So I’ve thought about this more and more … if you’re not determined or worried about having CD quality or completely flawless sound for an application, what’s wrong with using FM Transmitters for wireless audio?
The idea came to me today when I saw this from Geeks.Com. It’s a FM Transmitter that they’re selling for $10, looks like at least average quality. I’ve seen similar type items out there in regular stores too at about the $20 range. I already take advantage of FM modulation for my XM Radio in my car, and likely will do so for my house too in the near future. When I saw this link though, it hit me … why shouldn’t people use FM Transmission for other wireless audio uses, or just to rid yourself of a wire or two?
It has one major advantage: affordability. Instead of buying special speakers or adapters to transmit the sound over a 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz band, you use the cheaper and already available FM bands and transmit music through that, and as long as the transmitter is of decent quality, it should work across rooms too through an apartment or small house.
There are disadvantages … you lack security, so don’t be listening to your private phone calls through this or anything you wouldn’t want your neighbor to anonymously hear, and you do revert to a FM quality sound. But in environments where you have an audio source and don’t want to run a long cable, and/or where you want to stream basic audio, this may be an option. There’s also the issue of powering the device … this transmitter features a mini-USB port, so you could in theory power it from the PC itself which is very nice, making it useful as a PC device.
I may try this in my bedroom. I have a boombox setup in a corner of the room to get it out of the way, and I’m thinking about bringing my PC upstairs in order to use it more until I move, it would sit in another corner of the room. I don’t want to run a 50-foot audio wire, nor do I desire the hassle of reaching back and getting to the AUX port of the stereo. This might just do the trick instead!
