Long term side-by-side comparison of XM and Sirius

[Falconmagic]

We have had BOTH XM AND Sirius in our 2 vehicles and in the house for about 6 months. Sirius has superior sound quality -- MP3 or near CD quality -- while XM sounds more like a strong, clear FM radio signal. So Sirius has more sound fidelity and "presence." But for areas with lots of obstructions like where we live here in heavily wooded mountains, XM is much better. Sirius cuts out a LOT in wooded areas while XM only cuts out occasionally. IMO Sirius has better blues and country programming, while XM has better techno, rock, jazz, and pop programming. Except with Blues and Country, Sirius tends to repeat their stuff more because they lean towards music that gets more FM radio airtime, while XM tends to take more risks and play more variety and more selections that don't typically make it onto FM radio. Sirius has more balanced talk show programming - liberal, moderate, and conservative. For example, Sirius carries both NPR and Wisdom stations, while XM has more conservative talk show programs. Interestingly, this doesn’t seem to affect their music and comedy programming which can still be just as alternative, underground or raunchy as Sirius. For example, Sirius used to have a new age music station but dropped it, while XM still has one. We don't listen to sports so I can't tell you which is better in that category. But I read that Sirius just cut a deal with the NFL that will give them more pro football coverage than XM. Sirius equipment prices and rebates usually make Sirius equipment a less expensive up-front investment. The portable Audiovox unit for Sirius is superior to the portable Delphi Skyfi XM unit in a number of ways. But XM offers more types of XM-ready car audio equipment. I have a Kenwood Sirius-ready car head unit with a separate Kenwood adaptor that enables me to run the Delphi SkyFi XM car base unit into the AUX port on the head unit. This gives me both in my car so I can switch back and forth between them based on reception quality and what's playing. I love the variety possible with this both in my car and home. So if I had to choose only one, I would go with XM based on where we live and the kind of music we listen to. But Sirius may be a better choice if you live in a more open area and want better sounding music and lower up-front equipment cost. The extra $3 per month is so little compared to other things - just one burger or Starbucks. One thing is certain - there is NO comparison between FM radio and satellite radio. I never listen to FM any more since satellite is so superior in sound quality, music selection, and NO COMMERCIALS! Get satellite radio for your home, vehicle, RV, and boat. If you get one of the portable units and install base units in more than one location, you can swap it between different locations, while still paying a single subscription fee. But if you can afford an extra 10-13 bucks per month and a few hundred dollars more up front, subscribing to BOTH XM and Sirius is a fabulous way to enjoy an unlimited variety of programming, including the specials and exclusives on both. I’m really surprised I haven’t encountered more people who have chosen to subscribe to both, since the extra cost is so little compared to most things people subscribe to such as cable or satellite TV. I adore choice in all aspects of life and since music is my #1 hobby, subscribing to both sat radio services makes me a very happy camper indeed

[joatmon]

welcome to the site, and thanks for the comparison. Seems like a pretty objective review. Quote, originally posted by Falconmagic »We have had BOTH XM AND Sirius in our 2 vehicles and in the house for about 6 months. what 2 vehicles do you have?

[ragingfish]

I agree, that's a fantastic and relatively unbiased review! Thanks for the info...I did a very short-term comparison -- I only gave Sirius a few days before cancelling it. I've been with XM since October and couldn't be happier!My Delphi SkyFi has a cradle in my Vibe, one attached to my computer, and I also have the SkyFi boombox for days at the beach or even sometimes at work. It rocks the party!

[Jahntassa]

I'd agree that that's a spot-on assessment of both. The sound clarity and dropouts can be explained, too, if anyone really wanted to know. All has to do with bandwidth and the way the satellites work, respectively.Thanks for the review! That'll definitely help out any prospective satellite users.As a sidenote, if you like sports, Sirius is the way to go. They have contracts with the NHL, NBA, NFL, and I think either have, or are looking into MLB. On the flipside, XM carries NASCAR radio, so if you're into sports, that might be a deciding point.

[ragingfish]

Having not heard the Sirius signal since they supposedly "upgraded" their signal, I'd have to say XM's sound quality is near-perfect to my ears! That's the only thing I'd throw out there...

[Jahntassa]

With XM, it also depends on which channel you're listening to. They set up the Aureal processors differently for each channel. If you think any particular channel sounds wierd, call them up, and they'll tweak it a bit. Everytime XM upgrades their software, or randomly tweeks things, it gets a little better.

[Caretaker]

excellent review Falconmagic. Your insights are precisely why I would never get either service. Since I can only listen to one station at a time, it would be new age. As you pointed out, my favorite music would no longer be available if I had signed up for Sirus. The lesson learned is that I have no desire to be held hostage to the whims of the powers at be who decide what is in or out. For music, I would much rather control my listening destiny by the music CDs that I create myself. I'd be really mad if my favorite stations started dropping off the dial and I was stuck with a receiver I no longer wanted, and a multi-year service contract I no longer wanted.

[ragingfish]

Neither service ties you into a contract. They are subscriptions which can be cancelled at any time.

[Jahntassa]

It's only a multi-year contract if you choose to prepay for multiple years, otherwise it's month-by-month, no obligation.Generally, there's a good scope of music on XM, and whenever I get bored of one channel, I have a few other channels I can listen to (generally alternative/dance/comedy)I used to do all MP3s and custom CDs, but got tired of dealing with downloads, and don't feel like buying CDs..so it's a good alternative for me. Though, everyone is different!

[ragingfish]

Well, I don't know about Sirius, but I just paid $500 for a 5 year sub to XM...comes out to about $7.50 a month, and I can cancel it at any point and receive a pro-rata refund...

[vibeman1]

i just installed xm roady in both cars,month to month plan w/2 recievers that equils to about $8.50/mo on the month to month pay for bothand i don't have to worrie about prorate cancell.