XM or Sirius?

[funboy102]

Sup there TN,

I'm interested in getting a satellite radio system for my car, but i'm torn between the two choices. Do you guys have any opinion on the two and which one should I get? I got an Alpine deck and either option would cost me a flat $100 for parts. Labor I would do myself.

Henry C.

[TakeABao]

XM. Better selection from what I hear.

[SilverStreak05]

Both XM and Sirius have free online 3-day trials. Sign up for each and see which one you like best. For what I listen to, Sirius was the better choice.

[EdWaRdW818]

Definitely Sirius... They use a different technology that's better than XM (I forgot which aspects), if you're a fan of Howard Stern, there you go, and they have a better variety of off-beat music that's actually good for what I listen to instead of just the hits that I'm even willing to put up with on FM.

[Knailgun]

it varies...each one has it points, Sirrius has more than XM does of some sport, where XM has more stations....it varies. either are good, but if you get Sirrius....you can drive UP my stock in them....

[[SMAN]]

I was lockd into getting sirius cause of my kenwood HU, and honestly, I'm glad I did. Where i go to school, there are no FM stations, so satalite radio was a good choice for me. Listen to them online and see which one u like better.

[Astrodonkey]

I signed up for XM about 6 months ago and have been pretty happy with it. I can't comment on Sirius. At the time I picked XM because that's what my headunit supported.

One thing to be aware of, and I think this applies to Sirius too, is that they advertise no commercials. If you read the fine print you'll see this only applies to music stations. If you listen to talk radio, news, etc, you're in for just as much crap as regular FM. I was really disappointed by this. Fortunately I mostly listen to music.

In terms of outlook for the future I'm placing my bets on XM. They have more customers and got a much quicker start than Sirius in the early days. Usually this means Sirius is going to be beat, and in my opinion there really isn't enough market share to justify two satellite radio companies. Which is too bad for consumers.

But what do I know?

[JohnCWms27]

I am a bigger fan of XM, but it depends on what you are looking for - one of them is not right for everybody. Here's what I know

-From personal experience, XM tends to get a much better reception in certain areas. Sirius has more satellites in outer space transmitting the signal, but XM has ground repeaters across America that increase the signal strength. XM is only US, Sirius also includes Canada and Mexico.

-I can't comment on Sirius' customer service because I have only spoken with one Sirius Rep. I have spoken with several XM reps and dealt with their customer service and they were very helpful.

-XM has 68 music channels, Sirius has 65, so not a big difference. Sirius has more rock channels, and in my opinion, they are better rock channels. As far as R&B and Hip/Hop, I prefer XM's channels. XM has MLB and Nascar, but rumor has it that Nascar will go to Sirius in 2006. Sirius also has NHL, NFL, and NBA. Both have college sports.

Lastly, even though I prefer XM, Howard Stern alone is almost reason enough to go with Sirius

[Tommy]

ive had XM for about 6months, and honestly i hate it. The only reason i keep it is because i got a year subscription with the unit, and the unit was on sale.

The sound quality sucks, sounds like a cassette tape, at best. The rock stations are terrible, unless you want to hear top 40 crap all day, avoid it. They had 1 good underground/metal rock station, but they canned it a few months back. It seems like the alternative/new rock stations play the worst mix of music, its either the same stuff all the time, or they play the most random unheard of mix.

XM Comedy channel is good, thats all i listen to anymore.

the other channels play some concerts and stuff that would be cool to listen to, but since i only listen in the car, i never remember when one is on, or its not on when im in the car.

[95WhiteCamry]

one thing no one mentioned was fees though. i'm also deciding about either sirius or xm but which one has the best "bang-for-the-buck" experience?

[Stealth]

I've had XM for 6 months since I got a MyFi for free, just had to pay for service, and I rarely ever use it. Sirius is better for sure, and I can tell you that since I used to have to sell both.