See, the problem is that any FM unit you get is only going to broadcast at limited power (relying on your amp or existing head unit to boost the signal cleanly), *AND* it's only broadcasting, no matter *how* much you pay for it, at a maximum of 22.05 kHz. That's the absolute best that FM can do, period. CD-audio is 44.1 kHz, and the quality is *very* noticable. This isn't a problem if you encode all of your mp3's at 22.05, but if you're encoding at "CD-quality" and then broadcasting via a "CD-it" or similar portable FM transmitter, you're quality is getting axed. You can still have stereo, but nothing like the clarity and cleanliness that I think you want. Plus, a head unit reciving on an FM band is getting a (relatively) dirty signal, with half the information of the signal from a CD...when it boosts that signal, you just get a *loud* dirty signal, see the problem? I know it's a whole lot easier to plug the empeg into a transmitter, but, if you're paying over a grand for the thing, I think it's *definitely* worth it to get a nice install. In terms of the portablity, are you really going to want to carry around a 5 pound box on a little handle with headphones?? For comparison, Sony's *big* car discman, the D-M805, weighs 8.75 oz (about half a pound, or just about 1/4 kg I think), without batteries, which is what you're going to have to do with the empeg. Just get a Rio! Maybe I completely misunderstood your definition of portable, but, umm, this beast was meant to be mounted in a car, and fed by a car, not carried around like a discman.

Umm, I'm reading your post again, and it seems as though you're asking for an antenna, not a transmitter. I thought you wanted to broadcast sound to your car stereo, not pick up FM broadcasts to the empeg. I'm not really going to touch that one...this component ain't a discman, and it is the biggest big daddy to the Rio that I've ever seen. Just think about the case you'd have to deal with, etc, etc, etc. Using it as part of your home stereo is one thing, but lugging this around??

Festus