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El Capitan · February 12th, 2005, 06:45 PM

As you may or may not know, I am a mechanic. I deal with all sorts of automotive problems,

I have acces to maybe 5 or 6 cars a day with different Sattelite radio systems installed.
Half are "aftermarket" intallations, half factory installed units.

An observation, and a question.....

Is there a unit/service available that will sound as good as F.M.?

Is it just me? The sat programming sounds like "improved AM" to me. Even on the factory units. Seems like there's always some kind of "sideband" distortion or something, and echo echo echo......

ne4tt · February 12th, 2005, 07:47 PM

I travel for my job and have been driving GM products with XM.

Sounds pretty good, but have had to adjust the tone for the style or genre of music.

A comparison to heavily processed FM broadcasts will find sat. radio a close second.

Perhaps the mfgs. will add processing to the receivers.

jamie

fullerplast · February 12th, 2005, 07:58 PM

I've had XM for a couple of years now. Mine sounds better than FM, better than MP3's, but not as good as CD quality. All the XM radios I've heard have also sounded about the same as mine. You may not know, but the non-music channels have less bandwidth (and therefore lower audio quality) than the music channels. The news is closer to AM quality, but still quite good. If a car uses a sat radio that transmits to an unused FM channel (no hard wired interface) on the existing car stereo, that will not sound as good as a hard wired radio.

I highly recommend XM! I've hear so much good music and new music, I haven't listened to any FM or even many CD's since getting it. No commercials on any music channels make life so much more enjoyable....

67tele · February 12th, 2005, 08:41 PM

I Have Sirius, aftermarket in my truck it was a Christmas gift. It transmits thru the FM Radio its not hard wired so It doesnt sound as good as maybe it could.
But it has great stations to listen to and doesnt go to comercials every song!

David Barnett · February 12th, 2005, 10:49 PM

XM and Sirius both use MPEG3 encoding/decoding for their audio, so MP3-quality is THE BEST you can expect from them.

jlrich · February 12th, 2005, 11:57 PM

I don't like the echo on the music channels either. They sound like they're in a barrel sometimes. Some of the songs sound like they're coming from a re-mastered album :x .

fullerplast · February 13th, 2005, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Barnett

XM and Sirius both use MPEG3 encoding/decoding for their audio, so MP3-quality is THE BEST you can expect from them.

Not true. The details are here:

http://www.xmradio.com/corporate_inf...cts_sound.html

halouis · February 13th, 2005, 01:09 PM

love Sirius. got it for my wife for Christmas and we love it. i dont notice the echo, but we dont have hi quality sound systems in our vehicles. only thing i notice is it's not as loud as reg. radio.

picked sirius over XM based on the selection quality preferences.

El Capitan · February 13th, 2005, 01:27 PM

I did notice a difference in one brand soundind better that the other one.

it's not the factory installed one either, It may have a lot to do with the audio system in the vehicle also. There is a LOT of signal proccesing going on, for some reason.

Factory "optional" system is Sirius, btw.

I'm going to make a list of which "add on sat. units" sound best next week.
The difference is amazing from one to the next.
THE best I've heard was a Kenwood something or other.
Worst, Alpine.

GopherTele · February 13th, 2005, 07:19 PM

I have Sirius.

Sounds as good as CD to my ears.

There's really no going back to radio once you take the plunge.

February 12th, 2005, 06:45 PM	#1 (permalink)
El Capitan Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: AUSTIN, Tejas! Posts: 810 2 Photos	XM and Sirrus sound Quality question As you may or may not know, I am a mechanic. I deal with all sorts of automotive problems, I have acces to maybe 5 or 6 cars a day with different Sattelite radio systems installed. Half are "aftermarket" intallations, half factory installed units. An observation, and a question..... Is there a unit/service available that will sound as good as F.M.? Is it just me? The sat programming sounds like "improved AM" to me. Even on the factory units. Seems like there's always some kind of "sideband" distortion or something, and echo echo echo......

February 13th, 2005, 01:27 PM	#9 (permalink)
El Capitan Tele-Holic Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: AUSTIN, Tejas! Posts: 810 2 Photos	Thanks guys.... I did notice a difference in one brand soundind better that the other one. it's not the factory installed one either, It may have a lot to do with the audio system in the vehicle also. There is a LOT of signal proccesing going on, for some reason. Factory "optional" system is Sirius, btw. I'm going to make a list of which "add on sat. units" sound best next week. The difference is amazing from one to the next. THE best I've heard was a Kenwood something or other. Worst, Alpine.

February 13th, 2005, 07:19 PM	#10 (permalink)
GopherTele Tele-Holic Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 990	Sirius I have Sirius. Sounds as good as CD to my ears. There's really no going back to radio once you take the plunge.

February 12th, 2005, 07:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
ne4tt Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: North Cackalacky Posts: 2,257 4 Photos	I travel for my job and have been driving GM products with XM. Sounds pretty good, but have had to adjust the tone for the style or genre of music. A comparison to heavily processed FM broadcasts will find sat. radio a close second. Perhaps the mfgs. will add processing to the receivers. jamie

February 12th, 2005, 07:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
fullerplast Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 1,090	I've had XM for a couple of years now. Mine sounds better than FM, better than MP3's, but not as good as CD quality. All the XM radios I've heard have also sounded about the same as mine. You may not know, but the non-music channels have less bandwidth (and therefore lower audio quality) than the music channels. The news is closer to AM quality, but still quite good. If a car uses a sat radio that transmits to an unused FM channel (no hard wired interface) on the existing car stereo, that will not sound as good as a hard wired radio. I highly recommend XM! I've hear so much good music and new music, I haven't listened to any FM or even many CD's since getting it. No commercials on any music channels make life so much more enjoyable....

February 12th, 2005, 08:41 PM	#4 (permalink)
67tele TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Fredericksburg Virginia Posts: 52	I Have Sirius, aftermarket in my truck it was a Christmas gift. It transmits thru the FM Radio its not hard wired so It doesnt sound as good as maybe it could. But it has great stations to listen to and doesnt go to comercials every song!

February 12th, 2005, 10:49 PM	#5 (permalink)
David Barnett Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Far-Flung Isles of Langerhans Age: 53 Posts: 6,061	XM and Sirius both use MPEG3 encoding/decoding for their audio, so MP3-quality is THE BEST you can expect from them.

February 12th, 2005, 11:57 PM	#6 (permalink)
jlrich Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Marion, NC Age: 43 Posts: 1,195 6 Photos	I don't like the echo on the music channels either. They sound like they're in a barrel sometimes. Some of the songs sound like they're coming from a re-mastered album :x .

February 13th, 2005, 01:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
halouis Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,409 7 Photos	love Sirius. got it for my wife for Christmas and we love it. i dont notice the echo, but we dont have hi quality sound systems in our vehicles. only thing i notice is it's not as loud as reg. radio. picked sirius over XM based on the selection quality preferences.

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