Sirius ST2 Starmate Replay Satellite Radio with Car Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)I got my Starmate Replay about a month ago. Since then, I only listen to "normal" radio when Howard Stern is on in the mornings. After that, it's Sirius all day long. Come January, I'll be saying goodbye to terrestrial radio.
The good:
The size of the unit makes it a breeze to install. I originally mounted it on my dash in front of my steering wheel where I could see it and access it easily. I used velcro for that install, but it didn't work out as nicely as I wanted. I solved that problem with a vehicle specific dash mount from Crutchfield. Best $35 I spent. The unit is now mounted just to the right of the factory radio and is out of the way, yet still very accessible. The remote is a good size without being too small. The buttons are well placed and it works good without having to point it directly at the unit. That said, I rarely use it. The unit is well within easy reach without taking my eyes off the road.
Bad:
I dont really have anything "bad" to say. The unit does get warm, but that seems to be an industry wide side effect. I keep the brightness and contrast at a minimum and that seems to keep the unit a tad cooler. I do not have a fear that the unit will overheat. It just doesn't get that hot.
Overall I'm very satisfied with this unit. So much so that I just bought another one as a gift.

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With Sirius ST2 Starmate Replay Satellite Radio with Car Kit, you never have to worry about missing that big play again. This compact unit may look small, but it delivers touchdowns every time. With an internal memory that stores the last 44 minutes of whatever you're listening to, you don't have to worry about being interrupted when you're listening to a game or your favorite program. Simply pause the live broadcasts, and when you're ready to listen again, rewind or fast-forward in order to catch up.The Sirius ST2 features a plug-and-play satellite radio that includes a built-in wireless transmitter that lets you transmit your Sirius programming over you car stereo. Thirty station presets give you one-touch access to your favorite programs, song alerts notify you whenever any of your favorite 30 songs or artists are playing anywhere on the Sirius network, and a "game alert" feature lets you know when your favorite NFL team is ready to take the field. An easy-to-read five-line LCD displays artist, song and channel information, and a satellite-updated clock. The Sirius ST2 also includes a car kit with a suction-cup mount, DC power adapter, and antenna that mounts on your car. What's in the Box ST2 Sirius receiver, remote control, antenna, suction cup mount, cigarette lighter power code, installation kit, and user's guide.

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Kenwood RFU-6100 Wireless Module for Surround Speakers Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this unit through Amazon, who actually just forwarded the order to Crutchfield. Still, very fast service and shipping was free.
I have experimented with other wireless solutions such as X10 and Advent. The big thing about this unit was the 50W X 2 amplifier built into the receiver. Other systems require you to provide amplification after the receiver to power the speakers.
OK, a quick breakdown:
Looks - Good enough. Not an issue for me. My transmitter and receiver are both hidden from sight. Silver might not fit your scheme.
Ease of Use - Good. Need to connect preconnected speaker wire from the Xmitter to my amp, and power. Receiver needs power and user supplied speaker wire. Then, if needed, adjust the channel 1-4 on both units to avoid local RF interference.
Functionality - Good enough. I use it for rear channel speakers that generally don't need much amplification. Also, I stopped being an audiophile years ago as my hearing degraded, so the audio quality is fine by me. In 5.1 DVD movie use it performs very well and provides the surround experience I want, without the wires I don't want.
Gotchas - Antenna placement is very important. The box claims 100 ft range, but doesn't specify signal quality at that distance. My units are about 14 ft apart, and the antennae must be at the same height to provide the best sound. No putting the transmitter on top of your stereo rack, and the receiver under the couch. That orientation provided lots of pops and clicks as my wife walked between the two units. Also, I wish both pieces were squared off and had wall mount holes. This would provide additional mounting options.
Overall - Works as advertised/expected. I'm happy with it. However, if you aren't as lazy as I am, run the wires through your walls for better sound.

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Eliminate the biggest hassle of home theater: wiring surround sound speakers. The Kenwood RFU-6100 is a wireless solution that features a transmitter and receiver that operate using RF (radio frequency), which eliminates the speaker AC plugs found on conventional wireless speaker systems. With the RFU-6100, you can use higher-quality surround speakers than are typically found in conventional surround speaker systems.
The separate RF receiver unit has a built-in high-power digital amplifier for the surround speakers (up to 50 watts x 2 channels), which dramatically improves sound quality over conventional wireless systems, and it can be used up to 100 feet away from the transmitter. Active circuitry reduces noise interference, and 4 selectable RF transmission channels eliminate interference from other RF devices.
What's in the Box Kenwood RFU-6100 wireless transmitter and receiver, 2 AC power adapters, 2 speaker wires.

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Audiovox Sirius FMDA25 FM Direct Adapter (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how well this product works.
I have an 07 Accord so it was a bit of a PITA figuring out how to get to the radio antenna in the dash. If you google around for your car and "remove radio" you will undoubtedly find directions for accessing it. That was the most difficult part and it only took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.
I recently got the Starmate 4 for my car. I had one of the old original Audiovox units from when Sirius was first starting up. It was huge, bulky, I had lost the mount for it, and it got VERY hot when in operation. Almost so hot that you couldn't touch it. Hence I decided to upgrade to a newer model. When I received and installed the Starmate I was surprised to see that the built-in FM modulator was horrible. And when I connected the FM antenna extender it came with, it made the sound WORSE. The static made it almost unlistenable through my radio. I googled around and found that the FCC had stepped in and regulated the amount of power the FM modulators were allowed to emit. So my Audiovox unit was better in that fashion since it was built before the FCC rules were established.
To fix the problem I got this Wired Relay Adapter. Basically you plug your car's antenna into it, then plug the wire into your radio. The other end routes through your dash and goes into your Sirius radio. The reception is 100% clear now. No more static. The downside is that you have to a) remember to turn off the Sirius radio if you want to listen to FM because it kills all of the stations, and b) regardless of whether it is on or off it kills AM reception. I don't often listen to AM and guess I don't have a need now (except for local TV stations).
All in all I am VERY happy with this product. It took a Starmate that sounded worse than an old Audiovox I had, and made it MUCH better in the end. 100% worth the $19.99 for this item if you have the know-how to get into your dash.

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Tired of relying on your FM transmitter to send your Sirius satellite radiosignal to your car stereo? Turn instead to this wired FM adapter, which provides a directconnection to produce a crisper overall sound. Unlike FM transmitters--which oftensuffer from static and interference, as with traditional FM stations--the FM adapter plugsdirectly into the rear of your factory or after-market stereo, thus requiring a bit ofinstallation expertise. But once connected, you can tune to your favorite Sirius channelsin seconds without searching for unused FM frequencies. More importantly, the signalwill be clean and uninterrupted, with no pops or fizzes as you drive from one part of thecity to another. The FM adapter, which works with all Sirius plug 'n' play and personalradios, includes plugs and wires for most installations, although antenna adapters may berequired for select car stereos. It's also backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box Direct FM adapter, plugs and wires, user's manual.

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