XM XDNX1V1 Onyx Dock-and-Play Radio with Car Kit (Black)

Very impressed so far. For such a small antenna, which I placed on the trunk lid of my Honda Accord, it sure does get terrific reception. Installation took me about 3 hours, mainly due to my placing the 23' wire through the truck and under seat and carpeting. I used the AUX connection instead of FM signal, which is what they recommend as a BEST method. I agree. Music sounds like CD quality.

I've been using XM Radio for a few years and love it. There's nothing like the variety it provides - much of it commercial free - along with the fact that channels don't fade after driving short distances. It's not perfect though. SAT radio suffers from drop-outs caused by overhead obstructions, such as when you stop under a freeway overpass or drive into your garage. If you want to use a SAT radio in your home be aware you will probably need an outside antenna. That said it's a minor annoyance when driving which I've gotten used to.

Now regarding the Onyx specifically, I started out with an "In Dash" SAT radio because I didn't want an external unit hanging off a bracket. I quickly regretted that choice. Channel changing was very slow, and the display was extremely limited - one short line that I needed to scroll and a push button to switch between station ID, performer, song title, etc. Very tedious and distracting. The Onyx solves these problems. Its' screen displays channel number and name, performer and song title all at once. It's also easy to preview what is on other stations without interrupting the current station. The color display is easy to read and there are a number of colors to choose from - nice touch. I had my unit installed by a local shop so all the wiring would be hidden behind the dash and I also opted for an FM Modulator to hard wire the XM signal into the FM radio. I don't know if this is really necessary though - I didn't try the over-the-air broadcast option. If you want to try installing the unit yourself, don't mind using the cigarette lighter for power and have a convenient way to attach the unit to the dash then it's worth a try. Where to attach the unit is worth thinking about. My choices were limited and I went with a bracket screwed into the dash. You can attach the radio to an air vent, but I thought this was pretty pathetic given how insecure and unstable it was.

After the Onyx was installed I called XM customer service and had my subscription transferred from the old radio, no problem. Highly recommended!

I log a lot of miles between LA and San Diego and I was getting tired of switching stations and the poor reception on my AM/FM receiver. I had been considering getting a satellite radio for some time but the costs of doing so always held me back. Once I saw how affordable the onyx was, I was sold.
Listening to FOX News, CNN, CNBC, and commercial free music sure makes the driving and traffic a lot easier to handle. The reception is fantastic and setup was a breeze. I use the power connect option in my car which just means plugging it into the car's lighter and you're done.
There are different channel packages you can subscribe to and I chose to go with the lifetime subscription. That way I just pay one fee and I get to listen all I want forever! I even called customer service to make sure the subscription is tranferable to another unit. It sure is, so even if my radio fails, I can transfer my lifetime subscription over to another radio of my choosing.

The best part of this unit is that it broadcasts an FM signal.... so you don't need to get a new stereo or rip out your stereo to make it work. It seems to need to be within 20 feet of your radio or antenna to sound good.... so in a car that is no problem. I also like to park the car in the garage where the Onyx can broadcast to my garage stereo. I wish the FM signal was stronger so it would compete better against remote FM radio stations..... but the FM transmitter is adjustable so you can change the broadcast frequency..... and it can save different FM frequencies so you can just flip between them while driving. The reception with the car magnet antenna needs almost direct access to the sky. It does work in my house but needs to be near a window. I wonder if the home antenna is more powerful.

Because it doesn't have to be hardwired to your stereo, I move it easily between cars and my house. I bought an adapter that converts AC to DC..... so I didn't have to buy a home kit. There is no battery so it always has to be plugged in. There is also a cool signal analyzer that shows satellite and terestrial signal strength. You can adjust screen color, audio output signal, and brightness. If you have the audio miniplug in the back, the FM transmitter shuts off.

I wish it had more preset buttons (only 10 +1).

I've had no glitches or problems this unit yet.

Have had XM service for over 3 years now. Recently had to get a new radio because I was told my old one may interfere with other radio signals. So, they talked me into getting the Onyx. I was very specific when I asked if it did what my other radio did, including play in my home portable unit. I was assured it did. Well, it absolutely does not. Nor does it have the same features as my old one. On my old one I could pause and rewind, this one I can't. And it does not fit either my old car kit or my home kit, rendering the home kit useless and I had to reinstall a new car kit to use it. In fact, with the Onyx I have had nothing but problems with it since getting it. It turns off when it feels like, goes into demo mode (and then you can't turn it off), the display reads either check antenna or check power supply, neither of which are at issue (have had it checked and installed profressionally). I called to get it replaced. Was told I would be put through warranty and they would handle it. Well, the call was dropped and I tried calling back (since no one bothered calling me) and this time I got someone who could not speak or even understand English very well so the call was never completed - again. To get to the end result, it is now over 3 weeks later, 5 phone calls (all done by me - they never call back!), 4 emails and a request for a supervisor and it is still not resolved! HORRENDOUS customer service, TERRIBLE CHEAP product and not worth the money or trouble.