Customer Reviews

Audiovox SIR-PNP2 Sirius Satellite Radio Receiver

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Sirius satellite should be considered a great complement to your audio system, whether in home or car. It should not be considered an end all to music selection. It will not replace CDs, mp3s or typical over the air radio. Once this expectation is established, it's good to see Sirius as a decent addition to those who love music.

First off, how much does it cost? You'll need a receiver, then a docking system for the home or office. Then there is a setup fee. So you're looking at a little under $200 to get started. Quite a huge investment for just checking out a new type of radio. I would advise getting Sirius professional installed in your car, unless you don't mind wire flaying around when you drive while looking at a tacking do it yourself setup. Also, if you want both home and office, you'll have to buy a boombox. This can run to about $350 total. Quite pricey, especially when it doesn't include any monthly fees.

Secondly, how about the reception? It's surprisingly well in my car, but does suffer some dark spots when you go under a tunnel or when travelling through a tree line street. However, I was unable to get any signal in neither my home nor my office, so don't automatically assume that it will work at your home. The only consolation is that if you sign up for Sirius, you get monthly web access.

Thirdly, how about the playlist? The best way to describe Sirius's playlist is probably a lot breadth, but not quite a lot of depth. For music, unless you love every type of music available, you'll actually only have about 10 music stations to listen to. For example, all Classical, Latin, Electronic, Jazz, Children and Love stations are absolutely useless to me as this not my type of music. In terms of sports, it's got the NFL, NBA, and if ever, NHL. The best game for radio, baseball, is with XM satellite, which is a huge bummer. Many of the news stations and entertainment stations are just audio replays of audio stations, so it's got commercials and aren't altogether suited for radio. For example, you'll hear, "take a look at this replay". Well, I can't look, it's radio. All in all, the talk and music is the equivalent of doubling the FM and AM radio stations of a big city. You'll still listen to your normal stations, but the number of stations will be expanded.

Fourthly, how about the receiver itself? It's pretty good. The display is huge. You get to see the band or song name before switching to a different station. I love that. It can store 20 songs, which, when one of the songs comes up, the receiver will beep and give you the option of changing to that station. The only small problems were that sometimes the stored songs didn't come up, and the turn wheel will lacks a grip, which is annoying when driving.

Fifthly, what were some of the major problems of Satellite radio? Besides the high cost for the equipment, the fact that they charge an activation fee was annoying. I'm willing to pay a monthly fee, do I need to add another fee to that? Secondly, the nickel and diming continues with the fact that the receiver contains no basic antenna nor power supply. You must buy a docking kit no matter what. I bought a car docking kit, but it only had a power supply for the cigarette lighter, which meant that all setup has to be done outdoors, in the car, with the car running. I couldn't even test it to see if it would work indoors, so I had to buy a boombox to test, only to find out it didn't work, and then return the boombox. A cheap home AC/DC power supply included in the docking kit would have saved me hours without costing me fifty dollars for the other docking system. Also, the customer service is not that great. The people on phone are nice, but you have to endure the navigation system along with a large self-serving tirade about how well Sirius radio is before you can get to the menu. In order to get stream player access, you have to e-mail them for the password, but no one bothered to reply to my e-mail, so I had to call them again. When the company won't give you the password for the free web access, and won't reply when you follow the website instructions, it gets annoying. Another thing is the repetitiveness and limiting factors of the playlist. Some of the bands I'm interested in, Carbon Leaf, the Streets, Perfect Circle, Tool - groups that I thought should appear for paid radio, are not really there. However, Ashlee Simpson, Maroon 5 and Leonard Skynard are pretty much on 24/7. Not quite the original playlists I was hoping to get.

Finally, what were some of the things that surprised me? First off, it's still cool. To be free of Clear Channel's chokehold on music radio is great. The web access is free. XM charges you about four dollars a month, making it more expensive monthly if you use web access. If you get Dish Network, the music stations are there already to listen through over your television. If you don't get Dish Network, you can get a free preview via the web for three days. Nice. Finally, I've become acquainted with many bands that I would not have known or just barely remember. It's nice to hear Traffic, Public Enemy, Guns and Roses, Flogging Molly, N.W.A., etc.

So, all in all, it's a nice complement, but it's no magic musical panacea.

Pros:
Song preview
20 Memory Storage
Large display
Free online access after signing up
Free 3-day online preview

Cons:
Nickel and diming
Very repetitive song list
Entertainment and News is Just a Replay of Television
Customer Service is lacking
Signal cannot be received in many places.

Minimum Setup Cost ~ 200 dollars
Optimal Setup Cost ~ 350 dollars
Monthly Cost ~ 13 dollars

The first thing I'd like to give here is a warning - NPR lovers beware. The NPR stream available here is probably not what you expect. Check out NPR /Sirius websites to see what it offers before buying. NPR was my biggest reason for buying Sirius over xm.

Overall though, I am thrilled, the BBC stream is tremendous, the music channels are varied and play a great collection of music inside their genres. The sports channels let me hear NHL and NBA games now and will let me hear every NFL game.

The product is good, not perfect, but well conceived. Setup was simple and 10 minutes after purchase I was up and running, the auto adaptor broadcasts on the four 88.x fm channels.
In short I recommend the product, but educate yourself carefully to make sure you know what you're getting.

Let me start by saying that I've listened to both XM and Sirius, and Sirius' programming is far superior. The streamhosts, though they do talk a little bit, bring a ton of knowledge and programming savvy to the streams. And the variety is very good. And I really like that subscribers can listen to the music channels online for free.

As for the Audiovox receiver: I bought the receiver, the car kit and the home kit. I'm giving it 4 stars because it's pretty good and easy to operate. I like the "memo" feature that allows you to find your favorite songs no matter what stream they're on. And the remote control is nice for home use.

But it does have some annoying issues that should give most people pause.

As mentioned by several others here, the tuner runs very hot during continuous use. Don't make the mistake of leaving the radio on without the car running. Mine got so hot sitting in my parked car (it was about 80 degrees that day) that the screen blacked out and it wouldn't work until I shut it down and let it cool off.

I also moved the receiver and antenna from one car to another one, and in the process broke the antenna connector plug. It's really poorly made. The jack is difficult to plug and unplug, and there's a weak point that breaks easily. You have to really tug on it to unplug it. I tried soldering the plug back together, but that didn't work. I'm going to have to spend $50 to get a replacement antenna. Solution: If you have two cars, buy two car kits.

And now that Sirius is on Dish Network, it defeats the purpose of having a receiver in my living room.

In hindsight, I should have bought a car-only receiver that hooked into my stereo.

The receiver has two issues that have to be considered. First this guy gets really hot. Both in the car and in the home. Heat was the cause of a failure of this item in my house (the fm modulator died) - Audiovox did send me a free replacement, but I was out of use for a few weeks. The other issue is signal strength. The FM modulator could use a boost. When traveling, I have to change the frequency to get a solid signal. Otherwise I get interference from other stations in the 88.1 to 88.7 range. Is there something better? I tried the JVC and it's cooler, but the signal strength of the FM modulator is no better.

First - XM or Sirrius - I chose sirius only for the programming - I was leaning towards XM - but the entire NFL plus WABC out of New York and 790 the Zone out of Atlanta made me choose sirius.
I bought it mainly for the news - talk -comedy channels but the Music Stations are great - My daughter and I can finally agree on some of the music channels which is a nice change. The traffic / weather reports are much more detailed than on the standard Atlanta radio.

The sound is great in the car. It made my 98 Neon (please don't laugh) a great little car again that is fun to drive. The hour drive to work is enjoyable and more relaxing. I also bought the boombox and move the unit from the car to the boombox easily.

I rarely lose signal and then it's when I'm parked under an overhang like a gas station filling up. Every once in a while the signal may or may not drop while driving under very heavy trees and then just a split second. On the drive to work I expected to lose signal in the parking deck, but there must be a terrestial antennea nearby and no signal loss. I do not even need the antennae on the boombox at work.

The car adapter that came with this knocks a point off. It is an FM modulator. Meaning I tune the radio to 88.1 (or .3 .5 .7) depending on which frequncy I use on the adpater. Atlanta has an 88.1 and a 88.5 radio station so I set the PNP2 set to 88.3. 99.5% it works great. But 88.5 must boost the power output and bleeds into the 88.3 band which causes very minor static sometimes. Since Satellite radio is so much better than FM I removed the car antennae completely I don't listen to anything else but the Sirius Radio.

I attempted to enter an order online, and received an error and was told to re-enter my order. When I did, I was sent two order confirmations. This was obviously a mistake on the part of Sirius, and I am attempting to get the second order cancelled.

I first called the e-commerce 800-number, but received no answer after 45 minutes of being on hold. I then called "customer service", but they did not know what to do and suggested sending the second one back, at my time and expense, with no information about how my account would be credited. I then called e-commerce back and left the phone on hold for over 4 hours, but never was able to get through. I sent e-mails and received an automated response, but never a reply from "customer service". I also called "customer service" back again and got no useful information again, but was given a number to leave a voice-mail for the e-commerce support. I did that, and got a call back from a plumbing supply house. (1-800-842-7142) Once again, customer service wasting my time and giving out bogus information.

This morning, I resumed attempting to get through to e-commerce. Option #2 and option #4 never answer. Option #1 will get you through to a human, but they just transfer you back to the black hole where no one picks up. I contacted "customer service" to explain all the problems that I was having. They were able to look up and see the order, but not cancel it. They too told me that I would have to return the unwanted product, at my own time and expense PLUS get an RGI number from e-commerce support! Even thought I explained how there is no one answering phones over there, they insisted I had to call them to get a number!!!!

No matter how god te receiver or music is, if anything goes wrong you will be left alone with no support! Avoid Sirius!

Unit is a little bulky, but big display with large easy to read type. Select knob works, but a textured knob(it's smooth) would have been better for car use. Unit gets VERY hot with continuous use. Hasn't degraded unit function, but you could heat a PopTart or a cup of coffee with this thing. Removing or inserting the unit takes two hands. The contact pins do look rather fragile on the back. In the car, I have the antenna mounted on the rear trunk. The antenna wire is very thin; easy to squeeze into tight spots and easily cut(use care). I've normally maximum signal, except for over head obstruction(overpass). There seems to be about a 5 second buffer during audio play. I live in a mountainous area, and narrow canyons don't seem to be a problem. I like the music and talk selection on Sirius. There are DJs on the music channels and some inhouse(Sirius) "commercials" about other programs or channels. Music choices are oriented to the younger crowd. Only 3 classical channels, but some oldies pop/rock for us geezers. Check the Sirius website to see if their channels match your tastes. TV audio feeds(CNN) have the normal commercials. Music quality is as good as normal radio, though I'm no audiophile. As mentioned, NPR, as well as other national programs will be on a national schedule. FWIW, NPR programs are scheduled by the local affiliates. Air times for programs differ across the country.

I had specific expectations for this product. If your expectations are different, you may very well like it.

I live in an area where the FM broadcast signals are weak, and I got tired of the static when listening to NPR. I'd had a satellite TV dish before and the music stations on that system were really great. I expected the same with Audiovox / Sirius but didn't get it. After 3 disappointing days, I returned everything.

Here are the problems I had:

1) Satellite signal was weak. I didn't find out until after I bought it that most people cannot expect the system to work unless they mount the antenna on the roof or somewhere outside. I was unwilling to drill holes in my bedroom wall or window. What signal I could get was very weak, and drifted. It would work for 20 minutes, then stop until I moved it all around again.

2) Audio fidelity was poor, even with 60% signal. The 'streams' must be compressed digital, and the phasing and 'tunnel effect' were way too noticeable. My TV dish offered better-than-CD quality - I just expected the same.

3) The 'NPR' streams were nothing like the NPR I was used to listening to. I am familiar with a certain daily schedule on the FM band, this wasn't it. This is the *only* reason I chose Sirius over XM, by the way.

4) The Audiovox boom box doesn't have a volume +/- on the remote. There was a menu item that seemed like it might do this, but it was difficult to get to, and I can't tell you if it worked or not.

$200 for equipment and $13/month for so many short-comings was too much to swallow. I returned everything.

Let me preface this by saying that I've been both an XM and Sirius subscriber, and have owned the XM SkyFi and the Audiovox PNP2 with the Boombox. My experience might vary from others, but having had the PNP2 for a while now, I'm very happy with it and would recommend. Here's why: 1. Display is clear, manageable, and can be changed a little more than the SkyFi. The construction is solid, albeit somewhat thick-as-a-brick, but it's sturdy. Given that I destroyed my SkyFi's tuning wheel within 10 minutes after installation (without actually trying to do so, I will add), I'll opt for this. 2. The PNP2 sits nicely into the boombox, which actually does 'Boom' with enough power and volume, and enough versatility (I can plug devices to an aux port, which suits me for CD's and MP3 players). The XM Boombox had nearly no volume, and at full blast was hardly audible. Yes, that goes for the new one -- ask yourself how loud 4W power sounds, it's a little less than cheap PC speakers. Everything is constructed nicely. 3. Signal. I get one. In my office, at home (with a north/west exposure, to boot). Could not with my SkyFi and orientation, nor could I get a terrestrial fix in my office. As I write this, I'm in my office listening to a channel. Crystal clear, no drops or fades. Also, the satellite orientation will be important to you if you are not in an urban area (i.e. NYC, etc.) where repeaters exist (note: I'm a few blocks from Sirius HQ, so I'll pick up a good terrestrial signal without too much jostling). The orientation of the 3 birds is much higher in the sky, so while it may rotate a bit, the signal is definitely there in a bad exposure area. Consider where you live, keep that in mind. When I had XM in my car and old place, I truly enjoyed it. Much the same as I do with Sirius. The programming is a matter of preference or taste. Won't touch on that territory here. For those who have commented about the heat issue, I need to point out that both the SkyFi and PNP2 get kinda warm. Having owned both, I noted no difference in the relative temperature, but don't take that to think you'll get burned with it. Holding a baked potato in foil is lethal by comparison. The PNP2 is just thicker and sturdier, which for me is fine. If you want a boombox with solid features, durability, and good programming (and volume), this would be a far better choice.

Although I haven't yet quite decided to purchase the Sirius Satellite Radio service, I expect I will, and when I do I expect I will purchase the Audiovox receiver, based on research to date. Thus I'm giving the unit a four rating for expectations slightly above average.

When considering the choice between XMSR and Sirius, consumers must keep in mind the very different transmission technologies between the two. XMSR uses two geosynchronous satellites, which always appear to be at the same place in the sky over any spot on earth. Thus, once one places an antenna so that it works all right, in almost every case it will keep on working indefinitely.

Sirius, by contrast, uses several satellites in lower earth orbit, and these appear to move across the sky. So, even when some antenna configuration is initially working, the signal may fade and reception may fail because of the Sirius satellites' changing positions in the sky.

For those interested in news programs, both services offer BBC, however only Sirius offers NPR. But to clear up some of the oblique mentions I've noticed in other reviews, the NPR service Sirius offers does not include either All Things Considered or Morning Edition, NPR's two most popular programs by far. Many other popular shows are missing, which is also the case with Sirius' PRI offering. Of course, XM offers no NPR or PRI programming at all.

Also, the BBC programming differs substantially between XMSR and Sirius. XMSR provides the standard BBC World Service feed, very similar to what one hears on short wave radio. Sirius provides the BBC news feed, which cuts out some of the BBC's non-news programs in favor of more frequent editions of the news shows. I'm not sure which I'd actually prefer, each has advantages.

Finally, a reviewer below mentioned an intent to purchase Sony's XM Satellite Radio receiver. I strongly recommend not purchasing this unit, even at the seemingly amazing low prices one can find for it. I purchased it almost as soon as XMSR started, and I hated it the whole time. It was buggy, it always was screwing up one way or another. Also, its LCD display was invisible for most practical purposes, and its ergonomics were awful. Sony refused all my efforts to get them to deal with these problems while the unit was still in warranty, it was one perpetual stonewall and runaround. Finally, just weeks after my Sony unit went out of warranty, it failed completely. By then Sony wouldn't even discuss repairing it, unless I agreed in advance to pay for the discussion by the minute on a 1-900- phone line! Sony obviously has no real intent to support this extremely poor product of theirs, and they don't seem to be serious about XM Satellite Radio. I am now very reluctant to purchase any Sony product again as a result of this very bad behavior of theirs.

So I threw out my useless Sony XMSR receiver and replaced it with the Delphi unit, which is absolutely wonderful, superior to the Sony unit in every way, and by far. I will be delighted if the Audiovox Sirius SR receiver is even almost as good as my excellent Delphi XMSR receiver.