Audiovox SIR-PNP2 Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver
By: Audiovox Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 45
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 On: 2008-01-18
Its a wasted piece of junk. It never worked right and is too bulky and downright dumb! I feel ripped off.
After a year of it constantly failing, I smashed it to pieces and canceled my subscription to this unit! Been happy ever since!
 On: 2007-12-03
This Satellite Radio Receiver only has 5 frequencies that you can use to tune into on your car stereo. The area in which we live,(Eastern PanHandle of WV), those frequencies already have something on them that causes interference, so we are forever switching freguencies. We can use this radio on our home stereo though. Its big and bulky, and it gets hot setting on the dash of the car, but other then these problems we like the radio. We also have the Sirius Sportster Satellite radio that works better in the car because you can use any freguency and is a smaller radio.
 On: 2006-10-20
Ive owned this brick about 2 1/2 years and have been reasonably satisfied. It does run hot, but it seems to be able to function well regardless. I have not had a problem with the unit. Reception is good in most areas, and when it isnt, usually there is a reason - trees, bridges, etc - or strong signals from terrestrial stations on the same FM band. Switching to other bands (there are 4 settings in the car docking station) sometimes improves the signal reception over FM. I also have the boom box, and it works well as long as you position the antenna to pick up the satellite. That sometimes can be difficult. Overall, I have to recommend this product. It has not failed me in 2 1/2 years and continues to work well. Mounting the unit in the car cradle takes some practice and care. I have managed not to damage my unit even though the way the radio plugs into the cradle seems somewhat fragile. I read reviews of some of the newer units, and considering what problems many people encountered with those units, Id buy another one of this model if I was in the market. Oh, why do I call it a brick? Doesnt it resemble a brick? It does to me! Its not the most attractive satellite radio unit on the market, but it gets the job done pretty well for me.
 On: 2006-03-10
This review focuses on the SIR-PNP2 hardware. Search the Web for commentary on Sirius content.
Ive owned the Audiovix SIR-PNP2 for over a year now. I use it in my car and at home.
Positives:
*Excellent display (title, artist, channel, contrast, readability, night driving and day driving.)
*Good user interface.
Negatives: Ive had multiple problems with the hardware and Audiovox service
*Runs ridiculously hot.
*Poorly designed dock connectors. They dont align very well during docking and eventually bend or crush themselves, even with careful use.
*My first unit developed a high-pitched "whine" after about 4 months of use.
*My second unit (warranty replacement) doesnt whine but has water stains on the *inside* of the display window, gets decidedly worse reception, doesnt sound as good, and has connectors that bent and crushed not too long after the warranty expired.
Audiovix Service: If you send in a return, you get a letter touting world class support. But is really just self-congratulatory wishful thinking. The policy as I experienced is is more like "Deny Everything, Blame the Customer." If you persist and send in your radio twice, (at about a month per shot) they send you a replacement with similarly bad (but different) problems.
On: 2006-01-05
Why does XM have millions more subscribers than Sirius? Theres a reason.
Ive owned the Audiovox PnP2 receiver since it first came out.
Youve already heard that the Audiovox PnP2 receiver runs really HOT. This is true. The orange display is easy to read. The push buttons are fairly small. The remote has a goofy button pattern. The receiver has no rewind capability. The boom box accessory has poor speakers but replacing those speakers with car door speakers from Wal-Mart is an easy fix.
If you want no holds barred raunch talk on your satellite receiver then Sirius is the best choice for you. There are no channel lock out features in the PnP2 receiver. I wish I had picked XM but I have a Sirius "lifetime of the radio" subscription so Im pretty well stuck. Sirius paid multi-millions to get Howard Stern and now cant afford to keep FOX News in their line up. There are still Sirius sound quality issues. In the early days Sirius had great music fidelity and poor voice fidelity. After adding a bunch of Canadian channels, traffic channels and experimental video the Sirius music fidelity has greatly suffered. Music fidelity today is at or below AM quality. So-so bass and treble. Talk channel fidelity remains also so-so.
Sirius has fairly good sports coverage but will be losing NHL and doesnt have MLB. Both Sirius and XM have never offered an instrumental only easy listening channel but thats for another discussion.
On: 2006-01-03
Fist you should know that while sirius advertises you get 120 commercial free music channels
65 talk channels
sports including all NFL
free online listening for subscribers
what they dont tell you the online listening is only of the music channels even though they print it too look like you can get all the services online they dont broadcast any sports or talk online.
also while they dont have commerials thyte still have DJs that come on EVERY 2 or 3 songs and talk about nothing to do with the music usualy to tell you about another channel or another show (which in my oppinion is still a commercial just for their own service) not a whole lot more music than fm
On: 2005-12-30
radio is ok, but nothing could be good enough to overcome the rude customer service dept.
they basically told me they dont care and they can back it up.
try a basic call to customer service before you buy and compare what they tell you as opposed to there terms and services page.
that makes for some intresting entertainment.
when customer service fixes itself sirius radio will be good.
On: 2005-12-14
I attempted to enter an order online, and received an error and was told to re-enter my order. When I did, I was sent two order confirmations. This was obviously a mistake on the part of Sirius, and I am attempting to get the second order cancelled.
I first called the e-commerce 800-number, but received no answer after 45 minutes of being on hold. I then called "customer service", but they did not know what to do and suggested sending the second one back, at my time and expense, with no information about how my account would be credited. I then called e-commerce back and left the phone on hold for over 4 hours, but never was able to get through. I sent e-mails and received an automated response, but never a reply from "customer service". I also called "customer service" back again and got no useful information again, but was given a number to leave a voice-mail for the e-commerce support. I did that, and got a call back from a plumbing supply house. (1-800-842-7142) Once again, customer service wasting my time and giving out bogus information.
This morning, I resumed attempting to get through to e-commerce. Option #2 and option #4 never answer. Option #1 will get you through to a human, but they just transfer you back to the black hole where no one picks up. I contacted "customer service" to explain all the problems that I was having. They were able to look up and see the order, but not cancel it. They too told me that I would have to return the unwanted product, at my own time and expense PLUS get an RGI number from e-commerce support! Even thought I explained how there is no one answering phones over there, they insisted I had to call them to get a number!!!!
No matter how god te receiver or music is, if anything goes wrong you will be left alone with no support! Avoid Sirius!
by: bobbaluka On: 2005-12-04
Had I not gotten it for free (shipping & activation costs notwithstanding) with a one-year subscription as part of last years Howard Stern holiday promotion, the AudioVox SIR-PNP2 receiver unit probably wouldnt have been my first choice. In fact, I probably would have gone for a brand of Sirius satellite radio receiver I actually recognized, like JVC or Kenwood. But for what I DIDNT pay for it, this has been more than worth the money.
The sound is surprisingly sharp and clear... when the satellite signals coming in strong that is. And this is surprisingly sharp and clear sound coming out of a pair of junky computer speakers I have my home dock connected to! While the sound isnt quite as good as what Ive heard coming from other Sirius receivers, its a fair sight better than most FM stations I listen to.
Then theres its ability to memo up to twenty songs (which lets me know when a fave song Ive previously memod is about to come on), which is my fave feature on this bad boy. I only wish I was able to get the memo feature to distinguish between the LP versions of my fave songs that usually play on the rock streams, and the "radio edit" versions that they usually play on the pop streams...
Speaking of streams: the stream-number selector buttons on the bottom of the receiver-- which number from 0 to 9, `natch-- also double as preset buttons. So if Im not diggin whats on the 70s station that Barry "Greg Brady" Williams is DJing on, I can just hit the button I preset one of the services classic rock streams, and listen to that instead. Up to 30 stations can be preset into the unit, 10 for each "band"... which is yet another button, at the top. BTW if youre listening to this while driving, I highly recommend you change stations when youre parked or stopped at a traffic light.
If you dont feel like pushing the buttons on the receiver itself, you can also use the remote control, which is effective from at least fifteen feet away. Weird thing is, I dont really like to use my remote all that much... except when I listen to it in my boom box (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001DDKQM). Otherwise, I actually prefer fiddling with the buttons and dial on the receiver! Which is the exact opposite of how I prefer to control my TV. Anyhoo, the remote control has all the functions youd expect from a clicker: channel up/down, numeric buttons, on/off switch, band select, memo, and other things. The only thing it lacks, aside from a "mute" button, is volume control. Another downside to the clicker is that it isnt programmable for use with the boom box units volume control... which is a knob. So the remotes theoretical volume control dealie probably wouldnt have worked out anyway.
One thing that concerned me before I activated the receiver was its display screen. Like most LED and LED-style screens, I was afraid I wouldnt be able to read it all that well in direct light, or in any light of medium intensity or brighter. Fortunately, I discovered the display was quite visible and quite readable at just about every light level save direct sunlight on a cloud-free day. The words on the display are also large enough for me to read the songs / programs that Im listening to. Also reasonably legible along the top and bottom is the channel number (upper left), the channels name/ moniker (upper right), the channels category (e.g. "Pop", "News/Talk", etc., lower left), and the time and band/preset number the channel belongs to, if any. BTW the time shown on the display screen corresponds to whichever time zone your unit was in when you activated it.
But, there are a few downsides. For starters, while the receiver itself isnt too cosmetically-challenged, it doesnt look very elegant sitting in my home dock, on top of my computer monitor. It doesnt look all that great in my car dock, either, now that I think about it. Its appearance when locked into my boombox isnt too shabby, though. And it aint half-bad when sitting atop one of those high-tech, high-fidelity sound systems. Needless to say, if youre all about appearances, this might not exactly be what youre looking for.
Another downside I experienced was when I was shopping for accessories to go with the SIR-PNP2. Since it is now out of production, it is hard to find compatible equipment for this particular unit outside of eBay. I was hoping Audiovox would make its SIR-PNP3-compatible equipment downward-compatible, like they had done with the SIR-PNP2 stuff, which could also accommodate the SIR-PNP1. No dice, Im afraid...
Also, as others have noted, this gets pretty warm when is left on over long stretches of time. Only thing is, Ive never known it to get anywhere near "hot" as others have mentioned... except when I let it play for extended periods in my boom box (). I havent noticed any adverse effects from this radiation of heat, however, so I dont see it as much of a "downside." None the less, heat is the big killer of electronic equipment, so Id best be on my guard...
One weird thing about the receiver I own: every once in a rare while, when Im listening to it while driving and I hit a bump in the road, it will switch itself over to a different station! It only happens about once every two weeks, though, so I dont find this a major inconvenience. Whether this is a common defect or not, I cant tell you for sure. Just giving you fair warning...
Bottom line: while Audiovoxs SIR-PNP2 Sirius satellite radio receiver has been very dependable, and served me quite well over the year Ive been listening to Sirius, youd probably be better off getting one of the more recent and more technologically advanced models with even more neat features. Heck, some of the newer, more advanced receivers cost just as much as this one, anyway! Weird, huh? As for myself: in spite of its little station-switching quirk, this bad boy more than adequately suits my needs, and Ill likely be listening to the service through it until the danged thing finally decides to give out on me. Which, with my luck, could be any time now...
UPDATE: After doing some more button-pushing and menu-flipping, I discovered that this bad boy has an alarm clock feature! Now I wake up to a new "Baba Booey" song parody every morning. Isnt that special?
`Late
On: 2005-10-27
We have an AudioVox receiver. The instructions to install and tune were awful. It took two weeks and four calls to Sirius Customer Service to work out the issues. They had to boost our signal...and we had to change stations several times. We still get static.
On top of that, Sirius hosed us out of a $50.00 rebate, and despite my calling them several times.....they refuse to let me speak to someone about their error. Each time Customer no Service tells me I need to do something else, or tell me they are putting me on an escalation list, or they send me to a dead phone line. They keep sending me generic rejection cards in the mail. I jumped through major hoops to get the rebate in and on time. They asked for everything except my first born in order to qualify. Even though I did everything the rebate said to the letter...they refuse to pay.
On: 2005-09-17
The receiver has two issues that have to be considered. First this guy gets really hot. Both in the car and in the home. Heat was the cause of a failure of this item in my house (the fm modulator died) - Audiovox did send me a free replacement, but I was out of use for a few weeks. The other issue is signal strength. The FM modulator could use a boost. When traveling, I have to change the frequency to get a solid signal. Otherwise I get interference from other stations in the 88.1 to 88.7 range. Is there something better? I tried the JVC and its cooler, but the signal strength of the FM modulator is no better.
 On: 2005-04-27
I love my sirius sat. radio. They have a bunch of substandard radio stations in my area (its good only if you want to hear live remotes). My sat. radio is a life saver. I have had no problems with my unit and I have owned for almost a year. I will warn though that it is no longer sold through sirius websites and can be rather hard sometimes to find extra docking stations. Although that does not seem to be a problem at Amazon.com. Every else that deals in Sirius sat. radio no longer carries this receiver or accessories for this one.
On: 2005-04-22
I Love it. Ive had it about 2 1/2 months and still have not programmed any of the buttons, because I cant figure out which "streams" I like best! I regularly listen to various Rock, Jazz, World, Classical, Dance, Comedy, News & Talk "streams" and the ability to get music on my office PC at no additional charge was an unexpected bonus.
Ive got the receiver mounted on my dash. Back seat passengers love the remote. The FM transmission to my radio works fine. (I have the radio in a 2004 Acura TSX. Sat radio was not available from Acura when I bought the car) Sound is excellent. It wasnt hard stringing the antenna cable into the molding at the bottom of the passenger side doors, into the trunk, and up onto the trunk lid.
I get very occasional signal dropouts (no more than a few seconds at a time) when I am driving under trees. At other times (maybe once a week) it will drop out for 2 - 3 seconds. I am trying to figure out why. I suspect it is when the satellite is low and the roof of the car is blocking the antenna.
I have been recommending this to everyone. Maybe I should start getting a commission from Sirius.
On: 2005-04-18
Ive been enjoying SIRIUS for about a year now. It is absolutely a terrific service.
The Audiovox SIRPNP2 is a complete piece of crap. The first one I had crapped out on me and I regret I exchanged it for a new one rather than a different model receiver. The second one just crapped out and the warrantee is over. (...).
On: 2005-02-13
I was very excited to get it and when it worked crappily forget it. It constantly faded in and out and had to be turned on again and again and the static didnt help. The customer service line was a real joke with no help. Dont buy this---i returned it for a JVC unit which works great---good luck.
On: 2005-02-01
Ive never owned or used a worse piece of electronics.
When used in my home, the sound cuts out during the slightest voltage sag (e.g. the light that comes on when the fridge door is opened). It also randomly and abruptly starts producing static for which the only remedy is to turn it off and back on. However, NONE of my many other electrical components experience the same problems.
When used in the car (professionally installed by Circuit City), it usually only produces static. I have to repeatedly turn it off and back on until it finally starts working. Id guess that it works about 1 out of 7 tries.
I tried calling Audiovox technical support and they were totally useless, telling me theyve never heard of these problems before and couldnt even offer any suggestions for a fix. I replaced both the receiver and the cradles under warranty from Circuit City, but the same problems remain.
Its junk, stay away.
Update: Since I have the Circuit City extended warranty, I was able to trade in the SIRPNP2 for the new SIRPNP3. Im happy to report that Audiovox has apparently fixed all the problems mentioned above. It works great so far.
On: 2004-12-29
I would not have bought this unit if they told me it would cut out all the time on back roads were there are trees. advice to all who want this dont do it for your auto, it is no good buy cds
On: 2004-12-11
I had my doubts about satellite radio, but ultimately fell in love with Sirius and the Audiovox. I use the unit in both the car and home, and have traveled cross country with it with no problems. At home, however, the power supply filtering is poor causing audio dropout on voltage fluctuations, and I have read a lot of complaints about 1 second audio dropouts. It happenes every time someone turns on a light, the furnace starts, the well pump comes on, etc. I placed a 4700 uF electrolytic capacitor across the low voltage (12V) output line from the wall transformer to try to smooth things out. This didnt solve the problem for me. Still working on it. Not a huge issue, but something they should have resolved for me while it was in warranty - and didnt. I love the big, bright display, though it would be nice to have a dimmer for night drives - no big deal. It runs hot, but they say that is normal and not to worry. Im out of warranty, so they arent worried:-) I still gave it four stars, because it has been a very good unit for me, minor problems aside. Read the Sirius "Lifetime Subscription" details carefully if you are considering it. "Lifetime" is of the receiver unit, not your own. If it dies after the warranty period, so does your "Lifetime Subscription". Then you start over again. Almost deceptive.
On: 2004-12-08
Antenna has a long cord and you can mount it if needed. Receiver allows you to store up to 30 pre-set channels. Comes with a cool remote control (large buttons for those of us with big hands), The Window display gives exact time, channel name, song, author, talk host, etc. ALL the info needed beamed direct down from the satellite, no setting required! If you like sports, this is the service for NFL, NBA and NHL. The display has BRIGHT buttons, dial and window. Orange collored buttons and dial, yellow screen. BIG screen to read information beamed from satellite. Whomever you order this for will not be disappointed. Makes a great gift. If you like talk, Sirius is the service for you. Theres liberal stations, conservative, truckers, ABC, a gay oriented channel (OutQ) to name just a few talk channels. Plus the music is great CD quality! And a VERY cool radio classics channel that has the old time radio shows (Twilight Zone, Lights Out, Suspece, Box 13, Abbot and Costello, Red Skeleton, etc.) that play 24/7.
Ever listen to the radio and say "hey whats the name of that song?" Well no more doing that with this receiver as it displays the song title and singer! Plus you can hit the memory button and itll store it for you! And you you can even set it to beep each time your favorite song or show comes on!
If you like sports, theres life NFL games, a LIVE 24/7 NFL talk channel 24/7, NBA, NHL, college, sports byline, English soccer.
And coming soon Howard Stern!
These PNP2 are selling fast! Just check around and youll see many places are out of them! One of the better ones. Its a bit larger than the PNP3, but if you have large hands/fingers you want this one as anything smaller and youll be hitting two buttons at once by accident.
Check around, you wont find these prices anywhere for the PNP2.
Sirius almost takes place of having a TV!! What I find very relaxing is sitting back in a darkened room listening to my favorite show and watching the screen of the receiver show the topics being talked about, etc.
On: 2004-12-06
I have the PNP2 receiver, and I must say it is really great!<br />
The buttons are easy to press, and the menus are easy to navigate through. The big orange screen is also nice.<br />
The service itself is great. The music channels are great, and I especially like Hits1. I also like listening to the variety of talk channels.<br />
The NFL on Sirius is great. You can hear vertually any NFL game, anywhere in the country! College football is the same way, hear a USC game in Maine (or anywhere in the country for that matter).<br />
The PNP3 is out now, but this receiver is still great. Dont foget to purchase either a car kit, home kit, or boombox for this to work.
On: 2004-12-04
Sirius satellite radio is just something you cannot go without! I have loved my radio since day 1, and I will never go back to FM. This receiver is great, but the quality programming is what truly makes Sirius shine! First off Sirius has the best sports programming around! NFL fans will love the 24 hour NFL channel, and that Sirius covers every NFL and Collge games! Sirius will also play NHL and NBA games! The music selection is great, and I guarantee you wont find an FM station that plays only Elvis, or Vacation music! I strongly recommend the PNP2 receiver and the service itself. If you want to get someone something great for the holidays then Sirius is the way to go!
On: 2004-11-24
Simply put - SIRIUS is the BEST!! the choices of music, the different formats, the sound quality is great... even the price is better then xm. I found xm to be quite monotonous!! xm was to middle of the road, you know how someone tries to stay safe and please the mainstream, but they end up pleasing NO one - thats xm! SIRIUS is by far the BEST. with SIRIUS what i love most is when Im surprised by a song that I havent heard in a long time and MOST times never before (and im in the music business)! Thats one of the things that sepreates them from xm - xm is very commercial in terms of playing standard humdrum music ( and i mean in all their formates, jazz, rock, pop even hiphop, imagine that standard hip hop), they arent very diverse and to me that gets boring!! thats why i cancelled xm and sold the receiver, (which was a very troublesome process) But Im free now and Im here to say SIRIUS is great system! Im thinking about giving one to my girlfriend for christmas if shes good....
On: 2004-11-19
I have now had this unit for a year & I am very happy with it & Sirius. The first few months, we were moving the unit quite a bit between vehicles & the wire on the antennae began to short out. (My son was not as gentle as he should have been in handling it!) Sirius replaced the antennae under warranty at no charge with no problems whatsoever. We chose to put the antennae on the dash, securing it with velcro tape to keep it from sliding. Maybe not what everyone would do, but easy to remove & take in anyones car you go in. I have had no problems with the Audiovox unit, but bought a JVC SR1000 from Sirius & after 6 weeks it stopped working! Sirius is giving me a full refund, but wont replace it with the same JVC unit. I take it they have had alot of problems with the JVCs. Would definitely buy Audiovox again!
On: 2004-11-19
If you werent able to make it to Howards free Sirius equipment giveaway in New York City on Thursday, visit the Sirius web site at Sirius.com/offer/sternrally and enter code 263 in the promotion code box, and certificate number HS7436 in the referral ID" box, to get a free receiver and car or home kit. There is a catch though, you have to sign up for an annual subscription at a cost of $142.25. The offer expires on November 24th.
On: 2004-11-18
I have now had this unit for a year & I am very happy with it & Sirius. The first few months, we were moving the unit quite a bit between vehicles & the wire on the antennae began to short out. (My son was not as gentle as he should have been in handling it!) Sirius replaced the antennae under warranty at no charge with no problems whatsoever. We chose to put the antennae on the dash, securing it with velcro tape to keep it from sliding. Maybe not what everyone would do, but easy to remove & take in anyones car you go in. I have had no problems with the Audiovox unit, but bought a JVC SR1000 from Sirius & after 6 weeks it stopped working! Sirius is giving me a full refund, but wont replace it with the same JVC unit. I take it they have had alot of problems with the JVCs. Would definitely buy Audiovox again!
On: 2004-11-18
Sirius is great but I cant wait until Howard Stern comes on! Its gonna be great, I want to hear him uncensored!
On: 2004-11-08
Sirius satellite should be considered a great complement to your audio system, whether in home or car. It should not be considered an end all to music selection. It will not replace CDs, mp3s or typical over the air radio. Once this expectation is established, its good to see Sirius as a decent addition to those who love music.
First off, how much does it cost? Youll need a receiver, then a docking system for the home or office. Then there is a setup fee. So youre looking at a little under $200 to get started. Quite a huge investment for just checking out a new type of radio. I would advise getting Sirius professional installed in your car, unless you dont mind wire flaying around when you drive while looking at a tacking do it yourself setup. Also, if you want both home and office, youll have to buy a boombox. This can run to about $350 total. Quite pricey, especially when it doesnt include any monthly fees.
Secondly, how about the reception? Its surprisingly well in my car, but does suffer some dark spots when you go under a tunnel or when travelling through a tree line street. However, I was unable to get any signal in neither my home nor my office, so dont automatically assume that it will work at your home. The only consolation is that if you sign up for Sirius, you get monthly web access.
Thirdly, how about the playlist? The best way to describe Siriuss playlist is probably a lot breadth, but not quite a lot of depth. For music, unless you love every type of music available, youll actually only have about 10 music stations to listen to. For example, all Classical, Latin, Electronic, Jazz, Children and Love stations are absolutely useless to me as this not my type of music. In terms of sports, its got the NFL, NBA, and if ever, NHL. The best game for radio, baseball, is with XM satellite, which is a huge bummer. Many of the news stations and entertainment stations are just audio replays of audio stations, so its got commercials and arent altogether suited for radio. For example, youll hear, "take a look at this replay". Well, I cant look, its radio. All in all, the talk and music is the equivalent of doubling the FM and AM radio stations of a big city. Youll still listen to your normal stations, but the number of stations will be expanded.
Fourthly, how about the receiver itself? Its pretty good. The display is huge. You get to see the band or song name before switching to a different station. I love that. It can store 20 songs, which, when one of the songs comes up, the receiver will beep and give you the option of changing to that station. The only small problems were that sometimes the stored songs didnt come up, and the turn wheel will lacks a grip, which is annoying when driving.
Fifthly, what were some of the major problems of Satellite radio? Besides the high cost for the equipment, the fact that they charge an activation fee was annoying. Im willing to pay a monthly fee, do I need to add another fee to that? Secondly, the nickel and diming continues with the fact that the receiver contains no basic antenna nor power supply. You must buy a docking kit no matter what. I bought a car docking kit, but it only had a power supply for the cigarette lighter, which meant that all setup has to be done outdoors, in the car, with the car running. I couldnt even test it to see if it would work indoors, so I had to buy a boombox to test, only to find out it didnt work, and then return the boombox. A cheap home AC/DC power supply included in the docking kit would have saved me hours without costing me fifty dollars for the other docking system. Also, the customer service is not that great. The people on phone are nice, but you have to endure the navigation system along with a large self-serving tirade about how well Sirius radio is before you can get to the menu. In order to get stream player access, you have to e-mail them for the password, but no one bothered to reply to my e-mail, so I had to call them again. When the company wont give you the password for the free web access, and wont reply when you follow the website instructions, it gets annoying. Another thing is the repetitiveness and limiting factors of the playlist. Some of the bands Im interested in, Carbon Leaf, the Streets, Perfect Circle, Tool - groups that I thought should appear for paid radio, are not really there. However, Ashlee Simpson, Maroon 5 and Leonard Skynard are pretty much on 24/7. Not quite the original playlists I was hoping to get.
Finally, what were some of the things that surprised me? First off, its still cool. To be free of Clear Channels chokehold on music radio is great. The web access is free. XM charges you about four dollars a month, making it more expensive monthly if you use web access. If you get Dish Network, the music stations are there already to listen through over your television. If you dont get Dish Network, you can get a free preview via the web for three days. Nice. Finally, Ive become acquainted with many bands that I would not have known or just barely remember. Its nice to hear Traffic, Public Enemy, Guns and Roses, Flogging Molly, N.W.A., etc.
So, all in all, its a nice complement, but its no magic musical panacea.
Pros:
Song preview
20 Memory Storage
Large display
Free online access after signing up
Free 3-day online preview
Cons:
Nickel and diming
Very repetitive song list
Entertainment and News is Just a Replay of Television
Customer Service is lacking
Signal cannot be received in many places.
Minimum Setup Cost ~ 200 dollars
Optimal Setup Cost ~ 350 dollars
Monthly Cost ~ 13 dollars
On: 2004-08-29
What can I say? Im a total convert to pay radio and will never go back. I used to think good ol FM and AM could get me through the day. Not anymore! Once you go to satellite, you wont go back.
The unit is fairly compact, well laid out and the display is very crisp. There are several different display modes in each different screen. The PNP offers a nice large screen that enables the unit to offer all of these features. Hit a button, and bingo, you can see 5 streams of whats playing on other stations (either band or song).
The only reason I have given this 4 stars is the fact that the unit I have gets hot. Not warm, but hot. After reading reviews here, it appears as though this is common, but it still is a concern to me. I dont care what the gadget is, it cant be good for it to run continually hot.
On: 2004-08-25
First - XM or Sirrius - I chose sirius only for the programming - I was leaning towards XM - but the entire NFL plus WABC out of New York and 790 the Zone out of Atlanta made me choose sirius.
I bought it mainly for the news - talk -comedy channels but the Music Stations are great - My daughter and I can finally agree on some of the music channels which is a nice change. The traffic / weather reports are much more detailed than on the standard Atlanta radio.
The sound is great in the car. It made my 98 Neon (please dont laugh) a great little car again that is fun to drive. The hour drive to work is enjoyable and more relaxing. I also bought the boombox and move the unit from the car to the boombox easily.
I rarely lose signal and then its when Im parked under an overhang like a gas station filling up. Every once in a while the signal may or may not drop while driving under very heavy trees and then just a split second. On the drive to work I expected to lose signal in the parking deck, but there must be a terrestial antennea nearby and no signal loss. I do not even need the antennae on the boombox at work.
The car adapter that came with this knocks a point off. It is an FM modulator. Meaning I tune the radio to 88.1 (or .3 .5 .7) depending on which frequncy I use on the adpater. Atlanta has an 88.1 and a 88.5 radio station so I set the PNP2 set to 88.3. 99.5% it works great. But 88.5 must boost the power output and bleeds into the 88.3 band which causes very minor static sometimes. Since Satellite radio is so much better than FM I removed the car antennae completely I dont listen to anything else but the Sirius Radio.
On: 2004-08-24
First - XM or Sirrius - I chose sirius only for the programming - I was leaning towards XM - but the entire NFL plus WABC out of New York and 790 the Zone out of Atlanta made me choose sirius.
I bought it mainly for the news - talk -comedy channels but the Music Stations are great - My daughter and I can finally agree on some of the music channels which is a nice change. The traffic / weather reports are much more detailed than on the standard Atlanta radio.
The sound is great in the car. It made my 98 Neon (please dont laugh) a great little car again that is fun to drive. The hour drive to work is enjoyable and more relaxing. I also bought the boombox and move the unit from the car to the boombox easily.
I rarely lose signal and then its when Im parked under an overhang like a gas station filling up. Every once in a while the signal may or may not drop while driving under very heavy trees and then just a split second. On the drive to work I expected to lose signal in the parking deck, but there must be a terrestial antennea nearby and no signal loss. I do not even need the antennae on the boombox at work.
The car adapter that came with this knocks a point off. It is an FM modulator. Meaning I tune the radio to 88.1 (or .3 .5 .7) depending on which frequncy I use on the adpater. Atlanta has an 88.1 and a 88.5 radio station so I set the PNP2 set to 88.3. 99.5% it works great. But 88.5 must boost the power output and bleeds into the 88.3 band which causes very minor static sometimes. Since Satellite radio is so much better than FM I removed the car antennae completely I dont listen to anything else but the Sirius Radio.
On: 2004-08-20
I did a lot of research, played with SkyFi and the PNP2 for 2 straight days at BestBuy during lunch.
I will start with the XM v. Sirius first. It is all in what you want more of. If you want more comprehensive and diverse talk, and lots of sports, NFL, NHL, NBA, get Sirius. The music on XM is supposed to be much more diverse with more obscure tunes to listen to. So this is great is music you main interest in the radio. Honestly I didnt hear anything I hadnt heard before on either system in 5 hours of listening.
Personally I went with Sirius because of the NFL, NHL, AirAmerica (full broadcast), and the ability to stream over the internet. However I am sure I would have been just as happy with XM.
Now to the player. I like the PNP2 a lot. The controls are easy to use, the color is tight, and the display is the best I have seen of all similiar models. I like the bigger style as to me it feels sturdier in my hands. As for the boombox, the sound is very clear with little or no distortion while listening to music. This may be different if I was to sit by the pool and try to crank it but, it sounded great with volume turned to the halfway point. The placement of the headphone input was perfect as well.
I am very fortunate, I bought this for my office only, so I was crossing my fingers that I would get a signal. I am about 25 feet from the window, 2nd floor (of 3), brick building. Much to my suprise I placed the antenna on the lip of my cubicle and got 2 solid bars allday. I am very impressed by that.
So far the only negative is it runs hot, not sure if this a problem or not, as I am sure Audiovox is aware it would do this.
I would highly recommend this unit, I would also recommend playing with as many portables as you can.
On: 2004-08-10
I have had this unit for about 2 months now, and love it. My home is around the hill from most radio stations, so FM reception is poor (and crappy) to begin with. Clear Channel broadcasting is a waste of radio space in our airwaves, and satellite is the obvious answer. Commercial free broadcasting, what a great deal!
I decided to try the JVC model over this one for 2 simple reasons.
1. Reputation- JVC is huge, plus they make other great products. Ive had Audiovox radios in the past without any problems, I just wasnt sure who to use for this.
2. Size- JVC is a more slim and sleek, and the dock fits better in my car. Although drilling holes into my dashboard is the next option to make anything fit.
Major downside:
- Apparently both these units run really hot. This is probably due to the 10 second buffer time it uses to store music while the signal fades in and out.
- The 4 channel FM modulator offered with the car docking system. If you have the means, try using the audio out stereo mini jack plugged directly into your car receiver, or amp. This will bypass the FM channels, again thats only if your car stereo can handle direct line in.
Sirius has a much better range of channel selections than XM, so take that into account before purchasing. Also check out the Sirius website, they offer 3 days of Internet listening. This is somewhat alright, except you wont be able to hear the live talk radio broadcasting. One more side note, this is not 100% commercial free as Ive found out. Both their comedy channels have tons of commericals for hair products, weight loss and memory pills. No idea why they do this, but they should probably offset the money they get for these commercials to the customer in lower monthly costs.
On: 2004-08-09
I have had this unit for about 2 months now, and love it. My home is around the hill from most radio stations, so FM reception is poor (and crappy) to begin with. Clear Channel broadcasting is a waste of radio space in our airwaves, and satellite is the obvious answer. Commercial free broadcasting, what a great deal!
I decided to try the JVC model over this one for 2 simple reasons.
1. Reputation- JVC is huge, plus they make other great products. Ive had Audiovox radios in the past without any problems, I just wasnt sure who to use for this.
2. Size- JVC is a more slim and sleek, and the dock fits better in my car. Although drilling holes into my dashboard is the next option to make anything fit.
Major downside:
- Apparently both these units run really hot. This is probably due to the 10 second buffer time it uses to store music while the signal fades in and out.
- The 4 channel FM modulator offered with the car docking system. If you have the means, try using the audio out stereo mini jack plugged directly into your car receiver, or amp. This will bypass the FM channels, again thats only if your car stereo can handle direct line in.
Sirius has a much better range of channel selections than XM, so take that into account before purchasing. Also check out the Sirius website, they offer 3 days of Internet listening. This is somewhat alright, except you wont be able to hear the live talk radio broadcasting. One more side note, this is not 100% commercial free as Ive found out. Both their comedy channels have tons of commericals for hair products, weight loss and memory pills. No idea why they do this, but they should probably offset the money they get for these commercials to the customer in lower monthly costs.
On: 2004-07-25
Let me start by saying that Ive listened to both XM and Sirius, and Sirius programming is far superior. The streamhosts, though they do talk a little bit, bring a ton of knowledge and programming savvy to the streams. And the variety is very good. And I really like that subscribers can listen to the music channels online for free.
As for the Audiovox receiver: I bought the receiver, the car kit and the home kit. Im giving it 4 stars because its pretty good and easy to operate. I like the "memo" feature that allows you to find your favorite songs no matter what stream theyre on. And the remote control is nice for home use.
But it does have some annoying issues that should give most people pause.
As mentioned by several others here, the tuner runs very hot during continuous use. Dont make the mistake of leaving the radio on without the car running. Mine got so hot sitting in my parked car (it was about 80 degrees that day) that the screen blacked out and it wouldnt work until I shut it down and let it cool off.
I also moved the receiver and antenna from one car to another one, and in the process broke the antenna connector plug. Its really poorly made. The jack is difficult to plug and unplug, and theres a weak point that breaks easily. You have to really tug on it to unplug it. I tried soldering the plug back together, but that didnt work. Im going to have to spend $50 to get a replacement antenna. Solution: If you have two cars, buy two car kits.
And now that Sirius is on Dish Network, it defeats the purpose of having a receiver in my living room.
In hindsight, I should have bought a car-only receiver that hooked into my stereo.
On: 2004-07-22
Ive already decided to go with Sirius and although I appreciate hearing other views of whether or not its a good service Im determining which receiver to buy and almost none of these reviews actually reviewed the PRODUCT. What gives? Anyone want to actually comment on the Audiovox product?
by: Anonymous On: 2004-06-22
After doing a lot of research on both XM and Sirius, I chose Sirius and so far Ive been thrilled with the service as well as this product.Two main reasons the scales tipped to Sirius favor was 1) Clear Channel has a stake in XM Radio, and at first XM was just playing recorded loops of Clear Channel programming, until recently, and 2) The sports options with Sirius is much better. Sirius has broadcasting deals with the NFL, NBA, and NHL, while XM only has exclusive rights to NASCAR. Ive known Audiovox to be a low-end brand for a while but this has been solid for me so far. The display is bright and easy to read, theres a choice of display fonts. Little did I know that the remote that comes with it is a big plus depending on where you may need to site the unit in your car or home.
On: 2004-06-08
I picked up one of these before a road trip though the midwest along with a car and house adaptors. I was attracted to the programming choices and lack of commercials. The service is great on a road trip far away from any major cities. I find I listen to the docked unit all day at work too.First the good points. The display is excellent. Shows up well in any lighting conditions. A real plus in a moving vehicle. Its easy to "program" and as Ive read in other reviews the service is real good about using the same artist and song titles on all of the streams. This means that if you program it to alert you when a song comes on it will find it spelled the same whenever it plays. The terrestrial repeaters are great around a city where buildings can block signals. Im able to leave the antenna on the dash instead of the roof. The so so points. The audio quality through the FM transmitter is not impressive. There are only four frequencies to choose from and it turns out that in my city all of them have strong broadcast stations which sometimes bleed through. The bad points. This thing runs hot and is not small, about the size of a large paper back book. So moving it between your car and house/office requires a bag. Also the display on mine got scratched right away. I found that this device trips off my radar detector and interferes with UHF two way radios such as ham/FRS/GMRS. I suspect that the antenna system is bleeding lots of RF. The cradle is difficult to set the unit into. Has a very vague feeling to it. After about five months of moving it between car and office the antenna connector on the back of the received got damaged by the cradle. Now whenever I move it I need to use a tool to bend the connector back into place otherwise it wont seat properly an the antenna wont make contact. The range on the remote is only about four feet. Not enough for the home user. I think in the future Ill look for an audio system with a permanent built in satellite receiver. Then I can leave this one in the home dock and stop moving it.
On: 2004-05-24
i have sirius and was amazed at the variety.. however being a geezer in the music world.. my tastes do not include most offerings .. however the jazz is pretty good .. the classical could be expanded.. sirius has some on line live time (did i mention eric C.?).. events which i wish they would replay more than once..And how do you store a song? or is it something else.. not enough time to figure out the system... the car audiovox sirius system works wonderfully.. the home dock system as someone else alluded to needs some work with the antennae....i cringe at going to some new place and saying hey i bought this when it first came out and now i need you to fix it.. cringe the home reception is at best.-- --- ...--- ..--- floating in and out frequently..? audiovox offers no site to even ask a question pretaining to that.. oh i guess the owners manuel would help.. now that would defeat the purpose of finding out on here? .. oh i like the blues and folk and new folk.. its like people are really folking around these days... more than ever.. well what do you expect ... i listen to publik radio and pbs.. oh yes now i have antennae problem display on the screen but no solution offered... alas..I guess i have to go listen to it in the car..? but i still like sirius when i can receive the signal at home. and its really a cool thing to listen to on the road..... now if gas prices go up ill really have to figure out how to fix that home dock system antennae.....? chow and good listening..
On: 2004-05-18
Compared to the little Sony XM radio that I tried, this Audiovox product is superior in that it doesnt have a loud cooling fan. I also like the "browse by category" feature.Sirius and XM both claim to have commercial-free classical music stations. Yet they both interrupt the music with station identification messages and little "house ads" that are annoying if youre using the machine at home. Sirius isnt quite as bad as XM in this respect but it is not all music all the time like the music stations that come with digital cable TV. Sound quality is rather muddy and noticeably worse than the standard FM radio stations that I play through the same amp and speakers. With my desktop XM radio here in the Boston area I had a signal available continuously. The Audiovox/Sirius seems to suffer 1-3 second dropouts every 5-10 minutes. The "whats playing" LCD display shows "Sirius" rather than a music title when they are doing one of their annoying announcements or ads. Some company should make a player that goes mute when this is happening...
On: 2004-04-26
Although I havent yet quite decided to purchase the Sirius Satellite Radio service, I expect I will, and when I do I expect I will purchase the Audiovox receiver, based on research to date. Thus Im giving the unit a four rating for expectations slightly above average.When considering the choice between XMSR and Sirius, consumers must keep in mind the very different transmission technologies between the two. XMSR uses two geosynchronous satellites, which always appear to be at the same place in the sky over any spot on earth. Thus, once one places an antenna so that it works all right, in almost every case it will keep on working indefinitely. Sirius, by contrast, uses several satellites in lower earth orbit, and these appear to move across the sky. So, even when some antenna configuration is initially working, the signal may fade and reception may fail because of the Sirius satellites changing positions in the sky. For those interested in news programs, both services offer BBC, however only Sirius offers NPR. But to clear up some of the oblique mentions Ive noticed in other reviews, the NPR service Sirius offers does not include either All Things Considered or Morning Edition, NPRs two most popular programs by far. Many other popular shows are missing, which is also the case with Sirius PRI offering. Of course, XM offers no NPR or PRI programming at all. Also, the BBC programming differs substantially between XMSR and Sirius. XMSR provides the standard BBC World Service feed, very similar to what one hears on short wave radio. Sirius provides the BBC news feed, which cuts out some of the BBCs non-news programs in favor of more frequent editions of the news shows. Im not sure which Id actually prefer, each has advantages. Finally, a reviewer below mentioned an intent to purchase Sonys XM Satellite Radio receiver. I strongly recommend not purchasing this unit, even at the seemingly amazing low prices one can find for it. I purchased it almost as soon as XMSR started, and I hated it the whole time. It was buggy, it always was screwing up one way or another. Also, its LCD display was invisible for most practical purposes, and its ergonomics were awful. Sony refused all my efforts to get them to deal with these problems while the unit was still in warranty, it was one perpetual stonewall and runaround. Finally, just weeks after my Sony unit went out of warranty, it failed completely. By then Sony wouldnt even discuss repairing it, unless I agreed in advance to pay for the discussion by the minute on a 1-900- phone line! Sony obviously has no real intent to support this extremely poor product of theirs, and they dont seem to be serious about XM Satellite Radio. I am now very reluctant to purchase any Sony product again as a result of this very bad behavior of theirs. So I threw out my useless Sony XMSR receiver and replaced it with the Delphi unit, which is absolutely wonderful, superior to the Sony unit in every way, and by far. I will be delighted if the Audiovox Sirius SR receiver is even almost as good as my excellent Delphi XMSR receiver.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-23
Unit is a little bulky, but big display with large easy to read type. Select knob works, but a textured knob(its smooth) would have been better for car use. Unit gets VERY hot with continuous use. Hasnt degraded unit function, but you could heat a PopTart or a cup of coffee with this thing. Removing or inserting the unit takes two hands. The contact pins do look rather fragile on the back. In the car, I have the antenna mounted on the rear trunk. The antenna wire is very thin; easy to squeeze into tight spots and easily cut(use care). Ive normally maximum signal, except for over head obstruction(overpass). There seems to be about a 5 second buffer during audio play. I live in a mountainous area, and narrow canyons dont seem to be a problem. I like the music and talk selection on Sirius. There are DJs on the music channels and some inhouse(Sirius) "commercials" about other programs or channels. Music choices are oriented to the younger crowd. Only 3 classical channels, but some oldies pop/rock for us geezers. Check the Sirius website to see if their channels match your tastes. TV audio feeds(CNN) have the normal commercials. Music quality is as good as normal radio, though Im no audiophile. As mentioned, NPR, as well as other national programs will be on a national schedule. FWIW, NPR programs are scheduled by the local affiliates. Air times for programs differ across the country.
On: 2004-04-22
This is a second update of an earlier review. I would downgrade the rating to "4 stars" if the site allowed based on antenna connector problems with a couple of the units I have purchased (4 total). One stopped detecting the antenna completely, and I had to return it twice before they replaced it with a functional unit (including a nasty letter the second time after the tech put a stamp on the unit indicating that it was working properly). If the unit does not engage the car dock precisely, metal clips on the antenna connector will become bent, preventing a proper connection. I finally broke one of these bent clips off the second unit - it was on the "terrestrial" side which is not even used by second generation devices.
Other than this annoyance, all units are operating fine, running from 6 to 14+ hours per day. I have found that heating can be helped somewhat by adjusting the display and contrast controls to lower levels. All antennas have been moved outside at my house (I was intermittently adjusting them at "hot spots" indoors). I had to get an extender cable for two, but it has been worth it. At the downtown office, I get 10+ terrestrial signals in the middle of a multi-level building, so antenna positioning is not an issue. Terrestrial signals are available in larger metropolitan areas with a signal range of 5 to 10 miles from the antennas - wherever they are.
If you have a high speed Internet connection, you can access the service from the Sirius web page using an assigned password - and it sounds pretty good with decent speakers.
The "mobile dock" FM transmitter or cassette adapter options are functional (generally), but an "AUX adapter" will give better sound if your car receiver has an open CD changer outlet. A number of companies sell these things on the web. Installation may or may not be easy depending on the vehicle - if it looks tough, I would have a professional do it.
I think that the programming is terrific - Ive heard more interesting music in the last 10 months than Ive heard in the last 20 years on commercial radio and NPR stations in this area. I generally listen to the Classical and Jazz streams, but Ive sampled most of the other choices; and my wife and young adult kids seem to equally enjoy their preferences, ranging from "lite" rock to rap and R&B. I find the comments of the "stream jockeys" to be very helpful on the classical and jazz streams; less so on some of the others - but they are all far better than the advertisements, fund raising segments, and limited playlists on commercial and local NPR stations. Ive sampled the "talk," news, sports, and comedy streams sparingly - they are certainly there if you are interested. If you like audio, it is highly likely that you will enjoy Sirius greatly regardless of your specific preferences.
On: 2004-04-17
Let me preface this by saying that Ive been both an XM and Sirius subscriber, and have owned the XM SkyFi and the Audiovox PNP2 with the Boombox. My experience might vary from others, but having had the PNP2 for a while now, Im very happy with it and would recommend. Heres why:
1. Display is clear, manageable, and can be changed a little more than the SkyFi. The construction is solid, albeit somewhat thick-as-a-brick, but its sturdy. Given that I destroyed my SkyFis tuning wheel within 10 minutes after installation (without actually trying to do so, I will add), Ill opt for this.
2. The PNP2 sits nicely into the boombox, which actually does Boom with enough power and volume, and enough versatility (I can plug devices to an aux port, which suits me for CDs and MP3 players). The XM Boombox had nearly no volume, and at full blast was hardly audible. Yes, that goes for the new one -- ask yourself how loud 4W power sounds, its a little less than cheap PC speakers. Everything is constructed nicely.
3. Signal. I get one. In my office, at home (with a north/west exposure, to boot). Could not with my SkyFi and orientation, nor could I get a terrestrial fix in my office. As I write this, Im in my office listening to a channel. Crystal clear, no drops or fades. Also, the satellite orientation will be important to you if you are not in an urban area (i.e. NYC, etc.) where repeaters exist (note: Im a few blocks from Sirius HQ, so Ill pick up a good terrestrial signal without too much jostling). The orientation of the 3 birds is much higher in the sky, so while it may rotate a bit, the signal is definitely there in a bad exposure area. Consider where you live, keep that in mind.
When I had XM in my car and old place, I truly enjoyed it. Much the same as I do with Sirius. The programming is a matter of preference or taste. Wont touch on that territory here. For those who have commented about the heat issue, I need to point out that both the SkyFi and PNP2 get kinda warm. Having owned both, I noted no difference in the relative temperature, but dont take that to think youll get burned with it. Holding a baked potato in foil is lethal by comparison. The PNP2 is just thicker and sturdier, which for me is fine. If you want a boombox with solid features, durability, and good programming (and volume), this would be a far better choice.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-04-14
I bought the Audiovox receiver. Less than 45 days later the metal antenna connector pins (3) began to snap off. The unit is supposed to be mobile between house and car but the design is so bad that actually moving the unit around damages it quite easily. I returned it to Audiovox ( well within the warranty period). They would require $80.00 to repair. Plus about 6 weeks or more. So Ill be switching to XM radio and probably the Sony receiver. Do not waste your money on the Audiovox.
On: 2004-04-02
The Audiovox Sirius SRS SIR PNP2 is much less impressive than it should be in this age of cool electonics. As a matter of fact, the Audiovox unit is downright hot. It creates enough heat that one could use it as a handwarmer on cold mornings.
The heat that it produces obviously comes from a less than latest generation electronic design. Features of the design include large size and bulkiness. Where to mount the damnned thing is a problem in contemporary cars with bucket seats and center consoles.
Other issues with the Audiovox include the antenna connectors. They are miniture SMB coaxial connectors that apparently are easy to mangle and difficult to replace. If you break a connector your are left to buy another antenna. If you screw up the connector, fifty bucks wil let repace a fifty cent connector.
One last complaint. The SRS draws so much power making so much heat that your car battery can be drained in suprisingly short order. If you draw power using the Cig lighter, be certain to turn it off or make sure you have jumper cables.
The Sirius radio service is very enjoyable but I recommend having a look at alternatives to the Audiovox unit.
The units sole redeeming feature is the cradle with the built-in RF modulator. It conveniently allows the SRS to be heard on you cars FM radio without connections to your antenna lead or to your cassette tape player.
If I had it to do again, I would seriously consider XM.
by: zenderman On: 2004-03-14
HACK ALERT: "Roy Givens III"...is obviously an employee of Sirius, all of his 8 reviews are designed to run down XM radio and promote Sirius. What a pitiful, brainlessly-obvious fake. Surely Amazon can do a better job of screening out paid hacks like this, otherwise the credibility of its users reviews will continue to plummet. Me, I own nor use neither system, just wanted to post this as a heads-up for unsuspecting Amazon users, so Im giving it 3 stars as a neutral rating.
On: 2004-03-13
The first thing Id like to give here is a warning - NPR lovers beware. The NPR stream available here is probably not what you expect. Check out NPR /Sirius websites to see what it offers before buying. NPR was my biggest reason for buying Sirius over xm. Overall though, I am thrilled, the BBC stream is tremendous, the music channels are varied and play a great collection of music inside their genres. The sports channels let me hear NHL and NBA games now and will let me hear every NFL game. The product is good, not perfect, but well conceived. Setup was simple and 10 minutes after purchase I was up and running, the auto adaptor broadcasts on the four 88.x fm channels.
In short I recommend the product, but educate yourself carefully to make sure you know what youre getting.
by: Anonymous On: 2004-02-15
I had specific expectations for this product. If your expectations are different, you may very well like it.I live in an area where the FM broadcast signals are weak, and I got tired of the static when listening to NPR. Id had a satellite TV dish before and the music stations on that system were really great. I expected the same with Audiovox / Sirius but didnt get it. After 3 disappointing days, I returned everything. Here are the problems I had: 1) Satellite signal was weak. I didnt find out until after I bought it that most people cannot expect the system to work unless they mount the antenna on the roof or somewhere outside. I was unwilling to drill holes in my bedroom wall or window. What signal I could get was very weak, and drifted. It would work for 20 minutes, then stop until I moved it all around again. 2) Audio fidelity was poor, even with 60% signal. The streams must be compressed digital, and the phasing and tunnel effect were way too noticeable. My TV dish offered better-than-CD quality - I just expected the same. 3) The NPR streams were nothing like the NPR I was used to listening to. I am familiar with a certain daily schedule on the FM band, this wasnt it. This is the *only* reason I chose Sirius over XM, by the way. 4) The Audiovox boom box doesnt have a volume +/- on the remote. There was a menu item that seemed like it might do this, but it was difficult to get to, and I cant tell you if it worked or not. $200 for equipment and $13/month for so many short-comings was too much to swallow. I returned everything.
On: 2004-02-11
3/22/05
Just wanted to advise Amazon users that, for reasons known only to himself, Eduardo Nietzsche has posted slanderous statements about me on several items available on Amazon.com. I wrote my honest (albeit, excited) review of Sirius vs XM in February 2004 and posted to several items related to the services. It recently came to my attention that Mr. Nietzsche, in his divine omniscience, has declared to the world that I (Roy Givens III) "...[am]obviously an employee of Sirius" (I am not.) He then referred to my review as "...a pitiful, brainlessly-obvious fake" and called me a "goon".
He then admits that he owns neither system, yet he gives XM 3 stars. Footnote: in my Feb 2004 review I pointed out that by XM giving up their commercial advertising they would have to raise their prices. They did indeed raise prices on February 28, 2005, to the same $12.95 per month as Sirius...exactly as I had predicted one year earlier in my review (below).
***
(Feb 2004 review)
First of all, NONE of the music channels on Sirius have commercials. As far as the $3.00 a month subscription difference between Sirius and XM, just wait. XM is dropping their ads soon and theyre going to have to make up that revenue somehow. Guess whos gonna pay for it? XM subscribers, thats who. So, dont get too used to that $9.95/mo XM rate, because its going up. Anyway, heres what I like about Sirius: crystal clear digital reception, a wide variety of in-genre music streams (16 different streams in the "Rock" category alone) and, starting this year, all the NFL games each week. They already carry the NBA and NHL, so Sirius is a sports fans dream. The docking systems work great, too. Ive got a docking kit connected to my stereo at home and another one in my car, so I just pop the Here2Anywhere receiver out of the living room kit and plug it into the car kit to listen to on the way to work every day. When I get home, I take the receiver inside and pop it back into the stereo. The unit has 24 channel presets and it remembers them no matter where its docked. Sirius is great. I signed up for two years of service and Im glad I did.
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