I have an XM Direct unit with an ALPINE adapter. I get great reception but, it sounds like AM Radio most of the time. Am I the only one with this problem?
Yup, its not just you. XM and Sirius only have about 12mhz of bandwidth to cram all their stations in. So if you do the math, with the variable channel bitrates + traffic and weather, that leaves about the best quality XM station (example, Top 20 on 20) with a bitrate of 91kbs. If you compare that with lets say, 66 RAW, at 31kbs, you'll hear a difference. Maybe if the FCC decides to give them more Mhz space, the quality could increase. But more channels = less quality.
and oh dear lord, heaven forbid they do without channels like the new oprah channel...lol thanks for the actual reasonable and logical explanation...hopefully they do open up more so that we can get the cd quality that they promise people and won't deliver...I can already tell you their customer service sucks. Mine took forever to activate. The woman told me I needed to sit in Super Walmart parking lot with the key turned over but the ignition not started for 20 minutes after i explained to her that i had already driven around with clear signal for an hour to activate it. I just told her to refresh it and if it didnt come on after i came outta walmart i was gonna cancel it. Funny thing, I turned the car off, walked in, came out, hit the key...changed the station and there was my service. Oh yeah, she also tried to tell me I didn't know how to install (I plugged it up in my driveway and have nver touched it since) and that walmart's huge azz parking lot didnt have a clear enough view of the sky to get signal...morons...!
I used to work for XM's customer service, and I can tell you first hand it stinks. I took the calls that should have been resolved the first time... except this was the customer's 5th call. Bah.
I ended up getting rid of my Sirius after the year I paid for expired because of the crappy reception.
Rob
Sold 2/2/05
me and my buddy have had no problems, its not 'perfect' but its far better than any radio station
1998 Chevrolet Cavalier
5-spd
So would yall recommend getting a sat radio service? and what company should I go with, XM or Sirius? I was thinking about getting it.
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"Laying in bed one night, I said "Where did I go worng?". Then I heard a voice say "This is going to take a while..."
mp3 cd.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
all of a sudden there is a huge "bash sat radio" on the org. Its all about taste. I dont notice that much if a degrade in quality. If ur into sports then base ur subscribtion off of who covers more of what u want. if ur more into music like me, spend some time in friends cars or at audio stores listening to what they have on all of thier channels. For music i went with sirius...do what u like
I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
Truthfully I love my XM service, the quality is better than FM and AM service. I have it integrated with my Pioneer Head Unit. I listen to regular broadcast reception once in a blue moon. Its either a CD or XM for me.
-Chris
Machzel08 wrote:all of a sudden there is a huge "bash sat radio" on the org. Its all about taste. I dont notice that much if a degrade in quality. If ur into sports then base ur subscribtion off of who covers more of what u want. if ur more into music like me, spend some time in friends cars or at audio stores listening to what they have on all of thier channels. For music i went with sirius...do what u like
I had to listhen to XM and Sirius for 18 months in my grocery store working night shifts...... I played every channel and got nothing but dissapointment, I remember the same song playing 7 to 8 times every night. AHHH !!!!!. EVEN on the old 20's Jazz station.. the same thing up to 5 times a night... dissapointment majorly. Not to mention it went out when we had a little rain, was gone during blizzards, and could just be plain fuzzy at times. This bashing is warrented.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
Short Hand wrote:I had to listhen to XM and Sirius for 18 months in my grocery store working night shifts...... I played every channel and got nothing but dissapointment, I remember the same song playing 7 to 8 times every night. AHHH !!!!!. EVEN on the old 20's Jazz station.. the same thing up to 5 times a night... dissapointment majorly. Not to mention it went out when we had a little rain, was gone during blizzards, and could just be plain fuzzy at times. This bashing is warrented.
I've never lost my XM service during any kind of inclement weather. Sounds more like a crappy install. If your not listening to 20 on 20 your not going to get the same song 7-8 times a night.
-Chris
Short Hand wrote:
I had to listhen to XM and Sirius for 18 months in my grocery store working night shifts...... I played every channel and got nothing but dissapointment, I remember the same song playing 7 to 8 times every night. AHHH !!!!!. EVEN on the old 20's Jazz station.. the same thing up to 5 times a night... dissapointment majorly. Not to mention it went out when we had a little rain, was gone during blizzards, and could just be plain fuzzy at times. This bashing is warrented.
Totally and completely agree. I heard the same songs over and over on most of the channels. Sirius in my opinion has much better channel lineups. I hated XM.
2010 Subaru Impreza WRX Limited
1999 Cavalier Z24 Supercharged
1999 Grand AM SE (Beater Car)
1997 GMC Sierra
2007 Honda CBR 600RR
2005 Honda TRX450R
I always get great signal, I dont notice a differance over regular radio...I like it alot, no complains on my side...
Getting "better built" for the '08...
IamRascal wrote:Short Hand wrote:I had to listhen to XM and Sirius for 18 months in my grocery store working night shifts...... I played every channel and got nothing but dissapointment, I remember the same song playing 7 to 8 times every night. AHHH !!!!!. EVEN on the old 20's Jazz station.. the same thing up to 5 times a night... dissapointment majorly. Not to mention it went out when we had a little rain, was gone during blizzards, and could just be plain fuzzy at times. This bashing is warrented.
I've never lost my XM service during any kind of inclement weather. Sounds more like a crappy install. If your not listening to 20 on 20 your not going to get the same song 7-8 times a night.
Poor install on a commercial installation ? ARE YOU MAD MAN ? This was no little hack job car, this was a professional system installed for a buisness. IT was anything but bad. NOt to mention it had the best possibly positioning for receiving signal, on a static position on a FLAT / GIANT roof.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
yea but dish style is totally different from the cars sat/ter antennas
I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
Machzel08 wrote:yea but dish style is totally different from the cars sat/ter antennas
Its non mobile, and has a better capacity to obtain signal..........
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
And I disagree. %100. Commercial repeaters aren't directly connected to the XM receivers... but they receive the reception, broadcast it at a 2.4ghz to another receiver, and then connected to the XM. That could be their problem right there. I get no cutouts in my apartment/car (unless I'm stuck in a McDonalds drive through.... damn big ass roof).
Short Hand wrote:Machzel08 wrote:yea but dish style is totally different from the cars sat/ter antennas
Its non mobile, and has a better capacity to obtain signal..........
commercial dish style can only recieve a sat feed. Yes snow and other weather can affect it. Whereas the car antennas pick up both sat feed and terestrial feed. So you car though mobile is more likely to get the terestrial signal better than the dish
I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
I have Siruis and I get perfect reception and the sound quality is awesome. I have it through my Kenwood head unit. Thank God I didn't ever get XM. I had a rental car once that had it and they are horrible!
SOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!
Machzel08 wrote:Short Hand wrote:Machzel08 wrote:yea but dish style is totally different from the cars sat/ter antennas
Its non mobile, and has a better capacity to obtain signal..........
commercial dish style can only recieve a sat feed. Yes snow and other weather can affect it. Whereas the car antennas pick up both sat feed and terestrial feed. So you car though mobile is more likely to get the terestrial signal better than the dish
I have been in cars when XM has lost signal. AND I WILL Testify that on a clear bright sunny day, XM nor SIrius still has the fidelity to compete with a CD or a DVD. When it comes to music for me... "IT" either sounds the way it should, or it doesn't get play on my system at all. and 96kbps is NOT the way music should be listhened to.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
i never said it was cd quality....but compared to FM its nto bad
I may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
