Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)This unit offers excellent sound. The SkyFi unit has very good sound for all that is packed into a small box for less than $100, but the Polk uses high quality analog preamplifier and the heralded Burr Brown DACs that deliver the best analog output available from a satellite radio. If you use the optical connector then the quality of the sound will depend on your DAC and analog stages. The weak link in the satellite radio plug and play units is not the digital compression.
If you are running the audio outputs from a SkyFi into your home stereo this unit will be a very nice upgrade. Assuming you have a mid-high grade system you Will hear a difference. The SkyFi II has a newer digital processor, not yet in the Polk, and so it would deliver a better digital output if it had an optical output, but it is only capable of delivering analog and so the Polk still outperforms by virtue of its superior analog stage. But if I owned a SKyFi II I would wait for a newer version of the Polk. This is 5 Stars based on it's sound quality and oncreeen menu features, but I admit some dissapointment that it does not yet have the latest digital processor already rolled out in less expensive units 7 months ago.
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Product Description The XRt12 from Polk Audio is the world's first component-style XM Satellite Radio tuner for the home. It's the best sounding and most convenient way to enjoy XM's wealth of digital music, sports, news, and entertainment programming in your home through your existing amplifier and speaker setup.The XRt12 connects to any audio system and fits in any audio furniture or equipment rack. (Use of the receiver requires a paid subscription to XM Satellite Radio). Set it up once and the XRt12 is ready to deliver high-fidelity XM programming in your home anytime you want to fire up your favorite XM channels. You no longer have to remember to take your plug-and-play XM tuner from the car and dock it in a home adapter. No more squinting and running up to the tiny display to see who's performing that awesome song. The unit has its own 4-line blue-backlit display and a composite-video output for viewing the artists and track information right on your television. The XRt12 comes with everything you need to enjoy XM radio the day you bring it home: a high-gain XM antenna with 20-foot cable, an optical digital-audio cable, and a stereo audio/composite-video interconnect. The unit's rear panel features both optical and coaxial digital-audio outputs for easy connection to surround receivers and processors. And, if XM starts delivering multichannel surround sound, you'll be ready. The XRt12 also features standard RCA analog stereo outputs for connection with any stereo receiver or integrated amplifier. Other features include a built-in signal-strength meter to help you position your antenna, up to 20 channel presets for quick and easy switching to your favorite channels, a memory button (so the XRt12 can store up to 10 records of channel, artist, and song data for later retrieval), and a function that lets you scan through major channel categories (rock, talk, sports, etc.). Preview mode lets you see what channels are available and what's playing--before switching from the channel you're listening to. Further, the XRt12 sounds better than other XM home appliances because of its high-grade parts and construction. If you already have XM in your home, Polk is certain you're not yet hearing its full sonic potential. The XRt12 maintains low noise and low distortion, delivering music that approaches CD sound quality. The digital bits and bytes of satellite radio must be converted to analog for listening, a job handled by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The reference tuner uses a Burr-Brown DAC, widely regarded as the best in the industry. The DAC's analog output must be amplified to a voltage level that your receiver or preamp can use. The XRt12 employs a true high-fidelity preamplifier circuit board, offering greater gain than do the cheap headphone preamps found in plug-and-play tuners. In fact, you can adjust the XRt12's analog output to match the gain of your other components. Each major function (power supply, display, outputs, preamp, and tuner) of the XRt12 is on a physically separate circuit board to minimize interference and noise. If you have a whole-house distributed audio system like those made by Crestron, NetStreams, or Elan, the XRt12's RS-232 I/O connector allows you to plug right into the system to enjoy XM radio throughout the house. You'll be able to control the XRt12 from any station on the system, displaying channel, artist, and song data on any control screen in the network. If your audio receiver or amp has a 12-volt trigger output, you can connect your XRt12 to it and have the receiver turn the XRt12 on and off. What's in the Box XM receiver, a remote control, remote batteries, an XM high-gain home antenna, an optical digital-audio cable, a stereo analog audio/composite-video cable, a user's manual, an XM channel reference card, and online registration information.
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