignition key was removed or the phone was disconnected. That helps to preserve the car battery.The reasons why it didn't get 5 stars: the signal is pretty weak.It still works well and the sound quality is what you would expect from FM, but I've owned a transmitter that was much stronger, even able to override the signal of an existing channel. This transmitter's signal is okay once you find a relatively clear frequency, although you can get interference sometimes.The clear scan feature is pretty useless. It usually points me to a channel with existing FM transmission rather than an empty channel. Which means you have to actually scan your FM Bandwidth to find an empty frequency yourself.I would have also like to have a slightly longer cable, but overall for the money it does the job.