Convenient, Well-Designed XM Sound System

If you have a Delphi Roady XT, SkyFi2 or SkyFi XM receiver, having this unit is almost a must: It lets you take XM practically anywhere you want to go.

While the audio power of this unit is not as great as that of the Delphi Premium Audio System (which I also own), each of these units has its own advantages.

Setup

When you take this Delphi audio system out of the box, it is configured to accept a SkyFi or SkyFi2 XM radio. To dock one of those radios, you just push in on the "cassette deck" style carrying mechanism to make it pivot outward, slide the receiver into place, and then click the carrying mechanism back into place. It's about as difficult as hooking a cell phone up to a charger.

If you are going to connect a Roady XT, you first insert a small plastic adapter piece, which is supplied with this Delphi Audio System, and then insert the Roady XT into the audio system in the same manner as described above.

If the radio is being used for the first time, it will also have to be activated by XM. Instructions provided with your radio will explain how to do that.

Operation

The front panel of the Delphi Audio System is simple and uncluttered because your radio (Roady XT, SkyFi or SkyFi2) contains most of the controls you will use to operate this unit. When you turn on your radio, the audio system also powers up. For convenience, there is a volume control provided on the front panel of the unit - this allows you to turn it up or down without having the remote. This is handy if you take the audio system outdoors and want to leave the remote in the house so it does not get lost or damaged. Because you can use your radio's front-panel controls as well as the remote, every function -- changing stations, adjusting bass and treble, setting the display backlight and all other preferences, everything else -- can be performed either with or without having the remote.

Sound

Because I also have the Delphi Premium Audio System, I have some basis for comparison of the sound of this unit, and I can also suggest some situations where one or the other is desirable. The premium unit gets louder and has more bass than this unit, but it also costs about $110 to $150, whereas this one is now available for about $30 - $50. I have both. This one is perfect for more casual listening (news, talk and music that does not need to be extremely loud). For outdoor listening where you will be some distance from the unit, or where there is significant noise, this unit may not get loud enough.

However, the sound is clean and undistorted, even at full volume. This is a well-designed unit that does a great job of making XM portable.

Design

I really like the design of this audio system. The unique "bow tie" shape distinguishes it from all of the other portable radios and "boom boxes" on the market, and there are several other clever features. An integrated handle in the back of the unit makes it easy to carry around.

The provided high-gain XM antenna clips to the back of the unit, and it can be adjusted for angle even while it is attached to the radio. In my house, I never have to unclip it and move it to obtain a good XM signal. But, if necessary, it can be placed up to 20 feet from the unit by unwinding as much of the supplied cord as necessary.

The cord for the antenna is cleverly stored inside the battery compartment, and rather than just having a space where you jam the cord in -- which could damage the cord or cause it to become a tangled mess -- there are hooks that you wind the cord around neatly to store it. If you want to move the antenna away from the radio, you can unwind as much cord as necessary and leave the rest in the radio.

Battery Power

Speaking of batteries, this unit runs on six "D" size batteries. I have had batteries in mine since I bought it a few months back, and they are still good. I've probably used it four to five hours on battery power, at moderate volume levels. Of course, battery life is going to depend on how you use the unit: High volumes will run batteries down far sooner. Also, a few long sessions of operation, as opposed to several short ones, will cause the batteries to deplete sooner.

If you are going to play the unit on batteries often, I would suggest NiMH or NiCd rechargeables. They would pay for themselves after you've saved the purchase of just a few sets of alkaline batteries.

XM service

I bought two audio system because, soon after I subscribed to XM, I bought a second radio. (After paying $12.95 a month for your first radios, all additional radios -- up to five total -- cost $6.99 a month.) I chose XM over Sirius because XM had more channels I liked. XM has an excellent variety of programming, and my only regret is that I did not sign up for it far sooner.

Merger with Sirius

Much of the current satellite radio equipment is available discounted now because of the potential coming merger between XM and Sirius. I consider this a boon to the consumer: From what I have seen the satellite radio equipment is exceptionally nice, and offers amazing features for the price. It's probably a lot like cell phones -- you can get a phone that should cost several hundred dollars for $50 or less because they want you to get and keep service. With satellite radio, there are no contracts or commitments, but I suspect the companies still largely subsidize these radios.

Both companies (XM and Sirius) have pledged that all current radios will work for years to come -- and this has to be true, since probably 80 percent of the satellite radios in existence are permanently-installed in vehicles. For the consumer, now is a great time to get into satellite radio, as a lot of very nice equipment is essentially being given away to clear shelves for whatever may come next. (Incidentally, there are currently no dual-service XM/Sirius radios on the market, so the current stuff is a long way from being obsolete.)

Summary

The Delphi Audio System plus a satellite radio like the Roady XT is a fantastic way to get into totally portable satellite radio for well under $100 total. I think that's an incredible value given all that this audio system offers, and all XM offers, as well.