Anker Roav FM Transmitter Review

Brady Meyers Avatar

Written by:

Updated 11:26 pm

Expert Rating

81

If you’re thinking about a Bluetooth FM transmitter radio adapter to add wireless BT connectivity and hands free calling to your car, but are challenged by the location of the power port in your vehicle, or you just don’t want an FM transmitter that’s so big that it takes over your car’s entire interior, then you must have a look at the Anker Roav FM Transmitter. While not mentioned in the Best Bluetooth FM Transmitter buyer’s guide, the Anker Roav FM Transmitter is well worth considering because of its super small size and advanced features. These are some of the things that make it a top-rated car stereo.

Why We Like It – Anker Roav FM Transmitter

The Anker Roav FM Transmitter is compact and yet doesn’t scrimp on capabilities and features including automatic tuning, noise cancellation, support for Bluetooth V5.0, dual USB ports including a USB-C port.

Pros
  • High quality build
  • Auto search for FM frequency
  • Dual USB ports with PowerIQ
Cons
  • No TF card slot
  • No volume control

Performance

The Anker Roav FM Transmitter is a small and very well built gadget that you plug into a car power port (a.k.a. cigarette lighter). The face of the Roav has dual USB ports, one USB-A and the other USB-C. Both support Anker’s PowerIQ technology for high-speed charging of devices. Setup is very easy –pairing the Roav to a Bluetooth device (smartphone, tablet, etc.) is straightforward and then, thanks to an auto scan feature that seeks out an unused FM frequency, you simply tune your FM radio to the frequency showing on the Roav’s display. Very strong Bluetooth connectivity on the Roav but also a 3.5mm aux output jack for line-out –making possible lots of different ways to configure the Roav for optimum sound quality. A built-in microphone and one-touch button on the face of the Roav to answer/hang-up phone calls. There are downloadable phone apps that add some cool capabilities (like find-my-car) and make possible software updates to be applied to the Roav. A manual on/off switch so you can make sure the Roav is off and not drawing power when the car is off (on many cars the power port is energized even when the car is completely shut down).

Design

The Anker Roav FM Transmitter design is small. Basically a mushroom shape with a stem that plugs into the power port and a control housing on top. The whole thing is less than 4” long and the face is about 2” wide. The tiny IMDEN Bluetooth FM Transmitter, voted #2 in the buyer’s guide, is still smaller. No real display capability on the Roav –just the frequency to tune your radio to for the in-car FM transmitter. No LCD screen such as on the Nulaxy Wireless Bluetooth Transmitter (No.1 in the Buyer’s Guide). A built-in microphone for hands free calling with noise cancellation technology (likely CVC’s passive ambient noise cancellation). Certainly a help (subjectively) but voice clarity ultimately depends more upon the location of the Roav inside the car and the orientation of the microphone relative to the person talking. The Roav supports the Bluetooth V5.0 spec which has enhanced connectivity. Dual USB ports located on the face of the Roav are easy to access. One is USB-C which “future proofs” the Roav FM transmitter since the tech industry is moving to this new USB interface over time. Both USB ports support Anker’s proprietary PowerIQ technology which senses and adapts the charging voltage according to the device to enable faster charging (note that this is not the same thing as QC or Fast Charging which are proprietary USB charging technologies from other vendors, and may be available as a car charger by different FM transmitter makers). For a car stereo with a color LCD display, go through our VicTsing Upgraded Version 1.8″ Color Display Bluetooth FM Transmitter review.

Value

The Anker Roav FM Transmitter is priced slightly higher than other FM transmitters, but is still a bargain with a good mix of advanced features. Some other “compact” FM transmitters do offer an LCD display. For a comparison, check out the VicTsing Bluetooth Transmitter Wireless Hands Free, which adds an LCD display if your car can accommodate a slightly bigger form factor. You can check out our BOSS Audio 616UAB Multimedia car stereo review if you want a traditional car stereo that works perfectly.

Anker Roav FM Transmitter Wrap Up

The Anker Roav FM Transmitter is a slick gadget to add modern wireless calling and Bluetooth connection features to your favorite car, truck, boat, or RV. The Roav is a high quality gadget that’s a snap to set up.