Which receiver is the best?

Brandon Pop · 02-06-2006, 01:29 AM

I am about to take the plunge and subscribe to Sirius, but there are at least a dozen different models to choose from. It seems logical to purchase one that I can play primarily in my car but also at home. Any suggestions?

Jeff Gatie · 02-06-2006, 07:47 AM

It really depends. The Starmate or Sportster are good mid-sized plug and plays, that also have home dock and boombox capability and they are mid-priced and reliable. Both have replay versions that store around 45 minutes of the channel you are listening to, so you can pause and "replay". The Starmate Replay is little smaller that the Sportster, if space is a premium. These two are probably the most popular. The Xact Visor and Sirius One are really, really small (fit on your sun visor), but you lose display capability (display is only one line). The S50 allows recording and playback of songs, shows and scheduled recordings. Plus it is a portable MP3 player that allows you to hear recorded content iPod style. It's expensive ($329), but there is nothing else like it.

Really, it all depends on how you will use it. Personally, I have an S50 to record at home and take as a portable and I'm receiving a car only Alpine module from Crutchfield today, just because I like the service so much (it's $6.99/mo for any additional radios via the family plan). The S50 has had some initial complications (I like mine fine, but some people curse it), but it is upgradable via downloaded firmware.

Someone else will probably chime in with their particular model and it's pros/cons.

Steve Blair · 02-06-2006, 01:44 PM

I have the s50 as well and love the recording ability for Howard Stern. It has a $50 rebate this month too!

Ernie Estrella · 02-07-2006, 08:22 AM

I wanted to get Sirius for the NFL season (And am happy I did, REAL happy) so I couldn't wait for the S50, so I got the Sportster Replay. I really enjoy this reciever a lot. I like listening to talk shows so the little "running TIVO" option comes in handy when I'm listening to Jim Rome at the same time. On his commercial breaks I can rewind whatever show I'm listening to on Sirius and toggle between both shows. I like having 30 presets, sports seek, and song seek. I do like the Starmate and wish I held out for that one but for no frills folks who only listen to one or two stations, I think the Sirius One is slick. I just posted a thread on a deal for the XTR2CR on Circuit City Online for $20 after rebates. Nice deal.

gary*w* · 02-07-2006, 09:23 AM

I got the Sirius One for xmas and it's pretty cool.

The size is great! It can mount on my visor in the car or it has a suction cup window bracket. In the car, the display is a bit hard to read in really sunny areas. The display is small and poorly lit but it can be set to scroll artist/song info.

It can move into the house as well. It has an audio out for direct connection to the home stereo and the FM transmitter is so good i can listen on the stereo in my den while the sirius one is in my living room.

The stereo seperation ain't so good but as i listen mostly to Howard Stern, ESPN radio, NFL, NHL and Raw Dog Comedy it's not a big deal to me. If you are all about the music, perhaps another reciver might be better.

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Erick.S · 02-25-2006, 02:27 PM

I was given an Xact StreamJockey 2 for christmas. My girlfriend decided she wanted one for herself after hearing me sing it's praises for a couple of weeks. She couldn't find this same one, though. After the rebate the unit cost around 30 bucks, which is a steal. She ended up buying herself a Sportster. The StreamJockey is alright. It gets the job done. I have a problem with it that might or might not be the unit itself. When I hit bumps while driving, the radio sometimes freezes and doesn't resume unless I turn it off and back on. I haven't seen the Sportster do this yet. And that replay feature is pretty sweet. Wish I had one of those instead. LoL.

Bill Mc · 03-14-2006, 07:34 PM

How does the Starmate or Sportster sound when connected through a car with a wireless hook up? I am considering getting Sirus, but I don't want to pay $12.95 a month if it doesn't sound good. Also, is it possible to mount the antenna in the car instead of outside?

BenS · 03-15-2006, 06:26 AM

To me they sound fine just like receiving a radio station through your antenna.

Jeff Gatie · 03-15-2006, 07:50 AM

Quote:

How does the Starmate or Sportster sound when connected through a car with a wireless hook up? I am considering getting Sirus, but I don't want to pay $12.95 a month if it doesn't sound good. Also, is it possible to mount the antenna in the car instead of outside?

The FM modulator hook up is good if you have a clear station to broadcast to. But there are options. For ~$20 you can get a wired modulator that you can plug inline with your car antenna which improves the signal and eliminates static and background broadcasts. Or you can go all the way and get an aux-in jack and have the sound hardwired.

As far as the antenna is concerned, it is recommended to be mounted on the roof of the vehicle. Some choose to mount it on the dash or on the rear window shelf, but these locations are hit-or-miss. The antennas are really not that hard to install on the roof if you can use handtools without putting your eye out.

3 questions -

1) what Sirius unit are you considering?
2) what type of vehicle/head unit (radio) do you have?
3) Do you want good, better, or best sound?

Bill Mc · 03-16-2006, 05:46 PM

1) I'm considering the Starmate because it's a little smaller and has the same basic functions as the Sportster.

2)I have a Ford F-150 truck. Just a basic CD player/Radio

3) It just has to sound decent. As long as it kicks out in stereo, I'm fine with it.

The Truck is a lease. This is why I do not want to mount the antenna on the roof. I would rather just listen to it in my truck and if I want to switch out and play it in my wife's car, I can with out having to buy two seperate antennas. A friend of mine has the antenna in his car and he says he doesn't run in to any problems.