Is Satellite Radio Right For Me?

Neurotika

• I'm looking for a wide range of music that doesn't require data or use work internet.
• Can I use it at my desk?
• I'm not super interested in car usage, but if it is pretty easy to transport, I guess that's ok.
• Is the AUX out port I see on these devices compatible with headphones?

Thanks!

Enc

...is there a reason you don't want to use regular radio which already does all of that and is free?

tinwhiskers

Are you a trucker?

Honestly I have SiriusXM because it came with my vehicle, and I don't really find it all that great. Many of the stations are every bit as repetitive as terrestrial radio, maybe worse. Like I've driven to someones house listening to Altnation, and leaving a few hours later will hear the exact same songs in the same order as when I drove there.

Most the channels really aren't great. Like do you really need an all Bruce Springsteen station?

bowen

Wide range of music probably? Radio where I live plays: Country, Pop, Rap, Rock. The same couple dozen of songs over and over, every day.

Satellite radio is expensive though, might be cheaper to take that $400 and toss it into some MP3s from iTunes or something and pick up an mp3 player, or, just listen to it straight on the PC itself.

Enc

Most areas have a lot more on radio options than that, Bowen. You might have to do some seek and find, or use a search engine to see whats avilable in your area. Usually there are a good 3-4 dozen stations with at least 10 different genres.

JohnnyCache

ForceVoid wrote: »

• I'm looking for a wide range of music that doesn't require data or use work internet.
• Can I use it at my desk?
• I'm not super interested in car usage, but if it is pretty easy to transport, I guess that's ok.
• Is the AUX out port I see on these devices compatible with headphones?

Thanks!

yes
yes - depending on where your desk is. Sat radio goes to shit around and in tall buildings, thick walled buildings, in big cities, in basements, etc.
you can get a separate receiver card for your car so your handheld and your car are keyed to the same account, so no actual shlepping
yes, they use standard outs - a sat 3.5 will take regular headphones, a sat aux will take normal aux stuff, but look at it to make sure it's an out and not an in for something like an ipod

Foomy

I would see about signing up for the free trial month of SiriusXM and then try it out at home via internet for a bit before you plunk down the cash on a receiver. Don't want to get one and then find out you really don't care for any of the channels.

wrong_button

Just my two cents - where I live, terrestrial radio is absolute crap, so I picked up a pretty basic SiriusXM subscription (music channels only, like $10/mo or something). I have a portable unit that goes in the car and also has a speaker/dock thing for home. Using it at your desk might be dicey depending on your office arrangement. I work in a pretty typical cubicle-based office building and ain't nothin' doin' in there. I'm not nearby a window and don't get a signal at all. At home, it's marginally better (multi-story apartment building) but barely useable without the folding antenna that attaches to the speaker dock that I run outside to my patio. I feel like the portable units really perform best in a car unless you can run some other sort of antenna.

edit: that said, I really like it for the car. But you mentioned not interested in car usage. Most of my complaints have to do with the technology limitations.

a5ehren

My experience with satellite radio was that it would cut out when you went under a long bridge. I wouldn't trust it inside a building unless you have a window or are 2 stories, max.

DasUberEdward

Sirius provides a streaming internet option for all customers with your subscription. I think it may costs a few bucks more per month now.

I would absolutely recommend the service. I listen to about 16 different channels reguarly and I wish my dash could store more presets because there are a number of others that I would like to listen to but can't be bothered to try to find while driving. There's a tremendous amount of talk radio/stand up/news that you can't find anywhere else. The XM channels are also very good at providing new music for customers. It's not unlikely that i'll have heard a song on Sirius XMU (indie channel) that ends up being in commercials or on regular radio a year or so after I first heard it.

Highly recommended IF you like music or talk radio.'

and by like music I mean have no problem switching from Outlaw Country (because you dislike contemporary country but prefer to hear things like Waylon Jennings) to Eminem's hard rap channel to hear a good freestyle in studio from an up and coming rapper or instead choose to tune into Howard Stern or This American Life to pass the time on your commute.

Satellite radio works for me because I have very eclectic tastes. If you feel the same way about yourself it's a very rich platform.