Pioneer Airware MyFi XM Portable Satellite Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't normally submit "product opinions" (I know, shame on me) but this portable XM radio from Pioneer is so good that I felt that I had to. I had been considering getting some kind of a satellite radio for my car for more than 6 months and when I found out that a friend of mine had a Delphi XM unit in his car I knew that the time had come to finally make a move :-)
I was thinking of getting a Delphi MyFi but then discovered that the Pioneer AirWare had recently hit the store shelves. I like the Pioneer brand and also liked the looks (and controls) of the Pioneer unit more than those of the MyFi .. so I picked up an AirWare at the local Circuit City (can get it cheaper elsewhere for sure). I have had it for 3 weeks now and during this time have used it EXTENSIVELY in the car, in my home office and also on business trips. It works great !
I am especially impressed by the effectiveness of the built-in FM transmitter ... I have used a few built-in and external FM transmitters in my time over the past few years but haven't had much luck with them (too much interference from other radio stations). I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to discover that the AirWare's transmitter is VERY effective ... I have been driving around the Connecticut/ Westchester County/NYC/Long Island region quite a bit since I got it, without having to switch FM frequencies at all !
The features and sound quality of the unit are great. It is very useful that you can record up to 5 hours of audio (via a "scheduled record" function) that you can then listen to offline when the satellite reception is not up to snuff. Another neat feature is that if you hear a song or artist that you like, you can press a button and from then on whenever that same song or artist is playing on any of the 150+ channels the unit beeps and displays a message so that, if you want, you can press the same button and the unit automatically switches to the relevant channel.
The AirWare comes with everything that you neeed to set it up at home or in a car. When using the AirWare in my car I use the "vent mount" to secure it (in its cradle) to an air vent. I have the antenna magnetically-mounted outside on the front part of the car roof. On some of the more tree-lined roads of Connecticut, satellite reception can sometimes be spotty ... you need to have line-of-sight to the XM satellites which are positioned in the southern sky .. but generally reception is very good. All-in-all I am very happy that I got it ... it is a very, very well designed and executed product ... plus the breadth and quality of the XM programming is great.
In summary I can heartily recommend both the Pioneer AirWare and the XM service !

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Imagine having Satellite radio in your hand, in your pocket, on your hip, in your car, in the mountains, at home, anywhere. Well, it's here. With the Pioneer AirWare XM2go Portable XM Satellite Radio Receiver, you can take XM radio anywhere you want to go. Now you can stay connected to the world in your car, at home, in the office, or by the beach. Pick up the AirWare XM2go, tune in to XM satellite broadcasts, stuff the receiver into your pocket, and you're ready to go.
This receiver comes with a home kit that includes a docking station, antenna, RCA cables, wireless remote, and AD adaptor that will bring XM radio right into your living room. Toss in the vehicle docking station, antenna, and 12-volt DC power converter, and you've got XM on four wheels. Pioneer doesn't stop there, though. With a set of stereo headphones, a rechargeable battery (up to five ours of use), and belt clip, you'll be tuning into the satellite airwaves anywhere your feet might take you.
The built-in memory effortlessly records and stores up to five hours of broadcasting. With this feature you never miss your favorite broadcast. The built-in FM transmitter enables your XM2go radio to play through any car stereo, home stereo, or boom box with a simple frequency tune. And, of course, no XM receiver would be complete without an informative LCD display that shows channel, artist, and song information, as well as personalized stock ticker and sports scores. All of this functionality is at your fingertips with the easy-to-use numeric keypad and scroll wheel. Add 30 presets and you've got one-touch tuning to your favorite channels.
The AirWare XM2go is the perfect introduction to XM satellite radio. It's portable, easy-to-use and requires no special installation. Listen to music, sports, talk, comedy, drama, news and kids programming, from coast to coast. For more information about XM Radio digital-quality sound, coast-to-coast coverage, and more than 150 channels of satellite radio entertainment, visit XMradio.com.
What's in the Box AirWare XM radio receiver, home docking station, home antenna, AC adapter, wireless remote control, 2 AAA batteries, audio cable, car docking station, car antenna, cigarette lighter adapter, cassette adapter, swivel/flush/vent mounts, rechargeable battery, headphones, belt clip, and protective case.

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Delphi MyFi XM2GO Portable XM Satellite Radio Receiver Complete Package W/ Kits and More Review

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(More customer reviews)After much thought I finally decided to venture into the Satellite Radio world. I decided on XM and then started going through the process of selecting a receiver. I ultimately decided on the XM2GO based on its ability to record music up to five hours and its alleged on the go capability.
For starters the package comes loaded with everything you need. I did my registration and activation online. The on-line activation and registration is wonderful! I had the unit set up in my home stereo system and playing the complete channel line-up in less than a half hour.
Using the home antenna through my home entertainment system is great. The dock that the XM sits in takes up little space and fits on top of my other components. The sound is excellent in my house. While I have read about problems with antennas and interferance, I experience none of that. I moved my antenna to where I thought it was least noticeable on the top of my entertainment center, checked my reception on my XM2GO and I had all kinds of reception bars.
The On the Go idea seems fantastic. While I haven't tried it in a lot of places yet, (just walking around my yard and so on) the reception is in and out and basically worthless. This seems to be the common complaint amongst reviewers so let me add my name in the mix of folks who are not happy with the so called portable feature. The recording feature really makes up for that though so it all evens out. The only recording drawback is that you cannot delete specific songs. If you want to delete recorded material, you have to delete everything. So yes you can be totally portable without any antennas for working out, riding the subway, and so on but you will really need to have recorded your music ahead of time. If you're thinking you are going to turn this unit on and listen to live radio without the antenna, think again.
Setting up the unit in my car took a little work but again, less than thirty minutes and I was dialed in a ready to go. Because my new car does not have a tape deck I opted for the antenna approach using an empty FM single. I have read so many reviews on a multitude of sites about people going through all kinds of hoops trying to position the antenna on the outside of their cars and going through little holes here and there... I know every area is different in terms of reception but I did none of that. I used the vent mount to hold the device and ran the antenna under the seat and up the side of the back seat and put the actual antenna box above my two back passenger seats on the little shelf back there under the rear window. The real trick with this is then tucking the wires away as best you can so you don't junk up your car with lose wires. I used one small piece of tape to pin the wire under my seat so as to not kick and pull it when I get in an out of the car. The excess antenna wire (and their is a ton of it) I put underneath one of the back passenger floor mats. Then I tucked the wire running up the side of the one back seat in a groove between the seat and the door. The reception in the area I drive in daily has been fantastic. Not a single complaint. While I can certainly see the advantages of a hard wired system, with a little creativity you can use the antenna without covering the inside of your car with wires.
Overall, this product is great. XM needs to rework the portable idea for the future but otherwise it's wonderful. Fast setup, easy activation, and good sound quality.


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Audiovox XMCK10A Xpress XM Receiver and Car Kit Combo Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the Audiovox Xpress XM Receiver and Car Kit Combo from Amazon.com. Wasn't sure what to expect, but I've been very happy with the product and the seller (glatorre). Radio works great and came with everything I needed to play in the car. Later I bought a home kit so I can use it in the house or in the car. Xpress has 10 preset buttons, which is plenty to set your favorite stations, simple, easy to use, and you get XM radio (after subscription) all the time, commercial free. I highly recommend the item and the seller!

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Pioneer CD-INCAR1 Car Kit for Pioneer Inno Satellite Radio Review

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(More customer reviews)I easily installed the Car kit in little time. Having a stereo though with no Auxiliary input I am relying on the FM transmitter. Living in a large but not to large metropolitan area I have trouble finding an open frequency thus giving interferance quite often. Even when having good reception I find that the trasmitter is quiter than a normal radio station (although you can set the transmition volume). Overall the kit is good.

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Enjoy your Inno XM satellite radio in any vehicle with this Pioneer accessorykit, which includes everything you need to start enjoying all the songs you'vedownloaded. The kit features a custom car dock for easy mounting, a cigarette lighterand cassette adapter that lets you power up and listen to the Inno, and a full-functionremote control for convenient passenger use while driving. The included XM antenna,meanwhile, is small but powerful, ensuring that you'll receive a virtually uninterrupteddigital satellite signal. The accessory kit, which also comes with swivel and vent mounts,is backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box Custom car dock, power adapter, cassette adapter, full-function remote control, XMantenna, swivel and vent mounts.

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Samsung YP-X5X NeXus 25 XM Ready Digital Audio Player with 25-hour Playback Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent a couple months looking at portable XM radios in search of one to meet my needs. I eventually chose this device and I've been more than happy with my decision.
My needs were fairly simple. I needed to be able to listen to new music daily from within the concrete installation that is my workplace, and be capable of delivering it for the duration of my day. I also wanted to listen to it in my car or through a stereo. I had no interest in playing MP3, nor did I care about online functionality or interface with my computer. The NeXus has met every one of my requirements(with the purchase of the car/FM transmitter), and has done so exceptionally.
The radio will only play live XM when it's in the cradle. This seemed strange at first, but made sense as I got familiar with XM and it's capabilities. The decoder is separate from the radio(likely to keep the radio itself small), which I imagine is needed to recieve the signal. You must plug the decoder into the cradle along with the radio to play live XM. Also due to the relative weakness of the XM signal, the antenna needs to be long. These factors are likely the reason for only having recorded content on the go.
The menus on the device are fairly intuitive, though not entirely elegant. You can navigate by artist, by recording session, or with a flat list of songs for your recorded content. Live XM will allow you to navigate through stations naturally. There is also additional functionality that I have yet to use that seems to allow you to keep an eye out for certain artists. Navigation from the device is fairly simple, using the arrows on the face to move around, and the middle XM button to select. The remote is more robust in functionality, but is less intuitive in spots. The remote is also fairly weak, and the display on the radio itself is small. This limits the distance you can be from the radio when using it and making the remote a little on the useless side.
Battery life for the radio is very good, and has performed better than advertised for me. I get over 8 hours of continuous play from a full charge. I haven't run the battery completely dead yet, but it lasts my entire work day and still has a bar or two left when I plug it into the cradle in my car on my way home. Charging time seems to be very quick as well.
Storage is very good, though it doesn't sound impressive with only 512MB. You can partition the drive into 50% MP3 and 50% XM or 100% XM. I have opted for 100% XM, as I am sick of my MP3 collection. I currently have over 200 songs on my XM player, 8 of which are 30 minute segments, and one which plays slightly over an hour and a half. Assuming the average track is 4 minutes, that puts my current load at about 17 - 18 hours of recorded content.
The device itself is put together well. It small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and is about a half an inch thick. That makes it about the size of your average flip phone - which is easily pocketable. The earbuds that come with it are not good quality, and are uncomfortable. I already had a pair of higher quality earbuds that replaced those. The music quality is decent. I'm no audiophile, so if it doesn't sound crunchy, or like it's playing in a can I'm happy. The other pieces like the audio cables and the carrying clip thing are of average to below average quality, but get the job done.
All in all I'm totally satisfied with the NeXus 25, and have recommended it to friends who are in the market for a portable XM radio.

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Get ready for total music freedom with the Samsung Nexus digital audio device. The Nexus takes the concept of a personal digital audio player to the next level with the addition of XM satellite radio. Using the supplied dock, and an included XM Connect-and-Play antenna, you can record your favorite XM programming to the device. Then, listen to your tunes and talk radio while you're on the go. In addition to handling XM content, you can also play songs from your existing library of MP3 and WMA music files (including purchased downloads). Plus, you can mix your recorded XM content with your music files -- create a playlist with XM recordings and your own digital music.
Because the Nexus is an XM ready device, it's designed to interface with the XM Connect-and-Play antenna. Simply plug the home antenna into the Nexus and you're rocking to XM's 150-plus digital channels. No additional accessories or installation are required. In addition to charging the device's battery, the included home docking station lets you use the Nexus as an XM receiver to play live XM content through your home stereo (the dock features stereo RCA outputs).
Featuring a full array of programming -- from talk shows, comedy programs, and live Major League Baseball broadcasts to just about every musical genre from bluegrass to jazz -- XM Radio is the fastest growing satellite radio network in the world. All XM metadata is displayed on the Nexus' front panel display, including full song title and artist name, as well as information extras such as stock and sports score tickers. At 3.4 x 1.9 x 0.7-inches, the Nexus is pocket friendly and designed to go wherever you go. The embedded 512 MB of internal memory gives you ample space for storing your music -- up to 25 hours of content will fit on the device. Music is transferred between your PC and the Nexus via a high-speed USB 2.0 connection.
Another cool aspect of the Nexus is its support for the XM + Napster music service. If you hear a song you like on XM radio, simply "tag" it and easily purchase and download that artist or song via Napster. It's a great way to discover and own the music you like.
What's in the Box YP-X5X XM radio/MP3 player, XM passport, battery, earbuds, remote control, home dock/cradle, home XM antenna, AC power adapter, RCA audio cable, USB cable, carrying case/holster, user's guide, and software CD-ROM.

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