Customer Reviews

Sirius SPB1 Sportster Boombox

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Great boombox! It can be used with the original Sirius Sportster Receiver and also the Sportster Replay 2 Receiver. Comes with an AC Adapter and the antenna to pick up the satellite signal. If you want to take the boombox out and about, plug in 8 D Cell Batteries (yes that's a lot, but most boomboxes require this number) and you're out and about.

Great sound on the speakers! Crank it up and there's no crackling or sound distortion.

The price Amazon sells it at along with the free shipping, you're going to have a difficult time finding anyone else with these prices!

I just have to answer some of the ignorant comments, and give my review.

It is *Satellite* Radio!! DUH. You have to put the antenna outside so it can get reception from the satellite. Yes maybe some people get a signal with it near a window (due to their location being at an angle to the satellite) and some even get reception inside (because they are near a *terrestrial* land based repeater)

To the person with the Why's
1) Why is the power-cord in two pieces? The power cord is like a laptop, it disconnects at the power-brick so they just have to ship the plug for the correct country.
2) Why is there a strange bar on the back? Its to wrap the antenna cable around. (what do you do with your antenna cable??)
3) Why is the antenna removable and not built in? Because it is Satellite radio!! and needs the antenna pointed at the satellite.
4) Why does it fail to sync up with Sirius in several different INDOOR locations? Because it is SATELLITE radio, and the antenna needs a view of the satellite.

I have this Boombox and it works great!! I take it on jobs and use it at home.
It has about 15' of antenna so it can be pointed outside at the satellite from almost any location.
While there is always something on satellite to listen to, I did use it with my iPod once on the AUX input, and it worked great.
My only issue like others have mentioned is the electronic volume controls (you don't know how high or low it is till you turn it on) my last boombox had a knob and was easy to turn all the way down, and slowly turn up.

For people that need help getting a signal, here are some tips.
1) the antenna has to be in a line of sight to the satellite (thats outside up in the sky)
1) There cannot be buildings, Heavy trees, or other obstruction in the way.
3) The satellites are rotating over North Dakota so point the antenna there.
If you are in Florida, point it North-West. If you are in Maine, point it West.
If you are in Texas, point it North. If you are in Sourthern California, point it North-East.
If you are in Washington state, point it East. and if you are in North Dakota, point it straight up.

Hope that helps.

Oh, and I cant believe someone complained that it didn't have an FM tuner. I haven't listened to FM for over a year. Did they miss the unending commercials or the censored content?

I was apprehensive about purchasing the boombox because of the few negative reviews that I've read here and elsewhere (bad signal reception, poor quality sound, too much bass, etc). I bought it anyhow and I am glad that I did.

Outdoors, the boombox works very well. My wife and I recently took it on a camping trip to the Allegheny mountains of western PA. We took along an FM radio just in case we couldn't pick up a signal. We never needed the FM radio. We were able to listen to the great stations on Sirius radio throughout the trip.

Indoors, yeah, it has some issues, but if you find a good location for the antenna you can listen to Sirius inside the home as well as outside or in the car.

The sound quality of the boombox, I think, is excellent. Sure, there's room for improvement, I'm sure future versions will include an EQ, but for the price, it delivers a fantastic sound. I was concerned about reviews I read that said there was too much bass. As I'm not a rap or hip-hop fan this was a concern. I listen to rock n' roll and I listen to talk radio. I hate stereo systems with too much bass. This was not a problem here. Great sound. We even plugged our iPod into the auxillary jack and it worked very nicely as well.

Overall, great product.

I was so stoked when I bought this box. I read the manual and it says if in a big city just put the antenna near a window and it should work great. Not. I put it in my Florida room that is screened in and nothing. Acquiring signal. Then I move it to up and even outside and it still won't just stay on. Such a dissapointment because I really like Sirius. I hate their cheap antenna's they give you and notice they sell more expensive ones as well. Should have been in the antenna buisness. Fortune there.?.?.? Hope this blows over. Guess I'm on the roof tomorrow.

I received the unit and not only does it look great (sleek, small, lightweight for easy carrying, super sound), but I plugged it in and immediately got perfect clarity, not a hint of static, no interference whatsoever. It is in my living room, dead center, with antenna attached to box, nowhere near a window, and the reception is perfect. I'm getting better reception than I do in the car.

Thanks to Sirius great product.

I've had this for exactly one year without ANY problems. In fact, this has been nothing short of an exceptional boombox radio. When I paid only $100 for this I expected below-to-average sound quality. But, that is not the case with the Sportster Boombox. The sound is crisp with a surprising amount of bass. Everytime someone new comes into my home they are surpised to hear all that sound out of such a little boombox!

The only negative is that you cannot adjust the treble +/or bass. For me, the factory set the sound levels perfectly and is not an issue.

As an added bonus: if this unit is on and the car dock is plugged into its power source, you can receive sirius on any FM radio in the house!

Pros:
1. Great sound (however, very heavy bass when listening to talk channels.)
2. Ease of use
3. Detachable antenna works great
4. Can run your MP3 player into it

Cons:
1. No FM tuner
2. No bass/treble controls (very heavy on the bass side - you have no control over it.)
3. No visual volume indications (you don't know what level the volume is at.)
4. Missing 3 VERY basic features that would have been very easy to implement on this boombox.

If you have Sirius service and want a mobile (non-car) player then this boombox + Sportster is an affordable solution. You're choices are very limited right now so this product is as good as it gets.

I don't HATE this product but I get frustrated at it's lack of bass/treble controls.

Very impressed with the sound quality out of this boombox. Aux port should you want to play CDs. Can't wait to sit on the deck this summer and listen to Jimmy Buffett concerts while sipping a beer!

This little radio reminds me of a Bose, but only better. The sound quality is fantastic. We listen to Howard in the mornings when we are getting ready for work. and I can take the Sportster Replay out of the boombox and put it in my car to listen to more Howard or the excellent Sirius music stations on my way to work or anywhere else. (I have the car adapter kit, my hubby has the built-in radio receiver in his car) We have the antenna snaked throught the room that the boombox usually stays - the wire goes up one of the walls and we have hung the actual antenna out the window. We get the best reception that way. Sometimes we get poor reception, but 19 out of 20 days we get perfectly crystal clear sound. This radio is definately worth the price if you have a Sportster or a Sportster Replay and would like to listen to Sirius in your house when your getting ready in the morning, when your having a BBQ, when you want to take your Sirius with you to a friend's house, or when your at the beach (yes, you can use batteries).

I got this Boom box for Christmas and use it every day in my UPS truck. I put unit in front window and poof it works like magic. I don't even have to unravel antenna. The sound quility is tremendous. Plenty of volume. When I used terestrial radio I would have to stop listening when I got on a highway. Not with this one. I have volume to spare. Great job!!