So I recently landed a sweet 2hr commute to work and have decided to get satellite radio. I am definitely going with a portable (vs in dash) unit, but not sure which provider is a better option (XM vs Sirius).
Any of you out there have satellite radio? Any suggestions on which service is better? Quality of service ? Company longevity potential?
Thanks a million.
japple
I just got an XM Commander for Father’s Day, and I absolutely love it. Channel line-up between XM and Sirius seems fairly similar. There are some minor differences, such as Sirius has NPR (and Howard Stern next year). XM has MLB. I’ve heard anecdotally from people that know way more about this than I do that XM broadcasts at a higher bitrate (128k bps ?) than Sirius, so there’s a slight quality advantage to XM. From what I’ve experienced, the major difference in quality comes from how you install it. Easiest (and lowest sound quality) is the wireless FM modulator. Next best(sound quality-wise) is the wired FM modulator. The cassette adapter gives even better performance if you current stereo has a cassette player. Best quality sound is if your factory head unit has an aux input, or if you use an aux input adapter from someone like P.I.E.:
You can learn way more about XM in general (and HW and installation) on the forums here:
As far as longevity, XM has over 4 million subscribers now, while I think Sirius is still working to crack 1 million (I may be off a but on the Sirius #, but I know that XM has way more subscribers). Also, XM has a deal until the end of July, where if you buy an XM unit you get a second for free. I just got my free unit in the mail a few days ago and plan to install it in my wife’s car this weekend. Whichever route you decide, I think you’ll enjoy it way more than FM radio.
if you can get hold of a May 05 issue of Cargo magazine, there is a great shootout article
basically, if you want to go mobile you will have to go XM, like a portable unit
else go Sirius if you like dance/house as there are more channels
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That is disappointing to read. I was leaning towards Sirius but I really have to have portable.
then go XM, no big deal, XM has only a few less channels that I was looking for
look into an XM unit that allows you to use it in your car, on your hip, and at home in a stereo attachment
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Don’t sweat it. Sirius will be coming out with portables as well. They will be launching a HUGE campaign being Stern and considering they have all the Major sports such as NFL, NBA, NHL, English Premier League, Neck-car, Lance, Tony Hawk, Bam, Kelly Slater, Bode Miller, Jonny Mosley, Sinjin Smith, the later individuals are on Radio Faction alone (that’s one channel). They have multiple channels of every type of music you could want or not want. They have comedy-Jim Bruer(SNL-dude is funnier than hell), spritual (whatever floats your boat), political, Jimmy Buffet, Grand Master Flash, Eminem, etc etc etc.
Check out the comparison chart @
http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Page&cid=1065475754125
Ofcourse if you are older than the Rolling Stones maybe you should go with XM ;-).
Oh damn…I forgot Martha Stewart is going to have a channel as well 
Hahahaha!
Anyone ever have reception issues when bikes are mounted on roof racks?
I’ve got an XM MyFi radio and it rules. It’s portable (can be taken running), and comes with home and car base stations. The internal antenna is quite adequate as long as you aren’t running in the city or in a REALLY heavily wooded area. For the car or at home, the external antenna is key and gets great reception as long as you have access to a Southern exposure. I keep the car antenna on my dash and I notice that I get excellent reception heading south and about 95% reception when heading north. I think I may eventually mount it on my roof but I don’t want some punk ripping it off. Anyway, I got mine used for about $175. Look on craigslist and ebay. Oh…and the main reason I went with XM is for Phil Hendrie on channel 152 from 6 to 9 EST. The funniest damn show you’ll ever hear. GREAT way to make the commute home a bit easier.
If anyone has Sirius and has a set up that they’d recommend, I’d love to hear it. It’s hard to know what hardware to buy, what radios are of sound quality, etc.
I prefer the music on Sirius. I think they have better stations & music overall. That is totally personal though. You can listen to both streaming on the web, so listen and give both a try. IMO, Sirius is worth it just for the “Hair Nation” station… I’ve been disappointed when I’ve listened to XM.
I have none!
I’m a big fan of XM.
XM has deeper playlists than Sirius across the board…the biggest complaint on the Sirius message boards is how repetitive the music channels are.
XM has a big technology lead over Sirius. Just go to a local electronics store and compare the units, you can see the difference (be careful not to listen to the advice of the typical workers there though, they don’t know sat radio but pretend they do).
Finanically, Sirius’ accounting books are a mess since they sold their soul to Stern. They were already deep in the red from the NFL deal, I’m not sure how they’ll recover from it unless he brings them about 4-5 million quick subs. Of course, if you think he’s really all that, go with them (personally I’d rather listen to my neighbor’s dog bark all night than Stern).
XM is the only one that currently has a viable portable, but they both make several plug and play units that can go from car to home or work (you just can’t plug a headphone into them & listen as you walk, jog or bike).
Join the XM nation… It’s great…
Don’t forget to listen to Opie and Anthony on ch. 202
I was traveling this weekend and rented a car with Sirius. Had it tuned to “Hair Nation” for over half the time in the car! When we got tired of that we flipped it over to the 80’s station. Gee, I’m not dating myself here, am I??
Your new Element comes with XM. I’m lovin it.
I have XM, but Sirius has a much better music lineup. I will be switching for Little Steven alone. His underground Garage, which I listen to on the web, is the best radio show out there. He has a whole station on Sirius.
On either network, you will hear much more new music, and better music, than on any regular radio station. I am burnt out on XMs choice. You can either listen to 80’s/New wave, or Classic Rock. They seem to be missing lots of music I used to love. Sirius seems to fill in the gaps a little bit better.
On equipment, shop like crazy. You can get set ups for either at very cheap prices- Target has some good deals. I would wait for the “walkman” portability. The only unit out there now is pretty expensive, and I have read mixed reviews on it. Eventually it will get better and cheaper. Do get a unit that you can move between cars and home. I have mounts in my car, truck and home- which is the only reason I am holding off on switching.
I have an XM radio handheld thingie-magig. I bought it for the same reason that you mentioned . . . many hours in the car. I think XM is like cable though . . . tons of channels and nothing on. Before I got the XM radio I was burning through $40 books on CD like hotcakes . . . wish I could afford to keep doing that. They are way better than XM.
One caveat though: I haven’t done a lot of research to learn what channels and what times have interesting things on that I could potentially pre-record and listen to at my convenience. I usually flip between the sports stations, news stations, and the comedy channel.
Did you Ever try Sonic Theatre? I’ve never listened to it, but it sounds like it might be to your liking.
Also check out the link to audible.com.
I’ve had mine for over a year now. Three bike roof rack and a cargo carrier. Buildings and bridges are more of a problem. Just waiting for sirius to get the portable unit out. I’m new wave, channel 22. I bought a lifetime subscription which they probably still offer (check their website). You can get good units direct from them. I bought a new head unit and it came with the satellite receiver free. I would have prefered one of those plug and play units especially since they have cool features like programming your favorite songs in and then taking you to that channel whenever its on. Cool if you are into older, obscure stuff. Bought mine through Crutchfield and did all the installation myself and I’m one of those people that once I undo the back to anything electronic I usually end up having to throw it away.