TAO Electronics XM2go Satellite Radio Receiver
- Usage: Car Home
- Design: Compact
- FM Transmitter: Included
- Service: XM
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Delphi MyFi Digital Satellite Radio: Goodbye iPod
Pros
Easy to use, lots of options, good sound, good reception, versatile
Cons
Subscription cost, a little larger than most electronics these days
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A very versatile device that provides numerous different programming options. Highly recommended.
I am a relatively recent convert to the iPod and thought that I would never need anything else to satisfy my portable entertainment needs. Then along comes satellite radio in a portable form. I have fallen in love with satellite radio in my car. It was pre-installed on our Acura and I got the plug and play version for our other car. I needed something to keep me sane when traveling amongst some areas where religious and country stations were all I got- if I was lucky.
So, when I found about the MyFi, I was excited. I figured that I could now listen to the shows that I had come to enjoy and the music that I liked, sans ads. I also figured that I could now do so while running in the evening or practicing at the driving range during the weekends. Hallelujah!
Who is the MyFi a good fit for? Anyone who likes diversity. If you like music there are close to a hundred stations that play anything: classical, pop, rock, country, motown, etc. Literally, there is nothing that is considered music that they do not play. More important to me is the talk radio. I can listen to all the shows that I enjoy so much in my car: ESPN, FoxSports, CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, local traffic and weather conditions, etc. Suddenly, I no longer have to listen to the boring local sports radio while running.
The programming is wonderful and offers more options than you could imagine. If you are on who likes diversity, check out satellite radio in this form or in your car. But, what I do not like, is the ads. One of the big selling points for me was the ability to listen to "radio" all the time and without any disruptions. Well, guess what? There are ads. They are basically nonexistent on the music channels, but the talk channels are full of them. For instance, if you are listening to CNBC, you are listening to the TV broadcast and will receive all of the ads that you would get on the TV. In one way, shape, or form, you will find that the ads are all over the place on the talk portion of the programming. Yes it is a little annoying and a little misleading if you are new to satellite radio.
Enough with the general satellite radio discussion. What about the actual MyFi player? Well, first of all, you can take it anywhere. It will work in your car, home, or on the go. You have adapters that allow it to be recharged in the car or at home. The battery provides about five hours of play so you are in good shape for any exercise session that you participate in. You can recharge the battery as easily as dropping it in to the charging docket and walking away.
When playing in your car you simply connect to the cigarette lighter for your power source and you also will find that you can get excellent sound quite easily. The sound comes because the system plays via the lower end of your your FM dial. In other words, you connect the antennae and go to 88.5 (For instance) and you will hear satellite radio playing on that frequency. Hence, you use your existing speakers. From experience, hooking up the antennae is quite simple. It takes about 15 minutes of running a wire from the dash through the car and back to the dash. Your home set up is just as easy as you hook it up to your existing receiver.
The actual device itself is similar to a PDA, only a little larger. The device is just under three inches in width, four and a half inches in height, and an inch in depth. The MyFi weighs in at about 2/3 of a pound. It is not the smallest electronic device in the world, but small enough that it wil not weigh you down and large enough that you can find the various functions that you are searching for at any given time.
You will find that the device itself has a number of buttons on the front. These buttons provide you with options such as the following: Channel pre-sets, volume, band, bass/treble, and other typical functions that you find with a music device. The display is an LCD screen that shows what you are listening to (The station and the artist) and has a cool function to boot. If you are in to stocks, you can get a rolling ticker just like you will find on CNBC. The problem is that you will get a select few quotes in addition to the DOW and S&P. There may be a way to get your stocks to scroll, but I have not figured it out yet.
In addition to all this, you can also record songs that you like. In other words, if you hear and like a song, you can record it like you would with many of the other music devices that are on the market. The recorder is even smart enough that it will warn you before you record over something that is already there. You have 30 channel presets and this is more than enough. You even have a sleep mode that acts like any sleep mode on your TV or stereo.
The cost is not cheap. You will pay anywhere from $250 to $350 for the receiver. Not cheap, but not too bad if you are at the lower end of the spectrum. What really gets me is the cost of the monthly XM subscription. Yep, it will run you $9.95 each and every month. The easiest way to pay is to go ahead and pre-pay it or have it taken off your credit card monthly. I believe the price is going up by a couple of bucks soon, but you are exempt if you have pre-paid.
What about the sound? The sound is very good. You will find that it is crisp and clear and every bit as good as with an iPod or similar device. Just as important is how good the reception is. I find that I have problem sin a few areas: my garage and driveway, when cornered by large buildings, and in fully enclosed without windows areas. Otherwise, I very rarely lose reception. I have no problems in the house or when running. If you do lose reception, it is generally for a few seconds and then it will come back in a snap.
So, what do I think? I think I wish I never purchased an iPod. Yeah, the MyFi is that good. I get all the music I want and I get the talk shows that I have in the car. In addition, the the MyFi is easy to use, provides me with plenty of options, and has great sound. The only negative is the subscription charge. I have learned that in this day and age, if you want something, you have to be willing to pay foe it. Hence, I am willing to do so for something that I so enjoy. Highly recommended.
So, when I found about the MyFi, I was excited. I figured that I could now listen to the shows that I had come to enjoy and the music that I liked, sans ads. I also figured that I could now do so while running in the evening or practicing at the driving range during the weekends. Hallelujah!
Who is the MyFi a good fit for? Anyone who likes diversity. If you like music there are close to a hundred stations that play anything: classical, pop, rock, country, motown, etc. Literally, there is nothing that is considered music that they do not play. More important to me is the talk radio. I can listen to all the shows that I enjoy so much in my car: ESPN, FoxSports, CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, local traffic and weather conditions, etc. Suddenly, I no longer have to listen to the boring local sports radio while running.
The programming is wonderful and offers more options than you could imagine. If you are on who likes diversity, check out satellite radio in this form or in your car. But, what I do not like, is the ads. One of the big selling points for me was the ability to listen to "radio" all the time and without any disruptions. Well, guess what? There are ads. They are basically nonexistent on the music channels, but the talk channels are full of them. For instance, if you are listening to CNBC, you are listening to the TV broadcast and will receive all of the ads that you would get on the TV. In one way, shape, or form, you will find that the ads are all over the place on the talk portion of the programming. Yes it is a little annoying and a little misleading if you are new to satellite radio.
Enough with the general satellite radio discussion. What about the actual MyFi player? Well, first of all, you can take it anywhere. It will work in your car, home, or on the go. You have adapters that allow it to be recharged in the car or at home. The battery provides about five hours of play so you are in good shape for any exercise session that you participate in. You can recharge the battery as easily as dropping it in to the charging docket and walking away.
When playing in your car you simply connect to the cigarette lighter for your power source and you also will find that you can get excellent sound quite easily. The sound comes because the system plays via the lower end of your your FM dial. In other words, you connect the antennae and go to 88.5 (For instance) and you will hear satellite radio playing on that frequency. Hence, you use your existing speakers. From experience, hooking up the antennae is quite simple. It takes about 15 minutes of running a wire from the dash through the car and back to the dash. Your home set up is just as easy as you hook it up to your existing receiver.
The actual device itself is similar to a PDA, only a little larger. The device is just under three inches in width, four and a half inches in height, and an inch in depth. The MyFi weighs in at about 2/3 of a pound. It is not the smallest electronic device in the world, but small enough that it wil not weigh you down and large enough that you can find the various functions that you are searching for at any given time.
You will find that the device itself has a number of buttons on the front. These buttons provide you with options such as the following: Channel pre-sets, volume, band, bass/treble, and other typical functions that you find with a music device. The display is an LCD screen that shows what you are listening to (The station and the artist) and has a cool function to boot. If you are in to stocks, you can get a rolling ticker just like you will find on CNBC. The problem is that you will get a select few quotes in addition to the DOW and S&P. There may be a way to get your stocks to scroll, but I have not figured it out yet.
In addition to all this, you can also record songs that you like. In other words, if you hear and like a song, you can record it like you would with many of the other music devices that are on the market. The recorder is even smart enough that it will warn you before you record over something that is already there. You have 30 channel presets and this is more than enough. You even have a sleep mode that acts like any sleep mode on your TV or stereo.
The cost is not cheap. You will pay anywhere from $250 to $350 for the receiver. Not cheap, but not too bad if you are at the lower end of the spectrum. What really gets me is the cost of the monthly XM subscription. Yep, it will run you $9.95 each and every month. The easiest way to pay is to go ahead and pre-pay it or have it taken off your credit card monthly. I believe the price is going up by a couple of bucks soon, but you are exempt if you have pre-paid.
What about the sound? The sound is very good. You will find that it is crisp and clear and every bit as good as with an iPod or similar device. Just as important is how good the reception is. I find that I have problem sin a few areas: my garage and driveway, when cornered by large buildings, and in fully enclosed without windows areas. Otherwise, I very rarely lose reception. I have no problems in the house or when running. If you do lose reception, it is generally for a few seconds and then it will come back in a snap.
So, what do I think? I think I wish I never purchased an iPod. Yeah, the MyFi is that good. I get all the music I want and I get the talk shows that I have in the car. In addition, the the MyFi is easy to use, provides me with plenty of options, and has great sound. The only negative is the subscription charge. I have learned that in this day and age, if you want something, you have to be willing to pay foe it. Hence, I am willing to do so for something that I so enjoy. Highly recommended.
