Sirius SPB1 Sportster Boombox
By: Sirius Satellite Radio Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 23
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 On: 2008-05-25
As mentioned in other reviews the power cord (two part) is silly and awkward. Sirius reception is pretty good in the Boston area but sometimes it can be tough to get a signal indoors. The long cord on the antenna can remedy this although it is a pain to have it running across the room to a window. The sound is GREAT for a little boombox. It sounds as good as Sirius ever does.
On: 2008-04-21
This is an outdated model boombox for a sirius radio. I bought it a year ago for my dad. The battery life is not very good, and the sound quality is meh at best, but it does exactly what it needs to do, which is provide a way to listen to his old sirius radio from his car in his garage while he works, or occasionally at work in the lumber yard. Although the product in my opinion is meh, is does what he wants it to do without fail, so no complaints.
On: 2007-12-19
As of this writing Ive only had this boombox one day but Ive spent several hours listening to it. Im shocked at the problems other people have had, although I do agree with them on some things. Firstly, the unit is a bit bass-heavy and has nothing with which to control this. Thats why I docked it a star; a simple tone knob that reduces the bass would have been welcome. I dont think its TOO bass-heavy, but I am glad its not any more bassy than that, lets say. Hip-hop fans might actually find it has too little bass... which helps me make my point about a tone knob. To close the subject, Id rather it have a bit too much bass than too little. I hate tinny-sounding speakers. My antenna reception has been a bit spotty but Im very used to that from Sirius. Its aggravating when you leave the antenna in a place where its working fine, then- Acquiring Signal. Do the satellites move around that much? I am lucky enough to be able to put my antenna outside and I got great reception for over two hours that way. Your results may vary. Overall, the boombox beats the bejeezus out of the home docking kit, which Ill be getting rid of soon. I wish Id just bought the boombox to begin with. Unless you have a killer home speaker system and you dont mind it being stationary, Id go with the boombox. Its a lot more versatile and sounds great for its size. It also works with MP3 players, and guess what- you can adjust the bass on them.
 On: 2007-02-17
Ive had this for exactly one year without ANY problems. In fact, this has been nothing short of an exceptional boombox radio. When I paid only $100 for this I expected below-to-average sound quality. But, that is not the case with the Sportster Boombox. The sound is crisp with a surprising amount of bass. Everytime someone new comes into my home they are surpised to hear all that sound out of such a little boombox!
The only negative is that you cannot adjust the treble +/or bass. For me, the factory set the sound levels perfectly and is not an issue.
As an added bonus: if this unit is on and the car dock is plugged into its power source, you can receive sirius on any FM radio in the house!
On: 2007-01-16
I think from ordering the product to receiveing the product was a painless procedure.
On: 2007-01-09
The product did arrive as described, however I was dissappointed with the way it was shipped. The box for the boombox was not secure in anyway! It came in just the regular box and was not even taped shut. Anyone could have just opened the box with no hassel at all. Again, luckily mine was not tampered with, I was just surprised it was not secured a little better!
On: 2007-01-01
I got this Boom box for Christmas and use it every day in my UPS truck. I put unit in front window and poof it works like magic. I dont even have to unravel antenna. The sound quility is tremendous. Plenty of volume. When I used terestrial radio I would have to stop listening when I got on a highway. Not with this one. I have volume to spare. Great job!!
On: 2006-12-20
I love this boombox, i just got it for christmas yeah early. i use it at work, my house, etc. i dont know how anyone is having a reception problem. i work in a warehouse surronding by steel, no problems. i put the antenna in the window and then the best radio on radio was in the warehouse! love SIRIUS!
On: 2006-10-18
I just have to answer some of the ignorant comments, and give my review.
It is *Satellite* Radio!! DUH. You have to put the antenna outside so it can get reception from the satellite. Yes maybe some people get a signal with it near a window (due to their location being at an angle to the satellite) and some even get reception inside (because they are near a *terrestrial* land based repeater)
To the person with the Whys
1) Why is the power-cord in two pieces? The power cord is like a laptop, it disconnects at the power-brick so they just have to ship the plug for the correct country.
2) Why is there a strange bar on the back? Its to wrap the antenna cable around. (what do you do with your antenna cable??)
3) Why is the antenna removable and not built in? Because it is Satellite radio!! and needs the antenna pointed at the satellite.
4) Why does it fail to sync up with Sirius in several different INDOOR locations? Because it is SATELLITE radio, and the antenna needs a view of the satellite.
I have this Boombox and it works great!! I take it on jobs and use it at home.
It has about 15 of antenna so it can be pointed outside at the satellite from almost any location.
While there is always something on satellite to listen to, I did use it with my iPod once on the AUX input, and it worked great.
My only issue like others have mentioned is the electronic volume controls (you dont know how high or low it is till you turn it on) my last boombox had a knob and was easy to turn all the way down, and slowly turn up.
For people that need help getting a signal, here are some tips.
1) the antenna has to be in a line of sight to the satellite (thats outside up in the sky)
1) There cannot be buildings, Heavy trees, or other obstruction in the way.
3) The satellites are rotating over North Dakota so point the antenna there.
If you are in Florida, point it North-West. If you are in Maine, point it West.
If you are in Texas, point it North. If you are in Sourthern California, point it North-East.
If you are in Washington state, point it East. and if you are in North Dakota, point it straight up.
Hope that helps.
Oh, and I cant believe someone complained that it didnt have an FM tuner. I havent listened to FM for over a year. Did they miss the unending commercials or the censored content?
On: 2006-10-17
I just have to answer some of the ignorant comments, and give my review.
It is *Satellite* Radio!! DUH. You have to put the antenna outside so it can get reception from the satellite. Yes maybe some people get a signal with it near a window (due to their location being at an angle to the satellite) and some even get reception inside (because they are near a *terrestrial* land based repeater)
To the person with the Whys
1) Why is the power-cord in two pieces? The power cord is like a laptop, it disconnects at the power-brick so they just have to ship the plug for the correct country.
2) Why is there a strange bar on the back? Its to wrap the antenna cable around. (what do you do with your antenna cable??)
3) Why is the antenna removable and not built in? Because it is Satellite radio!! and needs the antenna pointed at the satellite.
4) Why does it fail to sync up with Sirius in several different INDOOR locations? Because it is SATELLITE radio, and the antenna needs a view of the satellite.
I have this Boombox and it works great!! I take it on jobs and use it at home.
It has about 15 of antenna so it can be pointed outside at the satellite from almost any location.
While there is always something on satellite to listen to, I did use it with my iPod once on the AUX input, and it worked great.
My only issue like others have mentioned is the electronic volume controls (you dont know how high or low it is till you turn it on) my last boombox had a knob and was easy to turn all the way down, and slowly turn up.
For people that need help getting a signal, here are some tips.
1) the antenna has to be in a line of sight to the satellite (thats outside up in the sky)
1) There cannot be buildings, Heavy trees, or other obstruction in the way.
3) The satellites are rotating over North Dakota so point the antenna there.
If you are in Florida, point it North-West. If you are in Maine, point it West.
If you are in Texas, point it North. If you are in Sourthern California, point it North-East.
If you are in Washington state, point it East. and if you are in North Dakota, point it straight up.
Hope that helps.
Oh, and I cant believe someone complained that it didnt have an FM tuner. I havent listened to FM for over a year. Did they miss the unending commercials or the censored content?
 On: 2006-10-16
Ive had this unit for about a year and a half and Im not impressed by it. I just dont want to pay for a newer receiver and then buy another car cradle, home cradle, and boombox. OK.. so back to the boombox. This thing is poorly constructed and is not worth the $100 it costs. The volume control is the biggest issue I have. My boombox will randomly increase the volume by like 400% just based on antenna strength. If I try to turn down the volume and go to far it just cuts out.. I have to turn it up past that point to hear anything again. (Or turn the boombox power off and then on.. then the volume is temporarily fixed) The antenna is a piece of junk.. Everyday around 3 oclock outer space just seams to disappear! (I have it facing south skies too) You could argue orbital patterns of satellites, but why does it claim to have a full Terrestrial signal and then on the display say no signal and It cuts in and out. Again.. dont buy the boombox.. its junk! It has been like this since I bought it a year and a half ago.
On: 2006-08-11
Heres why,
1) It is all bass. I mean A LOT of bass. As someone stated earlier its good for rap, i guess, but thats it. Its no good listening to stern, sports, or other talk, even regular music!
2) There are no controls, i.e. bass, treble, etc. What they set it at is what youre going to have to settle with.
3)The remote is useless. I swear 9 of 10 times Im pressing the same buttons 2 or 3 times before the thing changes (yes all this with fresh batteries)
4)It doesnt sit right. When you put it down on a table be careful it will tilt and slam down
5)You do not need it. Just use the housing unit that came with it and feed it through your existing radio.
I wasted $100.00 on this thing
 On: 2006-08-11
I always have to move the boombox from room to room to get reception. When I do finally get some reception I have to move the antenna all over the room to keep it.
I wouldnt recommend this product until they work the reception problems out.
On: 2006-08-10
I always have to move the boombox from room to room to get reception. When I do finally get some reception I have to move the antenna all over the room to keep it.
I wouldnt recommend this product until they work the reception problems out.
On: 2006-06-15
I was apprehensive about purchasing the boombox because of the few negative reviews that Ive read here and elsewhere (bad signal reception, poor quality sound, too much bass, etc). I bought it anyhow and I am glad that I did.
Outdoors, the boombox works very well. My wife and I recently took it on a camping trip to the Allegheny mountains of western PA. We took along an FM radio just in case we couldnt pick up a signal. We never needed the FM radio. We were able to listen to the great stations on Sirius radio throughout the trip.
Indoors, yeah, it has some issues, but if you find a good location for the antenna you can listen to Sirius inside the home as well as outside or in the car.
The sound quality of the boombox, I think, is excellent. Sure, theres room for improvement, Im sure future versions will include an EQ, but for the price, it delivers a fantastic sound. I was concerned about reviews I read that said there was too much bass. As Im not a rap or hip-hop fan this was a concern. I listen to rock n roll and I listen to talk radio. I hate stereo systems with too much bass. This was not a problem here. Great sound. We even plugged our iPod into the auxillary jack and it worked very nicely as well.
Overall, great product.
On: 2006-06-14
I was apprehensive about purchasing the boombox because of the few negative reviews that Ive read here and elsewhere (bad signal reception, poor quality sound, too much bass, etc). I bought it anyhow and I am glad that I did.
Outdoors, the boombox works very well. My wife and I recently took it on a camping trip to the Allegheny mountains of western PA. We took along an FM radio just in case we couldnt pick up a signal. We never needed the FM radio. We were able to listen to the great stations on Sirius radio throughout the trip.
Indoors, yeah, it has some issues, but if you find a good location for the antenna you can listen to Sirius inside the home as well as outside or in the car.
The sound quality of the boombox, I think, is excellent. Sure, theres room for improvement, Im sure future versions will include an EQ, but for the price, it delivers a fantastic sound. I was concerned about reviews I read that said there was too much bass. As Im not a rap or hip-hop fan this was a concern. I listen to rock n roll and I listen to talk radio. I hate stereo systems with too much bass. This was not a problem here. Great sound. We even plugged our iPod into the auxillary jack and it worked very nicely as well.
Overall, great product.
On: 2006-05-24
I received the unit and not only does it look great (sleek, small, lightweight for easy carrying, super sound), but I plugged it in and immediately got perfect clarity, not a hint of static, no interference whatsoever. It is in my living room, dead center, with antenna attached to box, nowhere near a window, and the reception is perfect. Im getting better reception than I do in the car.
Thanks to Sirius great product.
On: 2006-05-10
I bought this off the shelf and really havent had any reception problems...Worked fine in LA, and Portland (where I now live) has such a high terrestrial backup that I can pickup stations inside the house without having the antenna near a window...The problems are with the boombox...As someone stated earlier, it is all bass...if your listening to rap, it sounds great, but if youre listening to talk, sometimes its hard to understand because there is so much bass (there are no tone controls)...The volume control is in steps which means you cant twist a dial and get the volume you want - you have to jump in steps. You really cant get a low volume (I listen at night before I go to bed) because of this step volume - its either on or off at low volumes...Now the boombox is starting to make this chirping sound...a small electrical chirp about every second...if the volume is high enough its drowned out, but at low volumes you can hear it...that flaw is in the boombox and not the radio because it doesnt do it in the car...in fact, the boombox will make noises when the radio is off....One way to get around all of this is (if you have purchased the boombox) is to get another radio and use the FM transmitter...The receiver is great and sounds good in the car, but avoid the boombox unless you like high bass, loud music........
On: 2006-03-19
Do not buy this product ! I got mine as a Christmas present in 05 , so I could listen at work . I hung the antennae outside the building and got a weak signal , it still played , spasmodically , frustrating . After about 3weeks it stopped playing . I called sirius and after going through all the hoops they set up to get a return set up I sent it back . Its been six weeks since . I pay money for a service I dont get . I bought a piece of equipment that doesnt work and get no satifaction from the staff in the warantee dept. Im told the product is on back order however its available online or in stores . Whos fooling who? Oh how did it sound when it did work , in a word lousy . Didnt these people hear it before they decided to manufacture it ? All bass no midrange to speak of , these guys obviously never heard of high range . Also the car mount unit I bought doesnt work . I havent sent that back yet . Im afraid to . All I can say is stay away .
On: 2006-03-17
I got the boombox, receiver and 1 year service as a gift in June 05. I was in Yellowstone at the time, and assumed the lack of reception was due to interference from the mountains, peaks, etc. Upon returning to Wisconsin (i.e flat, very flat land, smaller town), could not acquire a signal 98% of the time. I took the boombox outside, moved the antenna at different directions, tried several locations and still ... nothing. I assumed this was just a bad product, and all the hype was just that, hype. A few months later, I started thinking about how much the whole system cost and since unit was still under warranty, I decided to see if there was anything I could do to get it to work.
I called technical support shortly before Christmas, and the best they could tell me (besides taking unit outside, moving antenna to different angles) was that if I wanted inside reception, I should drill a hole through my wall and mount the antenna in the outside. Never mind that its not unusual for winter temperatures here to dip into -20 F. I also explained that reception would not come in even when I took the boombox outside (so I dont quite know how drilling a hole through the wall would fix that problem!). There was no other advice tech support could/would give me so I was then transferred twice to wrong depts and finally landed on Claims. I returned my unit, at my own expense, 2-3 weeks later I received a replacement. The replacement unit was very smudged, obviously not new (its ok, I own cleaners and dont need a brand new unit). The problem with this replacement unit was that the wire for the antenna was totally frayed in multiple spots, so there was no connection left! This was NOT a refurbished unit, this was a broken unit, obviously returned by some other unhappy customer! Had anyone taken the time to check it out, they would have seen that this unit was unfit to go out to a customer! I called right away, the first rep hung up on me without taking any info, so I called back and made sure I gave all relevant info to rep number 2. One month passed, nothing. I called back, was told unit was now on back order, call back next week. I called next week, same response. I called the week after, still same response. I called 5 different weeks, and got the very same response, unit was on back order but would be shipping soon. I called again this week, and was now told that a claim for that frayed, broken unit had never been filed, and there was no record of there being a problem with the replacement, and she would be happy to file a new claim at this time (please note, this is now 2 months since I called regarding bad replacement sent, 3 months since whole ordeal began). I left 2 messages on 2 different days for her supervisor to call me. I finally got a hold of her today by calling once again, and by refusing to leave the phone line until she spoke to me (I was first told to leave supervisor a third voice mail). The best she could do, after 3 months and 10+ phone calls, endless holding time for the next available rep, of trying to get a WORKING boombox, was file a new claim, and Ill probably get a replacement unit in 3-4 weeks from today.
I cant tell you how great the boombox sounds because mine has never worked. What I CAN tell you is that if you EVER have to deal with SIRIUS, be warned there is no customer service. They have no desire to solve problems, to rectify their mistakes, or to replace their defective units. What they will do is string you along for who knows how long because Im still waiting. I cannot believe that a company that is run this way can make a quality product. This is indeed the worst company I have ever come across. I dont know anything about XM, but I cannot believe that anyone can be as incompetent as Sirius has turned out to be.
On: 2006-02-27
Very impressed with the sound quality out of this boombox. Aux port should you want to play CDs. Cant wait to sit on the deck this summer and listen to Jimmy Buffett concerts while sipping a beer!
On: 2006-02-19
This little radio reminds me of a Bose, but only better. The sound quality is fantastic. We listen to Howard in the mornings when we are getting ready for work. and I can take the Sportster Replay out of the boombox and put it in my car to listen to more Howard or the excellent Sirius music stations on my way to work or anywhere else. (I have the car adapter kit, my hubby has the built-in radio receiver in his car) We have the antenna snaked throught the room that the boombox usually stays - the wire goes up one of the walls and we have hung the actual antenna out the window. We get the best reception that way. Sometimes we get poor reception, but 19 out of 20 days we get perfectly crystal clear sound. This radio is definately worth the price if you have a Sportster or a Sportster Replay and would like to listen to Sirius in your house when your getting ready in the morning, when your having a BBQ, when you want to take your Sirius with you to a friends house, or when your at the beach (yes, you can use batteries).
On: 2006-02-16
To think that I had such visions that I would be totally stylin with this amazing boombox, impressing all the ladies and, yes, striking fear into the hearts of my foes. The more fool I. The only reaction I should get for buying this would be uproarious mocking laughter.
This is the single worst major consumer product Ive bought in my life. It is a masterpiece of staggeringly incompetent design. I cant really fathom how this ever mustered any sort of internal review, because it is so hideously flawed that even the greatest of simpletons could point out its numerous shortcomings.
The power cord comes in two sections that you have to hook together. WHY? Theres a strange purposeless horizontal bar in the back that gets in the way of everything. WHY? The antenna unit, instead of being built-in, has to be plugged into the top of the box, but the mounting prongs are about 1/16th of an inch high, and consequently the antenna is almost constantly flinging itself away to precious freedom and falling to the floor. WHY? And most importantly--good luck actually connecting to the service. I tried it in several different indoor locations and failed to synch up with Sirius at any of them. WHY?
For those keeping score at home, thats four WHYs, and Ill add a fifth: WHY did I buy this?
On: 2006-02-08
DO NOT BUY THIS MODEL. The newer "Starmate" model is superior in every way: cheaper, lighter, sturdier, better reception, better sound, doesnt blow through 20 batteries every week. STARMATE YES, SPORTSTER NO.
 On: 2006-02-05
I was so stoked when I bought this box. I read the manual and it says if in a big city just put the antenna near a window and it should work great. Not. I put it in my Florida room that is screened in and nothing. Acquiring signal. Then I move it to up and even outside and it still wont just stay on. Such a dissapointment because I really like Sirius. I hate their cheap antennas they give you and notice they sell more expensive ones as well. Should have been in the antenna buisness. Fortune there.?.?.? Hope this blows over. Guess Im on the roof tomorrow.
On: 2006-01-24
Pros:
1. Great sound (however, very heavy bass when listening to talk channels.)
2. Ease of use
3. Detachable antenna works great
4. Can run your MP3 player into it
Cons:
1. No FM tuner
2. No bass/treble controls (very heavy on the bass side - you have no control over it.)
3. No visual volume indications (you dont know what level the volume is at.)
4. Missing 3 VERY basic features that would have been very easy to implement on this boombox.
If you have Sirius service and want a mobile (non-car) player then this boombox + Sportster is an affordable solution. Youre choices are very limited right now so this product is as good as it gets.
I dont HATE this product but I get frustrated at its lack of bass/treble controls.
On: 2005-11-15
Great boombox! It can be used with the original Sirius Sportster Receiver and also the Sportster Replay 2 Receiver. Comes with an AC Adapter and the antenna to pick up the satellite signal. If you want to take the boombox out and about, plug in 8 D Cell Batteries (yes thats a lot, but most boomboxes require this number) and youre out and about.
Great sound on the speakers! Crank it up and theres no crackling or sound distortion.
The price Amazon sells it at along with the free shipping, youre going to have a difficult time finding anyone else with these prices!
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