The first satellite radios were installed in car models in 2001, and the technology quickly gained popularity among music and talk show fans who loved the idea of commercial-free listening. Satellite radio broadcasts are transmitted by satellites positioned in parallel geostationary orbits some 22,000 miles above the Earth, which bounce a signal back to the receivers installed in your vehicle. A car satellite radio receives the signals, decodes them into data streams and converts them to over 170 channels that play on your stereo, including news and sports programming, exclusive talk shows, and your favorite songs and albums.
Both XM and Sirius satellite radio broadcasts are available in North America; both services offer a similar content selection, though each offers slightly different programming, including marquee personalities (like talk show maven Howard Stern and television host Oprah Winfrey). To avoid losing subscriber bases to the competition, both companies struck deals with automakers to install their satellite radios as options in popular cars, which makes the products more widely accessible to consumers.
While sound quality largely depends on your car speakers, the best satellite radios do several things to improve baseline audio. For starters, look for one that features an equalizer so you can adjust treble and bass to suit your tastes. You should also choose a radio that has enough preamp outputs to drive your stereo speakers and a subwoofer, depending on your vehicle’s setup.
Finally, the top satellite radios make installation and operation a breeze. Choose a model that comes with detailed instructions and mounts that work in your specific vehicle.
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