FM Transmitters for Reliable and Clear Car FM Reception

FM Transmitters for Reliable and Clear Car FM Reception

We all want to enhance our daily commutes, and listening to music on the go, de-stresses us during any rush-hour. And if you have a library of music on your smartphone you can stream it through your car speakers with the best FM transmitter.

These small and cheap car audio accessories allow us to stream music via Bluetooth or auxiliary through our car speakers, while also operating as many other useful devices.

You can stream it from your iTunes or Spotify account, or even direct from YouTube, and it’s all done by connecting your car and FM transmitter and then pairing your device to your smartphone or MP3 player.

It does it by basically setting up a temporary radio station on a free FM frequency, and the best FM transmitters allow other car radios within range to tune in and listen to your tunes. Perfect for camping trips and festivals.

But what is the best FM transmitter for a car? I hear you ask. Well, as with everything, it depends on what you want exactly, but for a closer look at what we believe to be the market’s leading FM transmitters keep reading.

If you already have an FM transmitter and you want to know how to set it up, look at this article for a step-by-step guide.

The Best FM Transmitter for a Car

UNBREAKcable Handsfree Calls, Siri and Google Assistant Ready

The first and definitely one of the best FM Transmitters is a handsfree voice control Bluetooth device from UNBREAKcable (see what they did there?).

This dual USB port boasts a Bluetooth 5.0 chip that offers you a more stable connection for streaming your music over the FM frequency.

Not only that, it makes for a safer drive thanks to the built-in microphone, which means you can control the FM transmitter with Siri or Google Assistant. This allows you to control the settings on your car radio, and also take and make hands free calls.

The USB ports allow you to charge two devices at any one time, and the QC3.0 ports are 4X faster than standard chargers.

What really makes this one of the best FM transmitters, however, is the Bass key, which allows you to pump up the bass on your car radio, and offers a clearer sound quality, all doing so while the backlight is pulsing to the rhythm of your tunes.

If you do need to use your hands, the five-direction analog joystick controller makes it easier to navigate than standard rotary dials, so not to take up your attention for too long.

On top of this, the UNBREAKcable FM transmitter boasts a Voltage Monitor allows you to monitor the car battery condition by displaying the battery/voltage for a few seconds at a time.

Anker Roav SmartCharge T2 Device

Anker is one of the leading names and the SmartCharge T2 Roav FM transmitter is up there with the best devices on the market.

Boasting Bluetooth 5.0 for a more stable streaming connection, it gives you a stable connection and allows you to play your tunes clearly.

The Bluetooth also connects automatically to the last device it was paired with so there’s no need to pair devices all the time.

The Anker Roav FM transmitter also boasts both USB and USB-C ports, offering you more devices to connect or charge, speaking of which charges faster than standard USB charging devices.

Some FM transmitters are known for losing signal, which can be frustrating while out on the road. Not the Roav SmartCharge T2 device, however, which boasts an autotune facility, so if you lose signal, it will search the frequency and again play your music as clearly as you’d expect.

The built-in microphone allows you to make or take handsfree calls, and with noise cancellation technology filtering out external road noise, you can be sure nothing will interrupt your calls.

Avantree CK310 Battery Operated FM Transmitter

If you’re looking for something a little different, the next device on our FM transmitter review gives you that.

Unlike all other devices, the Avantree CK310 FM Transmitter doesn’t plug into your 12V port and is instead battery operated.

Of course, the device is Bluetooth connected, and the large LED display makes it easy to control your music, just in case you need to adjust the frequencies.

Lasting 7 hours on full charge, the battery-operated FM transmitter frees up your 12V accessory port for other devices.

That said, you don’t have to use the battery. If you prefer a wired connection, or your battery is dead, you can of course connect your device through a USB connection.

Because it doesn’t plug into your 12V port, the Avantree FM transmitter instead sticks on the dashboard, giving you more options for ease of control.

As well as allowing you to stream the music on your smartphone, the device allows you to take hands-free calls and is compatible with all wireless enabled phones and all car models with FM radio.

With it not plugging into your car electrics you should remember to switch off when not in use, but if you use a wire connection, it will simply switch on and off with your ignition.

ENSFOUY Wireless Charger and Mobile Holder FM Transmitter

The next device on our review is an FM transmitter and more. The sleek looking ENSFOUY Bluetooth device also functions as a mobile phone holder.

The wireless car charger and FM transmitter allows you to stream your music via a Bluetooth 5.0 connection, while the built-in microphone means you can make/take handsfree calls while you’re out in the car.

The high-performance noise cancelling technology ensures you get crystal clear audio, and of course the loudspeaker calls are as clear as you can expect over an FM frequency.

Any calls are easily started or ended, and the FM ransmitter seamlessly switches from music to call as and when you use it for different operations.

The wireless car charger’s mounting bracket can be installed pretty much anywhere from the dashboard to your windshield thanks to the strong suction cup or air vent clip, both of which are adjustable meaning you get the view of your device to your liking.

Nulaxy New KM18 with 1.8 Inch Display

The next device is the first of 2 picks from leading car audio accessory brand Nulaxy. The FM transmitter boasts a 1.8 inch color display and allows you to stream music via Bluetooth, TF/SD card, or via a USB connection.

This is an upgraded version of the Nulaxy KM18 and the larger display offers a wider visual interface, and with it more information, such as any incoming phone number, track names of any playing song, FM frequency, and more.

You can stream your music via Bluetooth or the auxiliary connection, but the Bluetooth connection is solid and you should have no problems with it.

The Nulaxy KM18 Bluetooth FM Transmitter boasts a 3-inch adjustable gooseneck riser, so you can manoeuvre it in any direction for ease of control.

The device boasts x2 USB ports for connection and car charging, and with a QC3.0 charging port, you get to charge your devices x4 faster than other regular chargers.

For calls, the Nulaxy FM transmitter provides a stable connection and using echo-cancellation technology, it reduces any background noise, ensuring you get clearer hands-free calls.

IMDEN C57 Hands-Free Calling with Noise Cancellation Technology

The next device on our FM Transmitter review is the IMDEN C57, which boasts all the features any top quality FM transmitter should, and for a few dollars cheaper than its main competitors.

Utilizing Bluetooth 5.0, the streaming connection is as solid as any other on the market. As well as streaming via Bluetooth, you can also utilize the USB connection and enjoy your music this way.

The sound is excellent thanks to the CVC noise cancellation technology, which helps cancel any external road noise that could interfere, ensuring you get a crisp sound on your car radio.

The noise cancellation also helps with handsfree calling, which you can take on loudspeaker over your FM frequency and enjoy crystal clear calls.

The device also boasts x2 USB ports, which allows you to charge 2 devices simultaneously. One of which boasts a QC 3.0 speedy charge port, meaning you get to charge your devices 80% quicker than standard chargers.

The yellow-ray LED display shows your FM channel clearly and also offers real-time monitoring of your car battery voltage. And being minimal, the display is small enough not to get in the way of your gear shift.

AINOPE AV849 Hi-Resolution Sound and 7 Backlight Colors

One of the best FM transmitters for a car is the AINOPE AV849 which not only offers crystal clear music streaming but with 7 backlight color options, you can funk up your car, too.

The Bluetooth 5.0 FM transmitter offers a solid stream and with the DSP technology AINOPE claim to offer even steadier stream.

As well as this, the FM transmitter also boasts a bass boost, which allows you to change to a lower frequency EQ setting. Of course, you shouldn’t expect this to make a major impact on your sound system, but it does offer a deeper sound.

The FM transmitter is protected by CVC noise cancellation technology, which ensures the stream is crystal clear. And with a built in microphone you can take and make handsfree calls clearly.

Handsfree calls can by controlled by Siri or Google Assistant for ease of use, while theres also a a joystick style button for controlling calls.

With 2 USB ports, the AINOPE Bluetooth car charger facility allows you to charge your devices with up to 80% efficiency. Of course the USB port can be used to stream music, too.

There’s not much between any of the FM transmitters in this review, but what makes this one stand out is the 7 color display options. Choose from red, green, blue, yellow/green, purple, cyan, and silver to jazz up your car.

As well as looking all colorful, the display clearly shows your FM frequency and keeps track of the condition of your car battery.

Nulaxy KM30 with Built In EQ – FM Transmitter

This is the second from Nulaxy and definitely one of the best FM transmitter for a car on the market.

Nulaxy are well-known for making great car accessories, and if you want an FM transmitter that you can control the treble and bass on your temporary radio station, you should consider this one.

With a 1.8” color display, the KM30 offers a solid stream via Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. The stream is as good as any other device on the market, and as well as the wireless connection, it offers an auxiliary and USB ports for streaming your music.

The USB charging port utilizes QC 3.0 technology which delivers high-speed charging up to 4 times faster than conventional charging.

The display is colorful and makes it easy to control your device, making life on the road safer. It’s easy to control your music, and the display also shows incoming calls, track name and number, FM frequency and battery voltage.

What puts this up there with the best FM transmitters, however, is its treble and bass control. The built in mini EQ allows you to switch between treble and bass mode, and to add some coolness to this device the color spectrum  on your display auto-syncs with your music.

Of course, any top quality FM transmitter wouldn’t be right without handsfree calls, and of course the Nulaxy KM30 offers this with a stronger microphone than standard devices.

This allows you to make and take handsfree calls with clear and loud sound reception, all done with Siri or Google Assistant if you prefer.

Monster FM Transmitter with External Mic

Monster by Xtreme Digital Lifestyle Accessories are well known for making FM transmitters and the brand’s latest device is its best yet.

As with most others, connect the device via your cigarette lighter to create a temporary radio station on a free FM frequency.

The Monster Bluetooth FM transmitter will pair with any Bluetooth device, and you can also stream your tunes with a flash drive via the USB or a Micro SD card.

The device is compatible with all the most popular music files, including MP3, WMA, WAV and FLAC, which should offer a clearer sound.

There’s an external microphone that allows you to control your FM transmitter easily with Siri or Google Assistant. Simply talk to it and it will search for the music as you command.

There’s music navigation controls on the display which makes it easy to flip from tune to tune, while the external mic also has an end call button, if you need to use it.

The external mic is connected to a 2ft cord and can also be used for taking hands-free calls. To be honest, it can get in the way a little, but some people like the design and it can be useful if there’s a not so good connection.

If you want to use it as a car charger, the dual USB port comes in handy, making charging multiple devices possible.

FM Transmitter for a Car – Buyer’s Guide

So, you want to make sure you get the best FM transmitter for your car, but you don’t really know what features make them stand out.

As with everything in the car audio and gadget space, there is not definitive best FM transmitter, but there are features that make some stand out. Many of the above include these, but for more information read this Buyer’s Guide and FAQs and you should be able to make a more informed decision on your purchase.

Fear not, this buyer’s guide and FAQs further down should highlight all your queries for ya..

Features To Look For

Signal Quality

First and foremost, check out the signal quality of your FM transmitter. You won’t get a car FM transmitter with a signal like any professional device, but make sure yours has noise cancelling technology as this will help eradicate any distortion.

Frequency Selection

There are many possible channels on the FM bandwidth, but not all FM transmitters use the full bandwidth. As well as this, with cheaper ones you’ll have to manually search for the frequency, whereas the best FM transmitters will have an auto-search feature.

Bluetooth

The best Bluetooth FM transmitter for a car will boast Bluetooth 5.0 at least. There is 5.2 Bluetooth out now but FM transmitters haven’t started using it as yet, but 5.0 gives you lots of data throughput speed and the sound and signal quality should be as good as a wired connection.

Compatibility

The best FM transmitters will be compatible with all the major devices such as iPhones, Androids and the best MP3 players. But if you have a device that is a little different or that only plays certain files, you should make sure the FM transmitter you’re looking at is compatible with your device.

Handsfree Calling

All the best FM transmitters will have an inbuilt microphone, and the very best ones will allow you to make or take handsfree calls without touching your smartphone. Not that you would anyway, of course.

Dual Charging Ports

While this isn’t a deal breaker, it does make life much easier. Having 2 USB ports is perfect as it allows you to charge more than one device at a time – and let’s be honest: we spend too much time with our electrical devices.

Display Information

Another not so critical feature nice to have: a good display with plenty of information. Nowadays, the best FM transmitters for a car will show you the track name, singer, car battery health and more.

Getting The Best FM Transmitter for a Car

So, there you have it: a review of all the best car FM transmitters and a buyer’s guide with more information.

You should now be able to discern the good from the bad and make a more informed decision when looking for one.

As with everything else electronic, there’s no out-and-out best, but certain features helps some stand out. So, whichever features it is you feel you need, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your new FM transmitter and your temporary radio station.

Car FM Transmitters FAQs

Here are some FAQs when it comes to FM transmitters. If you can’t find the answer to your question, please email us in the comments section and we’ll get back to you immediately.