Anybody who is reading these reviews for the purpose of buying this product should be aware that a portable satellite radio is not based on the same technology as a Walkman-type radio sold back in 1980s. Satellite radios work by line-of-sight, which requires an unobstructed path between the receiver and its signal source. When properly installed and used, the XMp3i works great for recording and listening to live XM/Sirius broadcasts. However, you must ensure the unit is receiving a strong signal to make it work. If you plan on using it mostly in an automobile (with a live signal), that means purchasing an additional car cradle/antenna. If you wish to use it mostly indoors, you'll need to install the included home dock/antenna properly.
I've had a good experience with the Xmp3i so far. In fact, I was able to listen to live XM/Sirius radio while biking over the weekend with very little interruption. I also used the home dock to record some of my favorite shows for playback later. I believe it is the ability to record programming which is this unit's strong suit. You can record up to five channels at the same time, so getting vast amounts of music/talk on to the device in a timely fashion is easy; provided you have correctly installed the home dock. The playback is flawless and is much more convenient than listening live since you can skip songs, commercials, etc.
The interface seems a little sluggish at times and is not the most intuitive, but it works. Thanks to the microSD slot, you can load up your MP3 library and play your own tunes as well. I was impressed by the overall sound quality from both the satellite feeds and my MP3 files.
The Xmp3i is best-suited for users who will pre-record their music/shows to bring along in the car for playback. It also works well as a standalone device for plugging into your home stereo system. Do not buy this if you want to listen to live XM/Sirius broadcasts when you take the subway to work, or while you're hanging out in mom's basement waiting for some laundry to dry. Though it has a built-in antenna for live reception, the manufacturer clearly intended that to be used in outdoor-only situations.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
This is a great little radio. Reception is great. I love the recording of XM stations feature. BUT, as of this writing, the enclosed software DOES NOT work win WIN 7. So if you have WIN 7, you will not be able to copy mp3 recordings on this unit. Why they (XM) have not fixed this is beyond me. I called XM about this, and they are useless. Cutomer Service immediatly claims no responsibility whatsoever. They tell me to call Microsoft! Unbelievable. WIN 7 has been out for almost a year now. Come on guys!
Best Deals for XM XPMP3H1 Portable Satellite Radio and MP3 Player (XMp3i)
My XpressRC screen went out, and I needed a replacement. While I tried every way under the sun to find a current radio not made my Audiovox, I couldnt, so decided to try this one, since I dont own an MP3 player, I figured it would be a nice backup when I wanted to listen to something different.
First, this is a satellite receiver. Anyone that expects a satellite receiver to work 100% like an FM radio, doesnt understand the concept. While more forgiving than DirecTv or Dish, you really need to be able to see one of the two satellite locations for uninterrupted reception. Im not going to fault the radio because it blanks out inside a house. It needs an outside (or south window) mounted antenna (included) unless you happen to live where there is a terrestrial repeater (I do).
The radio needed two firmware updates when received. They took about 15 minutes. Added several features and fixed several bugs.
XM audio quality on the included ear buds is good. Much better than I expected.
Sound quality through the powerconnect FM transmitter in my work truck is much better than the previous clip on your FM antenna device. No issues at all in driving around out in the country out of repeater range. Usual dropouts going through tunnels, or under gas station awnings I had with the XpressRC.
The MP3 section is great. Audio quality is excellent. Needs a MicroSD card to store more than 7-10 albums at 256K rate.
Havent tried the song or station recording feature yet. 30 Minute buffer works fine.
Easy to navigate. Now if the screen doesnt burn out like my XpressRC did, Ill be very happy with this receiver. I do plan to try to buy an extended warranty for it though.
It claims 4 hours for XM live, and 16 hours for MP3's. Ive been playing MP3s for 6 hours and the battery indicator hasnt moved yet.
The documentation claims you shouldn't have the radio in an environment over 95 degrees as it will limit the lifetime of the battery. Its 5 degrees warmer than that here in the shade, so I figure 120+ in the truck when its parked.
Might need to keep a spare battery in the fridge :)
If the product holds up to daily use, Ill be a happy camper.
EDIT TO ADD: 02/08/2012 Have had the radio running almost 2 years now. Works perfectly. The powerconnect to the vehicle electrical system gives interference free reception. Recording works great, and Ive built up quite a library, as well as put all my mp3s on a SD card. No issues with the radio at all after almost 2 years. Pops out to bring home on weekends, and plugs into the home cradle with an outdoor mounted antenna, although Ive stopped doing that and just use their internet service at home now. Good radio. Highly recommend.
Honest reviews on XM XPMP3H1 Portable Satellite Radio and MP3 Player (XMp3i)
I just purchased this product and was pleasantly surprised by its features, small size, and sound quality. It activated quickly and worked very well with good reception hand-held outside as well as indoors with the accessory antenna (included) in a window. Unfortunately, it is now fairly useless because I made the mistake of upgrading the firmware from v1.29x to v1.31x. This upgrade inactivates the control wheel of the device which means you can't use it -you can't selected items like channels, categories, set-up option, etc. The warrantee says the product should not be returned to the retailer from whom you purchased it (Amazon) -but should contact XM radio. XM radio technical support said they can't help, I should contact Audiovox. Audiovox said to leave an email on their website. I'm waiting for a response. Searching the web, others have had this same problem. I'll wait and see if any fix comes along soon, otherwise I'll return to Amazon. Glad I bought it here. I'll update this when and if I get more info.
Update: Spoke with XM again today. Even though the packaging that came with the unit has an insert that says in capital letters: If you experience problems DO NOT RETURN THIS PRODUCT TO YOUR RETAILER but instead call XM Radio. The XM technician says they now have a solution -"Please return your unit to Amazon, buy another unit, and don't upgrade the firmware." Clearly that will work, but I think I'll wait until I hear back from Audiovox.
Final update: Audiovox's response was:"We don't provide customer or technical support for our XM radios; you must go through XM." So, I used Amazon's wonderful replacement service and was sent a new radio by overnight FedEx with Saturday delivery, printed out the return slip and sent the old one back. The new radio works just as well as the original but with a working control wheel. I love it. Downsides: every time I open XM2GO software to manage books and MP3s on the unit, it tells me my firmware is out of date -but I'm sure not going to update the firmware again. This unit is currently running firmware version 1.29x. If a firmware version appears that is higher than 1.31x, I might consider trying it, although I'd do so with some trepidation. I'm going to change my rating to four stars if Amazon will let me.
Final, final update: Thanks to a comment received to this review (feel free to read), I have now upgraded my new unit to firmware version 1.31x and after following the commenter's advice to remove the battery and wait a while -it works and works just great. Hope this helps others.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for XM XPMP3H1 Portable Satellite Radio and MP3 Player (XMp3i)
This is a great satellite radio if you realize there are some limitations and some quirks.
First off, when I received my XMP3i, the scroll wheel did not work. From what I've read on other websites, this happens relatively often with new units. I updated the firmware using the USB cable (extremely easy), and let it sit in the cradle for a few hours charging. After a reset the scroll wheel began working again. Not the greatest way to start things off with this radio, but I was able to use the remote that came with it to navigate menus while the scroll wheel wasn't functioning.
In the home cradle, signal reception is kinda flaky. The manual that comes with the XMP3i states that you should point your antenna South to get the best reception. South doesn't seem to work for me. I have to frequently change direction of the antenna all day long in order to get a halfway decent experience. Sometimes straight up at the sky, sometimes north, sometimes south. In addition, the shielding on the antenna cable is quite thin and having the cable travel across any other wires with power going through them really destroys signal strength. Purchasing online streaming (for an extra three dollars a month) resolved these issues for me, but its a shame I had to pay more to get a good indoor experience from this radio.
In the vehicle cradle (purchased separately), reception is perfect. The only time I ever lose signal is when I go under a bridge (for half a second) or going through tunnels. Both of which are to be expected from a line-of-sight device (which is what all Satellite Radios are). I purchased a cassette adapter for it which alleviates the pain of trying to find a clear radio station while traveling, and it fixes the problem of my cars radio not having an input.
Other quirks I've experienced is occasionally having to reset the device. One of the more terrible experiences I had was when I plugged in via USB to my work computer to charge. It kept connecting and disconnecting like the cable was lose even though it was snug on both ends. I finally had to unplug it and reset it to get it to stop freaking out. When I first started it back up it acted like it was a brand new radio with access to only one channel and the scroll wheel wasn't working (Like the day I bought the radio). A hard reset (Pulling the battery out) and everything was back to normal. I haven't had that happen since but it was kind of annoying to have it happen at all.
Battery life while streaming live radio has been about 2-3 hours for me (manual says up to 4). Battery life while listening to recorded music is fantastic. After a little over 8 hours, the battery meter still showed 60% battery life left. I was very surprised by this.
Recording music on the XMP3i is awesome. Hear a song you want to record? Hit the record button and select "Record Song" and make sure you don't lose signal until the song is over (or the recording stops). Recording quality is obviously based off signal strength. So if you have poor signal quality and your music sounds bad, your recording will to (unfortunately theres no magic here). I recommend recording while in the vehicle kit and you'll get great recordings nearly every time.
There are two purchases I recommend to go along with this radio. First is the antenna headphones. They really significantly increase radio reception while walking or outdoors. Without the antenna headphones you have to keep the antenna on the top of the XMP3i in clear line of sight to the sky or you lose signal. With the antenna headphones you can put the radio in your pocket or clip it to your belt and keep a strong signal. I also recommend purchasing the Leather Carrying Case. It provides you with a belt clip, and arm band, and it provides you some protection while carrying your XMP3i (especially from scratches).
Overall I would recommend this radio. Its not perfect, and it has its quirks, but there isn't any other radio that even comes close to having the features or portability of the XMP3i. In addition, none of the quirks are world-ending and the features it provides over a basic vehicle mounted radio are really worth it if your outdoors a lot or you walk/run.
