XM quality

[attrapereves]

I listened to FM radio for the first time in my Sonic today and was quite surprised. It almost sounded like the FM sound quality was better than XM. Has anyone else noticed this?

When my subscription is up, I might just throw some music on a USB drive and keep it on random.

 

[$ub$onic]

This has been discussed a lot before. I don't here a difference as mx comes in 99% of the time for me. I love it.

Depends on the person I guess

 

[FedAgent]

The sound settings for fm, and xm, and usb, are all different...you have to configure each

 

[fletch]

I noticed that too, XM sound quality sux, you have to turn the volume way up to hear it, wish we had HD radio

 

[Insanika]

Hmm for me XM sounds the best. If I play a song over Bluetooth it's worse, and then USB is worst.

 

[Natesriv]

sounds good to me. Do check your equalizer settings for each type though.

 

[theenico]

With the EQ settings all set the same, here are my impressions from best to worst.

CD: Best sound quality
USB: Pretty good
FM radio: Not bad
XM radio: Sounds like it's being broadcast over a string between two tin cans.
Bluetooth: Haven't tried it

 

[ahtoxa]

I've had my car for 18 months and have never used a CD in it.

That said, I do notice that XM quality can vary. I'm sure it's dependent on the signal strength and, more specifically, on your location.

 

[attrapereves]

Obviously it's not the car because FM sounds fine. The bluetooth sounds okay as well, but not as good as FM. Haven't tested USB.

One weird thing I noticed is that I have to keep one of my cars on volume level 15 to be a basic listening level, while the other car does fine on 10. I wonder if it's a software thing, speaker thing, or what?

 

[ahtoxa]

Obviously it's not the car because FM sounds fine. The bluetooth sounds okay as well, but not as good as FM. Haven't tested USB.

One weird thing I noticed is that I have to keep one of my cars on volume level 15 to be a basic listening level, while the other car does fine on 10. I wonder if it's a software thing, speaker thing, or what?

Actually, it might be something else.

Since the beginning, my max volume has always been low for XM and AM/FM. USB and BT was fine. When listening to the radio and driving on the highway, my volume was maxed out.

Then one day my BT and compass went out. Took to the dealer and they discovered a loose connection - a loose pin, they said - on the DIM module, if I remember correctly.

Once they fixed that pin, my max volume is back to where it should be for all audio sources AND the quality of the sound is much better. Turns out that my ****ty sound quality was there from the beginning. I just thought that the stock radio was junk in the Sonic.

 

[Scot]

Not sure what you consider "Better Sounding", but there is far more bandwidth available in just about every source OVER & above XM. Satellite radio is compressed and finicky people can hear the difference.

 

[barch88]

FYI of you cancel Xm prepare yourself for about 2 calls a day from them for a month until your number gets generated to the no call list. It's like harassment almost lol


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[whitnith]

FYI of you cancel Xm prepare yourself for about 2 calls a day from them for a month until your number gets generated to the no call list. It's like harassment almost lol


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You don't even have to cancel, if you never pay for it after the trial it's the same thing. They also send you stuff in the mail.

For me, XM was good quality when I picked up the signal, but things like being stopped near a tall building at a red light was enough to make it drop out. FM radio will do the same thing, so I suspect it's just the antenna isn't that great.

 

[SouthFLSonic]

FYI of you cancel Xm prepare yourself for about 2 calls a day from them for a month until your number gets generated to the no call list. It's like harassment almost lol


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Hell mine has been canceled for over a year and I still get calls and emails and at least 3 things in the mail a month from them. It is harassment if you ask me because I have told them numerous times to cease and desist. They also keep giving me a free month here and there and I still don't use it.

 

[SouthFLSonic]

You don't even have to cancel, if you never pay for it after the trial it's the same thing. They also send you stuff in the mail.

For me, XM was good quality when I picked up the signal, but things like being stopped near a tall building at a red light was enough to make it drop out. FM radio will do the same thing, so I suspect it's just the antenna isn't that great.

I have my antennae complete unscrewed from the base and I get AM/FM/XM perfectly clear with no static so I don't think it is the antennae. I live in flat as can be Florida and you live in Chicago so maybe has to do with buildings and surrounding higher ground blocking the signal some? Although when I was in Tennessee last year going through the mountains I got all three just fine