Sirius/XM Radio

[Ron Faldik]

Been seeing the ads on tv to try Sirius / XM Radio for free till early December.....so I tuned in on my Sony System.

WoW.... the audio is terrible ! No Volume, keeps losing it's signal, and the sound quality is terrible

Is this the general consensus ....or is it my vehicle ?

[RobertP]

I have it for free for the next 3 months as I just bought the vehicle. I really like it to be honest. Sound quality is good. Will cut out every now and then under an underpass, but for the most has been good. No problems with volume. However as much as I like it, I think I'll stick with streaming pandora once my 3 months are up.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Sounds more like a damaged or missing antenna to be honest. I THINK it is located where the spoiler is on the rear hatch.

[joesworld]

In my 2013 Limited, I can't stand the sound quality of Sirius. I've had a few free trials and can't listen to it for more than 5 mins. The compression is so bad that the highs are so muddy and overall it's all compressed... very painful to listen to.

 

I've heard it's the Edge stereo doing this, but after researching the sound compression rates online, I believe it averages in the ~95kb/s range (while a good quality MP3 is encoded at 320kb/s). Even with a good stereo I'd be surprised if I could ever be happy with the Sirius sound.

[Ron Faldik]

I had it for a year in my Corvette when I bought it new and got it free for a year.

I renewed it for three years that I owned the Vette and every year they tried to Really overcharge me and raise the rate.,,,had to fight every year to get it to a reasonable fee....but then realized...WTF am I Paying for radio !

I don't remember it EVER losing its signal or the sound quality being that bad...it had a BOSE system in the Corvette

[Dominatron2212]

I recently picked up a Stubby Antenna here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087BAJ5K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I have to say that garages and spots where I would lose Sirius connection no longer do.. possibly because the antenna is metal.

 

I personally feel that in general my Edge's sound quality is subpar.. but my last car was a Mustang. I won't say that Sirius sounds any worse. It could be an issue with your antenna.. but if it was simply missing you'd probably be able to tell pretty quick. You could always try picking up one of those antenna's I got... its cheap and looks better imo, but a new antenna could fix the issue.

[Ron Faldik]

Dominator2212

I Got that exact same antenna from Amazon....looks good but didnt fix the Sirius/ XM reception

Went back to stock and still terrible reception on Sirius / XM...I completely lose the signal when I enter my garage.....Regular FM signal stays strong with either antenna

[gary712]

satelite radio signals do not bend loke FM radio they must have a direct view with no

obstructions. that is why you lose it in a garage.under a tunnel blocked by trees or

thick clouds.

[enigma-2]

I have a three month free demo on my 2009 MKX (just called and asked for it) and must admit it sounds great. Crystal clear on most channels, (sometimes it seems a little less that perfect on some of the comedy channels and CNN, HLN, etc.), seems like it has good highs and lows, but it does drop out at one point in the garage when I'm pulling in (but comes back as I continue to pull forward).

I also signed up for one year for Travel Link (wanted the weather, local gas prices, but not so much for the movie listings and sports scores). Only $2 a month. (For $3 more you can get local traffic congestion, but it only works in a few major cities).

 

As for your problem, my guess is, there's a problem with your system. It should be crystal clear. You could try a on-board diagnostic and see what the results are. Here's what the service manual has for the 2009 Edge/MKX:

 

----------------------------------------------

Satellite Audio Bezel Diagnostic Test — Vehicles Without Navigation

 

Turn the ACM on.
Operate the audio system in satellite radio mode.
Press and hold preset buttons SIRIUS and 2 for 3 seconds.
Upon entering the self-test, the audio system produces 2 continuously alternating tones of different pitch, one for the right channel, then one for the left.
The test continues by displaying any DTCs currently present. If no DTCs are present, NO DTCS is displayed. If there are DTCs present, the ACM auto-scrolls through the list of active DTCs.
Historical DTCs can be viewed by pressing the SIRIUS button and preset button 2 (except navigation) or the SOUND button and preset button 1 (navigation) simultaneously while in the active DTC mode.
If any DTCs are present, pressing the SIRIUS button and preset button 2 (except navigation) or the SOUND button and preset button 1 (navigation) prompts CLEAR DTCS? on the ACM .
To clear historical DTCs, press preset buttons 1, 2, and 3 consecutively within 4 seconds.
To exit historical DTCs (with or without clearing DTCs), press the SIRIUS button and preset button 2 (except navigation) or the SOUND button and preset button 1 (navigation) simultaneously.
If no historical DTCs are present, pressing the SIRIUS button and preset button 2 (except navigation) or the SOUND button and preset button 1 (navigation) simultaneously while in active DTC mode displays the DLP software version.
To exit the satellite audio bezel diagnostic test, press the SIRIUS button and preset button 2 (except navigation) or the SOUND button and preset button 1 (navigation) simultaneously while the DLP software version is displayed, or turn the ACM off.

----------------------------------------------

Audio Systems With Navigation

Turn the ACM on.
Operate the audio system in radio tuner (AM/FM) mode.
Press and hold preset buttons 3 and 6 for 3 seconds until the speaker walk test begins.
The display indicates each speaker as it is tested.
NOTE: If the speaker walk test is the only test required, this procedure can be stopped after this step, or by allowing the speaker walk test to complete on its own.

Before the speaker walk test is complete, press the "End Test" selection.

 

 

The following tests are available through the "BEZEL DIAGNOSTICS" menu:

On Demand Self Test: The ACM carries out a self-test. At the end of the self-test, the display either indicates "Test Passed" or lists any DTCs present. Note that the self-test may not indicate all DTCs that are present. If DTCs are suspected, retrieve continuous and on-demand DTCs using the scan tool.

View DTCs: The ACM displays any DTCs that are present. If there is more than a full screen of DTCs present, to scroll through the DTCs, press the down arrow on the display. If no DTCs are present, the display reads NO DTCS. Press the "Clear DTCs" selection to clear any DTCs present.

Configuration Status: The display shows the ACM configuration. A "0" indicates the item is configured off, while a "1" indicates the item is configured on. If the ACM appears to be mis-configured, refer to Section 418-01 .

System Info: The ACM displays system information for various components of the audio system. The following items are most important for servicing the audio system: Nav Radio Part Number — provides the ACM part number. ESN1 — provides the satellite radio Electronic Serial Number (ESN)

GPS Info: The current Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite information is shown, along with the current vehicle position. Pressing the "SV Status" selection provides additional information, if present.

Speaker Walk Test: The ACM carries out the speaker walk test.

DVD Mechanism Test: The ACM tests the internal CD/DVD drive mechanism.

Display Test: This test provides for testing of the touchscreen colors and the touchscreen sectors. Pressing any of the colors on the display causes the whole display to change to that color; pressing the display again returns to the Display Test menu. Pressing the

"Touchscreen Activation Test" selection enters the touchscreen sector test. Press any area of the screen to test the touchscreen sector; press the "X" at the RH lower corner of the display to return to the Display Test menu.

Hardkey Test: This test provides for testing of the ACM buttons (not the touchscreen). When each button is pressed, the screen displays the button that is active. This test can also be used to isolate a stuck button.

Radio Signal Strength: The ACM displays the AM/FM antenna signal strength. To run this test, the audio system should be in AM radio tuner mode before entering the ACM self-diagnostic mode.

HDD Test: The ACM tests its internal hard drive.

Sensor I/O Status: The ACM displays inputs it is receiving from external sources. These inputs include:
Ignition — indicates ON (ignition in ACC or RUN) or OFF. Brake — indicates ON (brake applied) or OFF (brake not applied). Illumination — indicates ON or OFF. ReverseGear — indicates ON (vehicle in reverse) or OFF (vehicle not in reverse)

Microphone Test: The ACM tests the microphone by supplying a test tone and monitoring the input from the microphone. As this vehicle is not equipped with a microphone, this test does not provide any diagnostic assistance.

SDARS Signal Strength: The ACM displays the satellite radio antenna signal strength.

To exit the self-diagnostic mode, press the "Exit Diagnostics" selection from the "BEZEL DIAGNOSTICS" menu.

----------------------------------------------

It's probably the last test, SDARS, might reveal how the satellite radio antenna is working.

 

If you get a code, reply here & I'll look it up (too many to list them all).

Good luck.

Edited November 28, 2014 by enigma-2