| |
|
Ziggy
XM Freak!
Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Posts: 7409
Location: New York, NY
Primary Radio: Pioneer Inno |
Delphi MyFi Portable XM Satellite Radio Review
Order Here:
http://www.myradiostore.us/xm-radio-receivers/myfi-sa10113.html
With the recent announcement of Delphi’s all-new MyFi XM Satellite Radio receiver with XM2GO technology, a new product category has been created. Such an event is somewhat rare these days where new products are usually just slight improvements upon the old.
The MyFi not only improves on XM Satellite Radio receiver technology by making it smaller, lighter and now completely portable with its integrated battery and antenna, but it also does something only TiVo-style PVR’s and other MP3 player users have enjoyed for years; the ability to record and time-shift audio programming.
Certainly time-shifting has always been possible for not only the XM Satellite Radio service, but any audio format for that matter. Unfortunately for the end user, this was always a multi step process usually requiring the user to set up the audio source like XM Radio to a specific channel, and then another program to actually do the recording and saving of that audio.
Enter the MyFi.
Weighing in at approximately 7 oz. and measuring only 4.5” x 2.8” x 1.2”, complete with a removable, rechargeable lithium ion battery, integrated antenna and the biggest, sharpest display of any XM Radio to date you would think the MyFi was a killer product with just those specs, but the “dream-team” of wizard engineers down at XM Satellite Radio’s research and development facility down in Boca Raton, FL dare not stop there. The MyFi includes a 5-hour flash memory that retains the audio data, even when the unit is powered off, and the battery is removed, making this unit a truly portable powerhouse.
Holding the MyFi, the unit feels very solid and well constructed. The design and layout of controls on the unit is just about perfect. It was made for use in your right hand with the rotary dial on the right side for easy one handed-thumb operation. When not using the rotary wheel, most of the buttons are also easily reachable with your thumb. The headphone jack is located on the top, there is an auxiliary antenna input jack on the left, which can be used with the included vehicle antenna as well as the personal clip-on version. The bottom has a universal cradle connector, as well as a power jack that allows for a home or vehicle power supply to be connected directly to the unit without the use of any cradles at all.
The MyFi’s snap-on belt clip also doubles as a kickstand for the unit. When you open the belt clip wide enough, it clicks into place and stays open. An ingenious little design feature that adds a lot to the overall experience. Going further, the MyFi’s remote control borrows from the “peanut” shaped remote that most TiVo users enjoy. It is very comfortable to hold and use. All the buttons and features that are present on the unit itself are duplicated.
What is important to mention here is that for the first time in XM’s short, yet innovative product history, there are some accessories that will be available at about the same time as the product reaches consumers in December 2004. At the press event, on display were a number of various cases and “skins” to protect your new baby. The skins are quite the unique way to customize your MyFi quickly with a flashy color, and at the same time will protect it if it were to fall from your hands. Many other accessories are in the works and will be announced in the future.
Record XM…. Legally.
Whenever anyone shows interest in XM Satellite Radio, you can bet that they always ask if it is wearable or portable (and they don’t mean via a boombox). The answer to that is now a resounding yes! Imagine yourself enjoying XM Satellite Radio programming in all types of locations never before suited to satellite radio signal reception, like underground transportation, interiors of concrete and steel buildings outside repeater covered areas, and any other spot you wanted to, but simply could not get a signal. Of course its not the Live content you will be hearing in these locations, but when it comes to XM’s programming, I’ll take a five hour recorded block from XM over any live broadcast traditional FM radio station.
You can begin recording at anytime you choose by simply pressing the XM2GO button twice. The button gets pressed twice just in case to make sure you accidentally do not record over a previously recorded program. This is a great feature for on-the-fly recording of programming segments you may be interested in at the moment. For extended recording, to fill up the MyFi’s memory with your favorite programming for listening at your convenience or when the satellite signal is not available, you can schedule up to 2 separate recording sessions through the easy to use menu-driven interface of the MyFi. An option is also available to automatically record once, or daily at the set time, so there is no need to keep scheduling the same content recording over and over.
Keep in mind that for the MyFi to record your scheduled sessions, it must be off and sitting in its home cradle with the power connected. The best time to do this is while your unit is taking a rest at night recharging its batteries. Also, you cannot delete individual songs or “events”, just the whole session. When recording a new session, one of your existing ones will be wiped out.
Just a side note here on the handiness of this feature; my girlfriend loves to listen to Opie & Anthony. Her only issue is that the times that she usually happens to be listening are almost always 4 hours apart so instead of hearing the whole show, she winds up hearing the same 1-2 hours of their show over and over throughout the day. With the MyFi’s record scheduling, she will now be able to record the whole show, and listen to it at her convenience throughout the day. Or, record your favorite music channel overnight while you sleep. Wake up in the morning and on your way to work whether it’s the subway or a commuter bus, flip through the recorded 5 hours of programming and see what music the MyFi grabbed for you. It’s like a little treasure to enjoy every single day –just for you.
Once you have your programming recorded, playing back is a snap. Simply press the MODE button on the face of the MyFi, and within a few seconds, you will be able to select which of the two recorded sessions you would like to listen to. Once your session is playing back, the rotary jog dial on the right of the unit can be scrolled up or down allowing you to jump backwards and forwards within that recorded session by song or artists in the order that it was recorded. This is a very functional and easy to understand way of moving throughout the recorded segment.
More Goodies!
The MyFi also has incorporated into it all the other features found on the SkyFi and Roady lines. Tuneselect allows you to set up alerts for up to 20 of your favorite songs or artists. There is a stock ticker, as well as a sports ticker just like in SkyFi 2. A built-in wireless FM Modulator can beam the audio to any near-by FM receiver. Mount the unit on your dash, or place it next to any FM boombox and presto -- XM for everyone around you to enjoy.
MyFi also supports extended titles, so song and artist data is no longer limited to 16 characters. As XM continues to roll out this feature across all their content, you will see it appear more and more.
The next little goodie is a classic, but great to have around. Not only does the MyFi have a clock, but an alarm clock at that. Set it up and enjoy the smooth sounds of XM Liquid Metal first thing in the morning. If coffee doesn’t work, this will. You have a choice of waking up to a beeping sound or live XM programming.
A “skip channel” feature is also included making navigating XM’s ever increasing channel line up that much quicker. In the menu, simply remove the channels you never listen to and next time you scroll through the channels with the rotary dial, you will only see your favorite channels, skipping all the others. This will not only save you time, but also make your channel surfing more pleasing and specific to your personal tastes. Why should you have to flip through all the traffic channels when only one of them is for your location? You can still tune to any “skipped” channel but punching in that number manually, or go back into the menu and add it in.
Although you can pause the while listening to recorded content, you cannot pause the audio when listening to live programming. This is about the only feature in this unit that seems to be missing, but a quick, simple work around is just to hit the record button whenever you want to pause something, and then you can go right back to that session when you return to your MyFi.
How does it sound?
The sound quality and output levels on the MyFi are top notch. As with the SkyFi 2 and Roady 2, this unit is based on the 3rd generation chipset using the newest version of the ACCplus CODEC. The volume is fully controllable on the face of the unit, and within the menu, bass and treble is controlled as well. These setting are in effect whether the unit is used with headphones, or is sitting in a cradle at home or in the car, making it easy for users to equalize the tone for themselves, without disturbing the settings on their car or home stereos.
The MyFi comes with a nice set of ear bud style headphones. They work fine and are small so you can take them with you anywhere. I personally prefer headphones that do not go inside my ear, and will probably continue to use my current favorite over-the-ear pair instead of these, with built in volume control so there are two ways to quickly control the volume level. If you want the best sound quality possible, get yourselves some really decent headphones for this. You will be glad you did.
The recorded portion of the MyFi sounds just as good as the live programming. This is because the MyFi stores the audio data in the same digital format it arrived to your receiver in without any loss.
Signal reception.
Unfortunately I was not able to put the clip on antenna to the test as the product was being shown here in New York where repeater coverage is great. The internal antenna worked flawlessly. Based on prior experience with the Armie and other portable set-ups, I can tell you that the clip on antenna should keep drop outs to a minimum when fastened to your hat, or upper body. Some dropouts will occur in areas with lots of trees and buildings outside of major metropolitan areas when using the internal antenna with the unit on your hip, or the clip on antenna. In open areas, reception should be nearly perfect. The higher you place the clip on antenna on your body, the better off you will be. Or, simply enjoy the pre-recorded programming if a good signal is not available.
On your vehicle, locate the antenna on the roof, or rear trunk lip, and at home, in a south-facing window. No problem just as with all existing XM receivers.
What do I get?
At first glance, the $349 MSRP may stop a few of you in your tracks, but with all the hardware that is included in the package, you simply cannot go wrong. You get the MyFi itself, which can be used on its own. In an effort to provide users with a complete home, office, vehicle, and personal solution, the package also includes a home and car docking kit each with their own specialized antenna and power supply, a clip-on personal antenna, a remote control, belt-clip, protective case, an audio cable, rechargeable battery, cassette adapter, ear bud headphones, and a variety of mounts for the car.
The battery is reported to last approximately 5 hours, which would probably explain the amount of time available for recording/playback.
Order here:
http://www.myradiostore.us/xm-radio-receivers/myfi-sa10113.html
Skip to MORE PICTURES here:
http://www.xm411.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=185121#185121
You can also review preliminary user manual here:
http://file.xm411.com/manuals/MyFiUserGuide411.pdf
_________________
www.MyRadioStore.com - XM Radio & Opie & Anthony Hats/Shirts. The latest XM Hardware and ALL Accessories! Pioneer Inno, Skyfi 3, Samsung Helix, and More!
Last edited by Ziggy on Tue Jan 04, 2005 11:15 pm; edited 4 times in total
|
|
|
Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:52 am
for ALL your SiriusXM needs!
YOUR
Radio Store
New Posts
New Posts [ Popular ]
Closed Thread
No New Posts
No New Posts [ Popular ]