Posted on: Tuesday, February 1, 2005
HELP DESK
Energize, accessorize your MP3
By Kim Komando
Dozens of accessories can free you from your MP3 player's headphones. Some are for the car. Others are for home. Shop carefully. Price and quality vary.
A cassette adapter is one of the most inexpensive and easiest-to-use accessories for your car. For $20, you get a cassette tape with a wire attached. The wire connects to your MP3 player's line-out jack, where you normally plug in your headphones. The sound plays through a tape in the cartridge.
Well-known companies such as Belkin, Monster and Sony manufacture cassette adapters. In general, they deliver good sound quality, but you might notice hissing as the tape inside the adapter wears.
If you have a newer car that includes a CD player instead of a cassette deck, consider an FM transmitter.
It plugs into your line-out jack on the MP3 player and broadcasts to your car's radio using FM channels. Belkin, Griffin, iRock, Monster and others produce transmitters starting at $30. Some are packaged as part of complete car kits costing as much as $100 that include a device to hold your player in place, a power charger and the transmitter.
Inexpensive FM transmitters often limit broadcasting to a few preset frequencies, but more expensive models sometimes include electronics to scan for the clearest ones. Check the return policy before buying an FM tuner in case it doesn't deliver satisfactory reception. For example, you may find that 88.3, a common preset frequency, is crystal clear in your neighborhood but doesn't work well across town.
Overall, FM transmitters deliver the poorest audio quality because they're subject to interference you can't control. If your radio has an auxiliary line-in jack, you can connect your player using an audio plug for less than $5. Essentially, you're plugging the player directly into the car's speakers so the sound quality should be as good as they are.
An auxiliary line-in jack is an uncommon feature. But most name-brand manufacturers (Aiwa, Clarion, Pioneer, for example) have at least one radio that includes it. Expect to pay at least $100 for the radio, plus installation costs.
In the house, you can hook small, portable speakers to your MP3 player. They are not powerful enough to make your ears bleed, but they're perfect for carrying around the house while doing chores, the beach and small parties.
Numerous speaker systems are available exclusively for the iPod. Altec Lansing's inMotion ($150) and the iBoom ($150) offer the ultimate in portability. They run off batteries or electricity. The Bose Sound Dock ($300) is more expensive and requires electricity, but it delivers high quality sound.
Or, look at the Virgin Electronics Boomtube EX ($200). When assembled, it looks like a silver drinking thermos. Unscrew the ends and you have a three-piece speaker set.
IPods dominate the MP3 market. Consequently, many of the accessories are marketed for the iPod. But that doesn't mean these products work only with the iPod. Many will work with any brand player. Check the system requirements.
