Great Little XM Music Machine!
Pros:
Craftmanship, sound, portability
Cons:
Buttons hard to read, possible reception problems in certain locations
The Bottom Line:
Take XM radio with you anywhere with this portable, fun, great sounding XM radio that is easy to carry and looks great.
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
When I got XM installed in my car, I was so thrilled with it, I wanted to take it to-go. This is why I bought this XM Radio Receiver.
***You must have an XM unit and a subscription to XM in order for this radio to be useful! It has no regular AM FM radio or CD component.
INCLUDED ACCESSORIES
The radio comes with a DC plug and is compatible with the XM Delphi, RoadyXT and Audiovox Xpress.
There is also an external headphone jack.
OVERALL FEEL/STYLE/DESIGN
The portable unit is very sturdy, heavy, and modern looking. The handle is extremely comfortable to hold because it is ergonomically designed.
The unit is 18" wide, by 6" deep by 10" tall and it is weatherproof.
You can run the unit off of 8 C cell batteries or the DC plug.
SOUND
I am very impressed with the sound that comes out of the four speakers (2 big, 2 small). The sound is rich, bright - a quality sound - not tinny. And it gets LOUD. For normal one person listening, I keep it at 10 and the volume goes up to 30. More than enough to blast yourself out at the beach or a backyard party.
RECEPTION
I have had only a few minor problems with reception so far. I currently have the unit on my desk (am listening to music now as I type) and am getting perfect reception. I am not in a south facing room and the unit is not in a window. It is sitting next to my computer monitor blasting away. No static, no problem. I do, however, notice that I do lose reception when I move it around - it goes in and out of reception - but eventually I am able to find a spot where it comes in crystal clear without having to put it facing south or in a window.
In outside environments it works great. (By the way, I live in Los Angeles.)
Some minor annoyances...
It bugs me that once you have the XM unit plugged inside the radio you cannot close the cover over the XM unit. It has to stay open and it sticks up in the air. I am sure at some point this will get bumped into and broken off.
I also wish that the buttons (volume up & down, headphones, etc) were easier to read. They are on dark pieces of rubber and are impossible to read. I know they are supposed to be waterproof, but it would have been helpful if Belkin had colored in the + and - signs in white so it would stand out more.
It would have been great if this unit had come with a CD player and AM/FM capability - this would make this unit a full-service boom box, but hey, I guess you can't have everything!
Overall, I would recommend this radio to anyone who wants to make XM portable.
