Fully aware of all the issues/concerns regarding XM in our vehicles. Notwithstanding the seemingly current going rate of XM ... coupled with the neverending issues with XM Customer Service ... I wonder if anybody who has switched to PANDORA or the like has really done a cost comparison between the two options? I'm looking into finally upgrading my '08s audio, and PANDORA has caught my attention. I've been using it as background now on my home PC, and although I'm not completely satisfied as to how it populates ones 'stations', the issue of mobile cost is something I've been wondering about. This is coming from someone who currently doesn't believe in the use of a mobile cell in the car for any purpose (phone, text, etc). But ... the ability to stream PANDORA must come at a cost ... the cost of the iPhone/Android unit itself, along with the monthly/yearly phone (don't want/need) and data rates to be able to access it. Does somebody have some real life experience where they can show which way is more cost effective? I've really tired of XM, and have cancelled it in my DD as I used to hear the same songs roughly every 18 hours, indicating a relatively limited library. However, even though PANDORA doesn't seem to repeat as much as XM, it also doesn't seem to stick to the gendre/artist because of the 'cues' it uses to decide which songs to play. I am totally new to the mobile world, and have avoided it like the plague. However, this is an issue that I would like to know more about ... which I would also assume involves being able to receive it in the first place depending upon where one drives.

Appreciate any useful input.

 

I am with you on this and the new radio I will be installing will be Ipod/Pandora/HD/Sirius. I have also had it with Sirius/XM. You can figure $15/month for an unlimited data plan, which is what you would want for Pandora. You get more benefits than just streaming Pandora, but that in itself is more than the $150 yr for Sirius. If you get a Pandora subscription I think they are $3.99 month. That may improve your playlist options on Pandora. I will most likely rely on my ipod for my playlists of good music and HD radio if I want local radio.

 

If you don't already have a cell phone, you're looking at a minimum of $75/month for a plan with enough data to make streaming pandora realistic in the car for more than a few days each month. Even at full price Sat radio is only $15/month.

XM/Sirius have their reception issues in cars, but I'd think streaming music to a phone over normal cell signals would be even worse.

Sat radio is super compressed (IMO Sirius is better than XM), not sure about the audio quality with pandora.

You could save all subscription costs with one up-front purchase of an ipod. Leave it on random play of all songs or create playlists for each mood you're in.

 

^ You've touched on many of the concerns I'm trying to wring out ... especially the $ amount for the monthly plans which probably provide enough 'data' until you take any kind of a trip and then get a surprise bill for overages.

 

MarkCZ nailed it... the cost of the extra equipment and data plan just to stream Pandora would be cost prohibitive, unless you already had a phone & data plan.

If you really wanted to go in that direction, one might consider using a 3G enabled iPad2 with a data plan instead of a cell phone, but you're looking at about $630 for the iPad2, (or $580 refurbished) then $30/month for the 3GB plan or $50/month for the 5GB plan. If you have a wireless network in your home/office/coffee shop, the iPad will switch to it to keep your 3G data access down... but that won't help you when you're rolling down the road. At least with the iPad, you would have the ability to use it for things other than just Pandora, like checking e-mail and surfing the Corvette Forum.

I got rid of XM because of the compression on some channels... they sounded really bad to me. Hopefully Sirius is better in that regard... I'd like to listen to it before buying into it though.

Good luck with your quest for good music.

Mark

 

The sound quality on most XM channels is A few are pretty good (Watercolors comes to mind). Only reasons I keep it around are because I've had XM hardware for 8 years, so hooking up is free, and I like to experience new songs. I've found several new artists I like on there.

 

i was in your exact same situation and here is what i have found..

for 1 thing, if you haunt already got an iPhone, get one! life is so much easier and the rest of the world makes living with an iPhone easy from a connection point, that most any recent model of car stereo comes from the factory with a connection or any aftermarket of any quality is compatible.

next, pandora recently updated their application so that if your iPhone can be connected through the headphone jack or the dock connector to your radio and play iPod it will also play pandora. for example..
my 2012 factory nav radio in my Z06 thinks its playing an iPod track despite the fact i am actually playing pandora. each time the song changes it increments the track number and still displays the artist name and song info.
on my non pandora equipped ken wood in my truck i even get the album art on the screen.
also pandora added a feature that if you last listened to pandora with your iPhone connected it will resume the next time you connect it in the car where it left off.

now a couple things to consider, i still listen to XM as my primary source because i hate FM radio programming and i always want music playing in the car when i get in without having to connect my phone.
on long trips i tend to listen to pandora because the bit rate can be as much as 160kbs which is about 4x the quality of XM. some xm stations are very low bit rate. if you research you will find KIIS and the highway stations have the highest bitrate and that explains why they are the best sounding stations.
i have like you also grown tired of XM programming terrible customer service and to be honest their rates aren't that great.
pandora cost me like 35 bucks for the entire year and i use it on my PC all day at the office and when i am in the car with pandora.
i already have the unlimited data plan on ATT with my iPhone and honestly i don't know or care what it cost me because i have more then i need.
recently i was on a 2 day driving trip with my pandora playing and i managed to use up about 75% of my allocated data plan for the month and got a notification that i may have to upgrade. but that was after about 20+ hours of constant pandora usage, email and web surfing as well as garmin navigation running on my iPhone.

i was quite surprised at how well i got signal with ATT while on the road. only occasionally did i drop signal and had no music to listen to.
if its important to you you can get whats called AUTONET it is a box you put in the car that latches onto any available cellular signal from all carriers and provides you with a wifi hotspot in your car. i believe the service is something like 20 bucks a month and if you get the portable unit you can take it with you into a hotel room and still be connected to your wifi. you can use it on the road to stay connected for web surfing ect...

hope this helped.

 

^ lots of good information. appreciate your input.