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After all of this SACD and DVD-A stuff, I'm not sure how much I'm up for another radio signal format on top of a new disc format!
Reader Bard-Alan Finlan has seen the hype about digital satellite radio from XM and Sirius. He'd like to know what you're really thinking about the new format.
Yes, I would like to look into one, but only if it's of decent quality and performance in both content and fidelity. (Mostly content.) And, of course, reasonably priced for the service. Once in a while it's nice to just hear a variety of tunes. Thats mostly how I expand my collection.
My musical tastes are more obscure than those of the masses, so unless there's really something for everyone, I'm not buying into it yet. I listened to some of the music channels on DSS and Dish Network but it's the same ol' stuff over and over again! If it's even remotely similar, who needs it?
Once upon a time, radio was good. Radio was a gift for the imagination. Radio told us stories, gave us personalities, and sent us a range of music that dazzled the synapses. That was once upon a time. Now, radio is ecru. Radio is neutral. Radio is beige. Radio is PC. Radio is void of local conscience. Radio is a homogenized container, the contents of which are unable to excite or offend, infect or liberate. And satellite radio will only make the problem worse. Thank goodness for in-dash CD players and books on tape.
I installed a CD player in my car last year, because, where I live, there are fewer than ten acceptable stations and they all play the same thing: Commercials. And if I really wanted talk radio, I would invite some chatty friends to carpool to work with me.
No. I have found, as far as my tastes go, that it is impossible to build a high-end car audio system without spending a hugh amount of money. Money that would be better served upgrading my home system. For me, car audio systems are only for news, talk shows, and background music, never for serious, high quality listening. Plus, I work from home, so I don't have to jump into the car that much.
I now listen to most of my "radio" programming over the internet where I can actually hear some interesting new music, as opposed to that pathetic commercial radio junk. Unless the content is significantly different than the typical commercial radio in my area, I won't bother.
Yes, with some reservations. As long as I can get NPR and my local campus radio stations I'm all for it. This is all I really listen to on the FM dial in the car or at home. However, In the office I like to use Real Player to listen to BBC Radio. If I could get BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio 1 (for John Peel), that would be truly amazing. I would buy it today.
I like the idea of satellite radio, but I am leary of jumping on the bandwagon without knowledge of its implementaion. Will there be enough of a selection to justify the price? How will the reception suffer in bad areas or within buildings? I think I will adopt a wait-and-see attitude on this one.
I would purchase if the system offered at least Stereophile "Class C" sound. But they'd have to prove the claim, that means no "oops, we're really sorry -- here's a half-assed patch to fix the problem." I will not become the testing ground for first-generation operational bugs for manufacturers. Make it work at a reasonable level of quality and I will buy.