Delphi SA10000 XM SKYFi Radio Receiver

by Delphi

Product Details

Product Manual [520kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 4.6 x 2.9 x 1.2 inches ; 2.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009RTBT
• Item model number: SA10000
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,074 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Delphi's potent and pocket-friendly SA10000 XM SKYFi satellite radio receiver flits easily between home and car and puts XM Radio's wealth of music, sports, and news offerings at your fingertips, whether you're accessing the service's 100-plus channels via the receiver's stylish faceplate or through the supplied remote control. We found the receiver's display and controls well laid out and easy to navigate. More importantly, XM's radio service is every bit as enjoyable as its hardware is simple.

Use of the receiver requires a paid monthly subscription to XM Satellite Radio ($9.95 per month, no contract required). You'll also need either a car or a home docking apparatus such as the Delphi SA10002 XM SKYFi vehicle kit or the Delphi SA10034 XM Portable CD audio boombox (whose use is by no means limited to the home). The receiver pulls in the signal, while a docking station provides DC power and traditional features like speakers, headphone jacks, and antennas, depending on the accessory. For this review we used the XM portable boombox. It bears repeating: the SA10000 receiver will produce no sound without an ancillary listening device.

The XM service offers good music with minimal repetition whichever direction you turn, all conveniently arranged by category or by channel. Using the remote's display button, you can even view the artist or the name of the song currently playing as you scroll past stations. XM's channels break down into 68 music channels (all of them commercial free), 33 channels of news (ABC, CNN, Fox, and a host of other mainstream networks), sports (led by 2 ESPN and 2 NASCAR channels), talk, and entertainment (Discover, E!, others), as well as instant traffic and weather updates for 21 major U.S. metropolitan areas.

Within the major music categories--rock, "hits" (pop), country, jazz/blues, and urban--subgenres abound, offering many exciting places to revisit classics and discover new favorites. Notably anomalies are channels devoted to new age (Audio Visions), progressive-rock/jazz fusion (XM Music Lab), rock bands lacking record contracts (Unsigned), and great moments and music from films (Cinemagic). There's even a channel for Starbucks' excellent HEAR Music, centered on jazz musicians and singer-songwriters and the musicians who inspired them.

Underserved are classical music (3 channels cover orchestral music, vocal music, and single movements of larger works), children's music (teens may enjoy Disney radio, but XM Kids is just plain soggy), world music (7 channels, 4 of which are Latin and 1 of which is devoted to music from Jamaica), and--most surprisingly--electronica. XM's dance and electronic music leans heavily on beats, going mainstream with hip acts like Royksopp, Moby, and Zero 7.

The receiver offers 20 station presets (2 banks of 10) and 10 memory settings, which recall artist, song, and station after the fact so you can make notes or hunt out CDs later.

To evaluate XM's sound quality we fed the headphone output from the SA10034 boombox to an integrated amplifier and speaker setup. Quality proved remarkably consistent channel to channel. Relative to our CDs and MP3 music files, the quality of the XM service sounds closest to 128 kbps MP3--wholly listenable and usually downright enjoyable, if not as smooth, full-bodied, and detailed as linear (uncompressed) CD sound.

Bass is decent--a little hyped on rock material, like FM radio--and the treble frequencies sound natural and free from most of the artifacts often heard in lossy digital compression. XM's classical programming sounds even better than its rock programming, with fewer artifacts and a wider stereo soundstage. Better than FM? For its silky background quiet and slightly wider dynamic range, we'd have to say yes. --Michael Mikesell

Pros:

• Simple setup
• Excellent sound quality
• Great indoor reception
• Consistent audio quality, station to station
• Commercial-free music channels
• Excellent pop and alternative-rock selection
• Dedicated progressive-rock/fusion channel
• Deep country/folk, urban/R&B, and jazz/blues offerings
• Includes a new-age channel
• Localized traffic and weather updates

Cons:

• Not usable without ancillary hardware (a headphone jack would be nice)
• No NPR (though XM Public Radio is a good approximation)
• Minimal electronica coverage
• Limited classical selection
• Weak children's offering

What's in the Box
Delphi XM SKYFi radio receiver (SA10000), wireless remote control, 1 CR2032 lithium battery, and operating and quick start guides.

Amazon.com Product Description

Step into the future of radio with the Delphi XM SKYFi radio receiver, which connects to the XM satellite radio network and over 100 channels of programming. You'll get crystal-clear reception, whether at home or on the road, thanks to XM's powerful satellites and vast network of repeater stations throughout the continental U.S.

With the SKYFi vehicle kit, the SKYFi radio receiver is easy to set up for satellite transmission through your car stereo.

Note that the SKYFi radio receiver requires a monthly subscription, as well as either the separately available home or car connection kit to receive XM radio signals.

The sleek, compact SKYFi radio receiver features a large orangish-red 5-line display (with adjustable font size) that displays song title, artist, channel category, and channel name/number information. It has control buttons for on/off, saving song information to memory, and preset programming (up to 20 presets), as well as a scroll wheel that enables you to quickly search through the channel categories and stations. The SKYFi radio receiver also comes with a remote control with the same control buttons as well as an audio mute control. The remote control uses a 3-volt CR2032 lithium battery, available at most retailers that carry electronic products.

The SKYFi radio receiver inserts neatly into the SKYFi Boombox for satellite radio wherever you want to take it.

You can listen to one station while previewing program information on up to five other channels. Additionally, you can save the song and artist information displayed on the SKYFi radio receiver to help you remember your favorite songs when you hit the CD store. The line-out level control adjusts the audio level if it is too high, causing distortion, or too low for your car.

What Is XM Satellite Radio?
XM Satellite Radio was the first satellite radio service to be offered in the U.S. It features a state-of-the-art broadcast center in Washington, D.C., two Boeing 702 satellites (providing 18 kW of power--the most powerful commercial satellites ever built), and approximately 800 terrestrial repeaters located throughout the continental United States for seamless transmission. Service is not available in Hawaii or Alaska.

XM Satellite Radio offers 101 channels, including 70 music channels, over 35 of which are commercial-free, and 31 news, sports, talk, and children's channels, broadcast coast to coast in digital quality. Basic service is available for a monthly subscription fee of $9.99, with premium channel(s) available at an additional monthly cost. Under the XM Family plan, subscribers get a discounted rate of $6.99 per month for additional radios.

XM's programming partners include Sesame Workshop, NASCAR, Associated Press, ABC News, CNBC, CNET, BBC World Service and BBC Concerts, Radio One, CNN/Sports Illustrated, Hispanic Broadcast Corporation, Disney, and ESPN.

What's in the Box
Delphi XM SKYFi radio receiver (SA10000), wireless remote control, one CR2032 lithium battery, and operating and quick start guides.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars XM single-handedly rekindled my love of music!, September 8, 2003

By 

Rod Peterson "Tech Fiend" (Costa Mesa, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Delphi SA10000 XM SKYFi Radio Receiver (Electronics)

I can't say enough about this system. For years, I have been disenchanted with commercial radio and the junk they play. If I wanted good music, I'd have to shell out a king's ransom for CDs. I had gotten to the point where I didn't even bother listening to music anymore; I'd just tune in NPR in the car and watch TV at home for entertainment.

I was skeptical about paying for satellite radio until I checked out the sample programming at www.xmradio.com. It took me about a day to realize I couldn't go another day without it. Now I listen to the radio all the time at home, and I've even hooked up the Home Adapter kit at work and listened through my computer's headphones. (It took a bit of doing to position the antenna for good reception in my office 'cube farm' inside a steel-and-concrete building, but I got it to work!) Now I can't wait to get the car adapter so I can take my stations with me on the road.

One of my favorite features on the Delphi SKYFi is that you can save Artist/Song Title information while listening if you hear something you really like. This has allowed me to discover several great new bands since I started listening to XM. I can confidently pick up new CDs of bands I'd never hear on commercial radio. It's like having a great college radio station!

Another great feature about the Delphi unit is that you take your one subscription with you wherever you go; there's no need to pay for an extra receiver, even though XM offers additional subs at a discount.

XM radio has a great fan following. Check out www.xmfan.com for a great online community of fans and fanatics. I learned a lot about antenna placement in poor-reception areas (XM at work!) from reading the message boards.

Quit stalling. Buy it. I promise you'll love it.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Singlehandedly revived my love for radio..., May 5, 2004

By 

David E.Finley (Palm Springs, California United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Delphi SA10000 XM SKYFi Radio Receiver (Electronics)

Forget the naysayers. This product was worth every penny, as well as the subscription fee.

I do not own a car, as I am legally blind. However, one does not need to own a car to enjoy XM radio. I live in the Coachella Valley in southern Central California, and quite frankly, the radio reception here bites, even on shortwave.

I also live in an stucco reinforced apartment, with NO WINDOWS at all in my bedroom.My Sky FI radio rests in the boombox docking station, and sits on top of my televison set. The antenna is simply clipped to the back of the boombox, and I do not use a single inch 0f it's 20 foot cable.

The radio works flawlessly.

All 121 channels.

No fading or digital artifacts.

The sign up process was quick and painless. I was up and running in under an hour.

Belive me, XM blows regular radio out of the water. My two favorite channels are 163 (Sonic Theater) and 164(Old Time Radio)

These 2 channels are well worth the subscription cost alone.

XM radio should side market this product to the visually impaired or blind as well. I could think of no greater a gift for someone blind, such as myself. An A PLUS!!!

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars would have been five stars but the remote broke in a day, July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Delphi SA10000 XM SKYFi Radio Receiver (Electronics)

I have had one of these units for myself and bought one for the girlfriend. These units provide pretty good reception (much better than FM) and are easy to use. My complaints would be that the display can be washed out in the sun light, and that it is a little oddly shaped for the car dash in some cars, and that there is a need for better filtering on the home unit power supply eliminating the chance for buzzing sounds. I purchased this unit for my girlfriend and she loves it and uses it every day with no complaints.

Review of both Sirius and XM radio:

I have had both of these services. Pluses for Sirius are better sound quality (more sharp clear and "open" music with less clipping distortion throughout the frequency range), and they used to be the only one of the two to offer commercial free music.

Negatives for Sirius. The repeats on Sirius are pretty bad at the moment. Not what one expects to hear after paying 12.99/month There is OutQ (look it up on the Sirius website), which is fine, but this agenda bleads into ALL of the other radio stations, so if you are a person of strict faith, you may want to avoid Sirius as the DJs and commedians seem to have an agenda to push, and can offend sensitive listeners. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE! I was on hold the first time for 25 minutes waiting just to speak to someone before hanging up, wrote and email being "invited to call customer service to discuss my issues" and waited 45 minutes just to speak to a person the second time. Total process the second call was probably around an hour and ten minutes.

Pluses for XM radio:
Great customer service, Used them three times and haven't a complaint. Now with no commercials. Less repeats on the 80s station than the competition, and they have some other fun stations like Sonic Theater where they read books and act out drama. This service is only 9.99 versus 12.99 for Sirius. I beleive XM has more useful equipment. Less offensive and no personal agendas to push.

Minuses for XM Radio:
There is some audio clipping making the music sound a little "muddy" and tiny. The highs seem to be clipped. The audiophile will probably prefer Sirius. The talk on XM sounds a little like that computerized kids game of the 80s Simon. Kind of fake and robotish.

Conclusion:
You decide, I personally picked XM, then went to Sirius, and now I am back with XM. Listen to them in a store and ask friends about them. Good luck!