I don't normally submit "product opinions" (I know, shame on me) but this portable XM radio from Pioneer is so good that I felt that I had to. I had been considering getting some kind of a satellite radio for my car for more than 6 months and when I found out that a friend of mine had a Delphi XM unit in his car I knew that the time had come to finally make a move :-)
I was thinking of getting a Delphi MyFi but then discovered that the Pioneer AirWare had recently hit the store shelves. I like the Pioneer brand and also liked the looks (and controls) of the Pioneer unit more than those of the MyFi .. so I picked up an AirWare at the local Circuit City (can get it cheaper elsewhere for sure). I have had it for 3 weeks now and during this time have used it EXTENSIVELY in the car, in my home office and also on business trips. It works great !
I am especially impressed by the effectiveness of the built-in FM transmitter ... I have used a few built-in and external FM transmitters in my time over the past few years but haven't had much luck with them (too much interference from other radio stations). I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to discover that the AirWare's transmitter is VERY effective ... I have been driving around the Connecticut/ Westchester County/NYC/Long Island region quite a bit since I got it, without having to switch FM frequencies at all !
The features and sound quality of the unit are great. It is very useful that you can record up to 5 hours of audio (via a "scheduled record" function) that you can then listen to offline when the satellite reception is not up to snuff. Another neat feature is that if you hear a song or artist that you like, you can press a button and from then on whenever that same song or artist is playing on any of the 150+ channels the unit beeps and displays a message so that, if you want, you can press the same button and the unit automatically switches to the relevant channel.
The AirWare comes with everything that you neeed to set it up at home or in a car. When using the AirWare in my car I use the "vent mount" to secure it (in its cradle) to an air vent. I have the antenna magnetically-mounted outside on the front part of the car roof. On some of the more tree-lined roads of Connecticut, satellite reception can sometimes be spotty ... you need to have line-of-sight to the XM satellites which are positioned in the southern sky .. but generally reception is very good. All-in-all I am very happy that I got it ... it is a very, very well designed and executed product ... plus the breadth and quality of the XM programming is great.
In summary I can heartily recommend both the Pioneer AirWare and the XM service !
I've purchased many items from Amazon over the past several years and this is the first time I've been motivated to post a review. I guess the main reason is that the quality of this item is more than I expected. For me it's the perfect size and the design is very attractive. It was easy for this 60 year old to learn and it works flawlessly. The FM transmitter sends a perfect signal to a radio 25 feet away in a different room. I can take it and a portable radio anywhere and it works perfect. It comes with all possible home and auto accessories case, belt clip/table stand etc etc. There is nothing more to buy. The remote turned out to be handy since there are so many choices to make on XM.
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I got hooked on XM Satellite Radio via AOL's WinAmp software where several commercial free XM channels are available. Then I signed up for XM's free trial of its online service.
What a marvel. Really well chosen music available 24/7 without commercials or talking (air)heads. (XM also offers sports and news channels, which are of little interest to me.)
(...) It comes with everything you will need. The Airware itself serves as a portable device. A reasonably decent carrying case is provided. Car and home mounts are also included.
The Airware is supposedly capable of transmitting to your FM receiver. I haven't tried it because I prefer cassette adapters. One is included with the kit. So is a cigarette lighter power adapter, an external antenna and a car vent mount. The antenna, power and audio out cables must be connected to the car vent mount before it is installed. The car vent mount installs easily enough, but is a bear to get out. Be very careful when removing it or you may break the mounting brackets. In urban areas, the vent mount may be an invitation to theft, which means quite possibly a broken mounting bracket.
The home mount is a simple cradle and takes only seconds to set up.
The included remote control is very handy and has a pretty decent range.
The unit, taken as a whole, is one heck of a bargain even without the rebate.
I live in a metro area where XM offers terrestrial coverage, so I haven't had to use either the inside or outside external antennas.
The XM service itself is superb. Except for six channels where Clear Channel Communications, an investor, forced them to run commercials, there are nearly 150 more channels that are commercial free. Every taste is accounted for. The programming is outstanding. I've never really noticed what a difference good programming can make because you just don't find really good programming on regular radio stations or in the "elevator" music of stores and offices. The XM programming is clearly done by people who love music for people who love music. It's that good.
There has to be a negative somewhere and there is: XM telephone customer service is awful. Like many others they have outsourced to someplace overseas. They are clearly using a VoIP connection and would be well advised to find a better provider. Their operators are unskilled and although they speak English, it is clearly not their primary language. It took me 45 minutes to accomplish a simple task and most of the time I was asking the representative to speak louder and slower so I could understand what she was saying, Their customer support website is compatible only with Microsoft Internet Explorer, something else that should be corrected.
Overall, the Pioneer Airware is a superlative product and the XM technology is great. Best of all, XM's programming is good almost beyond words.
This is a gadget and a service that is truly a must-have.
Jerry
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This is a great radio. You cannot go wrong with Pioneer quality and this radio is no exception. If you want to subscribe to XM radio satellite service this is the perfect receiver to own. It is very durable and sound quality is superb. XM(unlike their competitor Sirius)does not compress their audio, so the music is extremely clean and clear. You also have the option of storing up to 5 hours of music in this radios memory in case you want to play it back later. The only drawback to satellite radio is you will not get a signal 100 percent of the time. If you go into big buildings or you are somehow blocked from the satellite signal, you will experience dropoffs(slight losses in reception). So if you go into stores or office buildings you may experience this. This does not really bother me because most of the time I turn off the radio when I am in stores or offices. With XM you get a great variety of music, news, talk, comedy, childrens programs, and sports all in one place. And it's 100 percent digital. Great display too. 6 lines of info including channel name and number, artist, song, and if you prefer you can add sports scores or stock info. Also many accesories including car kit, transmitter(if you wish to have XM on any home stereo), and dock for recharging and placing you radio safely on a shelf. Everything you need for car, boat, home, or anywhere on the go. This is a wonderful portable radio. Excellent!!
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The device itself is great looking and easy to use; but I would like to warn about some installation problems. 1st of all, I was a little sucked in by the too easy installation instructions (they are available on the web). When they tell you the antenna needs a southern exposure in the window, they absolutely mean it. So I guessed wrong about where my window was, so I could not hook it up directly to my dvd/sound system as suggested (partly because the window was all the way across my toddler's playroom!). I was then concerned about having to do some sort of hardwired installation or purchasing a wireless repeater (only one available; expensive); but after much research on the web, I found one person who used the FM frequency feature you would use in the car, but in the house, which isn't mentioned in the instructions. So my radio sits upstairs where it gets excellent reception, and I turn my sound system on to the specified FM frequency, and I'm good to go. Only problem is that I have to go upstairs to change the station, but it works. Also, audiophiles might quibble with the sound quality since it isn't a direct connection, but my dvd system has ways of changing the speakers and other features that make it sound great to me. Actually, any radio in the house will pick it up. I've also gotten great reception in the car, the easiest yet. I don't mind draping wires (I've actually only clipped them up)so I have the car antenna so that I can easily move it to another car (as opposed to tucking wires in weather stripping) So far on walks, I've been getting some dropout but good, but it's cold out so I haven't been out much. I imagine you can't run with it. There is an aftermarket clip-on antenna that you can find on the web for improving reception while walking about (looks dopey though). Some design quibbles: you can't use the protective case while the device is either in it's docking station for the car or house. So you have to take it off constantly; I don't want the radio to become scratched/smushed in my diaper bag so that bugs me. You can lock the keys so it doesn't turn on in a pocket, etc. It is also an extremely tight fit in the home docking station; you have to really push down to seat the connections well. Regarding service, I love the fact XM radio includes an online subscription, but disappointly not all stations are available on the online version. A big plus for this device is the ability to record shows so I can listen at the gym when I have no reception. Also, FYI, I live in suburban Philadelphia in a very tree-filled neighborhood. Hope this helps!
Battery that shipped had a sticky label claiming 12V 12AH. Under the sticky label the battery is really 12V 10AH. Battery is not the same model shown in the picture.
