Several years ago I decided that I couldn't live with the sound quality provided in my car by FM transmitters or cassette adapters . So, since my car stereo system allowed it, I had the dealer install a 1/8-inch stereo AUX input jack in my glove box. This allowed me to plug my iPod or iPhone directly into the car stereo system, which provided fantastic sound quality -- as good as it gets.

But... while this setup sounds fantastic (in both senses of the word), there are three reasons it's not even close to perfect:

1. My iPhone or iPod has to sit in either the glove box or a cup holder, neither of which is optimal.
2. Unlike an FM transmitter, this setup doesn't recharge my iPod/iPhone in the car.
3. Changing a playlist, song, setting, or anything else on my iPod/iPhone can be awkward at best and possibly dangerous as well (see reason #1).

So when I heard about TuneFlex AUX with SmartClick, a multifunction car audio system from Griffin Technlogy that...

1. Holds your iPod or iPhone securely on a rigid stalk while playing audio through your car's AUX input jack .
2. Recharges your iPod/iPhone.
3. Includes a wireless remote that can be attached to your steering wheel.

I thought I'd found the answer to my prayers. And it would have been if not for one fatal flaw that you'll hear about shortly.

The TuneFlex system, shown above, consists of three components (from left to right): The TuneFlex cradle and charger with 8 dock adapters (dock adapters not shown), the SmartClick remote, and a 1/8-inch stereo audio cable.

The cradle/charger has a flexible adjustable neck and plugs into your car's cigarette lighter so it can charge your iPhone/iPod while you listen to it.

The wireless SmartClick remote has a Velcro fastener for your steering wheel. But it's held on the mount magnetically so it can be removed and used by anyone in the car.

You plug one end of the audio cable into the base of the cradle/charger and the other end into your car stereo's AUX in port.

Everything works pretty much as expected with two exceptions -- one huge and one not so big. The not so big issue is that the magnet that affixes the remote control to the steering wheel mount isn't very powerful and I accidentally bumped the remote control hard enough for it to fall to the floor of my car more than once.

I could have lived with that, but the second issue was a deal-breaker for me. While there is a Gain Adjustment control near the base of the cradle/charger, even with the gain cranked all the way up the sound level was significantly lower than when I plug the iPod/iPhone directly into the AUX input port in my glove box. Significantly as in 25 or 30 percent lower. So much lower, in fact, that even with the car stereo's volume cranked all the way up it was possible to hold a conversation.

In other words, if I pulled the cable out of the TuneFlex and inserted it directly into my iPod or iPhone (without touching the volume control on my car stereo) it was much louder. And if I reversed the process and pulled the cable out of my iPhone/iPod and plugged it back into the TuneFlex it was much softer.

I'm sorry, but I'm a rocker and there are times when I want my stereo to play louder than it plays through the TuneFlex. So, much as I liked the concept and features, I had to remove it from my car and go back to the old non-recharging, semi-dangerous but great sounding jack-in-the-glove box setup.

The Bottom Line

TuneFlex AUX with SmartClick is a sweet product. If you can live with its lower listening levels it's great. But if you sometimes like to crank it up like I do, you'll be disappointed.