SiriusXM - Onyx Plus Satellite Radio Receiver with PowerConnect Vehicle Kit - Black

Was using an older "XMSkyFi2" portable receiver and really liked the pause-jump ahead-rewind buffering capability and general overall performance. I listen to a lot of sports programming which still has commercials and this function generally allows me to pause (while I'm off doing something else) and then come back and skip commercials as I listen. The older unit began to randomly power on and off a while back, but I couldn't find a replacement with that pause function until the Onyx Plus came out. After two months it has been working fine. The color graphics and screen layout are a major upgrade. It is an all push button control which replaces a function wheel. The buttons are smaller and more difficult to find, but I had problems at time with the old wheel so I feel they are an upgrade also. Otherwise it seems to have all of the functionality of the older SkyFi2. The biggest problem so far has been using the "PowerConnect" function for routing the output through the car FM receiver. The Onyx Plus has an output option if the audio reciever you are using has an auxillary input source jack and that would probably work great. My car does not have this aux input, so I planned to use the "PowerConnect" function which outputs the signal through an unused channel on the car's FM radio. This function does work but it is not as strong as the SkiFi2 and does not "overpower" as many weak FM stations, so if you are living in an area with a lot of FM stations you may have trouble finding one clear enough to accept the Onyx Plus receiver. Also, you must use the supplied power cord and it must be plugged directly into the 12v receptacle. I initially used the old SkiFi2 power adapter and plugged it into a 12 v receptacle splitter that I had been using, and got terrible reception even on FM channels that didn't seem to have a station. I was to the point of taking it back when I checked the online troubleshooting guide (you only get quick start documentation with the unit). It says that - unlike the SkiFi2 - the FM "PowerConnect" works through the electrical system and that it may not work if you use a receptable splitter (or do not use the supplied power cord). When I corrected these issues, the unit then worked fine - though again - it is not as powerful as the older SkiFi2 and I still have to look around more for a clear FM channel. Unfortunately my car has only one 12v receptable, so this now means I can't use the multiple outlet splitter I had been using to power my GPS or cell phone charger. Bottom line is that you cannot plan on using the FM connection option unless you have a dedicated 12 v receptacle on your car. They do sell a "FM Direct Adapter" separately which basically creates an Aux Input for your car radio by splicing a connection into the antenna line - but you'll have to pull out the car radio to install (or have it "professionally installed" as recommended in the online user manual). At this point I either have to do that or buy a new car that has an aux input or multiple 12v receptables! So far I have tested it only in a car - they do sell a home adapter kit to use with a home stereo receiver but I can't comment on that. It's a fine unit but you need to be aware of its connection limitations and make sure it works for your situation.

Like the radio and the installation, hated dealing with the people at Sirius. Getting a god renewal deal is like negotiating with a flock of crows. Never take their first, or maybe their second, offer. You can get different costs from different people, so shop around. Five stars for the radio and Best Buy installation, one star to the Sirius Staff.

I've been an XM radio subscriber for over a decade...since 2002 as a matter of fact. This is easily the best radio they've ever made. The good: - It has 20 presets; two banks of 10. I've found that to be more than enough. - Screen is bright, easy to read, and organized. - TuneStart. This alone is worth the purchase. After the radio has been running for a few minutes, whenever I tune to a station in my presets, it starts at the beginning of the song. It makes scanning around for music a far more enjoyable experience. You never again will find a song you like with only to find it’s almost over. - TuneMix. Not something I personally use but kind of a cool feature. Start this mode and your radio will play one complete song from a random preset. After the song ends, it'll change to another channel and play another complete song there. - Supports the Xtra/2.0 channels that only the newest XM radios can tune to. These channels have far better sound quality as well. The bad: - If you're an audiophile, XM may frustrate you. The standard 1.0 channels often sound compressed. The 2.0 channels sound much better, however. - Plug and play radio. The plus is that you can install it yourself. The downside is that since you’re doing it yourself, you'll likely have a couple cables going across the dash of your car. - FM Modulation. The FM transmitter can be weak. The signal is further degraded if you have multiple devices plugged into other outlets in your car (e.g. my iPhone charger). Luckily there is also an option for a direct connection via an AUX port. Overall / tl;dr version: This is a fantastic radio. There's a few shortcomings but they aren't the fault of the radio itself. If you want XM, this is the radio to choose.

I've had a few of these through the years. Simple to use. Just plug and play.

Our XM Xpress RCI died after almost 4 years. Really wanted this radio again because it was best i've used but is not offered at Best Buy anymore. We had the extended warranty so had to use our credit here and choose from the available models. Of the choices the Onyx plus was the best unit. The FM connection is much nicer than what we had to "rig" in the past. It gets fuzzy like any other FM station if there's conflict but overall is pretty solid. When changing channels it will restart the song when tuned which is nice. Navigating the channels could be easier as you have to hold the number key and then type the numbers and press select to change. On the Xpress there was a knob you could turn and press to fly through the channels. Also you have to go by category and then scroll instead of going through them individually. If this radio would adopt the knob feature of the Xpress then it would easily be the best radio out there. As is, it is the best of the available XM radios.

Works just as well as the one that came built into our other car! The reception is similar and I certainly would have the geek squad instal the radio if you cannot. I also bought the home kit and use it not only on my home stereo but also can play over my portable bose soundlink I and take this setup onto our boat.

I've had Sirius radio since 2006 and always have loved it. I've had several radios over the years. I upgraded to this radio from a Sirius Sporster 5 and am totally happy with my choice. The new radio has artist and song alerts like the Sporster 5 had but can hold up to 100. The Sporster 5 could only hold 30. Plus the new TuneMix, TuneScan and TuneStart features are fantastic as well as the full color display with Album Artwork. This radio is a big improvement and is much better than any radio I have had in the past, including factory installed car radios that were satellite ready. The factory radios just don't have the features of this radio. About a year and a half ago, I tried updating from my Sporster 5 to the the new at the time Lynx portable radio. That was a total disappointment. I had the Lynx for just a few days, returned it and re-activated my Sporster 5. This radio however, is a completely different story. I love it. About the only thing I can say negative is that the radio packaged with the car kit does not come with a remote I had to but a remote separately from TSS-Radio and it's the last generation remote not the newest one but it still works for 90% of the functions. Other than that, I am very , very happy!

My car wasn't equipped with Sirius and if I had to listen to taylor swift one more time I was ready to crash my Mini Cooper into a wall. This unit is great, it's small and easy to use and navigate through with 10 programmable stations that you can easily click through and more with a few more clicks. Thankfully... I have not been subjected to miss swift since it has been installed.