I don’t mind CDs or even 128kbps mp3s, but satellite radio is something I can’t bear.  The sound quality is noticeably worse than a CD.

My car has a custom, sound quality competition, speaker setup with high end speakers, woofers, and amplifiers.  I have one several awards for it, so it’s definatly not tuned wrong.  With that said, I also have DVD5.1, regular audio CD, Radio, HD Radio, and Sat Radio installed all with the integrated units from kenwood.  These are using the highest quality setup that they can offer so that i have the least amount of loss.  In this i find that the Sat Radio is the worst sounding of them all.  Compared to the radio or a cd, it sounds extremely hollow like it is missing frequencies.  I understand that the compression is heavy and the data stream is low, but the stations playing music with heavy bass sound lacking, and the high range is really tiny.  The audio level is also slightly lower than a CD or Radio would come in, but that can be compensated by turning up the volume a couple more clicks.  Needless to say I listen to it very little and mostly when i am too far away for any FM broadcast.

Don’t really listen to satellite radio in my home that much anymore, but I couldn’t live without it in my car. Every time I tune into regular radio, the content is extremely disappointing. Satellite provides selections that I actually enjoy—- and I actually get to hear music for a change. I guess I am willing to suffer quality of sound, but not content.

Kenwood TXVI with XM tuner, Apple Airport Express, SACD / DVD , Dish and Dish HD includes Sirius channels.

Bose speakers…
All these and SACD seems easiest to get best discrete 5.1 sound , Dish HD next easiest , iTunes and Sirius next , CD/DVD equally complex with all the options available.

I never thought I would pay for radio, and absolutely never thought I would pay to have three receivers. Yes I know, do the math and that is over $300 per year for radio broadcasts. My XM subscription addiction started innocently enough with an “XM to Go” unit as a gift for my husband to use for work. Soon after that purchase it was time for me to purchase a new car and I decided I had to have an XM tuner built-in. Once I got hooked, I had to have XM in the house as well, so I purchased the latest “To Go” unit to use a source component to my audio system. The interface is attractive and easy to use.

Okay, since we’re also talking quality. Hmm, I’d rather talk perspective: The best FM tuner on the market can’t free me from the incessant commercials. I am willing to pay to not hear them and I am willing to pay for more music choices. Yes, at home from time to time I get a very BRIEF interruption (a very brief nada or as noted in the binary world, ZERO). When I am in my in my car on occasion the signal gets dropped but generally picks up again.

When listening quality really matters at home XM is not my only source for music, it just nicely rounds out my choices. In the car it is either XM, NPR or CDs. You can’t get programming such as “All Hand-Mixed Vinyl” hosted by Bill Fitzhugh on Deeptracks on any FM station. He takes mixing to a whole new level and will keep anyone engaged for a long Saturday night ride in the automobile. I have also learned about a lot of new artists on the various XM channels and subsequently purchased the CD.

Satellite radio wouldn’t ever be my only choice for listening to music but it is a great option for a long commute to work and some interesting mixing on a Saturday night.

Cindy Davis
Editor-in-chief
Electronic House magazine

As an integrator, that still has and listens to his turntable, I must say I was very disappointed with MP3, and then I started ripping at the highest quality, lowest compression ratio and was satisfied. Then the giants at Apple started the whole iTunes revolution with the worst sound quality I have ever listened to (great on ear buds for short periods) and just when I was sure it could not get any worse along comes Sirius and XM satellite radio.

That said, ALL my clients would rather have ease of operation than fidelity in either their whole house or outdoor situations. I still have a large percentage of regulars who understand sonic fidelity and enjoy their CDs in the “listening room”.

Finally I must echo some of the comments above as I installed a Sirius unit in my work truck, so when I’m not listening to CDs I can enjoy talk radio and news and an eclectic variety of music without annoying Morning Zoo formats or multiple commercials.

All in all, I see digital formats with lousy sound replacing all but the finest of our whole house installs and don’t get me started on internet radio.

The compression used for satellite radio is fine for most users, who are on the highway, in the office—locations where there is significant background noise that masks come of the compressed-audio artifacts. The satellite companies could re-jigger their total bit stream to have fewer channels at higher quality, but they have decided it is in their business interest to have more channels instead. Most people do not care. But, do we reach a point with this extreme compression where some people don’t listen to music as much as they used to, but they don’t know why? A home installation might be fine for background music, but not for serious music listening.

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