XM vs Sirius
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,046
Likes: 13
From: Central Florida
XM vs Sirius
I first posted this in C6 General and then thought I probably put it in the wrong forum. Maybe I'll get more opinions on this forum.
Anybody have XM in their Vette and Sirius in another car or vice versa? I switched to Sirius in my Vette awhile back, but I am becoming increasingly more disappointed in the reception since the merger. I am just wondering what the real difference between the two is now days. I am considering going back to XM.
Anybody have XM in their Vette and Sirius in another car or vice versa? I switched to Sirius in my Vette awhile back, but I am becoming increasingly more disappointed in the reception since the merger. I am just wondering what the real difference between the two is now days. I am considering going back to XM.
Uber Waxer
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 8,651
Likes: 5
From: Hanover MD
Cruise-In 8-9-10-11 Veteran
CI 9, 10 & 11 Car Show Winner
St. Jude Donor '08-'10
I have xm in 3 cars and really love it. it seems that since the merger, the stations are all just about the same for the most part.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,289
Likes: 16
From: Skippack PA
St Jude Donor '13
You can't get all of the channels the one has on the other's service yet but it's pretty darned close. In our cars, I'd give XM the edge because the XM signal distribution is FAR superior to Sirius's. People will no doubt argue that point, but it depends on where you live for Sirius and for XM the signal is good practically everywhere. XM has more terrestrial repeaters and their satellite setup is better. In a fiberglass car every little bit helps because you can't use the body as an antenna by magnetically coupling it.
There is a difference in sound, yes, but to my ear it's a function of picking the turd you prefer. XM's sound is flat and muffled and Sirius's is tinny and buzzing. So in my brain that equation means go with the better signal reception in our cars - XM.
There is a difference in sound, yes, but to my ear it's a function of picking the turd you prefer. XM's sound is flat and muffled and Sirius's is tinny and buzzing. So in my brain that equation means go with the better signal reception in our cars - XM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,046
Likes: 13
From: Central Florida
You can't get all of the channels the one has on the other's service yet but it's pretty darned close. In our cars, I'd give XM the edge because the XM signal distribution is FAR superior to Sirius's. People will no doubt argue that point, but it depends on where you live for Sirius and for XM the signal is good practically everywhere. XM has more terrestrial repeaters and their satellite setup is better. In a fiberglass car every little bit helps because you can't use the body as an antenna by magnetically coupling it.
There is a difference in sound, yes, but to my ear it's a function of picking the turd you prefer. XM's sound is flat and muffled and Sirius's is tinny and buzzing. So in my brain that equation means go with the better signal reception in our cars - XM.
There is a difference in sound, yes, but to my ear it's a function of picking the turd you prefer. XM's sound is flat and muffled and Sirius's is tinny and buzzing. So in my brain that equation means go with the better signal reception in our cars - XM.
Race Director
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 10,782
Likes: 0
From: I tell people I'm from Detroit...but nobody really lives IN Detroit
St. Jude Donor '13
I had XM in my vette and the reception was defiantly better than when I switched to Sirius (Gotta have Stern 
).
Although, I have Sirius in 2 other cars with no reception issues at all.
I was able to improve the reception in my vette quite a bit by moving the antenna just few inches.
). Although, I have Sirius in 2 other cars with no reception issues at all.
I was able to improve the reception in my vette quite a bit by moving the antenna just few inches.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 539
Likes: 1
From: Edmond, OK
Since the merger of XM and Sirius the channels for each have been combined to some degree. For instance, I am a die-hard rock listener. The Alternative Rock stations Faction and Alt-Nation used to be only on Sirius as I had Sirius in my Nissan Maxima. Now, both of these stations are on XM. They may be on Sirius also but I haven't looked. I was seriously considering getting one of the Sirius converters for my vette but now I don't have to. The new channel lineup for XM contains all the stations and programs I liked on Sirius. I am subscribing to XM in the next day or so. IMO, before I would spend money on a new antenna or a converter, I would check out the new XM channel listing and see what it contains. Hope this helps. BTW, here is a link to the new XM channel lineup.
http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/full-channel-listing.xmc
http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/full-channel-listing.xmc
