New FM Transmitter on the Market: Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0

Thanks, Paul:

New FM transmitter on the market:

The Whole House FM Transmitter® 2.0

I really dislike the web site and marketing speak and total lack of any meaningful specs (RF harmonics out, SNR, audio distortion, stereo separation, audio response, etc), but at first glance it looks OK for the price.

Comments

[bill bush]

Does anyone hear Ronco in that ad? Not that it is a bad thing, but stylistically it is just so so so reminiscent of the "and another free thing with the purchase of this set" technique. Too, it would be great as a script for QVC. Not that that would be bad, either.

Maybe it does get to the problem of selling electronics to a less-than-informed public from one viewpoint, but it doesn't do much to show you what you will end up with. Lack of in-home positive pictures is the weakness here for the non-technical.

I just don't want one.

[Huesby]

The device seems OK but the price is very expensive... I wouldn't pay more than 30 Dls for it.

[jeffrey McMahon]

I agree. It's a tacky, outdated ad. I'd like to delete the "moving" photo. Annoying.

[Dan Somers]

This device seems to be over-hyped and over-priced. There are many brand-new FM transmitters for sale on eBay (e.g., eBay Item 260603129983) with technical specs listed, too.

[Scooby214]

I think that if the technical specs were good, they would list them. I anticipate that it is not as good as the CCrane FM Transmitter, and probably closer to the Belkin Tunecast.

Brian

[HobbyBroadcaster.net]

Members of my site's forum community expressed a desire to see this transmitter reviewed. After many attempts I was finally able to talk with the president of the company. He stated that his "company policy" was they do not send out units for any evaluation purposes. To me this was a major red flag as I've had no problem securing evaluation units from other manufacturers, many bigger than Whole House. Also, FCC regulations (specifically Part 15.239) dictate an absolute maximum field strength of 250 µV/m at 3 meters for Part 15 compliant FM band transmitters. Most "decent" Part 15 certified FM transmitters can equal the range touted on the WH web site (FYI: certification is required for any manufactured FM transmitter to be sold in the United States).

The thing that was really over the top was when I was told that even the certification facility had to purchase a unit to perform the FCC tests - I'm sorry, this just doesn't wash. To me, this just adds another layer of doubt to the firm's credibility.

If this transmitter was as good as the marketing hype suggests why would he not want free public exposure as well as free lab evaluation and real world testing? It suggests to me that the unit may not live up to the sales hype.

While I can't share the information as of yet due to a non-disclosure agreement, there is a firm coming out with a transmitter that will top this unit on both price and quality and you can bet it will be put through its paces in a detailed review on my site when it's ready for the public.

[Paul]

Very interesting news (from HobbyBroadcaster.net). I tend to agree with the points raised.

Please let us know when the new transmitter you mention comes out.

Thanks.

[Paul]

Do you know when can we expect this new transmitter? If it's in the near future (couple of months) I may wait for it, instead of getting a CCrane or EDM unit.

[HobbyBroadcaster.net]

While I know it's "in the works" I honestly don't know how far things have progressed on this other vendor's transmitter. From what I can assume with the information I have, it sounded like it was past the engineering stage and could possibly be approaching the certification phase if there are enough engineering samples available. I honestly can't give you much more than that as this is all I have.

Something to keep in mind is I believe the EDM unit produces an output much greater than Part 15 limits allow, so care should be exercised if you plan to use one. Since they are offered as a kit they have no FCC certification (and also appear to be an import item from South Africa). While it's possible that you may be able to use it without any problems, bear in mind that cheaply engineered kits and even some inexpensive manufactured FM transmitters may potentially generate harmful interference which may not please your neighbors or even worse, bring a visit from an FCC field inspector.

Best of luck in finding a well performing FM transmitter.

[Kelly]

I'm not gonna lie. I wasn't sure if this product was for real or not. When I didn't receive it at the end of May like I was supposed to, I got a little
worried.

That being said, I received my transmitter Monday, June 21 st, and I am so excited!. It offers me amazing sound in my car where I first used it. I drove 22 miles home while listening to my ipod music. I didn't any interference on the station it was playing through, which did happen quite
frequently with the transmitter I previously used.

I played it through the under the counter radio I have in my kitchen, where there is now no interference in the sound when I use my microwave. I am able
to stream my favorite stations from my computer to this radio and I no longer have static. That alone makes it so worth it's price, as I like to listen to various stations while I'm working in the kitchen and since our house is by a lake we do not get good radio reception.

I have already sent an email to Whole House FM Transmitter thanking them for being a real Whole House FM Transmitter, and for making a product that has completely enhanced my audio world!

A new and excited fan!

Kelly
Livonia, NY

[Scooby214]

Glad to hear about your experiences with your FM transmitter. I have a total of three transmitters set up at Casa Del Scooby, two FM and one AM. They all get used daily for different purposes, and add a lot of convenience to listening, plus they allow me to listen to my favorite programming on my vintage AM tube radios.

Brian

[Paul]

HobbyBroadcaster.net,

Any news on the new and upcoming FM transmitter you mention above?

Quote:
"While I can't share the information as of yet due to a non-disclosure agreement, there is a firm coming out with a transmitter that will top this unit on both price and quality and you can bet it will be put through its paces in a detailed review on my site when it's ready for the public."

[HobbyBroadcaster.net]

Replying a little late to Paul's request, the company that supplied us with a prototype still has issues regarding the unit's FCC certification to iron out so there's not much I can share with you regarding that particular one. I can, however, mention that Decade Transmitters of Canada has added a consumer friendly entry to their line of professional Part 15 FM transmitters. The CM-10 is a sub-$200 unit with a nice solid case, very good range and excellent fidelity. A written and video review are forthcoming on my site.