Delphi SA10000 XM SKYFi Radio Receiver
By: Delphi Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 46
More Information
 On: 2005-10-10
I have been an XM Radio subscriber since July of 2003. My original radio was a SKYFI. It was great. In July my two year subscription expired, and I renewed for three years. In September I decided I wanted to use the service in a second vehicle. In order to use the same radio in both vehicles I was forced to Purchase a SKYFI II. I was told all I would have to do is switch the radio to my existing account. I did as told and for the last four weeks I have had no service.
I have spent at least five hours on the phone with XMs Customer Care and, like a previous reviewer, I have received nothing but blow off answers.
There is a problem with their software that does not allow the switch to the new radio. I have asked them to close my account and refund my money for the subscription, but they tell me they cant do that until they fix the problem with their system software. In other words, when they fix their system so they can activate my radio, then they can refund my money.
I have also asked them to send me a new radio, but they refused.
When I mention that I want a refund so I can switch to Sirius the hang up on me.
Im stuck with about $200.00 in equipment and $300.00 in a worthless subscription.
Be careful.
 On: 2005-08-22
I was sick and tired of hearing dj - chatter laughing over inane thing like going to the super market. I would go through my entire commute without listening to a single song. That made my choice clear, I needed music and didnot want to carry out a huge bag of cds with me all the time. I tried ipod with itrip but the fm transmitter never worked.
Finally i decide to give satellite radio a try. Some one told me Sirius was better for talk radio. I had it with talk on radio and wanted to listen to some music. So i went for XM. I absolutely love it. I fell in love with it when the first song I heard was from my favorite artist. It is so cool.
I had a little trouble activating it because i had to call twice to get the job done. But other than that the service has been flawless. Okay if you into tunnels you lose the signal but the 30 minute replay feature is there to save the day.
I love the constant stock ticker, the artist - name and song display. The feature when it beeps when my favorite artists song is playing on any of its stations. If that is not all I can listen to it online at work for free.
Did I say i love it?? Oh yes I do, my gf hates it, but she will get over it ;-)
On: 2005-04-06
I purchased one of the these directly from xm. It never worked. XM acknowledged it was defective equipment but refused to refund it. For the most part the xm customer service is absolutely terrible, either ignoring you or providing blow off answers.
 On: 2004-09-22
I purchased my XM Radio Skyfi system from Best Buy just before a cross country trip. My wife and I love it. However, after losing the signal a few times in the rain and then losing the signal for a few days after a heavy rain. I discovered that the magnetic antenna supplied with the system is "known" to be a problem. Best Buy techs know it. And Delphi, the suppliers of the system know it. When I called tech support at Delphi, I got a curt recommendation to seal the area of the antenna where the wire enters the antenna - then I wouldnt have any more problems. In other words, their problem was my problem. The Best Buy techs graciously told me if I got any kind of replacement antenna, they would replace my antenna at no charge. I couldnt find a replacement. The Delphi people need some customer service training. So, if you buy this system, save yourself some trouble and seal the area where the wire enters the antenna. If it werent for the antenna problem, Id give the system five stars.
 On: 2004-07-31
I purchased the Delphi SkyFi radio about 2 months ago. XM Radio is great and I rarely listen to AM or FM anymore -- only when I need to hear local news. I drive a whole lot, so the XM radio service is great to have whenever I drive through areas that have little or no regular radio service. No matter where I drive, I always have 100+ stations to listen to. Theres a wide variety of music, sports and talk. And, the weather/traffic stations are great too!
My complaints with the XM radio service: (1) some of the stations, by category, should be arranged more sequentially, and (2) the service only provides something like 16 characters for artist and title, which is really short. Cant understand that.
As far as the Delphi SkyFi radio, its great too! The sound is wonderful and there are 20 presets to save favorite stations. The only real problem with the Delphi radio is that it is difficult to read the radio face in daylight - daylight washes out the display. Also, the plastic on the display reflects just about any form of light, so during the daytime just placing your hand in front of the radio (and reflecting light onto the radio face) causes the light to be reflected back and further washes out the display. Just before dusk and until just after dawn, its very easy to read the display. I dont know why Delphi chose two contrasting levels of amber to use in the display. Looks nice, but its not very functional. Perhaps a standard green on black LED-type display would have been a better choice for making it easy to read regardless of the light level. Of course, when I use the Delphi radio inside the house, the display is very easy to see.
If you choose to connect the Delphi to your home stereo system, youll be pleased. We turn on the radio and hear commercial-free music inside and outside the house. Forget TV! XM radio provides a better selection of music than the digital cable system. Just make sure when you choose to connect this to your home stereo system that you order the extra XM radio antenna extension cable. Its unlikely that you will be lucky enough to place the XM antenna right next to your home stereo system.
I paid for the XM service for one year in advance for the small discount. 2 and 3 year plans provide bigger discounts. I cant imagine giving up the service. I wonder just how successful ground-based digital radio will be whenever it arrives. Maybe it will be free, but it will have a whole lotta commercials and annoying DJs, and if you travel in rural areas there still will be few stations to listen to.
Also, get a professional installation!
by: Anonymous On: 2004-07-14
I have had one of these units for myself and bought one for the girlfriend. These units provide pretty good reception (much better than FM) and are easy to use. My complaints would be that the display can be washed out in the sun light, and that it is a little oddly shaped for the car dash in some cars, and that there is a need for better filtering on the home unit power supply eliminating the chance for buzzing sounds. I purchased this unit for my girlfriend and she loves it and uses it every day with no complaints.Review of both Sirius and XM radio: I have had both of these services. Pluses for Sirius are better sound quality (more sharp clear and "open" music with less clipping distortion throughout the frequency range), and they used to be the only one of the two to offer commercial free music. Negatives for Sirius. The repeats on Sirius are pretty bad at the moment. Not what one expects to hear after paying 12.99/month There is OutQ (look it up on the Sirius website), which is fine, but this agenda bleads into ALL of the other radio stations, so if you are a person of strict faith, you may want to avoid Sirius as the DJs and commedians seem to have an agenda to push, and can offend sensitive listeners. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE! I was on hold the first time for 25 minutes waiting just to speak to someone before hanging up, wrote and email being "invited to call customer service to discuss my issues" and waited 45 minutes just to speak to a person the second time. Total process the second call was probably around an hour and ten minutes. Pluses for XM radio:
Great customer service, Used them three times and havent a complaint. Now with no commercials. Less repeats on the 80s station than the competition, and they have some other fun stations like Sonic Theater where they read books and act out drama. This service is only 9.99 versus 12.99 for Sirius. I beleive XM has more useful equipment. Less offensive and no personal agendas to push. Minuses for XM Radio:
There is some audio clipping making the music sound a little "muddy" and tiny. The highs seem to be clipped. The audiophile will probably prefer Sirius. The talk on XM sounds a little like that computerized kids game of the 80s Simon. Kind of fake and robotish. Conclusion:
You decide, I personally picked XM, then went to Sirius, and now I am back with XM. Listen to them in a store and ask friends about them. Good luck!
On: 2004-07-11
The answer is yes, and the reason in two words is Howard Stern.Not that I listen to Howard Stern, but the FCC has made it clear that the free broadcast spectrum is to be filled with nice words. Nor do I object to nice words. I like them. It is just that creativity and spark are going to find other outlets. These outlets will be on subscription radio. In the meantime, what is on XM is sensational. From comedy (even comedy that is not FCC approved) to music channels without any commercial content to America Right and America Left talk radio (Al Franken is here, folks)to sports. This receiver will work in your car, home or at the beach with a boom box. As to XM itself, it is an evolving medium, but the pace of evolution is very rapid. Get on the XM train and enjoy the ride.
On: 2004-07-10
Ok first off, let me say that I LOVE the XM service and stations. I havent listened to the regular radio since I got it. My problem is with the car installation. I opted for the professional installation via Circuit City. I dont want to give CC a bad name, but my experience was not a good one. First off, its mounted so poorly that I could literally pull it right off the console ( its installed on my front center console - I have a Toyota Sequoia). I have to be very gentle every time I pull the receiver out and God help me if I bump it - it will come right off. CC told me thats the best they can do for making it sturdy...? XM has GOT to come up with a better way - I paid a lot of money for all the components and to have it done right - I feel like I could have gotten the same results with just the regular plug in vehicle kit!
Ok I could accept that part IF the sound was better. I get a hissing sound and the quality of my XM sound doesnt come close to that of a CD or even my regular radio. I read the review about this, but my FM modulator is made by Delphi so I know its compatible. I also called Circuit City and they told me there is nothing they can do except to adjust the audio output. Even after playing with this feature I cant get rid of the hissing. Maybe someone out there can help me because I really DO love XM - I just thought that the sound quality was going to be better or at least EQUAL to my stock radio!!
On: 2004-06-23
XM radio is great! I feel like Ive been living in the dark ages relying on commercial radio. My 30-45 minute commute had become such a drag with endless channel surfing between NPR (and its left-leaning politics), talk radio (with its constant commercial breaks), or FM music (same songs played over and over). XM is so refreshing, and the sound quality is excellent. The Delphi receiver is easy to use, and I appreciate its larger screen vs. the Commander which I almost purchased. Also, I like having the option to hook it up to my home stereo, as I prefer XMs music options over those offered by Comcast digital cable. Installation was a snap, and the cassette adapter works fine. However, for cosmetic reasons Im going to permanently hook up the receiver using a Blitzsafe adapter. The adapter is pricey ($99), but I have a new Honda Pilot and dont like having a wire hang from the cassette player. I highly recommend the Delphi SkyFi receiver!
On: 2004-06-21
I knew that this product delivered radio by a digital broadcast via satellite so I expected noise free sound without fadeouts and I knew they had over 100 channels and that all the music channels are commercial free, but I was somewhat skeptical about the sound quality beyond the noise free advantage and I was also skeptical about the diversity and depth of the music programming. I had been burned out by the monotony and commercial overload on FM. What a pleasant surprise. The music is free of annoying digital artifacts providing sound quality comparable to the CD player on my home stereo - better than the best FM stations. The sound fidelity on the many talk shows is not as good and you can detect some digital compression, but it is not annoying and the sound is better than any AM station and the reception reliability is way beyond AM, especially if you are driving some distance in your car - same station and reception quality all the way across the country. The music programming is top notch. Frankly it exceeded by best expectations. I really hadnt figured you could put together so much great music within a genre on radio, I simply have not heard radio like this before. While they do have stations that play all the hits from various music styles, most go way beyond the hits playing tunes you had forgotten or havent even heard from some of your favorite artists and you will discover new ones as well. I had become bored with radio, especially music, and I have started my love affair all over again. I still hit the FM button once in while, but only to listen to NPR; for music, news, comedy and sports chatter you cant beat the XM button. One sideffect is that you will probably buy a lot fewer CDs since you can now instantly select interuption free music to fit any mood in seconds.
by: kent@csalarm.com On: 2004-06-18
After having XM Radio for about a month now, I really wonder if its worth it. I am in my car a LOT which is why I thought XM would be nice to have. However, after listening to it a LOT, I have come to realize that they play the same stuff over and over again. While 100+ channels seems like a lot, there are only a few decent channels to listen to and then, one must get used to repeat programming. Its sort of like having 100+ TV channels...Even though there are a lot of channels, theres very little worth listening to. Worst of all are all the Viagra advertisements. Do they think that their audience is composed mostly of impotent males? Next, are the advertisements for XM radio. How stupid! One has to already have an XM radio to hear the ad, so why bother advertising something to someone who already has the product.. Its just an annoyance. Out of the 100+ stations, there is only ONE Classical station, there are NO "Classic Rock" stations, NO "New Age" stations, but there are at least FIVE RAP music (if you can call that music)stations. I might be willing to pay $2 a month for XM, but not $10 a month. Its an overblown gimmic.
On: 2004-06-17
After having XM Radio for about a month now, I really wonder if its worth it. I am in my car a LOT which is why I thought XM would be nice to have. However, after listening to it a LOT, I have come to realize that they play the same stuff over and over again. While 100+ channels seems like a lot, there are only a few decent channels to listen to and then, one must get used to repeat programming. Its sort of like having 100+ TV channels...Even though there are a lot of channels, theres very little worth listening to. Worst of all are all the Viagra advertisements. Do they think that their audience is composed mostly of impotent males? Next, are the advertisements for XM radio. How stupid! One has to already have an XM radio to hear the ad, so why bother advertising something to someone who already has the product.. Its just an annoyance. Out of the 100+ stations, there is only ONE Classical station, there are NO "Classic Rock" stations, NO "New Age" stations, but there are at least FIVE RAP music (if you can call that music)stations. I might be willing to pay $2 a month for XM, but not $10 a month. Its an overblown gimmic.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-13
Im sorry, but all my friends have Sirius. XM has absolutely ZERO content. Sirius has NFL games, NBA exclusive, NHL exclusive, NPR (also exclusive) and a ton more content than XM will ever be able to afford.XM is partially owned by Clear Channel. Why keep feeding the pig? Sirius.com and youll be changed forever. XM, nice try, but Sirius is gonna shine. XM can keep pumping out GM cars with the service in it.
On: 2004-06-13
I wrote a review last week about my extreme unhappiness with the Delphi receiver. I was wrong, and I apologize to those who may have been misled by it.I had the unit wired directly into my cars power and speaker systems to avoid temporarily plugging into the aux power supply and the cassette player. It sounded like crap, with a continual hissing noise in the background on all channels. It got even worse as volume was added. The supposedly professional car audio people who installed it told me there was nothing that could be done, that nothing better could be expected from an add-on unit. They knew of nothing that could be done. I was ready to have it uninstalled, because it was so bad that I couldnt bear to listen to it. As a last resort, I took it to Circuit City. They said the FM modulator installed by the car stereo people was not really compatible with the Delphi unit. Circuit City installed a Delphi modulator, and now the sound quality is as good or better than the factory XM radio in my other vehicle. It is crystal clear at all volumes; not a hint of static. Also, this Delphi unit has a lot more features than the factory unit in the other vehicle. I feel badly about having trashed this unit, when it is the morons who installed it who should be getting the bad review. And believe me, they will be getting a blistering critique in person as soon as I can get up there. Again, I was wrong, and I apologize.
On: 2004-06-10
I had my Sky-Fi installed by a professional stereo shop because I wanted it wired directly through my car radio. I didnt want the exposed wires that were required in using the vehicle adapter kit, which requires plugging into an auxiliary power source and into the cars cassette player.This involved purchasing an FM modulator for about $40. The install cost another $100. Looked great. But sounds like crap. Once I got home and got the radio activated, I discovered that the sound quality is nothing like the quality of the XM I get from a factory unit that came in my other vehicle. I went back to the installer and they said theres nothing that can be done to improve the sound quality. They said anytime you add something to an existing radio, poor sound quality can be expected. They said using the vehicle adapter kit, with the exposed wires, would not have made any difference. This problem, they said, is common. The reception is fine, but there is a constant hissing sound in the background that gets worse as volume is added. Its on every station. Its so bad that we are going to have it removed from the car. The quality is just not worth listening to, even though its wired to a high-quality Volvo factory system, which otherwide puts out great sound. According to what Im being told, a self-contained factory unit is the only way to ensure good quality sound. I get great quality in my factory-equipped truck. I would recommend staying away from any add-on satellite receiver, or at least check out the facts with a reputable stereo shop before you make the investment. Everything I spent is down the drain.
On: 2004-05-31
I purchased this receiver from Amazon a few weeks ago and subscribed to XM service. Everthing went completely smooth including the vehicle and home install with the optional kits that I purchased. I have had nothing but amazing reception in my vehicle and house with no difficulties. My vehicle antenna is simply in the middle of the roof on my Dodge Ram and gives me 3 bar power about 99% of the time here in Northern California. My home install also went perfect by simply "throwing" the antenna on my roof and doing nothing else, I was able to get 3 bar reception always. This unit is excellent. Has some very nice features like: coming with the remote, large, easy to read display, easy to use manual turn dial, plenty of presets, memory (song) save, and mute on the remote, XM service, multi-line display (more info than the Roady). I have this unit and I also own the Delphi Roady. Both are excellent receivers with varying options and particulars. I would most definitely recommend this unit to anyone. My suggestions: Buy the Delphi SKYFi Carrying Case as the unit can scratch easily. There are some nice features that this unit is missing compared to the Roady and some that it has that the Roady doesnt For instance, this unit comes with the remote (an absolute *must* option on the Roady), this units display is capable of listing more channel information at once, this unit has a mute button on the remote, etc. The Roady has its +++s though. Smaller, more colorful & customizable if that appeals to you, instant "favorite song" find, ten more presets, etc. Think about both. I enjoy both. My wife now has the SKYFi and I am running the Roady. We are both very happy. No complaints.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-05-20
The programming is great and the reception in my area is very good, but the equipment does not measure up. In home use, the output from the receiver is so low that you must either turn up the volume to the max and get speaker hum or use the monaural setting. A $20 radio sounds better. Tech support refused to admit there is a problem. I tried 4 different receivers and speakers, and none were satisfactory. Save your money until Delphi admits there is a problem and fixes it.
On: 2004-05-06
Forget the naysayers. This product was worth every penny, as well as the subscription fee. I do not own a car, as I am legally blind. However, one does not need to own a car to enjoy XM radio. I live in the Coachella Valley in southern Central California, and quite frankly, the radio reception here bites, even on shortwave. I also live in an stucco reinforced apartment, with NO WINDOWS at all in my bedroom.My Sky FI radio rests in the boombox docking station, and sits on top of my televison set. The antenna is simply clipped to the back of the boombox, and I do not use a single inch 0f its 20 foot cable. The radio works flawlessly. All 121 channels. No fading or digital artifacts. The sign up process was quick and painless. I was up and running in under an hour. Belive me, XM blows regular radio out of the water. My two favorite channels are 163 (Sonic Theater) and 164(Old Time Radio) These 2 channels are well worth the subscription cost alone. XM radio should side market this product to the visually impaired or blind as well. I could think of no greater a gift for someone blind, such as myself. An A PLUS!!!
On: 2004-05-05
Forget the naysayers. This product was worth every penny, as well as the subscription fee. I do not own a car, as I am legally blind. However, one does not need to own a car to enjoy XM radio. I live in the Coachella Valley in southern Central California, and quite frankly, the radio reception here bites, even on shortwave. I also live in an stucco reinforced apartment, with NO WINDOWS at all in my bedroom.My Sky FI radio rests in the boombox docking station, and sits on top of my televison set. The antenna is simply clipped to the back of the boombox, and I do not use a single inch 0f its 20 foot cable. The radio works flawlessly. All 121 channels. No fading or digital artifacts. The sign up process was quick and painless. I was up and running in under an hour. Belive me, XM blows regular radio out of the water. My two favorite channels are 163 (Sonic Theater) and 164(Old Time Radio) These 2 channels are well worth the subscription cost alone. XM radio should side market this product to the visually impaired or blind as well. I could think of no greater a gift for someone blind, such as myself. An A PLUS!!!
On: 2004-04-29
Its small, light weight, and amazing. I love XM Radio and you should too, so buy it.
On: 2004-04-28
I recently rented a Cadillac from Avis and was able to listen to XM at no charge. My wife and I really enjoyed it and decided the home kit option was something we were very interested in as we dont spend long periods of time in our cars. I was reluctant at first because of worries regarding the antenna not being in a south-facing window. My stereo system is in a built-in entertainment wall and does not allow for the antenna to be pointed at a south facing window. After reading that many others have had success with the antenna in less than ideal areas, I decided I would give it a try. My house is 2 years old, one story brick with a normal pitched roof consisting of plywood decking and dimensional fiberglass shingles. It has 10 foot flat and tray ceilings. After hooking up the cables to my surround sound receiver and placing the antenna on the top of the stack of stereo components, I pointed the antenna generally to the south and toward the ceiling at about 45 degrees. I plugged the SkyFi in and immediately was getting two bars on the signal strength indicator. I do not have terrestrial repeaters in my area, so I am relying solely on the satellite. After a few quick adjustments I was getting 3 bars or it bounced between 3 and 2 bars. I was very happy to have it work, and it is not even close to sitting in a south-facing window. After getting a strong signal and hearing the sample channels loud and clear, I activated the subscription online. I timed it and it took 12 minutes before the tuner updated and began receiving all channels. I was pretty impressed it activated that quickly. I generally listen to talk radio in the car along with a few CDs and I absolutely despise FM radio with all of the repetitive commercials and DJs having meaningless "conversations" with people that call in requests. I love the concept of satellite radio. I like to hear different types of music depending on the occasion or mood Im in. XM is like a jukebox in the house with something new and different on each channel. I am terrible with song names and groups so I especially like to be able to look up and see the info on the Delphi display. I picked XM over Sirius because I had a chance to hear it in the Avis rental car and I trust Delphi equipment. Satellite radio IS rocket science, but you dont have to be a rocket scientist to enjoy all it has to offer. Overall, I am very happy with the SkyFi, the home kit, and the XM service.
On: 2004-04-25
This is a mixed review on the delphi skifi reciever.This reciever sounds pretty good in the skifi boombox in my home I get stereo sound and XM on this reciever sounds as good as FM.In my car however it doesnt sound so good but than again I have bad speakers so that is why.I get a muffle in the speakers in my car but I have overlooked this because I enjoy my favorite music station anywhere I drive without it fading out.The signal quality on the delphi skifi is great on mine in the house.In the car its pretty good too.I barely see the signal drop from 3 to 1 unless I drive by tall trees than it goes back up to 3 when I pass the trees.This skifi delphi has some strong points and weak points.Strong Points
1)Great sound as long as you have good speakers.I get stereo sound in my boombox for the skifi.
2)The display looks great at night and is easy to read.It has a beautiful orange color.
3)It shows artist and song info.By hitting the display button you can change how it reads.If your sitting a long way from it you can set the display to show real big letters that scroll artist and song info across.You can also choose between the normal sized artist and song info that doesnt scroll or just to display the channel number in big numbers.
4)You can select a lot of your favorite channels and save them.
You can also set it to direct were you just punch in the number but you must punch in 3 numbers for example 024 for channel 24.
5)You can transport this from your car cradle to your boombox without an additional subscription fee.
6)The unit is small enough to put in your pocket.
7)This reciever comes with a remote control which works pretty well. Weak Points
1)This display is hard to see in bright sunlight.
2)The reciver scratches very easy so be very careful.Also fingerprints show up and are very noticabale.
3)This reciever gets hot when in the boombox and car cradle but this is normal. If you want to get xm radio pick up the skyfi because you can move it from your car into your home and this thing sounds incredible thru good speakers.Also the good thing about having xm in your car you can drive anywhere in the united states and not having to worry about your favorite radio station fading as it becomes more distant.Xm has music choices for every musical taste in addition to news,talk,weather,comedy and traffic channels with no commercials on music channels.Xm also has music formats you wont usualy find on AM and FM.Some of the more unique music formats they play is: Bluegrass Music Ch 14 Called Bluegrass Junction
Beautiful Music Ch 24 Called Sunny
Standards Music Ch 73 Called Franks Place
They have 3 different channels of Classical Music in the 110-113 channels.
New Age Music Channel 103 Called Audio Visions
They also have 3 channels of Jazz. These are just the unique formats they also have many kind of country,rock,metal,rap,christian and r and b stations.You cant go wrong with xm satellite radio.You only pay less than ten dollars a month for the music and you get the unique formats above that arnt on FM anymore and best of all no commercials on music channels.
On: 2004-04-23
Im sorry, but, I cant give good ratings for the Delphi SKYFi
products ( I purchased the SA10000 SKYFi Receiver and the Audio System) or Delphi as a company. My problem is the SKYFis reception. I rate it as down right poor in my area (Sumter, SC). Nowhere in their advertising of their product do they state that you essentially must have a South facing windoin which to place the satellite radios antenna. My South facingwindow in my house is a garage. I dont want the radio in my garage and even when I did place it there, reception was weak at best. Many times the signal would drop out for 10-15 secs. This may be different if you live in an area with what they describe as a "XM land based repeater", but, how would you know as you only find this out after you buy the product. I then tried it at work where my dental operatories face Eastward. I received "No Signal". It turns out the radio and speakers (audiosystem) are worthless to me. I essentially have a $200 paperweight. I then called Delphi to inquire about my problem and if I could get a refund due to their poor product performance. All they could do for me is to refund my activation fee and not charge me the monthly fee for service. I requested to talk with a supervisor who reinforced they could do nothing and essentially said "Sorry". You had better research the Delphi products and how they perform in your area before buying them or you might be throwing away your money as I did.
On: 2004-04-21
As a caveat here, Ive been a subscriber of both XM and Sirius at different times. Im not here to pump or dump either service or comment on programming -- simply the merits and drawbacks of the SkyFi, so here goes. (1) I managed to break the SkyFi within 10 minutes of setting it up at home, simply by trying to turn the round tuning dial, and this didnt instill confidence in quality or build. I was able to get it replaced at my retailer, fortunately. Otherwise, the size of the unit is quite nice and the remote is slick. The display is nice, although the config options are a bit limited (and its very, very red, which can be annoying to view). (2) The satellite reception was not bad but it was very, very touchy as to location. To that end, I moved to an apartment with a north/west exposure, so using it there was out of the question (no signal at all); ergo, Im no longer a subscriber. (3) I also considered purchasing the Boom-Box rather than simply plugging into my home stereo -- a friend still has his boom-box, but the volume on it is weak (its only 4W output), and it has no adapters for external devices. Stylish, yes. Functional, not so much. It worked better through my home stereos Aux input -- even the latest boom-box model is still ONLY a 4 watt output, which is less than most cheap PC speakers. -- Again, I wont discuss programming (I personally enjoyed XM, but thats a personal preference). The unit is nice, but there are some limitations, especially if you consider the satellite orbit for XM is very low and south-only; if you dont have that orientation available, try Sirius.
On: 2004-03-20
I purchased this unit from ... last week.
The sound quality is excellent, and the signal is great. however if you do live in a mobile home, you will need to mount your antenna OUTSIDE to recieve good signal.
There is so much to choose from on XM radio, it will take months to sample each and every channel. This is a good upgrade from the HORRIBLE fm reception that we have been listening to for so long! no complaints! i love XM. do your self a favor and GET XM TODAY!!
...BE CAREFUL With the face of this unit, it doesnt take much to scratch it!
On: 2004-03-14
Ask the salesperson about the antennas. Ask them what their half-life is. I say a year. Ive had mine for about two years, and all of a sudden Im getting a -no signal-. My friend had to replace his because he went through too many car washes. The product is great, but get the best antenna (all of them work fine with each model, i.e. sony antenna with pioneer equipment) that is out there. Im talking about the big one that is basically standard with the first units. At first I thought it was too big, then I thought I could deal with it on the roof of my car, put it on, now I think its too big. Ill be switching out to a new, small model. I think its the size of my thumb...
Go with FM modulation, and I love XM.
 On: 2004-03-06
I received a SkiFi receiver for Christmas, its outstanding! I love it! But when the receiver started malfunctioning 3-months later I had to deal with Delphis unforgivably poor customer service, definitely something to consider before purchasing.
On: 2004-02-27
XM is the only way to fly! The Delphi sa10000 and Delphi boombox
have changed the way I listen to music and to talk radio.
I no longer have to listen to the inane commercials and d.j.
talk of local radio.Sound quality is great and channel selection
is amazing.The only weakness is the battery life when going
completly portable.
Ive signed up for a five year subscription at a reduced rate
of well under $10 a month.
Enjoy!
On: 2004-02-24
I purchased this receiver and vehicle kit to use with my existing factory car stereo. First I will list the pros, and then the cons.Pros: Very easy to install and get up and running, large diplay easy to read in dim light or darkness, full function remote, receiver functions are easy to understand and operate, sound quality is much, much better than FM (actually rivals CD quality), cant beat it for $100. Cons: Bundle of wires is cumbersome, cannot change display color (orange is all you get), my biggest complaint is about the mounting bracket that comes in the vehicle kit. It has fallen off my dash about 3 times because the adhesive isnt strong enough to hold up the weight of the unit, especially when it gets warm inside the vehicle. Overall, I definitely recommend this unit if you dont want to replace your entire stereo with an XM-ready unit. Price is excellent, sound quality is excellent, and station selection is definitely 1000 times better than FM.
On: 2004-02-04
I purchased this receiver for home use so I also bought the home adapter kit. The out-of-the-box cable that connects the adapter to the home receiver/preamp was cheap and unshielded, and caused a loud hum in my system. I replaced it with a shielded iPod Monster cable for $20 and the hum went away. I was surprised at how good the sound was through a $30K stereo system. It is not CD quality (uses lossy compression) but was better than my Stereophile Class A tuner. The design is also great; it is nice looking, small, has a cheap but full functioning remote, and a large display (if you use the scroll option). The programming and commercial free format make XM Radio a very worthwhile investment.I would highly recommend this as a great addition to any home stereo system with an available RCA input for an additional device. There was an audiophile version of an XM Radio home tuner which included FM, but I do not believe it is currently available.
On: 2004-01-19
Stick with XM and this tuner. Sirius has fewer commercials, its true. But Sirius also has much much worse sound quality. I have had XM for a year now. I recently tried Sirius thinking that it would be better for not having as many commercials and more channels. I found the sound quality of Sirius unacceptable - like a bad set of computer speakers. You probably wouldnt notice the difference in the average sound system installed in a car (with pleanty of outside noise to mask the sound). You will definitely notice the difference on your home stereo....
On: 2004-01-16
I love my Delphi radio receiver! I got this as a gift from my husband and Im so impressed with the quality of the sound (I have the boombox to go with the receiver). The programming is excellent, too. For a mere $9.95 a month, you get over 100 channels. I love the vast array of music that is available. From Blues to Classical, or World Music to Hard Alternative, XMs programming satifies any music lovers tastes. Im also saving money, because Im not buying nearly as many CDs as I used to. AND, starting in February 2004, the programming will be totally commercial free! So, if youre weary of listening to commercial radio and sick of hearing the same songs played over and over, go buy a Delphi receiver! You wont be sorry.
On: 2004-01-06
I am 100% satisfied with my purchase of the XM satellite radio service. The variety of different music is staggering, the sound quality is excellent, and its pretty affordable to boot. Finally, I can listen to "Phil Hendrie" (yay!), then switch over and listen to anyone from Pixies to Bach, Tupac to Nirvana. I can listen to The OReiley Factor, then maybe some old radio dramas, then check tomorrows weather on (what else?) the Weather Channel. I can even listen to "Behind the Music" or the "E! True Hollywood Story" on my way to work. The display is bright and easy-to-read, and the remote is handy (although extremely small), and paying your bill via the website is fast and easy. I have rediscovered radio thanks to XM, and Ive even started missing some of my favorite television programs because of it. Maybe I should get a TiVo. Anyway, the XM is much, much better than I could have hoped. Get one!
On: 2004-01-04
I bought the system for my wife for Christmas because she loves music of all kinds. I have searched for years to get the best gift for her and my search ended with this. It has great music no matter what you listen to as well as News and Sports that I can listen to when she is at work or a sleep(the only times she is not listening to it). It is easy to set up in either house or home and offers digital sattelite quality. I recommend this for anyone who loves music and is tired of all the talk and BS on the radio.
On: 2003-12-15
This is a review over all for the product and the service. Xm is great, there are commercials on about only half of the 70 music channels. But, there are very, very few commercials and you pay $36.00 less per year for, what I feel, is a better service. XM maybe has 1 or 2 commercials per hour and they have better personalities running the stations, meaning that people take on a character when introducing the music. Sirius has self promoting commercials by Pam Anderson but they never tell you that.
The XM hardware is fantastic, getting better and the price has dropped nicely.
It is nice that this module just pops out of the car and can be used anywhere with other adaptors or the boombox.
On: 2003-12-08
What a great invention. I just had this installed as an aftermarket item on my Suburban. Ive had it for 2 months and love it. The product itself is easy to use, logical. The XM service needs to be updated with more stations to listen to.
On: 2003-11-10
I LOVE music. Every song has a title there are no commercials and I never lose reception.I am going to buy one for both my brothers for christmas! They had a rebate on mine because they are getting close to 1 million people signed up. I am still the first peron I know with one! You have to try this out its worth every penny. Check out Sirius too, its not as popular because of the price and fewer music channels but all over their stations are commercial free unlike XM which has 40 without and 60 with (3 mins or less per hour)
On: 2003-11-09
I now listen at home, in the car and at my desk at work. If you are a cubicle prisoner, and can use headphones, it is a godsend.Please note that many people tell you how "bad" XM is, and then immediately start touting the distant-second competition, Sirius, which is a darling of the penny-stock daytraders. Their motives should be obvious to most. Of all of the XM satellite radios available, the SkyFi is (by far) the most versatile. Many use it to get XM just about anywhere with just one subscription. Of the two services, I think XM will be the sole survivor, as they currently have over a million subscribers, while Sirius has less than 150,000 at last report. For high-end audio enthusiasts, the SkyFi tuner, along with the home kit, integrates well into high-end home audio systems. I have found XM to have better sound quality than Sirius, which is also the opinion of several independent tests that have been published. If you are curious about XM, ask someone you know who owns one. The subscriber base is growing so fast, it should not be hard to find someone. XM, and the Delphi SkyFi, are great.
On: 2003-11-07
I have had 2 SKYFis for about 4 months now. My wife and I use them in our cars and in the house connected to the stereo and to the computer speaker sound system. We each have a cradle in our cars and there also a cradle by the stereo system and a cradle by the PC.
My wife likes to listen to Jazz. There are seven Jazz channels on XM so she is really happy with her listening choices. I like to listen to many different things all day long. I really like the news channels, CNBC and Bloomberg News for financial info. I like Oldies music which there are 6 channels for the 40s to the 90s, but I found many new types of music that I like also, like the World Zone which is music from around the world.
We take a lot of 3 hour trips to vist our daughter. Before having XM we would buy CDs and tapes to play on these trips. Now XM is on during the whole trip and we never loose the signal. The sound, whether it is a talk or music program, is perfectly clear during the whole trip. Now my daughter is getting one for her car so she can enjoy it on trips to visit us.
Since getting the XM radio I have not listened to FM at all and only listen to AM about 3 minutes to get a traffic report if the weather is bad.
XM is really great.
On: 2003-10-06
I love my Skyfi. It has the added bonus of coming out of my car and going into my boombox. The music is great. No commercials on 35 music channels and about 2 minutes/hour on the other 30. The comedy channels are great as well. One for adults and one for family. The Skyfi is easy to use. Youll be happy you got it.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-10-06
XM has created an opportunity for me to enjoy music as never before. Its always fresh and new, and I can always find something perfect for my mood. This has not been in any way possible for me prior to XM. Ive also tried Sirius (in a rental car) but prefer the programming and sound quality on XM. Im also amazed at how much I enjoy the three comedy channels, on those infrequent ocasions when Im not in the mood for music. I end up laughing myself right out of a bad mood. Skyfi has a great feature set that improves upon whats available with any of the integrated XM units. Try it youll love it.
On: 2003-10-06
Regular radio got ya down? Loads of commercials, especially those outrageous car dealers, driving you insane? XM is definitely a cure for this! With 100 channels (69 music, 31 talk), and half of the music channels having under 5 minutes of commercials per hour with the other half being commercial-free, theres always plenty to listen to! Lots of variety - from smooth jazz to world pop music, from classical to heavy metal, XM just about covers the musical map. And with news and talk from leading networks like Fox News, CNN, the BBC, E! Entertainment, and many more, youll never be out-of-the-loop (unless you cant pull yourself away from the music!)
On: 2003-10-06
The Delphi SA10000 XM SKYFi Radio Receiver is not up to my expectations. I wanted to be able to see the display. This display is terrible. I wanted uninterrupted music and was very disappointed in the FM like commercials. I have returned my unit and received a refund with no problems.After my experience with this product and the XM/FM like commercials, I thought I would never get another satellite radio. A friend of mine told me about Sirius and its commercial free music. I tried their programming online for free and was impressed by the content and NO COMMERCIALS!! I will be buying Sirius new Streamer plug and play next week.
On: 2003-10-02
The Delphi XM radio fits the bill for a motorcycle friendly radio. Its small size and large display with easy to use contorls combined with light weight are perfect for use on 2 wheels. Ram mounting systems makes a mount for the SkyFi and with a on board intercom system music is put directly to your helmet speakers. Not only is it compact and light weight is also very portable. I can undock and put the receiver in my shirt pocket. Reception is made thru a magnetic mouse antenna that sticks directly to my gas tank.
Although the SkyFi is nearly ideal for motercycle use it does have 2 drawbacks. First is amplification. The receiver has only a pre amp and will not drive headphone speakers to a useful audio level. Problem solved with a 13 watt minature amphlifer from Navone Engineering, with volume control. 2nd problem is the led screen is not sheilded in any way and in direct overhead sunlight it is very difficult if not impossible to see. This problem is only important if you are interested in knowing the artist or song title that is currently playing. Once you learn the channel selection method your favorite type of audio listening is only a couple of push buttons away.
On: 2003-09-28
I purchased this to listen to at work. When I first plugged it in, I was very happy. This review is on the product, not the service. I have no cmoplaints about XM service, but this reciever must have never been designed to be listened to for more than 45 minutes at a time. I had on that cut on and off all the time, and I thought it was defective. I received a new one, and the same thign. It is as if the receiver overheats and shuts itself off. After about 1/2 an hour of "rest" it will come back on, but beware, only for about an hour. This product is great if you will be in and out of your car, and you do not intend to use it for more than an hour a day. Otherwise, stay clear...nothing but a headache!
On: 2003-09-09
I cant say enough about this system. For years, I have been disenchanted with commercial radio and the junk they play. If I wanted good music, Id have to shell out a kings ransom for CDs. I had gotten to the point where I didnt even bother listening to music anymore; Id just tune in NPR in the car and watch TV at home for entertainment.I was skeptical about paying for satellite radio until I checked out the sample programming at www.xmradio.com. It took me about a day to realize I couldnt go another day without it. Now I listen to the radio all the time at home, and Ive even hooked up the Home Adapter kit at work and listened through my computers headphones. (It took a bit of doing to position the antenna for good reception in my office cube farm inside a steel-and-concrete building, but I got it to work!) Now I cant wait to get the car adapter so I can take my stations with me on the road. One of my favorite features on the Delphi SKYFi is that you can save Artist/Song Title information while listening if you hear something you really like. This has allowed me to discover several great new bands since I started listening to XM. I can confidently pick up new CDs of bands Id never hear on commercial radio. Its like having a great college radio station! Another great feature about the Delphi unit is that you take your one subscription with you wherever you go; theres no need to pay for an extra receiver, even though XM offers additional subs at a discount. XM radio has a great fan following. Check out www.xmfan.com for a great online community of fans and fanatics. I learned a lot about antenna placement in poor-reception areas (XM at work!) from reading the message boards. Quit stalling. Buy it. I promise youll love it.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-28
This is the best-engineered satellite radio device currently available. When you buy it, youll want the boombox for portability, the home cradle for attaching to your home stereo, and perhaps a car cradle if you want it in the car. Just go ahead & get all of them, because youre going to buy them anyway once you go nuts over the service.The Sky Fi controls are easy to use, the remote is nice, and the screen can be viewed across a decent-sized room when used at home. The sound is great, and antenna placement isnt a big problem. While a south-facing window is recommended, in our frame-construction house the antenna points southward toward the ceiling and we get full signal strength. You might have a problem in a steel framed apartment building; but a single-story residence isnt going to be a problem even if there is no window. The service is superb and will change your life. Once having XM, you simply cannot get by without it. There is a lot of controversy over which is best, XM or Sirius, but XM is clearly the premium brand. While they occasionally have an advertisement on some of the channels, commercials are almost nonexistent. If youre over 30, you probably will have ZERO advertisements on the channels you listen to most of the time. When there ARE commercials, theyre at most a couple of minutes an hour rather than the 20 minutes an hour you get on FM.P>If it is good enough for Willie Nelson, it is good enough for you.
by: Anonymous On: 2003-08-25
This is the greatest radio and service ever. XM offers 100 channels of CD quality music. Many of the channels are commercial free, rather than commercial stations with 20 minutes of commercials. I use the SkyFi Boombox at work, the car adapter in the car and the home adapter at home.
On: 2003-08-22
I cant believe that Im the first person to review this item..The XM reciever is completely off the chain... I cant believe that number of stations and the variety of music that I get for only 9.99 a month. The only quip I have about it is that you have to buy the reciever and then a kit for wherever you choose to use it. It does make some sense because you can use the reciever out in your car or in your house, but you cant use the reciever by itself. (The antenna is in the kits.) Anywho, if youre a person who is fed up with the crappy music that seems to just loop on the radio stations in your town, and spends a lot of time in your car.. this is for you. Forget about the $$$$ a month fee... its pennies for what you get. 101 stations ranging from hardcore, uncensored hip-hop to latin jazz, to old time radio shows, to new radio shows, to CNN, to 24 hour stand up comedy!!! Its great! Go get it... NOW! Change the face of todays music and get XM!
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