[Tuberoller]

Since I have been a subscriber to XM radio my music buying has increased tremendously and my listening habits have been much more diverse.I love XM radio.I still can't get over the huge variety of programming and I am crazy about the on-screen artist and song info of the Delphi Sky-Fi reciever.The record companies certainly need to make sure XM radio stays around a long time.

I listen to XM at least 8 hours a day and have been able to encourage a great many of my friends to subscribe to XM as well.XM is a great tool for those looking to expand their musical knowledge and broaden their listening.The sound quality is very good and the lack of commercials is a big bonus.I have never been unable to find something on XM worth listening to.I was completely shocked to in one day hear music from all the recordings in my current rotation.I hear stuff that would never, in a million years, get played on any radio station.The choices are huge.

I very highly recommend XM radio and the Delphi Sky-fi reciever.I fall short of giving it the "awesome budget component" status due to the fact that it is a subscription service.At $9.95 a month,it is most certainly an outstanding bargain in every sense of the word.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

XM is tenatively in my future...

 

[Spiffyis5150]

Tuberoller, you are right on. I've had XM since May of last year, and it's a wonderful service. I listen probably an average or 8 or 9 hours a day myself between my car, work and home. I don't completely agree about never being unable to find something to listen to because I think it depends on your musical tastes. I still have moments where I will listen to something else because I don't like what's on any of the channels that I listen to, but I'm also picky on what I like. On the other hand, I totally agree with you about songs that they play. I hear stuff from my collection that I would never hear in a million years either. There are times when I'm listening and thinking, "Wow, this is like hauling my entire 600+ CD collection around, but not!" They are great about playing not so mainstream stuff, and they also accept requests on most channels. I wholeheartedly endorse XM and the Delphi SkiFi unit for anyone who's a music lover or a variety freak. XM has something for just about everyone.

For those of you who have been tempted or who want to be tempted, I'm posting a link here for the Delphi unit for $99 inclusive. It's a good deal for the main unit plus either a home or car base. It also includes free activation. I don't know how much longer it will be around, but I do know that it's still active.

http://66.246.14.172/phpBB/viewtopic...ae661b5a60b9fc

 

[cscott23]

Check it out here:

http://www.xmradio.com/promo/xmff_main.jsp

I *love* XM.

 

[rickfri]

Is anybody using this for home use? I was wondering about the antenna. Is the one provided with the home kit good enough to pick up the satellite, without having to install one on the roof. I live in a fairly small town and doubt that the terrestrial setting will do any good. I'd really like to have all the stations provided by XM, but don't want it to turn out to be a serious hook up problem.
Thanks.

 

[Spiffyis5150]

I use it here in my apartment. The antenna provided with the home kit is great. My apartment doesn't even face south, nor does my antenna sit near a window and I can still pick up both of the satellites. There's also a terrerstial repeater and because of where my antenna sits currently(in a corner beside the computer nowhere near a window), it's the signal that I get a lock on. I have experimented placing into a window and it was able to pick up both of the satellite signals easily. I don't believe that you would have any trouble picking up a signal with the antenna strategically placed in your house. Most people who have bought the Delphi have reported easily being able to pick up the signal in their homes without doing lots of mounting and hook-up work. Here's a thread from the XM board I'm on about home antenna placement.

http://66.246.14.172/phpBB/viewtopic...0eb01bffeb0701

 

[CRESCENDOPOWER]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tuberoller Since I have been a subscriber to XM radio my music buying has increased tremendously and my listening habits have been much more diverse.

Yeah, the sixties, and seventies always get me. CDs definitely need to be cheaper.
I also like the sports channels; those guys really get in to it, and their knowledge about the history of the game I find astonishing.

 

[dokebi]

Does XM radio broadcast excessive commercials like free radio? If it has even 1 commercial then I'll forever be uninterested in it.

 

[Tuberoller]

Most stations are completely commercial free.The ones that do have commercials will play one commercial and get right back to the music.You actually don't even notice it because all the spots are 30 seconds.None of the Jazz,Blues or Classic rock stations has commercials and of course the uncensored stations don't.

 

[a1leyez0nm3]

sounds interesting... i would consider buying it if it was more portable.. as in putting it in your pocket.. but there arent enough satellites for that probably..

 

[rickfri]

After reading all the posts in this thread, I went out and bought one of the Delphi receivers and the home unit yesterday. I was really surprised at how small both the units are. Took about 15 minutes to set up. This thing will fit in a very small space, probably on extra space left on any audio rack. Took about another thirty minutes to sign up and get the thing activated. Got better reception leaving it on the rack in the middle of the room than I got when I put it near a window. I'm getting two bars all the way up and the third about three quarters of the way. Sounds pretty good.
Spent about four hours going through all the stations two or three times. Can see where I'm going to really like about 25 or 30 of them, and have some interest in another 30 or 40. I'm not a real fan of talk radio, and I'll probably get the news off of tv, so probably won't listen to those stations much. There is an amazing amount of diversity in the stations.
I agree with Tuberoller that the record companies should support this format. The on-screen display of the artist and song is great. No more listening through five or six songs trying to find out who recorded the one song you're interested in. I've already heard a couple of people that I might buy some CD's by. This may be the best $200 I've spent on equipment/music in the last year.
Now the burning questions are, will the unit benefit from burn in, would it sound better with a better mini to rca cable, and how about a better power supply?

 

[Spiffyis5150]

Rick, I don't think the burn in makes much difference here at least that I've seen. The cable definitely makes a difference. I tested using by JMT built Silver Lace mini-to-mini interconnect and it definitely improved the sound. I really have no idea on the power supply. Sadly, this is a consumer device, so I wouldn't expect to eek much more sound quality out of it. For what it provides though, I am very pleased.

 

[bubbaj]

You guys are killin' me. You're KILLIN' me. Now I want one of these too!

Can someone compare the quality to mp3 compression. Is the quality equal to 128kb or is it higher? Would I want to listen to it thru my meta42 and my Etys?

The streaming broadcasts from their web site is great. You can't get every channel, but you can hear quite a few. Good for work.

 

[cscott23]

it's kind of hard to compare it to mp3 or other compressed formats because I don't think that there is any.

the sound quality is far superior than FM and approachs CD quality on some stations. it is digitally broadcast (not really broadcasted, but you get the idea) and i would guess that it simply uses time-division multiplexing to combine and separate the 100+ channels.

i'm listening right now to a commercial free alternative-rock station, and only intermittently can I tell that it isn't a cd. i'm listening through my Etys directly out of the SkyFi line out. and i couldn't be happier.

if you pm me, i will send you all the information about getting everything that you need for $99 (receiver, home/car kit, antenna, etc.) i just bought my second unit.

i'd post it, but ryan over on xmfan says that that is not allowed.

 

[Jeff]

I think it uses a form of AAC, at either 64 or 96kbps. Sounds pretty good for a low bitrate!