Audio Quality from XM Radio

[jkeopf]

I know there has been a lot of discussion about the sound quality from our stock systems. I have a 2004 w/ RF system so I am very familiar with the deficencies that go along with it and I have come to accept them. I know the aux input does not have a pre-amp on the early models so the volume of an ipod plugged in is low, but does anybody know if that deficency also exists with the satellite radio input?

I have recently installed the components needed to have XM satellite radio integrated into the factory RF head unit. It works just as expected, except for the sound volume and quality. There is no comparison between a CD and the satellite radio - CD wins hands down! I've read that the compression of the satellite radio signal is such that the quality is diminished, but I don't know enough about that to know if that is true. Honestly, I tend to doubt that as being a big factor because satellite TV carries much more information (audio & video - standard and HD) without as much degredation in quality. The main difference I notice is in the bass response. I am not one to enjoy earthquaking, rattle your neighbor's teeth, loosen every screw within a 1/4 mile level of bass, but I do enjoy enough bass that it provides good, rich, deep quality, resonating sound when it is supposed to...when Barry White sounds like Michael Jackson or you can't tell the upright bass from the banjo, something ain't right!

I wonder if anyone with a later model has noticed the same issue? If I replace the head unit to a later model (perhaps 2006 or so?) would I get an improvement? Are the head units from various years interchangeable?

[Kdogg]

I believe the head units are the same from the 04 and on but I can't comment on the sound quality because I didn't install sirius until I got an after market head unit. I can tell you that even with the Pioneer head unit, the Sirius doesn't seem to have the same sound quality as a cd, although it can get pretty loud.

It may be possible that the Sirius tuner has an issue with it...

[jkeopf]

Can anybody offer any help on this?