Sirius ST2 Starmate Replay Satellite Radio with Car Kit
By: Sirius Satellite Radio Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 42
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 On: 2007-01-21
The first unit I purchased lasted a week or two until it got a dark blotch on the display. I received a new unit with no problem from Radio Shack. The current unit was awesome until just after the warranty expired. Apparently the power input jack is not very durable and now makes poor contact. When I hit a bump or touch the unit it turns off and back on. I didnt buy the life time subscription plan for the simple fact that I didnt know how long the unit would last. Now Im really glad I didnt. I would have had to buy a new unit and then pay Sirius $75 in order to keep the life time plan going. Its just a big crap shoot as to how long a unit will last.
 On: 2007-01-09
My original radio didnt work. It has taken over 6 months to get a replacement from warranty. The customer service department is awful. They send you from department to department and never get anything done. I would never recommend Sirius to anyone.
 On: 2006-12-29
The Sirius service and the Starmate both rock. However I was a bit disappointed at first...
The suction cup mount is totally worthless, so dont waste your time. Also, if you live in an area with a lot of FM stations, do yourself a favor and purchase the SIR-PVK1 installation kit (Crutchfield, $25.49). The kit includes an FM Modulator which completely eliminated crosstalk and static for me. Plus it includes a decent mounting bracket, and a permanent power hookup if you want your cigarette lighter back.
As for the service, it is awesome. I have not played a CD since I activated it.
On: 2006-12-29
Great unit, super easy to use, the suction cup mount works great..fm transmitter inside unit is the greatest idea since sliced bread. just tune your fm radio to the correct freq and it works. Great product, totally impressed. Looking to buy another in the near future. No more AM / Fm for me, ever.
On: 2006-12-17
Customer service rating = "F-" for being siriusly useless.
Customer service can often be siriusly rude.
Customer service will cost sirius investers sirius bucks.
A great idea dashed by the low ideals of customer care "tactics".
Ah, when will they learn?
~AX
On: 2006-12-07
I love Sirius, and I have 2 units. The new model has a weak FM transmiter. If you have a audio input on your car deck, or a tape player with an adapter this unit is great. I cant even use my new one until I can get a new deck with audio input. You will never listen to old fashion, regular, comercial filled radio again after listening to Sirius. Howard Stern is so much better on satelite, I recomend giving it a try.
On: 2006-11-12
I have owned my Starmate Receiver for almost a year now. I stopped listening to FM radio about a week after buying it. My satellite reception is of course awesome. I love a clean factory look in my car and so I had the power adapter hard wired into my car. Before Sirius, I bought a car stereo with an auxillary in plug for my mp3 player. When I got Sirius, I simply put a splitter on the Aux in and now I can listen to both Sirius and my mp3 player. The nice thing about it is that I can listen to my mp3 without turning off the Sirius because it for some reason overpowers it. That lets me watch what songs are on the radio while listening to my own stuff. I did the same thing in my sisters car.
My main suggestion: if you are buying this receiver, have a stereo with auxillary input. They are not expensive at all.
On: 2006-11-05
Do not buy this receiver. This model was redesigned to meet more restricted FCC radio emissions requirements. As a result the FM transmitter is underpowered. Unfortunately, I bought one of these. The transmitter is so weak that it cannot overpower local signal noise even when the receiver is only 1 foot away from the stereo antenna. I tried to exchange it through Sirius warranty department, but getting through to them was difficult. Between the customer service department and the warranty department, Sirius gave me the run around so long that I cant even return this defective receiver for a refund. To add insult to injury, Sirius will not give me a refund for the defective receiver either. I ended up cancelling my Sirius subscription because I cant listen to the service with this defective radio.
On: 2006-11-01
If you have a factory original car stereo without a casette deck it will be a lot of work to use the new Starmates. The built-in FM wireless transmitter that allows the Starmate to broadcast on an unused radio frequency is far too weak for use in the car - the static on the unused channel will be intermixed with the Sirius programming. Instead, you must connect a cable to the Starmates headphone jack and splice it with the car stereos antenna or auxiliary input.
In June 2006 the FCC determined that the original Starmate generated far too powerful a signal and ordered it toned down. As a Sirius customer since January 2006, Ive owned both versions of the Starmate, and the old version is deserving of the rave reviews it has received - I never once experienced any problems with static. However, the old version I had broke and once I replaced it with the new one, static dominated my Sirius programming.
 On: 2006-10-13
I love my new satellite radio! I bought my mother the JVC boombox kit for her birthday in June and once I saw the deal with getting a second subscription for $6.99 a monh and special deals on the radios I had to go for it. I love that the car kit doesnt require me to use the suction-cup mount as the JVC one does; I have my car kit set up velcroed under my car stereo. The very large display that is visable in the day or nite because of how well it is backlit is wonderful. I also have found no real problems with the reception with the sateliite antenna; The car one works great and the house one is in a windon in my room and works with no problems.
The problems I have with this product are:
1.) the FM transmitter is HORRIBLE! The only saving grace is that this unit comes with an audio port that is accesible when the car kit is being used, allowing me to use my $20 belkin transmitter instead. This port also gives me the option of using a casseste tape adaptor, which is what I might change to as I have a tape deck/12 disc changer that I alreday own and am thinking of installing. (If using a plug in transmitter: make sure the FM transmitter is off on the Starmate so there is no interference.)
2.) it is a little difficult to find the volume control when in the car. When the kit is in the home unit and you use the remote to turn down the volume it stays at that volume in the car. It is a little difficult to get to the volume control in the until while in the car to put it all the way up so that you dont have to turn the volume on the stereo way up.
So, if you dont mind buying either a better FM transmitter or a cassette tape adaptor to listen in the car I say go for it!!
On: 2006-10-11
I got the ST2 sirius radio as a gift. I was able to install it easily in my car using the car kit - so far so good - 2 stars for ease of installation using the car kit.
After about a month I noticed the reception was not so great even when connected to the home-kit with the antenna in a good spot. I knew it was a problem with this radio because we had no problems and good reception with our other Sirius radio. Over the next week or two the reception got worse. Now the radio does not work at all.
The worst part is customer service. I have spent a total of 3 hours on hold and talked to one sales rep. Once I got a service rep he gave me a bogus excuse about phone reception and hung up. I have not made any progress so far with hours logged on hold. Now that I reseach it, I see that many other people have the same problem!
ST2 seems to be a model with reliability problems.
On: 2006-10-11
I just got fed up with XM. I am hooked on Planet Jazz and all of the other jazz channels here on Sirius. The comedy channels are broken out by "genre" i.e. redneck, risque, etc. so I know what I am going to listen to. I do miss Fox Sports Network (JT the Brick)...but really got my Starmate ( a great price) for "Court TV" and Planet Jazz. I am not a Howard Stern fan, and that had no influence on my switch over....
The subscription rates are now "on par", so I plan to be a Sirius man for immediate future.
The Starmate is a little "smallish" and I am not crazy for the bright blue display, but after you custom "tweak it" to the brightness levels to suit you.....you should be all set.
Also they "share" traffic reports with San Diego (where I live) and Phoenix.....dont care about the other citys traffic reports. It was nice getting just San Diego on XM. A definite plus.
On: 2006-09-23
This is my first time writing a product review. Unfortunately, Im doing this because Sirius customer support has made me so angry I had to share my experience. I am actually on hold with their warranty department as I write this (10 minutes and counting, second call, first wait was 15 minutes and disconnected). I do need to say that I think Sirius has a great product. I did much research (sadly not on their customer service) and trails and concluded they had the best set of stations that fit my likes. However, my first radio broke about 4 months in (this starmate). I went through customer service and they connected me to warranty. The product was still under warranty, however I was mystified that their policy was that I had to pack up ALL my radio components (I had installed the car kit) and send the radio back at my shipping expense. They told me after they receive it they would process and send me a new one. The process could take 4-6 weeks. Well, you probably know you get charged a service fee to receive the satellite signal, and it was unacceptable that I would be charged the service when I had no radio. I had a year contract. I had to complain to get them to freeze my account so I would not loose this 1 to 1.5 months. The crazy thing is I offered to put a new radio on my credit card, have them send me the new one and then take it off my card when they receive my return. They refused to accept this approach.
So here I am on hold again (yes going on 15 minutes now). See, I really like the radio, when it works, and they offered a good deal to add a radio. Yes, yes, fool me twice, I know, but I bought another radio to use in the house (bought this direct from Sirius). Well they shipped me a radio that did not work. Disappointed, but figured since they SENT me a bad radio my experience would be different, they would just send me a new and I would send the defective back. Wrong! They are sending me to the warranty process again. They send me a bad radio and now I have to go through their warranty process. Now Ive purchased a lot of things, both online and in brick and mortar and I dont recall a case where I need to go through the warranty process when the product is defective when I receive it.
Again, I love Siriuss product. But I cant see how the company will thrive and grow with customer service like this. Im glad I only got the year subscription......20 minutes on hold and counting.......
Update 10/13/2006
Feel obligated to provide an update to this saga. Once I finally got connected to warranty, they listened to my situation and said you should talk to returns since we sent you a defective unit, what I expected, why I spent 1+ hour on the phone to get to this conclusion Ill never know. Well when I talked to the right folks, they were great, took care of the situation, gave me an RMA, instructions to send the unit back, credited my account for shipping and gave me a months credit service since I activated my new radio already. I just received it the other day and things are working okay. Turns out I think they lowered the power on the FM transmitters on this model so this new one is not as effective as my old one, but Im happy with the outcome. Who knows, maybe me and others got through to them on their customer service issues.....
On: 2006-08-11
I am in my car way too much, and after my favorite radio station got on this crappy "best of" kick ( their way to cover vacations of the djs is to play repeats of former shows) I said enough. I had beeen peeking at this among other models, and I finally took the leap. It has worked flawlessly and it is amazingly reliable.
The variety of stations is incredible and the fact that it transmits right through your fm radio...no ripping dashboards apart- just one small wire for the antenna, and one for the plug. The install was easy and painless. A suction cup type mount or velcro is available ( I used the suction cup right on my widshield) and included in the kit.
My son is 9 and he loves the remote so (when he is allowed) he can have free reign at changing the channel from the backseat.
My boyfriend has been trying to get me to get one for a while and he added mine to his account, so the second radio is about half price for the subscription. Great his and her gift ideas!!!
On: 2006-07-26
I love my Starmate. Cant put it any simpler then that!
Got it in December and ever since its been on 95% of the time. I have it plugged into my computer to record my favorite talk shows and broadcasting on its strong FM modulator (I catch the signal clearly on all my FM radios all over the house and in my yard while I garden). Since I have it recording my shows, I leave it on all the time and its been preforming great for the past 7 months. The only time I turn it off is when I take it with me on road trips.
I also suggest you take a look at the Sirius Streamer GTR, which is just a Starmate in black. It looks pretty cool and fits better in a car (looks wise). :)
On: 2006-07-22
I was sceptical at first, I admit. but then I got it into my car and bam. First of all, the reception is just as good if not better than if you would be next to a local FM station. Secondly, the reception is good across the country. And plus, it has more commercial free channels than XM, and Howard Stern. What more could you ask for? (Except for a lower price of course ;) )
On: 2006-06-27
First, let me say that this device offers great functionality and great sound quality too. I have heard other reviewers say the sound isnt that good. This is due to interference from the FM station you are using to broadcast over. There is a simple fix for this that does not involve buying a direct connection device, though i dont know if it is applicable to all radios. What I did was to simply unplug the input from the cars FM reciever from the back of my radio. I could still set the radio to any FM station and the SIRIUS radio comes out crystal clear. Note that you will no longer be able to hear FM or AM but who cares when you have Howard.
This item is very easy to install and program and is a great value. I love it.
On: 2006-06-12
I am totally delighted with this little device and sirius satellite radio. i had become quite bored with regular radio and music in general and satellite radio has rejuvenated my interest in music again. this device is compact, lightweight, and moves easily between home and car. it does run hot as other reviewers have commented. according to an engineer friend of mine, this is due to the compact size and no way to cool down. my first unit did give out about a month into it, but i was able to bring it back to the store and get an exchanged. fyi, if you buy items on american express they extend the warranty 5 YEARS so i always buy electronics and big items on my amex card.
it is easy to use -- you can program up to 30 stations, jump back and forth the same way you would on tv, and make a memo of favorite songs or artists. it will alert you everytime they come on (even if you are on another station) and you can easily jump to that station with the selection key. i found it easy to install in the car. i wish the mini remote clicker had a longer range for home use. its fine in the car.
the sound is good enough for me. an interesting note, i had the home unit on and went out for an errand and when i turned on the car it was receiving on the car station as well with no unit plugged in!
the drawbacks are that, just like cell phones, you can loose a signal and at home may have to reposition your antenna. i have a special challenge as my rear window abuts a driveway so at times i need to reposition.
what i like too is i can listen at home to music or talk and do other things. i particularly like the broadway, standards, jazz, new age, and classical voices channels -- all stations that are not available on regular radio. they also have a generous selection of all types of pop/rock music by decade. i choose this unit over xm due to the catholic station which has been a great help to me in my catholic formation and easy to get in on the call in shows. you can also buy this on a monthly plan with no long term commitment.
as this is new technology, i would recommend watching your initial store warranty period (more than 30 days is best) or some other type of protection program. i had no problem reaching customer service people who were quite helpful to me when i had to replace it. it looses a star due to the receiver initially malfunctioning.
On: 2006-06-06
I got this device and service for Christmas 2005 in anticipation of The Howard Stern Show to Sirius. My husband and I had it installed in our car. Four short months later the thing died. Would not receive a signal. Sirius poor warranty replacement policy states that I a) pay to have the entire system ripped from my car, antenna and all b) pay to return it to Sirius, c) wait an additional 7-10 business days after they receive the broke unit and look for a replacement in the mail, d) pay an additional fee to have it re-installed. I very reluctantly did this, kicking and screaming the whole time. Sirius responded by saying they were "sorry". Well, today is business day number 7 and they received my broken unit but havent even entered it into the system yet, so now I have to wait until they do, then wait an additional 7-10 business days before they decide to send out a replacement, no doubt refurbished unit. I am beyond frustrated with Sirius and their shotty customer service. Should Howard leave Sirius today or tomorrow Im leaving too.
On: 2006-05-18
Jerry Lundegardes post below matches my experience. These things get very hot even with display illumination turned all the way down.
On: 2006-04-29
I have several Sirius Satellite radios, but this one is the best. The contact to the antenna is perfect. The displays are easy to read. The radio is simple to program. There are 30 presets for favorite channels. There is a pause feature that records for upto 45 minutes, and that is a great function.
If you dont have satellite radio you do not know what you are missing. It is cable for your radio. The best invention ever.
On: 2006-04-25
I gave this radio to my wife for Xmas as she is a Stern groupie and has a 1 hour commute, boring terrestrial radio couldnt keep her awake so getting this thing was a safety issue. The thing worked fantastic for 4 months and then quit, displaying the " Acquiring Signal" message ad infinitum. I called Sirius to get an RMA, sent it back and we are still waiting for the replacement after 2 weeks. I really think the radio sucummed to the heat these things generate which is an inherent design flaw so I have no confidence in the replacement lasting more than a few months. There is no reason for these radios( all makes and models generate excessive heat ) to get as hot as they do. Also, if you are expecting high fidelity audio out of satelite radio be it Sirius or XM you will be disappointed. Well heck, they need to plow some of their revenues into improving the technology.
On: 2006-04-04
I want to start out saying that I was leery about buying another Starmate radio, because my original was only a few months old and wouldnt play most of the time.
Well, I am SO glad I ditched it and bought this Starmate Replay. I live in Central New Jersey, and travel to South Jersey all the time. This radio has great reception- much better than the old version. I do not have to change the frequency when I travel into Philadelphia airwaves, and if I do, it can be done on the fly with the touch of a button. You can store up to 5 FM stations in the Replay, so you can switch without taking your eyes off the road.
I also like that I can tap a button and scroll through to see what artists or songs are playing while still listening to a station.
I was forever forgetting to turn the old one off, but this one can be set to turn off after 1 hour of inactivity. It will prompt you with a signal, and you can override it by hitting the main button.
I didnt think I would use the replay option- I thought of it as something guys would like for sports- but I use it all the time- I can run into a store and rewind back a favorite song or even rewind Howard if I miss something or cant believe what someone just said!
All in all, this radio is a great investment- I truly enjoy it.
On: 2006-03-23
Ive been really happy with it,
I just want to find an awesome Boombox to go with it, Any ideas anyone?
 On: 2006-02-27
This Starmate ST2 works pretty well, a neat product, no/few commercials, etc.
But, the fidelity is very disapointing to me, esp. after thinking its digital so it must be good. I dont want to, but I may drop my subscription & go back to my CDs - some repetition, but very pleasant to listen to the very pure sound.
I suppose this is due to Sirius not spending the money to transmit greater resolution?
It is no where near the fidelity of Public Radio. I would say its pretty much like AM (a real step backward IMO). It also emphasizes the bass way too much - a side effect of cost-saving maybe?
Small point: I wish they would say what the FMout jack is for - Im trying to find out if this signal can be put into my car antenna (aka a modulator), or is it just for hooking a wire to so as to make a stronger FM transmitted signal?
Steve
On: 2006-02-23
Hands down the most compact and full featured radio on the market to date. I love the rewind feature for those #s I miss
On: 2006-02-19
The installation was straightforward - I found placing the antenna on the trunk lid is easier and works just as well (the signal is full strength in this location). The antenna wire was just long enough to feed through to a position on the dashboard. The FM transmitter works well - though there is occasional static and radio bleed through. The unit has some fun features and so far has worked very well.
On: 2006-02-18
I wrote a positive review of the Starmate when I first bought it. But about four months later, the breakdowns began. First it was the electrical cord- $9 replacement at Radio Shack. And now the antennae is working a lot less often than usual. Many a good sing-along has been interrupted by "acquiring signal". I have yet to contact customer service about it.
I also wish that it had a "last channel" button to use to jump back to where you were- especially after checking out their artist alert (an otherwise great function). As for the programming, Im noticing MJs "Beat It", U2s "I Will Follow", and "Pride" playing a lot, so I hope they work on the repetitiveness issue.
On: 2006-01-25
I love the product! Everything worked well and I have yet to encounter any problems with my service or radio, but the $50 rebate was declined for this product. When I called Sirius Customer Service to find out why, they pawned me off on the company I bought it from saying that they werent responsible for the rebate. The company I bought it from (Radio Shack)worked with me as much as they could to find out why Sirius is not honoring the rebate, and they and I both ended up repeatedly being out on hold for 30-40 minutes only to be disonnected time and again. I then emailed Sirius about it and got no response what-so-ever. I am disgusted with the EXTREMELY poor customer service they have offered and it still has yet to be resolved. So product...Good, Customer Service & ethics...Off the charts HORRIBLE!!!
On: 2006-01-21
The screen now has 5 cracks in it and I cant read a thing.
The problem is this...I move the Starmate in between my home car and work almost on a daily basis.
The "stand" and the clip-on car holder are some of the worst designed accessories I have ever seen. The pressure it takes to clip it on and off is absurd. Not to mention the fact that the radio has NO CASE! There should be a hard-shelled case to slip the receiver in and out of.
Overall love the radio, but hate the lack of thought put into protecting it
On: 2006-01-12
I recieved this for christmas as i guess alot of other people did. I just installed it in my car a few days ago and i have been happy so far. Installation was pretty easy. i routed the wire under my carpet and through the back seat. i left it on my trunk as i dont use my trunk to often so i dont think it would damage the wire any time soon. the receiver itself looks good although there wasnt any flat surface on my dash so i had to use the windshield. programs are great and i find myself often listining and trying to decide what to listen to. my only complaints are the preset buttons seem to be small. and the remote is way to small and i know im going to lose it at any time.
On: 2006-01-12
This is my first and only experience with satelite receivers so I cant make too many comparisons.
What I can tell you is that the unit is very easy to use and set up. I was able to set it up and use virtually all of its functionality w/o reading the manual. You will need to read the manual to fully understand how to use it.
As most posters have mentioned the unit does get warmer than you would expect. But it hasnt been a problem so far.
My biggest issue is the required wiring...but every mobile unit is going to have this issue.
And the display color and brightness. The display is VERY bright. I have mine on the second to lowest brightness setting and it is still very bright in my car at night. Also the color of the buttons and display are blue while all of the instrument lights in my car are amber. Other units I saw offered the ability to choose either blue or amber...this one dosent so it really stands out in the car.
Overall I have no problems withthe unit and it functions just as expected.
Pros:
Good size - Not too small - not too big.
Easy to understand and navigate menue
Price (considering rebate)
Large display
Cons:
Heat
Display way too bright
Display color not easy on the eyes
Satellite sound quality
On: 2006-01-06
I had trouble with my home kit because I have a soffit but once I got the antenna outside its been great. I havent turned this thing off I love it to death. So much music and no commericals. I highly recommend it.
On: 2006-01-05
Just one thing to add to MrLoofers review (hope youre reading): You *can* go back to the last channel listend to, just press and hold down the Select button (the one with the Sirius logo on it). I discovered this by accident one day.
On: 2006-01-04
I received the Starmate Replay receiver for a Xmas present from wife. I had been looking at Sirius receivers to put in my car in order to listen to Howard Stern on Jan 9th, and it was a toss up between the Starmate and the Sportster. Had I not received this as a present, I think I would have gotten the Sporster, however what with the deals available now (you can get this for $79 at most stores) and knowing how easy it was to install, I think this is overall a really good purchase. The only problem I have with this, in fact its probably common in all the other makes and models out there too, is unless you have a car stereo with an AUX input you will either have to use the built in FM transmitter or buy a FM relay ($20) to avoid cross interference and static. The problem with the FM Transmitter alone is where I live almost all of the stations are taken up and the ones that arent, they are tuned so close to neighboring stations that I get a lot of cross interference. On top of that the quality with the transmitter is just OK at best. Instead I opted for a brand new stereo with an AUX input, making the total purchase price around $200, which meant it would have been cheaper to get a stereo that was Sirius ready and therefore avoided the need for an extra receiver.
Pros:
1. Extremley easy to install and activate.
2. Solid unit, nice design.
3. Some nice features such as pause/rewind etc. and artist/song memory.
4. Decent sound.
Cons:
1. No ability to switch to last listened channel - I find this a pain over anything else.
2. FM Transmitter isnt that great.
3. Display button on remote should be near the channel/category buttons.
4. Cannot completely lock down/tighten the mounting bracket so unless you are using the remote (which is hard when driving), you end up moving the unit all over the place trying to change a channel.
So to quickly recap: If you want the best audio for Sirius radio and you have a crummy stereo in your car then go get a Sirius ready radio, otherwise get this and the FM relay and you will be good to go.
On: 2006-01-03
I just got this unit as a Christmas gift for myself, and I must say that I love it. I mainly chose Sirius for Stern and Radio Margaritaville, and so far I have not been disappointed with any of the programming.
As for the unit itself. It mounts in a snap. I was able to install the antena on my SUV and effectively route the cable to the front of the vehicle. The suction cup mount works well, although it has fallen off a couple of times when I unclick the unit from the mounting bracket. Not a big deal, and it may be caused by me not fully installing it properly. The unit does get very hot, which is a slight concern of mine, but I have read reviews where they say to turn the brightness down and it helps a bit. The buttons seem a little cheap to me, which is also another slight concern of mine, since I change channels a lot, and Im worried about durability.
Overall, its a great unit. Sound quality is what I expected, not bad, but not CD quality, but tons better than what I got out of my iTrip transmitter (that thing sucked) for my iPod. I highly recommend this for anyone thinking about satellite radio.
On: 2006-01-02
The reasons I picked the Starmate Replay was for its compact size, large display, and rewind feature. In a world transformed by tivo, the rewind feature makes life all that much better.
Ever had one of those "what did they just say?" moments? With the startmate reply you can go back and listen to that again. Or if you want to listen to a song just played a second time. Rewind, replay. Nice.
Eventually Ill end up replacing my existing car radio with one that natively supports Sirius. In the meantime, this is a nice easy way to explore the world of satellite radio without spending a whole lot of money.
So things that could make this unit better:
- a button that takes you back to the channel you just switched from. There is a jump button but you have to program it to a specific channel. Im using mine for weather/traffic.
- Better display dimming. The display is very bright at night. If you dim the display all the way, you lose the ability to change the contrast (it doesnt seem to change). And dim might be ok at night but then it isnt so great in the daytime. I cant expect too much given that this is an add-on unit (ie theres no way for it to know if your headlights are on) but better to not be surprized.
About Satellite radio for those new to the format like me:
- The sound quality isnt very good. The compression is very high. Its higher on talk stations than music stations but even music stations dont sound as good as FM. This is true for both Sirius and XM. Youre paying for the wide variety and surety of content, not sound quality.
- Connecting by FM transmitter vs direct connect makes it worse. I dont know if this is specific to the Starmate or in general but youll want at minimum to get the direct FM connection adapter.
On: 2006-01-01
Ive only had the Sirius ST2 Starmate Replay Satellite Radio receiver for less than a day now, but its enough time to realize its limitations.
First, let me address the issue of sound quality. Im not a tech guy, but compression seems heavily leaned on. However, its not consistent from channel to channel. On some channels, sound quality is really good, although definitely not CD quality. Other channels almost sound like AM radio. Its a little disappointing and I hope that their bitrates will improve without the need for an update in consumer equipment. I would like to point out that I dont believe that the sound quality is due to this receiver in particular. I think the issue comes from the source of the programming.
Next up is programming. So far, this is satellite radios saving grace and what could help propel it into the mainstream. Howard Stern was about 70% of the reason why I bought this Sirius receiver as soon as I did. Beyond that, I have been impressed with the music programming. What I heard in Best Buy and at home has surprised me a little and gives me hope for the future of radio. I cranked up Jimi Hendrixs Machine Gun in Best Buy. Would you have ever thought youd hear Machine Gun in Best Buy?! Neither did I : ) I heard U2, John Mellencamp, Beyonce, Rush, Metallica, AC/DC, Lionel Richie, American Idol "winners", Green Day, old school rap, Deep Purple, weird 80s music, Bob Dylan, No Doubt, Seal, Janet Jackson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, etc. Not just the well known hits, but lesser known songs that FM radio forgot about a long time ago. And possibly best of all, Im being exposed to music Ive never heard before that sounds good. Outside of music, there are many sports channels, not enough comedy channels, and a slew of talk channels ranging from politics and news to entertainment and NPR.
Heres what you get when the box is opened. Let me also mention that I bought the home docking kit in addition to the car kit. The receiver itself is nice looking. The blue background is appealing. The lettering is a little on the small side and if youre driving a car, diverting your attention from the road to concentrate on small letters might not be the best idea. The Sportster model ($20 more) has a larger LCD screen with bigger letters. All of the buttons on the receiver have a cheap feeling and makes me wonder how they would hold up under extended use. Theres a one year warranty, but I hate hassles. The buttons for station presets are too small. And now the remote. Ugh. The main "direction" buttons at the top of the remote are well placed, but thats where the compliments end. Even though these buttons are well placed, pushing them doesnt always result in the receiver acknowledging that they were in fact pressed. Very annoying. A miniscule LED light at the top flashes when a button is pressed just to taunt you and piss you off. The remote feels lighter than two nickels. Its too short, which makes reaching the numbered buttons at the bottom a pain. The numbered buttons are also way too small. And I have small fingers. Placement of the receivers antenna can take a little work to get a good signal.
Overall, what I will enjoy most about satellite radio will be the programming, that so far the FCC hasnt touched. Thank god! When the sound quality eventually gets to the iTunes level, me and my satellite radio will be inseperable. As far as this receiver is concerned, build quality could be improved. The ergonomics and functionality of the remote is in need of vast improvements. Also, this may seem small, but the inclusion of a program guide would be nice. I realize you can print one off on the Sirius website, but Im an American. I want it NOW! : )
On: 2005-12-30
Just got this baby. They say to mount the antenna on the roof, but it works just fine on my dash. My only problem was that nothing sticks to my interior, but that is probably from all of the protectant that I put on it. Im really happy with the display, and it sounds great. I dont really have any reception problems, and there are at least 4 stations that I have already found that I like, and im waiting on Howard!
I had some worries about installing this and about how sirius would turn out, and ive been pleasantly surprised. Just beware, it may take a little bit of work to hide all the wires from sight. If you are not up to it, you may want to have it professionally installed.
On: 2005-12-30
The Starmate Replay is definitely the best option when looking for a Sirius Radio for your vehicle. It is small and compact but has a clear display that is easily read. I have two Sirius Receivers: the Sanyo CRSR-10 and the Starmate Replay. The Sanyo is in my home because it is a bit large and bulky so I recently purchased the Starmate for my car and installed it last night. I cannot believe how nice it fits in my car. Installation took a couple hours but was not that difficult. I used the winshield mount and placed it in the lower right corner on the passengers side. It is out of my way while driving and I use the remote to change the channel. I ran the antenna wire down the side of the dash, under the plastic and carpet between the passengers seat and the door, into the back seat and into the trunk. I then came out of the top of the trunk,(that little space where the window and trunk meet) around the back window under the molding to the roof of the car. It took some time but is so worth it. Good Luck!
On: 2005-12-27
I received the Starmate Replay for Christmas yesterday and activated it today. This baby is sweeeet. I contemplated taking it back for the larger Sportster but decided to keep this one and am very pleased that I did. The sound is great; not CD quality but that was expected. Its very easy to use and installation was a snap. The remote is pretty cool and easy to use. 30 presets.. will I have that many favorites? Lets hope so! My location is one of the selected cities for local traffic and weather which is nice so thats a plus.
Its nice and small with all the same features of the Sportster but $30 cheaper. I now know the Sportster would have been too big; even if it did come with the docking station. The suction cup windshield mount is SOLID!
Ill be buying another.
On: 2005-12-22
This is by far the best Sirius receiver currently available. Heres why, the display is large and easy to read, the menus are self explanatory and easy to navigate, you can store up to 30 presets, the unit is very small and cool looking, and it has a rewind feature which lets you rewind a song or missed portion of a program for up to 45 minutes. I have checked most of the other receivers, many of which seemed cheap, and didnt perform as well as this one. I also purchesed the home kit which works flawlessly. I cant reccomend this receiver highly enough. Baba Booey & F Jackie!
On: 2005-12-09
I got my Starmate Replay about a month ago. Since then, I only listen to "normal" radio when Howard Stern is on in the mornings. After that, its Sirius all day long. Come January, Ill be saying goodbye to terrestrial radio.
The good:
The size of the unit makes it a breeze to install. I originally mounted it on my dash in front of my steering wheel where I could see it and access it easily. I used velcro for that install, but it didnt work out as nicely as I wanted. I solved that problem with a vehicle specific dash mount from Crutchfield. Best $35 I spent. The unit is now mounted just to the right of the factory radio and is out of the way, yet still very accessible. The remote is a good size without being too small. The buttons are well placed and it works good without having to point it directly at the unit. That said, I rarely use it. The unit is well within easy reach without taking my eyes off the road.
Bad:
I dont really have anything "bad" to say. The unit does get warm, but that seems to be an industry wide side effect. I keep the brightness and contrast at a minimum and that seems to keep the unit a tad cooler. I do not have a fear that the unit will overheat. It just doesnt get that hot.
Overall Im very satisfied with this unit. So much so that I just bought another one as a gift.
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