Subscriptions to either XM Radio or Sirius run from $9.95 to $12.95 a month; XM offers multiple-year discounts, while Sirius offers one flat fee (around $500) for a lifetime subscription. Receivers are sold separately, including a variety of sat-radio receivers for use in the car, at home, or with a sat-radio-ready boom box. XM’s line includes the Delphi SkyFi 2 (about $130), the only receiver with “pause” and “replay” functions, and the new Delphi XM MyFi, the first battery-pack operated handheld receiver ($350). Sirius’ basic plug-and-play receivers start under $100 – with several specialty receivers, like the Sportster and Sportster Boombox, designed to “maximize” listening for sat-radio sports fans – and range up to $1,999 for the high-end home audio system component receiver. Not all receivers come ready for use in both home and auto, meaning you might have to pay extra to use it in both locations; be sure to check for rebates. Sirius receivers are sold at Best Buy, Circuit City, and Radio Shack, or online at www.sirius.com; XM receivers are at Best Buy, Circuit City, Sears, and a host of other local retailers (like Mother’s Window Tint), or online at www.xmradio.com.
This article appears in December 17 • 2004.