Best Reviewed
Satellite Radio
- Satellite radio service XM Satellite Radio *Est. $13
- Satellite radio service Sirius Satellite Radio *Est. $13
- XM receiver for home or car Delphi XpressRC *Est. $120
- Portable XM receiver and MP3 player Pioneer Inno2BK *Est. $200
- Sirius receiver for home or car Sirius Starmate 4 *Est. $90
- Portable Sirius radio and MP3 player Sirius Stiletto 2 *Est. $275
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Satellite radio service
- Changing roster of channels dedicated to specific artists
- NFL football exclusive
- High-quality sound option for online subscribers
- Expensive
- Best online sound requires additional fee
While Sirius and XM have joined up to form XM Sirius Satellite Radio, Sirius (like XM) will continue on as a unique service. Sirius lacks XM's live concerts, but its roster of music channels is no less impressive, and the service offers a rotation of music channels dedicated to specific artists from various genres. For sports fans, the major attraction is exclusive coverage of NFL football games. Among its celebrity hosts, Sirius offers two channels dedicated to Howard Stern, plus there's a host of other talk, news, weather and politics channels. An online streaming version is available; it's free to radio subscribers, but the best sound quality requires an additional fee (*est. $2.99 per month) or an online-only subscription (*est. $13 per month). XM (*est. $13 per month) is the other satellite radio choice. It lacks the NFL and Howard Stern, but has its own strong lineup of sports (Major League Baseball and NHL) and celebrity hosts (Oprah Winfrey).
The Wall Street Journal's older but still valid look at both Sirius and XM satellite is the best comparative review. A panel of five WSJ employees renders opinions. Consumer Reports' look at satellite radio is more current, but doesn't rate the services or make any specific recommendation.
Our Sources
This comparative review looks at the pros and cons of XM and Sirius radio, and compares them with other options, such as terrestrial radios and portable MP3 players. They say "it's hard to beat satellite radio" for its wealth of choices, though some practical issues, such as signal drop outs on the road and even at home, are a concern.
Review: Radio Daze, Sarah McBride, Aug. 24, 2006
2. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
While most of the reports produced by Consumer Reports can be accessed by subscribers only, this recent update on satellite radio is free for all. While this review does provide a good overview of the options and differences, neither services nor gear is rated, and no recommendations are made.
Review: Radio: Is It Worth the Money?, Editors of Consumer Reports, May 2008
Satellite Radio Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
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