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Anyone else running XM thru a decent 2 ch system?

I got XM about 18 months ago (one of the first 5,000!) and I have grown totally addicted to it. The subscription price for the service is $10.00/mo. I would give up both my cable TV at home and my A/C in my car before XM.

As far as sound quality goes, it is a notch below CD's, but very acceptable on the music channels (more bandwidth is allocated to them), especially if run through tubes.

I am using the SkyFi (~$200.00) unit, with a car cradle (self explanatory) a "boombox" cradle, which makes it totally portable, and a home cradle, which bummed me out at first as it has a line level mini-plug out.

I found a supplier for sterling silver twisted pair mini --> RCA interconnects, which should help over the one-step-up-from-basic cable I have now.

While some here would poo-poo the idea of digitally delivered radio, let me say this. The content is stunning, in both breadth and quality. I have it on nearly all the time - car, house, work. I have found that it has really altered my listening habits. I am buying fewer CD's, but the ones I am buying are titles really good stuff that I would have likely never heard of before becoming an raving XM fanatic.

If anyone is interested in augmenting their system with what is basically the ultimate content device, get the SkyFi, by Delphi. It is the best suited for connection to a home system, and can go anywhere.

If you are into discovering new music on a daily basis, you are in for a treat.
grahamndodder
grahamndodder OP
9 posts
 
Links for SkyFi:

Tuner and system, except for boombox:

http://www.delphi.com/electronics/skyfi/

Boombox:

http://www.delphi.com/electronics/skyfi/

FAQ:

http://www.delphi.com/electronics/skyfi/skyfi_faqs/

As for pricing, it is almost the exact same price everywhere. They can't keep them in the stores, no incentive to discount.

BTW, the tuner comes with a remote control, which works no matter what cradle you are using.

GnD
travis's avatar
travis
239 posts
 
I don't think you're going to find a bargain. I bought my home unit at Best Buy, same price as the Web.

I agree about the selection and generally about the sound. Only problem I've had is the "level management" (their term) and how it works (poorly) on the classical channels. Classical music can have silences between the notes and this is where the "level management" stinks the most. Notes kind of crumble as they decay into silence. Sometimes the silences after a note can be instantaneous, like dropping into a black hole suddenly. I've asked them about it but like most corporations, they're heavily into denial.

I still like it, tho'.especially for the jazz stations. You have 30 days to like or not to like.
avguygeorge
2,300 posts
 
I notice some of the music stations have the same names as those of Sat/Cable stations that come with your Sat tv. service.--- (Sure,I know there are 3x's more of them)Are those the same exact 30 we get with our Sat/Cable service?---- I took a look at how it hooks up to a home system; I just made a quality of sound, judgement. I have been a subscriber of Sat. radio since the Cable Co. used to have DMX Radio.---The thing about Cable or Sat,for music they have a coax out, to feed a quality 2ch dac. I wonder how Sirus or XM compare to Sat/Cable quality?
grahamndodder OP
9 posts
 
I am not familiar w/ Sat/Cable radio, so I dunno. I do know that XM has about 70 music channels, most of which are programmed in house, tho.

GnD
luynes
30 posts
 
YES!

I too upgraded the cable to a gold-plated variety, which did make an improvement. I agree, aside from the stray sunflares every now and then, the sound is great!

However, my measure of a stereo system's worth has always hinged not on what you hear but what you don't hear; I'm talking about background "blackness" the total absence of sound during musical pauses. Unfortunately my little XM receiver has a constant hum (or whir maybe) which, late at night, when I have the sound turned down to its lowest setting, is very perceptible during these pauses, we're talking ten to fifteen feet away!.

So, yes it's very cool, but at least for me, not when you're trying to listen to music "quietly".

Party On!

The Viking
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