» Maxell P-21 Portable iPod Remote Control

Maxell P-21 Portable iPod Remote Control Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: nice gadget ...
Comment: I bought this remote, because my car stereo has a aux in and my ipod battery is not good any more, need to charge in 15 minutes.

When I received this remote I have a good surprise it is better than I expected, because I can use it in my steering wheel.
The only thing I dont like is that the volume control is not the ipod volume, it is the volume of the accesory connected to the ipod.

But if you want a good remote control, this is what are you looking for.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: It works but needs design improvement - update: should be two stars
Comment: I really miss the iJet remote on my old ipod, it is much nicer but is not compatible with my new 5G video ipod. My ipod mostly lives on a shelf feeding my stereo though I'll occasionally use it in the car on long trips. This was the only compatible remote I found that had a small wireless transmitter.

The transmitter buttons are very flush and it's easy to hit the wrong one. No way to easily put it on a keychain. The assorted faceplates are pretty pointless though I did stick the black one on there to make cleaning any dirt from my hands easier over time. Note that this does NOT come with batteries; you'll need to go buy a coin type CR-2032 which is easily available. -1 star for transmitter.

The receiver unit sticks out like a sore thumb from the bottom of the ipod, especially if you have a power cable plugged in. It can be hard to keep seated if the ipod is in a case since it doesn't click in like the cables do. Might be a problem for joggers or those moving it around a lot for whatever reason. I really like the pass through feature, but that doesn't work so well if the entire thing loosens up. Once seated, it's worked well with anything else I plug in, such as power charger or FM transmitter. There is a jack in the receiver for listening, and the transmitter volume controls only work if you use this jack instead of the ipod's jack. But since it loosens so easily, I prefer the one at the top of the ipod and just forego using the remote volume controls. -1 star for the receiver.

This also comes with an armband that I don't think I'll ever have use for. There is also a plastic box to make it bigger in your hand if you want (I don't), and the neck string is hidden in a compartment in the back of of this box.

Not as nice as the iJet, but for my uses it's defintely better than nothing!
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-1 more star now, but I apparently can't edit that. I'd still give it two because it did do exactly what it's supposed to do, if only for a year.

It's now been one year + one week since I purchased this and I find myself shopping for a new remote. Recently all the buttons have stopped working, except the volume controls (I did eventually plug into the Maxell receiver) and it's not the battery. Granted, I probably abuse it more than most, but the old ijet on my 3G ipod is still holding up perfectly at work.

Griffin doesn't have pass through power, ABT doesn't make anything like this for a 5G, and the Apple remote has some pretty sour reviews on their site (seems not all the buttons work?). So until someone makes a suitable alternative, for this kind of price, this Maxell model will have to do for me. At least it's now half the price and as much as I use it, I'll spend the $15.

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