Evitzee

Easy, no need to go off on a rant. If you don't need XM then don't subscribe. No issues. But if $77 is too high, but $50 is ok then we are talking value. $27/year or $2.25/mo is pretty silly to argue about as to be the determining factor whether one would subscribe to it or not. That's all I was trying to say. And I don't think saving $2.25/mo is going to make the determining factor whether you get a Lexus or not. If NPR blows wind up your skirt than enjoy it.

smehta

Well I felt your statement was mocking people that have Lexus's but cant afford XM.

"I am amused by those who will pay $40k to $50k for their vehicle and then won't pay $77 for the XM subscription, but they would if it was only $50. Talk about being cheap, why didn't you get a Chevy or Toyota to begin with?".

I just wanted to emphasize, most of us CAN afford XM, we just dont want it - at any price. I only want the Traffic portion for GPS, for the commute to work. And thats worth about $40/yr to me. If XM says no, then I say no. Its OK.

I am the consumer, and I go where there's value for me. Maybe XM is high value to you, but not to me.

Sidenote: I do not own a Lexus to impress anyone. Just to reward myself for hard work. Thats all.

wyau01

One of my buddy just got a BMW X3, it didn't even have Sat radio. He says he doesn't need it, since he only drives on the weekend. So I agree with smehta on the want vs. afford part.

If you want to impress someone, try a Ferrari, whether than a Lexus.

Bobroob

Lifetime subscription cost me $699. Will it work out in the long run? Time will tell. As it is, I spent the money, now I'll enjoy the XM.

happy1977

I really had considered trying these subscription but unfortunately, the sound quality is like listening to a 70's boom box or an am channel. Not worth if you're an audiophile.

kitlz

$699??? I paid somewhere around $350 last year for lifetime. I'd call XM and raise hell.

Somewhat related, I received a postcard in the mail today regarding a class action lawsuit against Sirius XM. One of the allegations is that Sirius XM raised their rates as a result of the merger. More details can be found at www.SatelliteRadioSuit.com.

Evitzee

I AM an audiophile, and a stock sound system in ANY car is not of audiophile quality, period. The challenges are just too daunting with the small space, awkward acoustics, road nioise, among others. You can spend a lot of money and can get pretty good sound but no match for the quality of sound with a properly matched and set up system at home. That's just the way it is. Frankly, the sound in my IS 350 with ML is pretty damn good with XM on the proper channels but I'm not going to kid myself that it is competing with a high end home system. The sound in the RX is ok, certainly better than boom box and miles ahead of any AM channel. If you aren't getting decent sound out of XM (at least as good as CD's you are using in the changer, or off your iPod) take it into the dealer, something is wrong.

Sat radio isn't for everyone, if you are just commuting back and forth to work and have your AM/FM channels set you probably don't need XM. But if you do any amount of travel outside of your area the ability to keep in touch with the world for news, business updates, and music is worth the price. My wife likes her Jimmy Buffet Margarita channel which is not my cup of tea, so I'll listen to Bloomberg to catch up on financial news. Once you get into unfamiliar territory trying to stay in touch via unknown AM or FM channels is a PITA. That's where sat radio comes into it's own.

4482

Last July I inquired about "Lifetime" and was told the rate just went up from around $400 to over 600. I even tried getting a lifetime deal for two cars but to no avail. I passed and renewed at the 77 dollar rate when I was not able to get XM to budge.

happy1977

So, you're saying that it's suppose to sound as good as CD or any wav files on the ipod? Considering it's limited bandwidth? Although XM is way better than AM freq sound, I wasn't saying that they sound exactly the same, they're just in the same category IMO, not worth listening to. Problem only is AM is free, XM is not. Hell, some radio stations that we have here has better sound quality than XM.

Nothing's wrong with our XM, it's just IMO, not worth paying for something that doesn't sound as good as CD or wav files from CD. My expectations were somewhat high considering you're paying for the service. You're paying for it's uninterrupted, no commercial, no redundant songs and anywhere signals, and to most, that's pretty much worth the money, for me, it's not.

And no, I don't compare home audio to car audio, not even comparable.

wyau01

Agreed, HD radio is the way to go. The only reason I have XM is for the NAVtraffic. I've notice after the XM radio channels update, I am getting much more alerts on the screen.

Bobroob

Yes, that is what I ran into, the $699 lifetime number, and could not get them to budge. With chagrin, I paid it. They've pretty much settled into a monopoly, and they know it. Who knows, maybe I'll get some $ back down the line as the result of a class action settlement.

I regularly make multiple-hour trips, sometimes through the Adirondacks, sometimes through the Appalachians, so I very much enjoy the satellite radio.

kitlz

Bob, if you read the website, that's the other part of the suit. It alleges anti-trust laws were broken when they merged. It's really sad they got some people like you by the short hairs. And those with lifetime are SOL. The settlement only benefits present and former subscribers between a certain time frame excluding lifetime customers. Don't hold your breath thinking you'll get any money back.

My benefit in going lifetime, BTW, was to avoid playing the 'what can I pay this time around' game. But I doubt many people will select lifetime at your price It'll only hurt them in the end.

cha41i

It seem like either one month old baby or sixteen year old kid, It pretty

happy1977

^??? What?

sweetboy02

He meant it sounds like a crying baby or sounds like a 16 year old kid just got brokeup with the boy/girlfriend....or something like that. Hahaha. " it pretty" meant both cases are cute according to him. In short, He likes the XM sounds. Am I good?