The $330 Sirius S50 is a handy device for discovering new music. It blends an in-car satellite radio dock with a removable iPod-like player that can store up to 50 hours of audio in its 1GB of flash memory. I liked the hybrid's quirky array of features, but its inability to receive a signal away from the dock may deter some potential customers (also, the device requires a $13 monthly subscription to the Sirius satellite service).
I took the shipping S50 for a spin after installing the antenna on my car's roof and hooking up the docking cradle inside the vehicle (some wires dangled from the dash). The S50's built-in FM transmitter let me listen through my car stereo, and the remote control made locating my favorite station easy; I selected the station as one of three My Sirius Channels, which the device then recorded as I listened.
When I left the car, I took the sleek black player along. Because the tuner is built in to the cradle, I couldn't receive live radio, but with the included earbuds I could listen to several hours of music that the S50 had recorded while I was driving. To save a favorite tune, I simply put it in a playlist via a single button press.
At home, I used the My Sirius Studio software to upload my own MP3 and WMA files to the player via USB cable. The software doesn't let you download recordings of Sirius programs to a computer, but it does deliver Sirius music stations over the Internet.
The Sirius S50 is a little pricey, especially if you add the $100 Home Dock for connecting the player to your PC or stereo. But having a steady stream of new music on the S50 was certainly enjoyable.
The Sirius S50 lets you take satellite radio with you, but the Home Dock costs $100 extra.
Price when reviewed: $330, plus $13 monthly fee and $5 activation fee
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