We became an XM family a little over a year ago. I bought my wife a boom box unit for her office and its portable tuner module moves back and forth between our two cars on weekends. But the home docking station hasn’t found its way out of the box. Based on my sub-par ownership experience and the emotionally unsatisfying sonic performance, I was really starting to feel that XM, while useful for things likes out of town sports broadcasting…
I had a Sirius “Conductor” home unit with a digital opitical
output. What a joke. I subscribed for 1 year, listened to
the highly compressed crappy, internet quality, 32-90 kbs MP3 sound, and got a refund on the whole system the
next day. What a huge disappointment. Now, Sirius radio
on the Dish Network is good, at least 128kbs or better.
Notice that there are NO claims be “cd quality” on there
website or literature. Sirius is guilty of fraud.
Caldwell is a 28-year grizzled veteran of the A/V business and co-founder of St. John Group, Inc.
My Consumer Electronic Pet Peeves (4)
Dispatches from the Home Theater Cruise (0)
10 Tips for Designers Involved in Electronics Projects (1)
Commentary: A/V Retailers Race to the Bottom (6)
Six Tips for Home Theater Demos (7)
My HDMI Conundrum (26)
HD Audio: Its Time Has Come (6)
Open Letter to Sirius/XM: Sound Quality Matters (42)
Electronic House is now available in a digital edition. Learn more.
Stay up-to-date with home electronics. 
Weekly email offers tips, info and product news.
Get the content that's important to you.
i have the sportster 5 on my 04 galant… im more 50/50 on this issue… i “had” high hopes but after listening for about a couple weeks im really tired of quality of music being sent.... its very mono tone. FM radio has better quality sound then the my sat radio… a little dissapointed…