SIRIUS Stiletto SL100 Portable Satellite Radio Receiver
by Sirius Satellite Radio
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List Price: Our Price: $189.99 You Save: $210.00 (53%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Car Audio or Theater See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of SIRIUS Stiletto SL100 Portable Satellite Radio Receiver
Customer Review: worst customer service....ever
Summary: 3 Stars
I feel the need to give three stars because this is the only device i use nearly every day and for the most part it does what i had wanted. the sirius satellite radio experience is very disappointing, though.
i luckily bought the circuit city extended warranty and ended up returning the first stiletto after only a week after it locked up for good, and returned another one four months later for the same problem. (beware of switching the sportster fom home to car too often as well, the side ports give out after a few months of active use).
--it can hook up to a cassette adapter with the headphone jack and it doesn't have to broadcast through the radio in my car. very nice.
overall, since i only really bought it for howard stern, it's been a good purchase. the issues are annoying, though...
--the only way i am able to get through to sirius is to act like i am going to open a new account. i was on "musical hold" for assistance for over an hour and eventually gave up.
--forget about listening to live radio. the stress created by the in and out reception is unbelievable. the best option for me has been recording every day through the home dock.... which is also great for skipping stuff i'm just not interested in. it's like TIVO for radio. even recording that way will still come up with frequent breakups in reception and missed segments.
--the fast forward/reverse button only works in "chunks" of time, so if you just missed a few words you are stuck going through the past five or ten minutes just to hear it over again. this works to fast forward through the commercials, but for regular listening it's a total pain.
--the sleep button needs work. trying to turn it on again often leads to several tries of getting it out of "going to sleep" mode.
--this company reminds me of cable television and cellphones in the way that they find as may ways as possible to get your money. buyer beware and do lots of research. if you have any problems or change your mind after purchase, get ready for an unforgettable customer service experience.
FOR THOSE BUYING THIS PRODUCT JUST FOR HOWARD STERN....i feel like someone should let you know that howard takes every friday off, takes at least a week but sometimes two weeks off around EVERY holiday and worst of all has maybe 10-15 minutes (on average) of commercials or pre-recorded material every hour. the stiletto is probably the best way to navigate all this because you can store weeks of recorded material and you can review anything you may have missed. there are tons of other programs but if someone would have told me all of this before i bought this thing for $350 i'd have reconsidered.
Customer Review: Deceptive Company, Terrible Customer Service
Summary: 1 Stars
DISREPSECTFUL AND DECEPTIVE -- I purchased a Sirius Radio for my husband for Christmas. The company offered a promotional package that included the radio and a $50 gift card to be used towards the monthly subscription cost. When my husband called to activate the radio the sales Rep immediately began to sell us $400 subscription packages, quote exorbitant activation fees ($50). I was appalled that the entire gift card was going to the activation!! There was absolutely no mention of the fee when I purchased. When my husband began to question the charges, the supervisor was consulted and suddenly the fee disappeard. I am sure that if we had not protested we would have been charged..... Then after he decided on a subscription plan, additional enhancements were suddenly suggested to get "optimal service". The Rep basically suggested that the basic service was inadequate and we would have to pay additional charges (above and beyond the quoted subscription rates) to really enjoy the radio. That was the last straw and my husband decided to cancel everything. He felt very taken advantage of and the victim of a Rep that did not know what she was talking about. The process took about 45 minutes and we hung up with the intention to return everything.
Here is the kicker! Because the Sirius Rep asked us to scratch the $50 gift card during the activation process, it is now void.... When I called to see if we could get the full amount refunded, since it was due to their very poor customer service, incompetence and deceptive practices, that we canceled, the customer service supervisor gave me attitude. He even agreed that the $50 was never used and was sitting in our account. However it was our fault...... When I asked for his name so that I could write a letter of protest to management he told me it was pointless and that I could not "bend the company to my will" simply because I was upset. I told him that maybe everyone up the chain would deny my request, but that I had a right as a consumer to complain if I wanted to. He refused to give me his name, as my case did not "warrant" divulging personal information. I was insulted by his direspectful and condescending tone. He did even see fit appologize for our initial negative experience with the company...
Bottome line -- I think this company is deceptive and disrespectful. I am stuck with a $50 gift card I can never use and a terrible opinion of this company. I feel that in each instance our complaints should have been dealt with professionally and with respect. Please think twice before doing business with a company who treats their customers this was
Customer Review: Good For working out
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had my stiletto for just over a week now and I really like its features. I am an experienced satellite radio user (4 years) so I am used to some of the things that are wrong with this unit, which someone unfamiliar with satellite radio will have to get used to. If you are looking for a perfect satellite signal, you will not find it with this unit in most cases, but if you can tolerate limited dropouts then I highly recommend this portable satellite receiver.
The navigation of the unit is brilliant, and the display is easy to read, no problem recording any content either.
The Wi-Fi connection seemed to work pretty good, only buffering once in a half hour time span, but the Wi-Fi does not offer all of the channels (NFL and other sporting events are not included in the standard internet package.)
The satellite connection is not perfect, which is why I gave the unit four out of five stars. I bought this unit because I do a lot of running and biking outside and get sick of listening to MP3's, so I used to listen to "normal" radio but I was frustrated by the commercials. The thought of commercial free radio while I run or bike really turned me on to the stiletto.
Running through parks with lots of trees the connection was not constant, and did break up every so often. (I live in Toledo Ohio where there probably isn't many ground repeaters) So I think I might have to use my MP3's saved on the stiletto when I run in the park.
On the contrary when I went on my bike this weekend the satellite worked nearly flawlessly during my one hour ride. I was able to listen to any of the programs on Sirius with very little if any interruption in signal, so I highly recommend this unit to cyclists, or runners who run on roads, or where there are little obstructions to the sky.
I also used the antenna/headphones while studying indoors and just put the antenna up to the window and used my regular headphones to listen and had no problems.
Another reviewer had mentioned that the sleep mode threw him off and it is a bit confusing at first, but just holding down the button will turn the unit off.
Overall I am very pleased, but am still waiting for the car kit and an arm band.
I recommend this to anyone who is sick and tired of their MP3 player or regular radio, this will really energize my workouts and I am sure it will help others as well.
Customer Review: Really, a cool item.
Summary: 4 Stars
I received the Stilleto as a gift for Christmas. All in all I think it really is a pretty cool device Sirius has come out with and it's about time as well (XM has had theirs on the market for some time).
Anyways, I see a lot of people complaining about reception. It is clearly stated that you might have reception trouble if there are things blocking the view of the sky such as trees and tall buildings (this is the same case with the non-portable versions so this isnt anything new here). If you expect to walk through a forest or crawl through caves and get 100% reception then you are mistaking. I am able to sit in my backyard which has a few trees and get all three bars. However when I bring it back into my house, I get almost 1. This is because the satellite signal is being cut off. This happened to me when I bought the non-portable models. I had to put the antenna on the roof for all three bars in any weather condition (which, if you can do it, do it because youll NEVER loose reception). Also, calling Sirius will not help you get a better signal becasue they cant controll where you are and what's obstructing your views. Only you can.
Anyways, the point is is that this product will perform wonderfully. It has a very easy to use interface, looks nice, has a good solid feel in the hands and is pretty versatile if you ask me. When I come into my house, I switch over to Wi-Fi and I can listen to the radio over the internet (of course, you need Wi-Fi to be able to do this). This means that if your workplace has Wi-Fi, youre set (no need to worry about satellite signal). When I go for walks and bike rides I use the satellite and it works excellent.
My advice is not to hesitate in getting this product. The only thing I can see them improving is the battery life (4hrs with the bigger one and 2/3hrs with the smaller one). Other than that I dont think there is much they can do with it besides change the shape. The satellite signal will only be so strong and there is only so much they can do to improve reception. It is super convenient and the other features such as the schedule recording and favorites are great if you want to use them. Recording Howard Stern is great because I am not available to listen when he's on. I can listen later by using the schedule recording feature.
All in all, youre getting a cool product from Sirius. You wont be dissapointed!
Customer Review: Other Reviews Not Helpful
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this product almost 2 weeks ago, so I believe that I have had it long enough to really have my own opinion on it.
I researched this product quite a bit, but I never seemed to find a review that answered the questions that I was truly interested in. I have never had satellite radio, and only know a few people who did so I had no idea what to expect.
1. Portability - The size isn't bad, though it is bigger and heavier than most new MP3 players (what would you expect from something that picks up a satellite signal). I would recommend either deep pockets or an accessory to assist with keeping on you during your activities.
2. Reception - as a portable device, not bad. This is if I am out walking/running - it only cut out a bit. If I used it in my car (which has an auxiliary jack) and threw the antenna headphones up on the dash, I was very disappointed as it was difficult to enjoy what I was listening to, because it constantly cut in/out. I decided to go buy the car kit, once this was installed it made a huge difference and now I am very happy with the clarity in the car. Though, when at work I am unable to get any signal at all. I sit right next to a window on the 1st floor of the building but there are 2 trees right outside. (see #6)
3. Headphones - This model comes with two sets of antennas, ear buds and a full set which have the built in antenna. If you plan on using this as a portable device plan on taking the antenna pair where ever you go, because you won't get any signal without them.
4. Storage - It is great I can put some of my favorite music on this device and listen to it later, but the ability of recording the live music would be less enjoyable from those moments of lost reception. In addition to that, if I am out and loose reception it is great I can go to my trusty standby music.
5. Battery life has been fine for me. I haven't seen an issue with it so far. The car kit came with an AC adapter, so long trips won't be a problem.
6. Sirius also gives you the ability of listening online, so if I am at work and can't get a signal I just log onto the website and can listen to the same channels for free. (by the way, there is free listening there if you want to check out the Sirius' programming)
I hope this was helpful for those that are interested in purchasing this product!