Quality of Satellite Radio???

[jamesbond007]

Hey everyone! I am looking to get the Eclipse SIRIUS box for my car/head unit. I have a very nice Boston Acoustics speaker system that I put in my car with some friends. I don't play MP3s too often because the compression, particularly on the high-end of the spectrum, is clearly audible and just ruins the music. I'm a stickler when it comes to quality, so I play real compact discs and have enjoyed it for the 2 and a half years I've had a stereo in my car.

However, swapping discs gets old real fast and I want to expand my music selection. I listen to FM every now and then, but it's always the same crap and there's just not enough variety where I live. Most of the FM spectrum is loaded with country and there's only one good rock/metal station in my neck of the woods.

Cliffs: Is satellite radio of 'good' quality? How does it compare to compact disc quality?

Thanks in advance!

 

[NeoAaronX]

I have XM radio in my Denali, great service but no where close to CD quality.

It does remind me of MP3s,.... kinda wishy-washy,... if you know what I'm talking about.


It doesn't sound bad or anything,... better than FM, worse than CD,....


That said, I still love it. Kinda like Tivo, once you try it for a while, you can't live without it.

 

[jamesbond007]

That's somewhat disappointing! I was hoping it'd be pretty damn good, considering you can get a full DD5.1 signal on a satellite dish-based movie. I figured that a nice 2-channel stream wouldn't be too bad, but ah well! I suppose with a dish you have a stationary 18" disc receiving and not a small 2" square on the roof of the car.

 

[NeoAaronX]

Find someone with it hooked up in their car,...... or go check out Best Buy,... I think they have it set up there so you can listen to it in the store.

 

[JohnAn2112]

It's definitely nowhere near CD quality, but I find it worth it since the music stations are so much better than FM stations. It's a fair trade-off IMO.

I have the Sirius Starmate Replay unit in my car FWIW.

 

[jamesbond007]

Well I am pretty much set on this. I am listening to it online (free 3-day trial) and it's quite nice. *WIDE* variety - incredible to have such a vast amount of music/entertainment at your fingertips.

So far I like 108 - the Maxim station, 20 - Octane, and 21 - Alt Nation. I never knew Maxim had a station on there, but it's got a nice selection so far.

I'm waiting to listen to Stern!

 

[JohnAn2112]

You won't regret it. That reminds me. I need to set up my wife's car with Sirius. Every time we take her car out, we get stuck listening to FM.

 

[rky60]

PIE

Hardwire it, sound quality is so much better than the FM transmitter

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: rky60
PIE

Hardwire it, sound quality is so much better than the FM transmitter

I am!

 

[Duddy]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Well I am pretty much set on this. I am listening to it online (free 3-day trial) and it's quite nice. *WIDE* variety - incredible to have such a vast amount of music/entertainment at your fingertips.

So far I like 108 - the Maxim station, 20 - Octane, and 21 - Alt Nation. I never knew Maxim had a station on there, but it's got a nice selection so far.

I'm waiting to listen to Stern!

Stern is a hack!!!

O&A PARTY ROCK!!!!!!

 

[sygyzy]

Satellite is much better than FM but it's nowhere near CD quality.

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Duddy

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Well I am pretty much set on this. I am listening to it online (free 3-day trial) and it's quite nice. *WIDE* variety - incredible to have such a vast amount of music/entertainment at your fingertips.

So far I like 108 - the Maxim station, 20 - Octane, and 21 - Alt Nation. I never knew Maxim had a station on there, but it's got a nice selection so far.

I'm waiting to listen to Stern!

Stern is a hack!!!

O&A PARTY ROCK!!!!!!

What is O&A?

 

[Duddy]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Duddy

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Well I am pretty much set on this. I am listening to it online (free 3-day trial) and it's quite nice. *WIDE* variety - incredible to have such a vast amount of music/entertainment at your fingertips.

So far I like 108 - the Maxim station, 20 - Octane, and 21 - Alt Nation. I never knew Maxim had a station on there, but it's got a nice selection so far.

I'm waiting to listen to Stern!

Stern is a hack!!!

O&A PARTY ROCK!!!!!!

What is O&A?

It's Opie and Anthony from XM. Don't listen to me though, I'm just being a silly fanboy.

 

[BDawg]

Originally posted by: Duddy

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Well I am pretty much set on this. I am listening to it online (free 3-day trial) and it's quite nice. *WIDE* variety - incredible to have such a vast amount of music/entertainment at your fingertips.

So far I like 108 - the Maxim station, 20 - Octane, and 21 - Alt Nation. I never knew Maxim had a station on there, but it's got a nice selection so far.

I'm waiting to listen to Stern!

Stern is a hack!!!

O&A PARTY ROCK!!!!!!

Big Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

And no, Satellite is far worse than CDs or MP3s. They 5.1 channels are pretty good though.

The music is extremely listenable though. The Stern channel is like driving nails into your ears.

 

[franksta]

I'm quite impressed with our Sirius service. I can't tell it apart from a CD in our car but my ears aren't incredible. I like 14 - Classic Vinyl, 20 - Octane, and 19 - Buzzsaw

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Duddy

Originally posted by: jamesbond007

Originally posted by: Duddy

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
Well I am pretty much set on this. I am listening to it online (free 3-day trial) and it's quite nice. *WIDE* variety - incredible to have such a vast amount of music/entertainment at your fingertips.

So far I like 108 - the Maxim station, 20 - Octane, and 21 - Alt Nation. I never knew Maxim had a station on there, but it's got a nice selection so far.

I'm waiting to listen to Stern!

Stern is a hack!!!

O&A PARTY ROCK!!!!!!

What is O&A?

It's Opie and Anthony from XM. Don't listen to me though, I'm just being a silly fanboy.

Gah! I have a friend who introduced me to that - well, at least what he showed me were videos/TV shows - can't stand it! >_<

BDawg, you say it's even worse than MP3s? Hm, I'm going into Best Buy today before work and gonna take a listen. I am not even joking when I say if I can hear severe compression on the highs (cymbals, woman's voice, classical music) it just kills it and I have a hard time enjoying it. I'm extremely anal-retentive when it comes to my audio experience. The benefits seem to currently out-weigh the lack of quality so far, so we'll see!

 

[sohcrates]

i have the sirius replay unit hooked direct to an aux input in my car (no fm modulator or tape adapter or anything). quality is quite listenable, but definitely slightly "tinny" and compressed sounding, especially, IMHO, when there is a lot going on (i.e. deep bass line, plus lots of lyrics, plus high hats and stuff (i.e. most rap music).

however, even though i tend to be pretty critical, i accept a slight loss in quality just because of the sheer volume of music i have access to. i haven't brought a cd in my car in 5 years (i had xm before sirius)