Samsung YP-X5X NeXus 25 XM Ready Digital Audio Player with 25-hour Playback Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent a couple months looking at portable XM radios in search of one to meet my needs. I eventually chose this device and I've been more than happy with my decision.
My needs were fairly simple. I needed to be able to listen to new music daily from within the concrete installation that is my workplace, and be capable of delivering it for the duration of my day. I also wanted to listen to it in my car or through a stereo. I had no interest in playing MP3, nor did I care about online functionality or interface with my computer. The NeXus has met every one of my requirements(with the purchase of the car/FM transmitter), and has done so exceptionally.
The radio will only play live XM when it's in the cradle. This seemed strange at first, but made sense as I got familiar with XM and it's capabilities. The decoder is separate from the radio(likely to keep the radio itself small), which I imagine is needed to recieve the signal. You must plug the decoder into the cradle along with the radio to play live XM. Also due to the relative weakness of the XM signal, the antenna needs to be long. These factors are likely the reason for only having recorded content on the go.
The menus on the device are fairly intuitive, though not entirely elegant. You can navigate by artist, by recording session, or with a flat list of songs for your recorded content. Live XM will allow you to navigate through stations naturally. There is also additional functionality that I have yet to use that seems to allow you to keep an eye out for certain artists. Navigation from the device is fairly simple, using the arrows on the face to move around, and the middle XM button to select. The remote is more robust in functionality, but is less intuitive in spots. The remote is also fairly weak, and the display on the radio itself is small. This limits the distance you can be from the radio when using it and making the remote a little on the useless side.
Battery life for the radio is very good, and has performed better than advertised for me. I get over 8 hours of continuous play from a full charge. I haven't run the battery completely dead yet, but it lasts my entire work day and still has a bar or two left when I plug it into the cradle in my car on my way home. Charging time seems to be very quick as well.
Storage is very good, though it doesn't sound impressive with only 512MB. You can partition the drive into 50% MP3 and 50% XM or 100% XM. I have opted for 100% XM, as I am sick of my MP3 collection. I currently have over 200 songs on my XM player, 8 of which are 30 minute segments, and one which plays slightly over an hour and a half. Assuming the average track is 4 minutes, that puts my current load at about 17 - 18 hours of recorded content.
The device itself is put together well. It small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and is about a half an inch thick. That makes it about the size of your average flip phone - which is easily pocketable. The earbuds that come with it are not good quality, and are uncomfortable. I already had a pair of higher quality earbuds that replaced those. The music quality is decent. I'm no audiophile, so if it doesn't sound crunchy, or like it's playing in a can I'm happy. The other pieces like the audio cables and the carrying clip thing are of average to below average quality, but get the job done.
All in all I'm totally satisfied with the NeXus 25, and have recommended it to friends who are in the market for a portable XM radio.

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Get ready for total music freedom with the Samsung Nexus digital audio device. The Nexus takes the concept of a personal digital audio player to the next level with the addition of XM satellite radio. Using the supplied dock, and an included XM Connect-and-Play antenna, you can record your favorite XM programming to the device. Then, listen to your tunes and talk radio while you're on the go. In addition to handling XM content, you can also play songs from your existing library of MP3 and WMA music files (including purchased downloads). Plus, you can mix your recorded XM content with your music files -- create a playlist with XM recordings and your own digital music.
Because the Nexus is an XM ready device, it's designed to interface with the XM Connect-and-Play antenna. Simply plug the home antenna into the Nexus and you're rocking to XM's 150-plus digital channels. No additional accessories or installation are required. In addition to charging the device's battery, the included home docking station lets you use the Nexus as an XM receiver to play live XM content through your home stereo (the dock features stereo RCA outputs).
Featuring a full array of programming -- from talk shows, comedy programs, and live Major League Baseball broadcasts to just about every musical genre from bluegrass to jazz -- XM Radio is the fastest growing satellite radio network in the world. All XM metadata is displayed on the Nexus' front panel display, including full song title and artist name, as well as information extras such as stock and sports score tickers. At 3.4 x 1.9 x 0.7-inches, the Nexus is pocket friendly and designed to go wherever you go. The embedded 512 MB of internal memory gives you ample space for storing your music -- up to 25 hours of content will fit on the device. Music is transferred between your PC and the Nexus via a high-speed USB 2.0 connection.
Another cool aspect of the Nexus is its support for the XM + Napster music service. If you hear a song you like on XM radio, simply "tag" it and easily purchase and download that artist or song via Napster. It's a great way to discover and own the music you like.
What's in the Box YP-X5X XM radio/MP3 player, XM passport, battery, earbuds, remote control, home dock/cradle, home XM antenna, AC power adapter, RCA audio cable, USB cable, carrying case/holster, user's guide, and software CD-ROM.

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Audiovox XM XMFM1 FM Direct Adapter (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are installing an XM radio in your car and thinking about utilizing the XM radio's ability to broadcast music to a specific channel on your car stereo - FORGET ABOUT IT!!! Just assume you will NOT be doing it that way, and buy one of these instead. This unit doesn't require any external power hookup, won't require you to string thin fragile wires from the front of your car to the back, is fairly small and easy to install, and sends wonderful, static-free sound to your car stereo. On your XM radio, you will still have to select a specific FM channel for reception of XM music, but you won't get any static even if you select a strong local FM channel. And, if you turn your XM radio off, you will be able listen to the FM channel normally. The FM channel is only blocked out when the XM radio is turned on. Check to see if your car stereo has a non-standard antenna input that will require inexpensive adapters. My car, which has a Blaupunkt radio, required "Volkswagen style" adapters. All these do is change the shape of the plugs that connect to the car radio and antenna. Note that I say "adapters" (plural) because, if you DO have a non-standard antenna input, you will need 2 adapters: 1 to mate the Audivox plug to your non-standard car stereo antenna input, and another to mate the antenna wire that used to plug into your car stereo but now needs to plug into the Audiovox adapter. The Audiovox unit goes between your car stereo and the end of your existing antenna wire. So, you will need a standard-to-nonstandard adapter + a nonstandard-to-standard adapter.

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The Audiovox XMFM-1 FM Direct Adapter for Xpress XM7 Satellite Radio Receiver is designed expressly to turn the internal FM transmitter in Audiovox's XM7 receiver into a wired FM modulator. This unit plugs directly into the vehicle radio antenna jack in your car stereo, and connects to the XMC-10 cradle via the docking station's audio line-out jack. This is especially useful for when you are taking advantage of your XM7 XM satellite radio receiver's FM transmitter because your vehicle's car stereo does not have an audio line-in jack accessible, and you are driving through areas with strong FM radio signals that are interfering with your car's reception of the XM7's FM transmission. In order for this unit to operate, your XM7 receiver must be set to FM On in the Xpress XM user's menu.

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Delphi XM Signal Repeater Review

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(More customer reviews)XM reception inside buildings can be frustrating - especially for those of us living outside the range of the terrestial repeaters in many large cities. This repeater setup gives us mobility in an apartment or modest house (even two stories).
It is important to understand that this system repeats the XM digital signal on a different (900 MHz) frequency than that used by the satellites and the urban ground stations mentioned above. This means that the XM radio can't pick up the repeater signal directly. Each radio will need its own attached 900 MHz antenna, and will need to be in a dock to use it. This set includes one such antenna - more can be bought seperately. One repeater can drive any number of XM radios, so equiped, within its range (a few rooms).
I use mine with a Pioneer Inno, mounted on a Delphi SA10221 XM Portable Satellite Radio Boombox. The 900 MHz antenna mounts on the back of the boombox, in a provided slot, held by a screw. So, the repeater doesn't noticably effect the portabality of the boombox, which we move from room to room, plugging into AC power, but not using batteries. It should work with batteries, but at what cost to battery life I don't know.
A TIP: It can be hard to find a good inside location for the satellite antenna, an issue this repeater fixes, if ANY single good location can be found for the repeater transmitter and its attached satellite antenna. Our trouble was that no CONVENIENT location could be found. The ultimate solution is an outside antenna, perhaps with an in-line amplifier, driving this repeater system. My son in rural WY needed such a set-up to get reliable reception in the winter. But, like me, you may get away with a simple trick.
Attach the satellite antenna directly to your XM radio (suitably docked or boomboxed), and select the signal strength display from the radio's menu. Use this to move the antenna to likely receiving locations, looking for a convenient place with room nearby and power for the repeater transmitter, where a strong signal is displayed. If you find such a spot, leave the antenna positioned and swap its cable from the radio to the transmitter. If you CAN'T find a good signal, here is the trick: Locate the antenna in a likely convenient location (2nd floor, southern wall, etc) where you'd expect the best signal and move & aim the antenna while watching the signal strength. THEN TRY PLACING A METAL PLATE OR PAN, or similar size metal decorative object a few inches away. Slowly reposition the antenna and the metal object. Even a fraction of an inch can be significant. If your preferred location has any signal at all, you may find a precise arrangement that yields a strong signal. Then, swap the antenna plug from the radio to the transmitter and as long as you don't disturb the magic setup you should get good reception, which then gets passed through the repeater to your radio(s).
Final caviat: older 900 MHz wireless phones will disrupt the repeater signal, even from several rooms away, but only when they are in use (talking/ringing). This could be a problem in an apartment or closely spaced houses if a neighbor has one. The newer 2.1 GHz and 5.4 GHz phones (and WiFi Internet routers) don't seem to interfere though.

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The Delphi SA10116 Indoor XM Signal Repeater allows you to enjoy XM programming even in interior environments without direct satellite reception (e. g., away from a window with a clear view of the sky). The compact transmitter works with any Delphi XM home kit or audio system, rebroadcasting more than 150 XM Satellite Radio channels of sports, talk, news, comedy, 100 percent commercial-free music, and more.
The Signal Repeater can transmit the XM signal to one or more Repeater Antennas, placed up to 75 feet away, even through walls and floors, and comes with a transmitter, repeater antenna, AC power adaptor and mounting hardware. Wireless XM eliminates the need to run long, unsightly and impractical extensions between your home antenna and receiver.What's in the Box Delphi SA10116 transmitter, antenna, AC power adapter, mounting hardware, quick start guide, and owner's manual.

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