Customer Reviews

XM XDNX1V1 Onyx Dock and Play Radio with Car Kit (Black)

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I'll start with my short satellite radio history. I've had XM radio for about six months now. My first radio was an XpressR, which was very good and had lots of bells and whistles, but definitely showed its design roots in the early 2000's and was slow to navigate. Some jerk broke into my car and took that one. I replaced it with the XpressRC, which was a nice update to the XpressR, and much faster, but I kept having a problem where it would regularly lose all my presets and settings, so I returned it and replaced it with the XM OnyX.

I decided not to go with the SkyDock because while it is a cool idea, one thing I love about satellite radio is not having the need to hook my iPhone/iPod up every time I get in the car to have some tunes. With a regular XM radio, I get in the car and drive and I don't need to do anything else. Wanting to try a newer model radio model instead, I went with the XM OnyX. I could barely find any reviews or anything online, so it was kind of a shot in the dark.

The OnyX is a solid radio with a nice design. I'd say it is more attractively designed and has better build quality than my two preceding radios. It comes with some color accent rings you can swap out, which is an interesting idea, but the color choices are only glossy black, matte silverish-white and matte blue. I wish there was a glossy red in there, but really even having that choice is a unique idea I shouldn't complain about. The display is full color, however instead of seeing full-color channel logos and graphics, the only color you see is the background and text colors. While it is much more minimalist than the XpressRC, I will go out on a limb to say that I prefer the solid color background of the OnyX to the unnecessary flashiness of the XpressRC. Having the blue or red background looks really nice while in use in my VW Rabbit. Combine this with the design of the radio and it is a very attractive aesthetic upgrade for my car as opposed to the eye sores some other satellite radios can be.

Navigation is quick and simple. Up and down buttons change the channels while left and right flip through the categories. You have ten one-button presets. The only unneccessary button for me is the FM button because I use auxiliary input. I have always preferred a less-is-more approach to electronics, so I appreciate a design that isn't littered with buttons and functions that you don't use often.

Sound quality seems loud and clear. The aux signal is noticably louder than my Xpress radios. When I flip back and forth between XM and FM, the volume seems about the same, which wasn't true with my previous radios.

When comparing this radio to the Xpress's, I have to bring up the lack of bells and whistles. This radio is more basic. It does not have artist/sports alerts which were convenient on the Xpress's. There are less display options, but the display is well laid out and is safe to view while driving (enough info, but not too much). There is no live pause or any buffer to rewind through-- I never really made good use of that feature on my Xpress's. There are no stock quotes or sports scores, which is fine because that is what my iPhone is for. It does not come with a remote which I don't care at all about because I use it in the car and just use the online streaming at home. So really of all those things, the only thing I would have liked to have seen in the OnyX would have been the artist/sports alerts.

All in all, the XM OnyX is a solidly designed and attractive XM radio that I would recommend to anyone who wants to experience XM in their car. It is not the flashiest radio, and will not blow you away with features, but it is probably the best basic car radio that Sirius XM produces.

Overall: 4/5 stars
Build quality: 4/5
Installation: 5/5 (YMMV)
Operation of device: 3/5
Features on device: 2.5/5
"Bang for buck": 4.5/5
Sound quality: 3.5/5

(Read near the end of my review to find out how to possibly save extra costs on XM subscription.)

What I was looking for with XM radio:
I wanted to get into XM radio with minimal dent on my wallet.
If you are looking for a nice cost efficient way to get into XM radio, this is probably the only option to get you XM in your car within less than a hundred bucks (before adding fees for starting XM subscription for a year). It sounds like a lot when you calculate out the fees - purchase a XM device + set up XM subscription (+ applicable tax/royalty fees/start up fee) BUT considering the opposite end of the spectrum - purchase a stereo deck with XM features from a professional installer, I'm sure the cost could've been easily been upwards to 300-400 dollars *just for the device change* at a stereo shop!

Device is small and light - size of an index card if you held about a half inch of them. The device feels very light but solid. The feel of the buttons are slightly more stiff than I'd hope but overall amount of pressure to get a button pushed seems slightly more than I'd want for a small device. Build of cradle is tough and I like the minimal design of the cradle as it compliments the device very well. The attaching and detaching is fairly quick for the device. The display is very simple, not too flashy (shows a plain color background, station name, artist and song title) and not too flashy on the features (channel up/down, presets, and flip through channels by genre type, instant switch to traffic/weather station).

Installation:
Car installation on my Lexus IS250 is a cinch(non evasive, just jam wires in cracks), but instructions of installation leave a bit up to the installer to decide details. I was pretty distraught when I was trying to imagine the amount of work I had to do to get the anntanea wire snaked through not to mention the audio and car adapter cords. But it turned out the setup was fairly quick and only took a little over an hour as I spent some extra time making sure the wires were tucked away. On my Lexus IS250, I had no problems getting the wires tucked into the cracks/crevices and did not have to rip, tear or drill any holes. This process did not leave any damage to my car at all!
The extra time you put into hiding the wires under the lining/cracks, the more it pays off! I was able to hide almost all of the wiring, with exception to the part that traces up to the back of the unit.

My decision to XM was simple:
I'm too lazy to make music for myself (dusty ipod), I always wanted *fresh content*, but I hate the regular radio for 3 reasons 1)commercials 2)lack of variety 3)poor sound quality/static
This is the option for you if you're in the same boat as me. Willing to spend a bit more for fresh music content, but looking for cheaper
alternative to more expensive avenues to get XM, and looking for quick results.

Sound quality:
A bit lacking on this part unfortunately. I have a very nice sound system and the clarity of the system can pick up the flaws in lower sampling rates (mp3s sound like they are missing something, while playing audio CDs have a full body sound and a clarity that can't be matched by anything less than a 256kbps mp3 file). The sound quality, though the bands on the bass and treble are clear, I can tell the quality is kin to that of 160kbps mp3s, not really getting to that 256 kbps level unfortunately. It matches quality, of say, something like the streaming music from Pandora - as you turn it up, you may notice it is slightly lacking in that "punch". I believe this is not a fault of the device but the actual stream of the music from the satellite. If anyone can chime in about this, it may be helpful to know if this is true?

Cost of new XM subscription:
So after I installed the device, I knew from prior research that the cost was about thirteen dollars a month for the full package (minus Sirius channels), but if I prepaid for a year or two it would be as low as ten dollars (which is the same month-to-month price for the package that only allows you to have music. I did a happen-chance search online for keywords like "XM promo" or "XM subscription discount" and found out people were getting huge discounts! For some people, a normal subscription cost of a hundred thirty dollars, was haggled down to eighty eight dollars! This is because there is a seventy seven dollar promo that XM customer service reps know about...its called the "half off a year subscription promo" - but this actually is a little less than half. Keep in mind it finally does come out a little more, the rep tacked on a music royalty fee of ten dollars, so final price for a year came out to eightyseven dollars. In any case, if you are starting a new subscription, I HIGHLY recommend you call in, rather than doing a new subscription online (they probably won't offer something like this). Also, my rep. didn't tell me that I could get this discount until I gave her the device unit's ID code and my personal info (name, address, number). Oh and I talked to another friend today, and it turns out there is also a even sweeter deal, if you are a continuing subscriber, a couple weeks before the subscription expires, you can call in and ask for the twenty dollars for five months deal, apparently this is the greatest discount you can ask for - it comes out to four dollars a month!

As I mentioned before, this device definitely exceeded my expections and I am very pleased with the overall process to get me plugged into the XM world.

***Update: After 1 week of use - I stand by the rating I give for audio quality - It is acceptable, better than radio and good enough but not really exceptional quality. Some stations not as good as others, clarity in treble seems to be lacking more than the body of bass. I hear subtle, slight distortion in treble and some mids (overall sounds a little flat). I noticed this morning something I didn't notice before: Outside interference! The device (or 3.5 aux audio cord) was picking up some interference: I turned the station to channel zero, which is completely silent, and I can hear the interference very clearly. I also noticed when I rev up my car's rpms, the interference is picked up and carries through as well. Its like a high pitch swirling sound at some varying frequencies. Its not completely noticeable but this morning, I could definitely hear it clearly (something I haven't heard before with about its past 15 uses. I tried turning off the unit and undocking and after I put it back on, the interference was still there. After I turned off my unit *and car*, and started it again to see if it came back, and it finally was gone for the most part. Itt was significantly reduced but at volume at 100% on channel 0 (silence), I could still hear it faintly. It could have been an isolated incident, I am not sure what would cause it to happen? I am guessing the audio cord is picking this up so I decided to spend 7 bucks (final price) on a 3' shielded audio cord which I found at this company called West Florida Components (cheapest I could find it). I hope this resolves this interference issue - I will post results once I test it next week or two.

I had been wanting to get sat radio for several years but didn't want as much bells and whistles as just a good solid reliable product at a good price without all the upfront installation and product costs. Well, this is it! The Onyx was a very good price right before News Years, about half price for new product. I received the package from 6th Ave in 2 days as promised. The Onyx itself was very easy to install by myself right out of the box. There are a couple of options for mounting, I chose the vent mount to be close at hand for driver or front seat passenger, and to leave room on dash for GPS. The power connect dock is very secure, allows for easy removal of Onyx when I am not in car and does not have the volume problems I had heard about in sat radio. Controls are easy to use, very visable with color options on screen as well as removable ring options. After I had selected a channel on car radio to use, I activated via internet in the house, also chosing my plan, then back to the car, turned it on and viola! Sat radio in my car! It really was that simple. It has 10 presets, can set the jump button to last channel listened to, or directly tune to a station by using the direct button and entering channel number. If you want an easy to install, sat radio that is portable with available options but do not need all the bells and whistles such as recording, alerts, stock ticker scrolling, or any of the other distracting stuff, this is it! It doesn't get any better than this! I would highly recommend this product! I always go to Amazon.

Overall, this XM receiver does everything I need it to do. I don't have any issues with getting a signal (even in my garage) and the unit is very user friendly. There aren't a lot of bells and whistles, but I didn't want bells and whistles. My only complaint is that my car stereo doesn't have any kind of an input jack and the FM modulator is very weak. My XM sounds like a radio station that is just about to go out of range. There is a ton of background static and bleed through from other stations. I called XM and the customer service was horrible. After waiting 20+ minutes (I have had this long of a wait every time I have called so it isn't an isolated incident) I got some guy who knew nothing. He kept trying to tell me how to install the receiver. The receiver was installed. Then he wanted to resend me a signal. I kept telling him the signal was perfect, but the problem was between the receiver and the radio. He told me to plug it into the input jack four or five times and I told him each time that I didn't have an input jack. Finally, he told me to call the car dealer to find out what was wrong with my stereo. After talking to him, I called Best Buy. The guy at Best Buy told me exactly what I needed. I needed a FM direct modulator that XM sells for this exact problem. It is pitiful that the XM customer service didn't even understand what is obviously a common problem, one that is so common that they manufacture and sell a part specifically to remedy it. But, horrible customer service aside, the actual receiver is very good as long as you don't need assistance from XM.

I can't speak to the cost of the ony X because I received it as a Christmas gift. Inside the very neat, sturdy packaging I found a bewildering collection of hardware, cables, etc., so I skipped the quick start guide and chose the more detailed instruction book instead. This little booklet is well organized and clearly written. I had no trouble locating or understanding the installation instructions. The receiver itself is quite compact--roughly the size of a smart phone. It mates with a small docking station, which in turn must be fastened to one of the mounting devices.

My installation choices were a peel & stick dash-mount, or an odd little bracket which fits into an air-conditioning vent. After surveying the rather cramped cockpit layout of my 04 Hyundai Sonata, I opted for the vent mount. I chose the vent closest to the driver's door which with my steering grip, places the receiver just under my left hand. The function of the claw-like vent mount is not obvious, and I had to read the instructions two or three times to understand how to install it. I finally got up the nerve to shove the thing into my AC vent, where I encountered quite a bit of resistance followed by an alarming "SNAP!". I was sure I'd broken something, but I was wrong. The mount locked itself into the AC vent grille exactly as advertised. My next issue was the antenna.

The ony X requires an external antenna which is supplied in the kit. Mounting is simple--it's just a magnet that sticks to the roof. Routing the antenna cable, however, requires a bit of creativity. I stuck the little antenna to the roof just above the top edge of the windshield. The instruction book advised me to tuck the skinny cable under the windshield gasket. This worked pretty well, and I soon had the antenna cable routed into the cabin area. The antenna cable is pretty long, so I coiled up the extra and hung it over the vent mount. Now I needed DC power.

DC is supplied by a cigarette lighter plug also included in the kit. I plugged this into a spare 12v lighter jack in a console tray below the ashtray. I routed the power cable under the bottom edge of my dash and out the fuse panel door up to the ony X. With a few minutes of planning, I managed to eliminate any loose or dangling cables on or under my dashboard. I pressed the power button and the ony X came to life.

Audio options include a cable routed to the stereo AUX jack, a cassette deck adapter, or FM broadcast to an unused channel. My sound system has no AUX jack and doesn't play cassettes, so I went with FM broadcast. It only takes a few seconds to configure FM broadcast. As soon as I did so, I heard the XM demo channel playing. I went inside and activated the thing at the XM web site. It was no big deal. If you can navigate Amazon or e-bay, you should have no trouble setting up an XM account.

Audio quality was better than expected. I listened to my favorite local rock station and then listened to XM on the adjacent channel. The ony X sounds nearly as clear as a regular FM station. By adjusting both bass and treble knobs on my radio, I was able to achieve acceptable audio quality.

The display is bright and crisp in any light. It's big enough so that I don't need my readers to see it. The controls are very basic and the menu is elementary. The ony X has no bells or whistles, but at least it is easy to figure out.

Reception is very strong in my area, even inside my garage. I drove around town and had full "bars" the whole time.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the ony X, and I'm glad my wife got this for me. Quick summary: Packaging, 5 stars. Documentation, 4 stars. Appearance and build quality, 4 stars. Display screen, controls, and menus, 5 stars. Audio quality (through FM radio), 3 stars. XM web site and activation process, 4 stars. Overall impression, 5 stars.

I should start by saying this is the first Satellite Radio system I've tried. I'm impressed so far. I've been less than happy with the local radio stations in my area for quite some time. I've been listening to MP3s almost exclusively for about 4 years now. It is very refreshing to have a source of music other than my MP3 library. I am happy with my purchase.
As for the receiver itself: It is pretty easy and intuitive to control. While this entry level receiver lacks some of the advanced features of the higher priced models, I don't really feel like I'm missing out on much. The only feature I would like to have that this model lacks is a buffer. There are not many tunnels in my area to cause loss of signal, but I have noticed that driving under a highway overpass does cause a brief signal loss which could be remedied with even a small buffer (would have given it 5 out of 5 stars).
The unit is well designed and I especially like the dock feature. I used the provided swivel mount and bolted it cleanly to an empty space just above my cigarette lighter and below my stereo deck. I used the aux port on the device and routed the wire into the aux in on the back of my stereo deck. I like the fact that the swivel mount base has holes already drilled in case you want to mount it permanently as I did. The double stick film that comes on the base mount seemed adequate enough (it was very sticky and solid all on it's own), but I tend to overdo things sometimes.
The installation was very easy and the wire attached to the satellite receiver was plenty long enough to mount at the top of my hatchback glass window. My car is fiberglass and the provided magnet obviously didn't stick. The only con (which also contributed to my 4 star review) that I found in the installation was that they don't provide you with a double sided sticky pad in case your car is fiberglass like mine. I had to go to a local hardware store and find an alternative to mount the receiver to my rear windshield.
I have had it installed for nearly a week now and have not yet found myself searching my local radio stations or even plugging in my MP3 player as of yet. Activating the receiver on the XM website was very easy and fast. I even found a promo code online for free activation (saved $12.99).
So, all in all, I'm quite happy with my onyX. It might not be the top of the line, full-featured XM receiver, but it is a far, far step above being stranded with what passes for variety and good music that's recycled day after day on the boring local stations I've been stuck with over the years.
Thank the Gods of Music for Satellite Radio.

I've been using XM Radio for a few years and love it. There's nothing like the variety it provides - much of it commercial free - along with the fact that channels don't fade after driving short distances. It's not perfect though. SAT radio suffers from drop-outs caused by overhead obstructions, such as when you stop under a freeway overpass or drive into your garage. If you want to use a SAT radio in your home be aware you will probably need an outside antenna. That said it's a minor annoyance when driving which I've gotten used to.

Now regarding the Onyx specifically, I started out with an "In Dash" SAT radio because I didn't want an external unit hanging off a bracket. I quickly regretted that choice. Channel changing was very slow, and the display was extremely limited - one short line that I needed to scroll and a push button to switch between station ID, performer, song title, etc. Very tedious and distracting. The Onyx solves these problems. Its' screen displays channel number and name, performer and song title all at once. It's also easy to preview what is on other stations without interrupting the current station. The color display is easy to read and there are a number of colors to choose from - nice touch. I had my unit installed by a local shop so all the wiring would be hidden behind the dash and I also opted for an FM Modulator to hard wire the XM signal into the FM radio. I don't know if this is really necessary though - I didn't try the over-the-air broadcast option. If you want to try installing the unit yourself, don't mind using the cigarette lighter for power and have a convenient way to attach the unit to the dash then it's worth a try. Where to attach the unit is worth thinking about. My choices were limited and I went with a bracket screwed into the dash. You can attach the radio to an air vent, but I thought this was pretty pathetic given how insecure and unstable it was.

After the Onyx was installed I called XM customer service and had my subscription transferred from the old radio, no problem. Highly recommended!

Well, I wanted to love this. It was easy to install and get going. The activation took a very long time, more than an hour.
But most troubling is the very digital artifact sound. It must be this unit because I have heard XM Radio before on 'built-in' radios
and have thought it sounded fine.

Am packing this up right now to return it...
:-(

Purchased this product to replace an older unit for XM radio in a car several years old. Installation was very simple, took very little time to hook it up. Reception is outstanding, rarely loses the signal like the other radio did. I would highly recommend this unit for anyone wanting a good non-factory installed XM radio in their car.

The price is good but to realy enjoy the radio a remote control model is your best bet
I do like the parental control feature it allows you to block as many channels as you want which save time when your surffing through the channels