Speaking of Car stereo, here's my take on Sirus XM

/Rant Mode On

Is it just me that thinks that SirusXM is a bit of a rip? Yes, it’s handy and virtually designed for automobiles (Heck, many new cars come with it installed with a free trial) but a lot of cheaper alternatives seem to have arrived recently. A lot of cars now come with Apple Air Play and Pandora as well, and Pandora is free, if you choose.

I went to investigate keeping it on my new car since the free trial is running out. The best they offer is $99/year ($118 with taxes and such) and that’s just for ONE device.

Consider: Data rates are coming down. Pandora is free (well, you can upgrade for $5 or $10/month plan. There are benefits) but it’s good for any number of devices. We have it on four smart TV’s, three Blu-Ray players, both our Iphones, and my new internet radio in the bedroom

Tunein is another one. Access to thousands of OTA FM stations. Free. I THINK they have a premium service but haven’t explored it. Likewise, unlimited devices, including smart phones. Iheart Radio and Slacker come to mind also.

Yes, SirusXM is convenient and seamlessly integrated into cars but with new cars now coming with USB and 3.5 mm aux ports, I can’t justify paying $118/year for one device. Now, if that amount included an unlimited number of devices, I might reconsider but, as I see it, where they once owned the auto market, competition is setting in and as soon as the general public becomes aware of them, I think they’ll either change their ways or disappear,

The sports and news channels might be nice but, to me, I can't justify it. Now, if they allowed unlimited devices...


/Rant Mode Off

Absolutely. XM is a total rip. If they were more reasonable about monthly rates, I bet they would be doing much better. Sell to masses and live with the classes I always say. Most of the stuff on there is milquetoast drivel. Howard would be great, but the package that includes Howard is stupid expensive. AND ONLY ONE DEVICE!!!! that's the kicker. A cost structure from a bygone era.
 
Absolutely. XM is a total rip. If they were more reasonable about monthly rates, I bet they would be doing much better. Sell to masses and live with the classes I always say. Most of the stuff on there is milquetoast drivel. Howard would be great, but the package that includes Howard is stupid expensive. AND ONLY ONE DEVICE!!!! that's the kicker. A cost structure from a bygone era.

Well i will not argue you here cept the lame Stern argument. He is a rip. Entertaining yes but only for a short time. Then gets boring TO me.
I too am not nutz about the price and limitations and today am not getting my monies worth until I take a hour or more drive somewhere, which i do a few days a week. just have not been in the car a lot lately. But That's the price you pay for admission. I don't smoke. I spend that money on entertainment. Some of it is alchohol related so I do waste money turning it into pee. I know this and accept it. Just like a smoker has old clothes or old car whatever. These are life's choices. Yea it's pricey and i too consider severing the auto pay. But it's in the budget for now.
 
As I mentioned early in the thread, my mom's Hyundai came with a free trial of Sirius XM, which she let expire without renewing. It did in fact sound like crap on most stations. It had the super low bit rate, tinkly, robotic sound just like others have mentioned. MP3s on a USB stick sound fine. Even ones as low as 128k. It still not a fantastic sounding stereo in general, but it is a cheaper car.
 
Also for those advocating "just dump thousands of songs to a USB stick" - this doesn't always work well. The puny CPU in most car stereos can't deal with a large file system and you can forget about any kind of decent shuffle. I tried this in my 2012 Lexus and the thing ground to halt for 15 minutes just trying to show the top level folder. Epic fail.
Jeez, how many files did you try to load?:confused:

If I load a couple hundred on a stick, my $70 Pioneer from Wallyworld and my Sony that I bought cheap from a junkyard start playing instantly when I plug the stick in. I never tried the shuffle feature, though.

I may have to really load a large stick down and see how they react.
 
I may have to really load a large stick down and see how they react.

That's what she said....lol


Well i will not argue you here cept the lame Stern argument. He is a rip. Entertaining yes but only for a short time. Then gets boring TO me.
I too am not nutz about the price and limitations and today am not getting my monies worth until I take a hour or more drive somewhere, which i do a few days a week. just have not been in the car a lot lately. But That's the price you pay for admission. I don't smoke. I spend that money on entertainment. Some of it is alchohol related so I do waste money turning it into pee. I know this and accept it. Just like a smoker has old clothes or old car whatever. These are life's choices. Yea it's pricey and i too consider severing the auto pay. But it's in the budget for now.

I enjoy Howard because I'm a native New Yorker and I grew up listening to him on NBC radio so for me, it's a sure cure for the homesickness. But if you're listening to music on those long trips, or if you like talk shows, I would just stream podcasts or music from my phone. It's free and the selection of music/talk is way better than sat radio... also I think sat radio's signal quality is shit. Maybe it's just me, but it sounds compressed to death. But hey.... if it works for you, then go for it. The only thing I would do is get off that stupid auto=pay scam now, so you don't have to deal with it later on.
 
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