Bought myself one of these a few weeks ago. And it’s due time that i give a stress test based on my continous usage with my trusty iPod shuffle.

The Airplay from Xtrememac fits into the iPod shuffle’s USB port (automatic power on) and the other end goes to the car charger. A small LED shows the current station tuned with +/- buttons to switch stations. The device makes use of the iPod’s volume controls to save on button real estate.

In terms of the “total user experience” i would rate this product as a 3.5/5 given my current audio set up: I have one of the lower end Pioneer head units with Keff speakers at the back and another set of Pioneers in front. To top it off, I got some generic tweeters on top of the dash. Now it most likely has to do with my ugly tweeters, because I hear a lot of static when the volume of the shuffle is turned up loud. So what I did was to rip off the tweeters (oh noes! I did!) and fiddle with the volume controls.

Best case situation is that my iPod volume is turned up really high and my head unit’s volume is in the middle. Oh, and kill / dampen the tweeters. Turns out that the number one complaint about the product was the hissing sound that would dissapear every now and then. Don’t get me wrong though, the Airplay is one of the better A+ FM tuners available to the general public. Do understand that the technology of streaming FM waves hasn’t been perfected yet.

So would I recommend it? Short answer would be YES, because it is small and portable, it doubles as a charger for the shuffle, and best of all, bursting with eye candy pops. SRP - P2,800.00.

Stay tuned for next issue’s full review of the Xtrememac Airplay FM Tuner.