Satellite Radio

[Max Ima]

A buddy of mine just got an XM Satllite radio. I think he has an Alpine or Sony head unit. He says its great. I went to the website looks cool. Any of you guys getting this?

[**DONOTDELETE**]

It's WORTH it, if a person is in thier vehicle for a good percent of the day and travels.
I wish it was around when I was running across the U.S. and Canada.
OOPSSSS images/icons/shocked.gif I guess it would not have worked to well then images/icons/frown.gif as
I was putting up the Satelite systems then, for the Micro Earth Stations.
BroadBand BABY.. All the WAY.
images/icons/grin.gif

[ChuckH]

I'm thinking about it. I have not had much opportunity to research the sattelite systems yet, but I hope someone makes a nice add on that will integrate with my current system. I hope anyone who does have it starts posting experiences here.

[KenFuji]

i'm thinking of getting it in the future... i played around with the demo at SEMA and it was very nice. you can listen to anything you want 24/7.. you don't even have to listen to lousy commericals images/icons/smile.gif

[KenFuji]

oh yes they have sepcial add-on devices so you can use your current radio

[ChuckH]

Yes, but I can't seem to find the "ideal" add on unit. I would prefer to have one that I could hook into my auxillary input, but I only see that Sony has one and it has a mini out instead of RCA outs. Not to mention, the unit is big and ugly. I like the Pioneer one, but it looks like I'd have to get the RF modulated model that way and I would rather not. That's probably what I will end up doing, but I'll wait a little longer and see if I can find what I really want.

[Black2Forty]

Chuck: you can do the sony unit and just use a minijack to RCA adaptor yo run it to your input. Cant do much for the size of the unit but if you mount it kinda out of the way you can use the wireless remote.

wowzers: your close but not quite there. if you could get DSL with commercials for free it would be cool.. but FM radio is nowhere near XM radio. Try saying if you could get dialup for free with commercials why pay for it. not a great deal. now if you can get DSL for a bit of money a month, with very little commercials, or ads, its worth it.

I sell the things and if anyone says why pay for it. well i've been listenig to it for a month and a half and i've heard about 13 commercials. Its awesome, the sound quality CAN be better than FM and almost CD quality.

[ 12-01-2001: Message edited by: Black2Forty ]

[Meeks32]

I believe the add-on unit so you can have satilite radio is $200+.

[FanaticZ]

i think it would be worth it if you can use the add on unit in your car and in your house, seems kinda a waste if you can't take it everywhere especially when u gotta pay. does seem cool to be able to get tv stations as well as radio stations though.

[Black2Forty]

The pioneer add on tuner is $200. But that only works if you have an IP-Bus head unit with a function button. Also 70-150 for antenna on ANY of pioneers units. Sony's Plug and Play unit All come with antenna. there is one which you can put onto ANY car with a cassete player is $300. For FM modulated you can do Sony for $400, or pioneer for $250, plus about 70-150 for antenna.
There is NO TV reception from XM, it is ONLY audio.

[FanaticZ]

the show i saw on tv said that xm satellite radio gets espn as well as a couple other channels, no tv display just the audio.

[taku]

i've got a new kenwood headunit that's Sirius Satellite ready.. just waiting for Sirius to go live. ....stiiiill waiting images/icons/smile.gif

[Meeks32]

You still have to buy the module that hooks up to the deck so you can pick up the stations.

[taku]

meeks: if you're talking to me.. i know images/icons/smile.gif but thanks for double checking

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I have had XMSR in my old Lexus for about a month and I think it is so far superior to FM in sound quality, or fiddling with CDs, that it is all I want to listen to. My head unit is an Alpine and I have the Terk small, bulbous, stick on antenna. Don't get that antenna as it came loose at 60mph. Get a glass mount or Alpine magnetic antenna.

Today I got a new Infiniti I35 and though the stock system is quite nice, I have to figure out some way to transfer over my Alpine or hope for an upgrade from Infiniti. In terms of frequency modulated adaptors, I haven't read the specs, but if they are limited to the frequency response of FM, forget it, you lose the superior sound quality of XM that way. Even my daughter's untrained ears could tell how much better XM is than local FM. I think XM and Sirius are the way of the future, like CDs were to cassettes, or FM stereo to AM. images/icons/wink.gif

[ChuckH]

Well, I did it! Both my Nakamichi CD-45z and my MB-70 changer died a couple weeks ago, so I went Christmas shopping. I bought a Pioneer Premier DEH-P430 head unit,a CDX-PD6 in-dash changer, and the GEX-P900XM.

Some observations:

XM radio is cool, but not without faults. Some of the MP3's being beamed down are not the best quality. XM needs to balance levels across stations and between songs. I'm constantly having to adjust the volume according to song and station. Too many country stations and not enough rock! images/icons/smile.gif

System comparison to Nakamichi:

The Nakamichi definately had better sound reproduction and was easier to use. Unfortunately, the good sound quality ended too soon, which hopefully won't be the case with the Pioneer setup. I'm willing to make some compromises in order to get a dependable stereo though.