"Jack S" wrote...
Post by Jack SI would like to get an XM radio that can be used to play over both my auto
and home sound systems.
Anybody have any recommendations for what's best to buy?
Thanks
I'll offer a couple more tips, too, since you appear to be at the
beginning of a quest to add satellite radio to your listening options. In
deciding what brand/model of XM receiver to buy, first decide:
- how important is portable operation? If you want to listen to your XM when
you're NOT at home or in your car, you'll want a model with built-in battery
operation. If you're happy with XM only in the car and in the home, you can
get XM at a lower cost by avoiding the batteried models.
- how important is recording for later playback? Once again, it'll be a lot
cheaper in terms of startup costs to listen to XM live (as you now listen to
AM or FM radio) than it is to have your XM receiver record hours of
programming for playback later.
If you're happy with operation only in the home and car and have no desire
for recording, I'd suggest that you look at something along the lines of a
SkyFi or SkyFi2 or one of the Roady models. Bought new, you can probably
find a combo pack of the receiver and a car kit--buy that and add a Home Kit
and you'll be all set. And if you're willing to buy "used", eBay is a good
source for these items and to judge current sales prices.
The various forums at XMFan may be of use to you, too, especially if you
plan to do your own auto installation:
http://xmfan.com/index.php
One final thought. If you end up doing this and really loving the
programming but starting to get tired of constantly moving the receiver from
the home to car cradle and back again, you can always add a 2nd receiver
(used on eBay or whatever) and add the 2nd radio to your XM subscription
under the Family Plan, an additional $7 or so per month for the 2nd
receiver.
I'd also suggest that for most economical subscription pricing for your
first radio, that you consider a 2-3 year subscription rather than by paying
monthly or getting just a 1-year sub. If unhappy, you can get a full refund
of unused fees if you decide that XM's not for you. Two other quick
thoughts:
- the radio will need to be "activated" in addition to its purchase and its
subscription. If you can buy a radio preactivated, that's worth something to
you.
- activation, if you buy a non-pre-activated receiver, is probably still
cheaper when done online than in person on the phone.
Happy listening.
Craig