July 2004
XM and Sirius Satellite radio: A down-to-earth guide
HOOKUPS The SkyFi Receiver for XM (above) and the Audiovox SIR-PNP1 for Sirius (below), shown with car kits, also connect to home sound systems or home boom boxes.
Satellite radio is attracting lots of listeners who want a break from the homogenized playlists and endless ads on local FM and AM stations--and they don’t mind paying at least $10 a month for it.
We first listened to satellite radio two years ago, when it was mainly for cars. Sirius and XM, the two satellite-radio services, have since added programming and expanded at-home listening options. It was time to listen again.
SATELLITE OR NOT?
Satellite radio is for you if:
• Your taste goes far beyond Top 40--to big-band standards, world music, Broadway show tunes, garage-band rock, and more. Satellite delivers what landlocked radio doesn’t.
• You do plenty of highway driving and want the same channel coast-to-coast.
• You don’t like ads. The music channels on Sirius and XM are commercial-free, but some other channels run ads.
Sirius and XM are closely matched in monthly cost, programming, and receivers. Sirius costs more per month ($12.95 vs. $9.99 for XM), but has a slight edge in the cost of some hardware. Both have discounts for annual plans. Once you’ve settled on a service, you’re committed. To switch, you have to buy new hardware.
It’s easier to get satellite-radio reception in cars than in homes, we’ve found. During long drives, we could nearly always count on strong reception from both services, though overpasses and tunnels interfered. Getting good reception at home depends on positioning the radio’s antenna to pick up a strong signal from the satellites. The best reception wasn’t always in the room where we wanted the radio. Both services let you preview reception at home before you activate an account.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Pick programming. Sirius and XM don’t have identical channel lists. National Public Radio is only on Sirius, for example, and XM alone has Nascar sports/talk. Sirius has a channel devoted to gay and lesbian issues, as well as play-by-play for the National Football League and National Hockey League.
Both services offer at least 20 rock and pop channels, covering a range of music types. Both have three channels for classical music and three for Christian programming. Both also have continuous traffic and weather information for some 20 metropolitan areas.
Before you sign up, sample programs at
www.sirius.com and
www.xmradio.com.
Pick hardware. Satellite radio is often an option in new cars. The most economical way to add it to an older car is with a receiver that connects to the car radio through the tape-cassette slot. No tape deck? You’ll have to use an FM modulator. Sirius has docking kits for the car with built-in wireless FM modulators.
Good choices in hardware:
XM. The Delphi XM SkyFi Receiver SA 10000. It costs $130 and can be used with a car kit or home kit (each $69). It can also work with at-home boom boxes that cost $100 or $200 (the more expensive boom box includes AM, FM, and a CD/MP3 player).
For a complete package, try the Delphi XM Roady SA 10035, $125.
Sirius. The Audiovox SIR-PNP1, $90, or PNP2, $100. Kits for car or home use cost $30 to $50. The receivers work with a Sirius SIR-BB1 Boom Box, $100.
Just kiddin CC