XM radio

[clinthopson]

I'm getting pretty fed up with our local public radio jazz station and am seriously considering getting XM. I just want the music without a lot of blather and tedious membership drives.

We already receive XM on our DirectTv system, but I want to have a unit that I can plug into my stereo system and also take with me in the car or on trips.

Checking out the site, I am confused by all the many receivers and which would be the most appropriate for me. It seems that a lot of them have many bells and whistles that I don't need, just like most software.

I like their Real Jazz channel and the blues channel is pretty good. I don't really want it for all the talk crap or ball games, etc.

Have any of you had any experience with XM or other satellite radio?

My son has XM and likes it very much.

I figure what I have been contributing to Public Radio will now go for XM or the like.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

My bro-in-law has it. He uses it in his car and his work vehicle. He also brings it up to the house in Vermont and sets it up to use with our home stereo set. You can tune in from any nearby radio. Matter of fact, we'll be heading up this afternoon and I'm sure he'll hook it up shortly after we arrive so we'll have commercial free music for the weekend. Hot shit.

[Ron Thorne]

Sorry, but I can't offer any input with respect to XM Radio.

While it (obviously) won't work in your car, a great alternative in jazz radio is a hip station streaming audio, especially one which doesn't constantly dun you for money.

I'm listening to KCSM as I type, and there are a few others which attract my ear and financial support. I don't want to see stations such as this go away. It would be a travesty.

I hear you, though, Clint.

[Jimmy Cantiello]

Here's an update on Tommy's XM radio experience. When he showed up at the house this past Friday I was surprised that he didn't set the receiver up as he did over the July 4th weekend. Apparently he's become disenchanted with what XM radio has to offer. He says that the music offered, although good, is mind numbingly repetitive. He's been listening steadily for many weeks and he says he knows the playlists by heart. Even the comedy station seems to have the same routines over and over. I guess if you're a regular user, the offerings get old fast. So it goes.

[vibes]

I have XM in my car and at home. I listen to talk radio, news and comedy more than anything else, and as such, can't really speak to the repetitiveness complaint that Jimmy mentioned. I've always heard people that have had both XM and Sirius say that Sirius is far more repetitive, though.

The commercial-free nature of many of XM's channels is one of the best things about XM. The best thing, however, is the ability to drive all over the US (and Canada too now, I believe) and still have the same radio stations and content available to you. Even before there was supposed to be XM in Canada, it took me 2-3 hours of driving north into Manitoba before I would lose a signal. Awesome.

Sound quality is my biggest complaint about XM. I first got XM in 2003 or so, and the sound quality was much better back then. The more channels XM adds, the worse the sound quality is. It's better on jazz and classical stations than on many other channels, especially the metal and hard rock stations like XMLM and Squizz that I sometimes listen to, but it's still not as good as it could be.

Clint, for what you want to do with XM, I recommend checking out the stereos available here: http://xmradio.com/shop/plugandplay.xmc

Any of the portable options would also work for your purposes.

[clinthopson]

Thanks, guys, the XM jazz channel seems to have a pretty wide selection and I haven't heard a lot of repetition overt the last several months.

I like the fact that they aren't afraid to play some "out," unlike the local public station.