11-20-2007, 05:30 AM
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Contributing Editor
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 519
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Got Zune Looks at The New Car Kit
"This is a continuation of the info I shared the other day, this time I brought my camera into the car to show my setup. Very Nice. I purchased one of these today and I am very impressed. Kind of expensive at $80, but worth it if you can afford it. The above photo shows my Zune 80 in an after market adjustable cradle. This is a great cradle from Akron. I have had it for years through many phones and such."
I've used a lot of FM transmitters in my day, and let me tell you: the new Zune version is by far the easiest, best sounding, and, most importantly, static-free that I've used since, well, ever. The new design is a step up from the gen1 in that now the transmission module is not directly connected to the device (imagine the power brick and cables that come with most laptops and you're halfway there). The advantage of this setup is that you can now position the block in the optimal location without having to move your Zune as well. For me, it's right on top of my dash board, which is also where my Zune sits, thanks to the included nonslip pad.
Maybe I've just had bad experiences with FM transmitters, but in my experience, they've all been pretty much crap. There generally tends to be something amiss with the signal, rendering the device almost completely useless, if not pointless. But not the Zune pack: It maintains a strong, consistent signal, with easily tunable frequencies that span the entire FM spectrum (unlike cheaper products that only have a few options at extreme high and low freqs). It has 2 preset buttons to allow easy access between the two best stations, or, as Got Zune's Chris Leckness points out, for longer commutes.
Chris reports that the plug features a magnetic clip, though to be honest, I'm not exactly sure where or what this is. One thing I can say that's cool is that there's a rubber slot below the DC-plug end of the apparatus, which perfectly holds the 25-pin Zune connector when your Zune isn't plugged in. Perhaps this is what he's referring to? In any event, it's a nice design feature, and is quite useful.
The only downsides I can see with the Zune setup are the cost and the design. The cost issue can be mitigated by a) waiting—they're bound to come down sooner rather than later, especially with the Holidays around the corner—or b) purchasing with a new Zune. When I bought my Zune80 (at Circuit City), the helpful sales associate informed me that accessories were 40% off, and it seems most stores are (or were) running similar promotions. The design issue, however, is rather minor. While the gen1 car pack nicely integrated into the Zune30 visual consistency and looked slick, the new setup looks decidedly more tacky. I guess the pink-to-orange transition on the logo didn't make the conversion to backlit car charger as fully as it did in other forms.
I really wanted to do some sort of guide/tip exchange for this thing, so here goes: I live in Boston, and find that I get the strongest signal on 107.5. Anyone else living near a densely-populated area care to share your tuning secrets?
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