XM vs SIRIUS

[Lazydog]

OK, I have owned many vehicles with XM but Audi is my first experience with Sirius. I have to say I have noticed that the Sirius loses signal more often the XM and now I am wondering if there is a reason for this. I know others who had to move from XM to Sirius also because of the car they bought and are saying they see the same issues. I know that in the beginning XM had the better product but since the merge I would think that they would now be equal. A simple drive thru a few trees will cause the unit to stop playing until you clear them. What gives?

My question is should I be looking to replace the Sirius receiver with an XM receiver? What are my options?

[naiku]

I used to have a Sirius receiver in my A4, now I have an XM. It cuts out under tree's just as much as the Sirius unit did. Depending on the time of year certain trees cause it to cut out more than others (due to the satellite location). But honestly they both cut out the same as each other.

For the most part they are virtually the same as far as channels go, some are on XM but not on Sirius and vice versa, but you can usually find an alternate that plays much the same music. The main reason I switched was my free subscription to Sirius expired, and I did not want to pay for the premium package in order to listen to O&A.

[Lazydog]

You might be right, but I know that my Chevy didn't lose signal as much as my Audi does in the same areas.

[VroomVroom]

My guess is it's seasonal, but that is just a guess. The Sirius 'frequency' is carried by three satellites, vs two for XM, so in theory Sirius should actually be better.

Realistically, I'd make your decision more on programming/cost than on coverage in difficult areas. Back in the day, I much preferred XM, simply because their compression algorithms offered (IMO) significantly better sound quality. Post-merger, not so much. On a long road trip last year (non-Audi) I gave XM another shot, simply to alleviate boredom while crossing lengthy expanses of nothingness. The sound quality sucked, there are more commercials than ever ("no commercials" on music channels does not include XM's own marketing), and the loops are shorter than they ever were. In one three-hour period I heard the same songs three times. So, one more IMO...they both stink, so choosing is a matter of which smell you can tolerate over the other.

[Lazydog]

Yeah, I will have to agree with you on the programming. Seems you get less for more now days. Guess that is the new model and we accept it.