sirius/xm thread

[flyboyx]

ok, i have been thinking about this for a long time. i just bought a satellite compatible deck.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150998370121?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

here is the add on to make it work.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_700SIRKENV/SIRIUS-Package-for-Kenwood.html

my question is how many of you are rocking sirius or xm in your ride and how do you like it? what is your setup and do you have any problems with it locking up your stereo? i have seen a lot of complaints like this in the reviews.

i called them today to see what sort of specials they are running for a subscription and the guy i talked to wasn't very helpful. i know there are people out there that only pay 5 or 6 bucks a month for the service, but i couldn't get anything like that from the guy i talked to. he was kind of a tool. post of your ideas for getting cheap service.

[ClausE30]

Had it installed in my car by the PO.. I was able to listen to sirius for free for about 7 months before he must of finally cancelled it or some yearly thing, I dunno.
I liked it, came in really clear and had plenty of choices for music stations IMO. Someday I'll get a subscription again.

[roguetoaster]

They seem a little more up tight about giving discounts of late. 2/3 people I know of in my family who have it have cancelled as they were unable to get the discounted rate. Best advice would be to wait for a sale of some sort (probably around a holiday) and jump on it then.

Still HD radio>Sirius/XM because it's free outside of the hardware.

[Thizzelle]

i have a bluetooth head unit and I stream xm from my phone to it, works perfect with unlimited data plan.

[TwoJ's]

i have a bluetooth head unit and I stream xm from my phone to it, works perfect with unlimited data plan.

This plus Spotify.

[mthaynes]

I have had XM or Sirius in every car I have owned for the last 10 years. I have the factory units in my 135i and 530xiT, and a brand new Pioneer deck (DEH-X9500BHS, great Head unit for an E30 BTW) in my 318is. XM was better, but Sirius is what I am stuck with now. I only listen to terrestrial radio when I am curious about local traffic. After this long, I cannot handle the amount of commercials. I can scan my local channels, of which there are 5 that I would listen to, and get commercials on ALL of them. With Sirius, the commercials are mostly on the talk channels, and the ones that do play them are much shorter. The sound quality, although static-free, is not very good to an old audiophile like me. Some channels are better than others, but if you have a sensitive ear, you will hear the artifacts. Selection is fine, I have 7-8 music channels stored and Howard Stern and some talk channels too. They used to offer lifetime XM for $500, but it died with XM. Now I pay the $27/mo for the three radios. Still worth it though. You can save a little cash with a longer plan, but it does get pricey. VISA doesn't mind though.

[mthaynes]

We did just get a good HD channel here, and it puts the Sirius sound quality to shame, but the commercials are still abundant.

[///M42 sport]

dont really see the need for satellite if your just gonna listen to music. could purchase music or always use pandora...why add to your monthly bills?

[Mlarsen]

This plus Spotify.

Spotify on your phone > everything else.

[TwoJ's]

Yep. I use it all day at work (unless stupid mother fuckers ask me a bunch of questions -- or I have to sit in worthless meetings) and in me kar.

[redsubdivisions]

dont really see the need for satellite if your just gonna listen to music. could purchase music or always use pandora...why add to your monthly bills?

As much as everyone would agree, Pandora seems to have a "list" that they will play if you choose a particular station. I don't mind hearing new music, but when it gets overplayed and Pamdora can't come up with anything else, that's when you start to look at other options. Don't get me wrong, Pandora is fantastic on introducing new music and broadening my musical horizons. Just my

[agent]

I had XM for a few years, and I really liked it when I first got it. I had a unit I was able to use in my car, in a portable radio in my office and in a dock attached to the receiver in my garage. So I literally listed to it from the time I got in the car until the time I got out of it during the week, and anytime I was outside. I had it activated in the missus' car after buying one with it integrated.

In retrospect it isn't significantly better than Pandora, as during the course of a day I'd hear several of the same songs repeated. I listened to quite a few different channels though usually the same one for an entire day or more at a time.

I get a couple of "please come back" letters from them every month offering me six months of service for $25. If you can get it going on a decent introductory rate then I think it's worth checking out. Then you can decide if it's worth keeping, especially if they'll let you jump to the $50/year rate after the intro offer ends.