Cheap simple MP3 through factory radio

I tried a relatively new product called Soundfly Ultimate Bluetooth by Satechi . Plugged the unit in to any of the power outlets, selected an unused radio station, sync' the blue tooth on the IPOD and instant music thru the Bose system . Then I loaded some MP3's on an SD card and the music quality was even better and the song info displays via RDS. I know a lot of threads expressed dissatisfaction with FM transmitters but I have found the sound quality to be as good as the radio. Given the fact that the noise level with the top up is high and with the top down road noise, this little unit does the job just fine. I tend to listen to whole albums so the somewhat awkward folder structure on the SD card works for me, Beats the $700 plus I was about to spend on a unit to connect to MOST. Only potential problem is interference with my Garmin GPS satelite reception. Ordered on Amazon for $60 free shipping.

Interesting. My FM Transmitter just died. I had one called "Canada Drive Safe" and it worked great, but it wasn't bluetooth. I wish amazon had the other one available (without the SD slot and all that, I just don't need it) and prefer the built in mic vs having to need a cable for a mic on the Ultimate one. May have to give this one a shot.

Sounds a little like my iTrip.

I agree. There are lots of similar products out there. The one thing I liked about my "Canada Drive" was that it was crazy powerful fm transmitter. Whatever station I was on, the sound would go through, including stations that were used. The only thing I wanted was bluetooth capability. Even though I was able to use it as a hands free, the other party always told me they heard a lot of echo. I even bought a similar one as my Canada Drive from amazon for like $10. That lasted a month and it no longer charges my phone.

So how good is it? I want a simple method to listen to music from my ipod in my 07 CS with the CD24 and I don't want to mess with the factory radio for now.

I have used the soundfly for a few months now and I am very happy with it. I use it with the Sd card so I keep the album order on a card for easy reference. If you use with blue tooth or aux in no problem the control is with the ipod

Just ordered one...!

me too.:banana: understand the limitations of FM modulator, but I'd rather spend money on tires and brakes than the sound system.

I paid way too much for a Motorola Roadster Bluetooth FM transmitter that streams music from iPhones , but the music quality is unlistenable for certain recordings. I think this is due to the bluetooth stream and not the FM transmission. I like the idea of a unit with an Aux input.

Got mine in the mail a couple of days ago and tried it for the first time today. Keep in mind Im not an audio expert, but it worked great for me. I used it driving through beverly hills, downtown Los Angeles, on the 10 to the 405 down to Manhattan Beach (El Porto). My biggest concern with fm transmitters I had used in the past was how powerful they were. I used 101.7 the whole way through and no static or competing signals. As far as I can tell the bluetooth sound was great. Based on the limited experience i would say a big part of the sound quality was dependent in the quality of the mp3. Im happy with it and feel a little better that i dont have to spend hundreds/thousands of $$$ to just get an ipod/ iphone interface...Ill be driving from LA to OC tomorrow, if any new issues happen ill post an update... Hope this helps. Sorry for the typos, entering this on my iphone .

No issues with my iphone 4 with ios5. Works great.. Maybe turning the auto pairing mode off and starting fresh might work.

Love the unit, Pairs with my Ipod Touch nicely (IOS 5) , but have found the sound much better hardwired thru the mini-jack, than thru the bluetooth.

Doesn't surprise me. Adding Bluetooth to the audio chain is one more compromise to reduce quality. Typically it's used for low-fi voice or low bandwidth device interfaces. Audio fidelity was not part of the spec. The mini-jack on the other hand is designed for the best quality audio apple can muster.

FM transmitters that can tune as low as your radio (below the spectrum used in the US) are banned by the FCC, but still available from China. In my 08 I used one that I owned before the ban and the sound was great, with no interference because I tuned it to the lowest frequency on the radio. Again, outside of normally used US frequencies. Below 88.1 is what you want.

I'm using the Soundfly Ultimate Bluetooth by Satechi in my 88 911 cab and it works great with my iPhone . I like the microphone that comes with it so I can do hands-free talking on the phone now. Sometimes when I connect, the audio comes out at a reduced level. I've found that unplugging then replugging the bluetooth unit into the power socket or going to the iPhone bluetooth screen and turning bluetooth off then back on always solves the issue. The FM modulator is the best I've tried (and I've tried several others). Happy Motoring!

I've finally had the chance to use my Satechi Soundfly Ultimate Bluetooth and I'm mightily impressed. The sound quality is better than any FM modulator that I've ever heard, and it easily overpowers even strong FM stations*. It pairs with my iPhone 4 without issue, and phone calls work superbly. Very, very happy with it - especially for the price. * I wouldn't be surprised if it's more powerful than the FCC says it's allowed to be!

went out and bought a Fm modulaor at best buy for 50$(Belkin).I return it after a day,work like **** to much interference, went to an electronic store (cheap stuff)well for 9$ i got one that works GREAT!!!! can you imagine, it works with my i phone4,usb key,SD card,:hilarious:

Add me to the growing list of satisfied customers. For what it is and what it costs ($59.00 on Amazon ) this thing works great. I have an 08 Cayman S and it fits perfectly in the console glove box. I'm still deciding on where to mount the mic but currently have it just sticking out of the closed glove box and it works pretty well. The Blue Tooth connection seems to sound better than the hard wire input wire for my music on my iphone , but I haven't tried adjusting it yet. Overall I'm very happy with the purchase. Now to pair it with my Ipad2 and figure out how to mount it so I can have Nav lol.

I just wanted to add another product to this old thread: I just got a goGroove FlexSmart X2 and couldn't be happier with the sound quality. I used the line-in cable from my iPhone , had the goGroove auto-select an open band, and have driven all over the north side of San Antonio without any interference and WITH nice stereo sound. I haven't tried the blue tooth pairing or streaming audio yet, but I will. Even if they suck, this unit has been a great choice for just the music. It also comes with a powered USB port so you don't lose your charging ability http://www.amazon.com/FlexSMART-Transmitter-Hands-Free-Blackberry-Smartphones/dp/B003PPGOC0

This is the one I'm using right now, and I'm pretty happy with it, but I just placed an order for the Satechi...sounds pretty awesome. Nice heads up! :cheers:

I just received my Sound-Fly this afternoon and installed it. Seems to work well and sound quality is pretty good. It would be nice if it would auto power down, otherwise you have to turn it off. Not sure how much power it pulls or if it would drain the battery quickly? I'm happy since I don't have to buy CDs anymore

I have the Canada Drive Safe sitting around. I used it 1 day. I don't even remember what I paid for it, but if anyone is interested PM me.:cheers:

Just got the sound fly blue tooth today as well. Where are you guys connecting it for power? Looks like it would have to be in the standard cigarette lighter to use it rather then the footwell - but I thought I read in the owners manual not to use that power source for anything other than the lighter... Thanks

another great reason why I use this forum... I was looking for something like this. Thank you.

I'm pretty happy with the SoundFly. It's kind of a pain to get to in the foot well, and the remote it comes with seems pretty useless. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and finally swap out my head unit.

Sorry for reviving an old thread... but can any of you share how/where you have installed this? Pictures would be awesome too! I'm seriously considering this... but my hope would be to leave the outlet in the foot-well free to power my radar detector (trying not to hardwire it as I do move it around from time to time).

There is NO hardware install. Plug it into your power outlet. Mine's plugged into the one on the console.

Hi Chaps, I turn mine 45 degrees to the left and it can then fit into my arm rest with the lid closed. Works perfectly. Omar Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

I've been using the Soundfly for about five months now and love it. It's the best FM transmitter I've used. I bought a 32Gb SD card and loaded it up with music and leave it plugged in the footwell always on.

Sorry for pulling up an old thread. Are the folks using a Soundfly still happy with it? I found that they have released a newer version: Soundfly View Bluetooth FM Transmitter with 2 inch LCD Screen Anyone using that one? Is it as good as the original? I like the added functionality, but only if it is still as good at the basics as described in this thread!

Anyone have suggestions for an FM transmitter that is not Bluetooth? My old-school iPod does not have that feature. Years ago I had an iTrip transmitter that was terrible. Hopefully things have improved since then. 2007 Cayman S , MT, Atlas Grey/Terracotta

The original unit has a 2.5 mm connection you can use, rather than the blue tooth. It actually has better sound that way, limitation of BT. Hope that helps.