I purchased the Gruv-X because I was tired of waiting for the iTrip and with it's shady reviews I thought I would try something different.
I have to tell you it's a nice addition to my new 30GB iPod for only about $30!
It small, about the size if a small/mini pager, sturdy platic. there is a back lit LCD display with the old 80's style watch light bulb, it's old technology but works. there is only 2 buttons to mess with. the down button heald for 3 sec turns on/off the unit and also changes the frquency.
one nice thing about the unit is that you can change the frequency in .1 increments, so you could do 98.1, 98.2, 98.3...etc
Now all US radio stations only use the odd frequencys such as 98.1, 98.3, 98.5....etc where International usually uses even number frequencies so you can use this anywhere in the world.
one feature I like this Gruv-X over the iTrip is that I can use it with any device that has a headphone jack, including my old CD player or walkman
because it's powered by 1 AAA battery.
Now for the clarity of the signal, by far it's not CD quality nor does it sound better than if your iPod was plugged directly into your player. There is small popping and some static every now and again. the range on the specs show 10-20feet range and I have not really tested this but I believe it. The sound quality doesnt get better the closer I get it to my antenna. I have used it in 3 different cars and I can tell the difference in the quality between them. I think a lot has to do with the quality of your receiver and antenna. I live in Denver and almost all of the frequencies are used, trying to find one was difficult especally trying to find a station that has "open" air on frequencies either side of the station I am to use, but I found for me 88.1 works great. I expect it not to sound clear as a bell, but it performs as well as any given radio station.
Now traveling you will find that you will have to change the station every now and again when you go into other cities that are using your station, but a small price to pay.
One other thing is you must tweak the volume of the iPod and then use your volume on your radio, otherwise if you turn up the volume either too low or too high you get a lot of distortion coming through the radio. You also have to make sure to turn it off otherwise it will run the battery down, there's not automatic turn off feature.
Another feature I liked is it uses a curly cord (like a telephone cord) so I dont have to worry about undue stress on the cord if it's stretched like a iRock or Belkin FM transmitter
I have had it about a month now and love it. My girlfriend just got a 10GB iPod and after seeing that she could use it in her car with the Gruv-X she wants one!
Pros: small, Easy to use, No Downloads, can use it with other devices, self powered, curly cord
Cons: Old back light technology, some static/poping, have to turn it off yourself
Edit: here's a pic of the Gruv-X connected to my iPod
http://www.pbase.com/image/19235251
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