Sirius / XM -- how do you like it?

[Carla Jean]

Does anyone know if the stereo that ETI sells is Sirius ready?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Carla Jean

Does anyone know if the stereo that ETI sells is Sirius ready?

It is a Jensen DV2011 and you can download the owner's manual from Jensen's website. But the quick answer to your question is that it is not Sirius/XM ready. Nor is it Bluetooth ready.
While I agree with a lot of the earlier posts about poor/repeated content, the good thing about Sirius/XM is that you are not constantly searching for a new radio station because the one you are listening to is beginning to fade and get scratchy. Much less expensive to use an iPod or smart phone for music when traveling.

[xyz]

I'm totally with you on this one. I've had the Sirius 3-month trial in a previous vehicle I owned (did the trial a couple times, hehe), and the quality was just atrocious. In the truck we purchased to tow our escape, I installed a stereo with only HD radio and USB input as the main features. I have extensive smart playlists in iTunes, so I'm always listening to my iTunes library anyway, whether it's on my computer or my iPod (5G).

[Tartantwist]

Addicted to it. I have been in Europe since Aug 8 and Sirius/XM is what I am looking forward to when I return to US in November. Best entertainment value in the world for under $10 per month.

[emers382]

Originally Posted by Tartantwist

Addicted to it. I have been in Europe since Aug 8 and Sirius/XM is what I am looking forward to when I return to US in November. Best entertainment value in the world for under $10 per month.

Copy that. Just wish we had it in both vehicles. With our travelling nearly three months last winter and six weeks recently it's great having Sirius, don't find the quality of sound bad, and enjoy catching up on what's happening in Canada by listening to the CBC whilst in southern TX!

Adrian

[steve dunham]

We got one year of free Sirius radio with the last 3 new vehicles we purchased. We never used it so after the trial period lapsed, we did not renew our subscription. The price for renewing our subscription dropped all the way to $20 /year but even $20 is too much for a service that we don't use.

[Greg A]

I had the trial in the new truck, then they gave me a promo for $5 a month for 6 months. I don't renew and they send a survey and ask why I didn't renew? I tell them it isn't worth more than $5 a month. Next day I get an offer for another 6 month promo for $5 a month. I don't know how many years this will keep going on, but for $5 a month I enjoy it, especially Jeff and Larrys comedy channel.

[gbaglo]

Obviously, I have to cancel my subscription.

[P&L]

This is very much a matter of preference. As I can see, the quality is important to some, the variety for others, too expensive for others and some aren't interested. For us, sometimes we want to listen to news, comedy or different music than we have on our ipod or CDs. We have a portable unit with separate docking stations for our home and trailer. We also have a subscription for each of our vehicles and the traffic stations can be extremely useful. There are some commercials but not as much as free radio. We love it--especially since we are on the road a lot.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

We got one year of free Sirius radio with the last 3 new vehicles we purchased. We never used it so after the trial period lapsed, we did not renew our subscription. The price for renewing our subscription dropped all the way to $20 /year but even $20 is too much for a service that we don't use.

Ditto that. Looks like the usual Escape forum situation, one side loves it and the other doesn't even bother with it. Who knows, maybe after I've finished listening to 1000 of my favorite tunes on my phone plugged into the truck stereo I might try it.

Ron

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Obviously, I have to cancel my subscription.

Whenever you need to renew, just contact them and negotiate a better price. Tell them you are cancelling, and they will do a good deal. I know a bunch of people who have done this.

I have had it for free on new vehicles, and rarely used it. I find that the categories are too shoe-horned, in that there is not enough variety on any one station, and I love lots of different genres of music.

When driving in Alberta, for radio I usually tune in to a CKUA repeater. Or if reception is bad, or I want a change, I just listen on my phone where I have about 8,000 songs. Repeats are rare.

[Mary F]

We listened to some baseball playoff games, plus our local college football and some NFL games on our recent drive through Idaho, Utah, New Mexico, and the Texas Panhandle. We also caught a few Grateful Dead concert-repeats. I just wish it we could pick up WWOZ (out of New Orleans) with it!

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Whenever you need to renew, just contact them and negotiate a better price. Tell them you are cancelling, and they will do a good deal. I know a bunch of people who have done this.

I have had it for free on new vehicles, and rarely used it. I find that the categories are too shoe-horned, in that there is not enough variety on any one station, and I love lots of different genres of music.

When driving in Alberta, for radio I usually tune in to a CKUA repeater. Or if reception is bad, or I want a change, I just listen on my phone where I have about 8,000 songs. Repeats are rare.

While I agree that the variety is limited, it is about the only way for NPR junkies like me to listen to their news radio when out of cell phone range. If you get off the major highways in most of the US, cell coverage gets spotty, and while there are more & more new NPR stations & repeaters, there is still lots of the US where there is no free over the air NPR.

My other favorites are classical & jazz, both of which are available on XM Radio, but fairly limited. I do have an extensive library of music on my iPhone, however I still prefer discovering new music & usually resort to stored music when I don't have any other choice.

[Iowa Dave]

We've had it off and on, first with the Accord and now with the Highlander. I don't mind the repeating playlist most of the time, it's easy to hit the preset and change channels. I like a couple of the personalities on Willy's Roadhouse and listen to the ESPN college sports Channel some too. For the money, I don't think it's a bad deal. When they call to have us re-up Rita beats them up and they drop the price about twice and then she's happy and signs up.
Love the doo wop harmonies and the Hammond.
Dave

[rbryan4]

My main criticism of Sirius/XM is the poor sound quality. It's highly compressed, and the sound quality is noticeably poor when you switch from HD Radio or a good bitrate digital source to satellite radio. Having said that, I got a free 6 months when I bought my truck, and I did renew, because I like the channel lineup and the idea of having something to listen to in the boonies when I'm tired of my mp3 collection.

As to whether the Escape stereo is Sirius/XM ready, as others have mentioned, no. But, its very easy to have the trailer "pre-wired" for stereo and put in a head unit that is.

[Iowa Dave]

The jobs I did where I abused my hearing for 50 years allow me to enjoy about any sound quality, anyway that's how I have to look at it.
Dave

[cpaharley2008]

I enjoyed the "Radio Classics" channel, old tv and radio shows.

[LeonW]

While I liked the radio classics and the Grateful Dead channels, i found that I wasn't listening to Sirius often enough to justify the cost. I have a lot of music and podcasts on my phone, so there is always something to listen to.

[currinh]

We tend to end up in the middle on nowhere. Thus no cell signal and very poor radio reception. Our new TV had Sirius/XM and we found it great for travelling to the middle of nowhere. We've renewed the subscription.

I recently went to a deal of trouble to install a stereo with XM antenna on our 19. It's an easy way to get music in the middle of nowhere. But it also plays MP3s from USBs and CDs. We mostly use the Sirius/XM though.

Listening to one channel for some time brings up repeats. But there are so many channels you just push a button and get a whole new (short) play list.

The Sirius/XM radio, with its subscription, also gives me noise in my shop when not on the road. Dual purpose.

That's our story and I swear it's true.

[captmath]

I have a portable unit I use at home and in the trailer. We get a better variety of bluegrass than we would ever have paid for. And we can get NPR and BBC news if we want.

Dick