Review: Sirius Stiletto 100 |
Loading ...
One of the hottest portable music device outside of the iPod right now is the Sirius Stiletto 100 and Sunday we scoured the Circuit City locations to land at none other than Silverdale, Washington. We bought the last one of these black and white beauties for $329 USD + tax and couldn’t wait after the hour plus drive home to get the package open and start the ceremonial first charge.
This is a gift for our oldest teen who wanted to be able to listen to Sirius (yes, he’s hooked on satellite radio too) and also have a portable music device. He has been a long time Napster subscriber and loves music. More on that shortly, let’s see what the Stiletto packaging looks like.
Sirius has somewhat ripped a page from the Apple playbook on the compact, although not quite as meticulous packaging.
As labeled above:
1 - the antenna headphones of death. These are the worst designed headphones I’ve ever seen or listened to; totally uncomfortable and unlistenable. They have these ultrahard plastic ends that poke into your ears. You feel like if you listen long enough they will converge on your skull. It’s an interesting idea putting the antenna in the headphones but the design is just abysmal.
2 - the Stiletto comes with two batteries, one of which is a slim 2 hour battery and a fatter 4 hour battery. They should have offered a version without the fat batter and shaved $150 off the price tag as the price being too high seems to be a common complaint.
3 - USB cord to connect Stiletto to you computer but not enough power to charge the battery. The software comes packed with Yahoo Music Messenger of all things. You can transfer MP3 or Y! Music purchased files. Not sure if the free Yahoo files being rented can be transferred to the Stiletto.
4 - earbuds that don’t stay in your ears. I’ve never been a big earbuds fan, even with the iPod, mainly because anything that sticks down in the ear cavity seems like a recipe for going deaf early. Fortunately, the Stiletto uses a normal headphone jack, so you can plugin your favorite headphones.
5 - AC adapter included to charge the Stiletto.
Not pictured: software, instruction manual and Sirius channel lineup.
Our son took the Stiletto to school and his friends thought it was a cell phone. It sort of looks like one, especially with the fatter battery.
Lighter than it appears. 4.6 ounces with slim battery, 5.6 ounces with the standard battery.
No carrying case comes with the stiletto, not even some cheap cloth or plastic case, but it fits perfectly in a eyeglass case.
There are two ways to connect and listen: through the satellite, which only works in our area outside and through the internet via WiFi. Connecting to the WiFi was as easy as choosing the SSID and entering in the password. The recording function — one of the coolest parts of the Stiletto — doesn’t work with internet. The homekit is coming later this month which should offer an option to use an outside antenna. In its current state, good luck getting the satellite inside unless you are close to a terrestrial repeater.
The menu screen is colorful and easy to read and operate. Parental controls are available. Since this was our second Sirius receiver we paid an extra $6.99/month for three months (quarterly payment appears to be the minimum option) plus another $15 one time connection fee. The one time connection fee seems like another missed opportunity by Sirius to have been waived for the Stiletto.
The Stiletto has an internal antenna, but using only that even outside in the open air we couldn’t get a reliable satellite signal. We don’t have any terrestrial repeaters nearby here which doesn’t help.
The settings screen allows additional configuration: screen brightness, voice which will announce the channel (”buzzsaw!”) and more.
It’s really too bad that Sirius has no Major League Baseball contract. Noticeably absent from their game tracking features are MLB, but you can put in your favorite football, basketball and hockey teams so you can get notifications of when the game is starting or the score changes.
Connectivity, cost and features
The two major complaints I’ve read about the Stiletto are the satellite connectivity and cost. We have the Starmate Replay which we paid like $80 for and the reception with the home antenna is awesome. The ability to listen via WiFi is a decent response but without the ability to record anything is disappointing.
When connected via satellite the recording function is useful and has gotten Sirius into some hot water legally. You can record a song, even if you are in the middle. It will go back and record from the beginning. You can also record the talk shows.
The 2GB storage space compared to other portable music devices is anemic. For $350, the Stiletto should come with at least ten times the storage. Those with larger MP3 collectiosn who want to transfer their MP3 collection to the Stilettto will need to pick a smaller playlist.
Since this was a gift for our son, I asked him what he thought and he gave it a B+. I’ve noticed he has been listening to it constantly since we got it which reinforces his grade.
Me? For those who want a portable Sirius satellite receiver that tries perhaps too hard to be like an iPod, the Stiletto doesn’t have much competition and thus makes it harder to compare to other portable music devices. You can’t get Sirius on an iPod or UMPC or Zune, thus it probably should be compared primarily against the other Sirius players. From a design perspective, the godawful antenna headphones aside (really, the worst ever), it’s better than the other home Sirius players I’ve seen and used. Some are saying to wait for the second or third generation Stiletto, but for those who want an additional Sirius player that they can take anywhere quickly and easily, the Stiletto is ok. At half the price and with more memory (or at least an expandable slot) and better antenna headphones, I’d give it higher marks.
Grade: C-
Related Posts- Sirius to release portable unit that stores music
- Sirius to charge subscribers $2 more for higher quality internet streaming
- Find a clear channel at Sirius
- iPod turns five years old, looking back, looking forward
- XM and Sirius, side-by-side feature comparison
- Halo 3 Zune from Gamestop
XM and the pioneer Inno are the comparable products. And let me tall you, inside, outside, open air or not. I can get a signal with the Pioneer Inno from XM. And they have MLB. I’m not suprised the Stiletto Stinks. So does Sirius.
Comment by O&A FAN — October 28, 2006 @ 11:40 am PST
Try an XM Inno or Helix.
Much better technology.
Anything Sirius makes is junk.
Comment by Frank — October 30, 2006 @ 8:11 am PST
I’m not surprised that we’re seeing Sirius bashed again. I think it’s obvious the reviewer wanted to give what appeared to be a non-biased review of the Stiletto. Unfortunetly if you read the reveiw you can tell it is in NO WAY a professional. It’s written by some kid who most likely shorted the stock and thinks his review is going to boost his earnings. Typical basher IMO.
Comment by Barry — October 30, 2006 @ 8:30 am PST
“Some kid” LOL Barry, whatever. I happen to like Sirius and our family has two accounts. I’m listening to it as I’m writing this and have never owned Sirius stock. I’ll stop correcting your comment at that point.
Comment by TDavid — October 30, 2006 @ 9:08 am PST
[…] Here’s a review from the field: Stiletto Review […]
Pingback by AimlessWords » Archives » Siriusly Sexy: Sirius Stiletto 100 — October 30, 2006 @ 4:27 pm PST
I am a true Sirius Fan. I love everything sirius, and couldn’t live without stern.
I do have 2 issues. #1 (MLB missing) i know it’s not the stiletto’s fault, but thought i would put it in.
#2 and the most important. the antenna is flat out awful. Im in houston (4th largest city) and can barely get any coverage. The Wifi helps believe me, but can’t record on it, so that sucks. Please fix the antenna issue or release an antenna upgrade
Comment by Neil — October 31, 2006 @ 10:14 pm PST
I am about to return my Stiletto and forget about Sirius. I can’t get a signal unless I am standing in the middle of the parking lot and even then the signal is too weak to be able to activate the account. This thing is absolutely useless. What a disappointment.
Comment by Karen — November 4, 2006 @ 11:56 am PST
I have bought 2 S50’s and 3 boom boxes with replay..I just bought the new Stiletto last week and am returning this incredible piece of crap today..can not get a signal anywhere unless I am outside.the earphones with the antenna are horrible uncomfortable..I am so disapointed..I waited a month for this to arrive and my god hat a total piece of crap it turned out to be,,I am amazed that they released this product as there are clearly so many bugs that they have yet to work out!!
Comment by kathy — November 26, 2006 @ 3:49 pm PST
[…] To get away from Microsoft vs. Apple for a moment, he also could look at the device we bought for his brother — the Sirius Stiletto 100 — but I don’t think he’s that interested in satellite radio. […]
Pingback by Customers vs. users and being accused of astroturfing » Make You Go Hmm — November 27, 2006 @ 10:09 am PST
In midtown Manhattan standing on a curb in the middle of the street I would receive only one signal bar. As soon as I would walk into a store it would fade out..
In the suburbs of NJ approx. 30 minutes from Manhattan I could not receive a signal..on the second floor..no signal..outside..nothing..up in the mountains at work..nothing. If I was lucky I would get one bar…
What kind of service is this?
It is a month before Christmas..It makes me think twice about keeping the service…and forget those headphones..ouch! I might as well stick some pebbles in my ears.
Comment by zincink — November 27, 2006 @ 10:35 am PST
Midtown Manhattan gets a signal of at least 2 bars EVERYWHERE…even in buildings…WITHOUT using the antenna headphones! Zincink, you are a fool…either stop lying or take your unit in for service/exchange. I can get reception INSIDE my apartment building in midtown! There are Sirius repeaters EVERWHERE! You\’re full of shizzzzz…
As for the MLB issue - MLB WANTS to be on Sirius, but Sirius doesn\’t have enough room…because they have EVERYTHING ELSE. NASCAR BEGGED to leave XM and go to Sirius. That was the last add. There is no more room…especially for the 8 trillion games of the MLB. If you like baseball…too bad. If you like everything else entertaining…Sirius is the way to go.
lastly…this is the BEGINNING of something new. Your digital cable has been around for a while…and STILL skips, pops, drops, pixillates, etc…Sirius is doing pretty good, considering. More repeaters will be up as time goes on…new technology will become available…and you\’ll be one of the 1st people to have had one. Congrats…you over-sensitive ear having complainers. Ask your cable company/satellite provider to provide you with mobile cable/satellite…oh yeah, they don\’t. Looks like Sirius wins, comparitively speaking, again. F off…idiots.
Comment by Double J — December 10, 2006 @ 2:51 am PST
For starters the Timer recording does not work if the unit is off. It did not turn on this morning.
The FM Transmitter sucks. I have the cheapest model at it works great for FM transmission.
I am using the Headphone as an indoor antenna, it is not as good as the Car Antenna, but seems to work ok, but only get like 1-2 bars. In the car without connection the unit does not get a very good signal even when held near the side window. I will most likely return it to store. Internet streaming seems to die as well, it needs to rebuffer. When I use computer for Internet Sirius it works 100%. Is this due to the WiFi being only 802.1b?
Comment by John — December 13, 2006 @ 10:21 am PST
Why would I come on here and make up stories. It does not work. Period. You practically have to dance in the middle of the road to get reception. I am allowed to complain..I pay for this service which I can’t use…Explain this to me..I have tried it in two different states, four different areas, suburban and inner city and it still doesn’t work..
It performs well over internet connection but then what is the point of having the portable if I can’t get one lousy signal bar.
Comment by zincink — December 17, 2006 @ 10:56 pm PST
I like it, but 10 or 100?
I bought the Stiletto 10, then exchanged it for the 100, then exchanged that for the 10 again! Does that make me a fickle consumer? If so, I was driven to it by the feature choices: The 10 has alerts (song or artist) that the 100 does not. When you read the fine print, the 100 is limited to 10 hours of Sirius program storage, so what’s the real advantage of the 100 over the 10? I like the song recording feature of the 100 but I would miss the alerts of the 10. Why should we choose trade-offs when purchasing upgraded product? The nice folks at Sirius have no answer. That being said, I am satisfied with the reception and the programming. It’s true that the headphones are terrible, but you don’t need to use them- the built-in standard headphone jack works just fine. I shoved them out the window to use as an exterior antenna when I’m at home!
The price could be dropped by leaving out the headphones, earbuds and extra battery.
Comment by JohnCanada — December 24, 2006 @ 5:45 pm PST
To preface I already have 2 Sirius units and love the content and the idea of Stiletto- in theory. I live in the NYC suburbs (18 mi. due west of Manhattan), while Sirius works capably in the car, it’s a spotty at best with the boombox I have. I love the idea of the Stiletto, but the initial reviews scared me away. Unfortunately, my wife bought the endless hyping by the Stern show staff and bought me one for Christmas. I spent a couple of hours walking around aimlessly with those atrocious headphones, never got more than 2 bars (and then only rarely). Despite adding the player first thing Christmas morning the channel update never came through. Today the unit gets returned, and my wife is pissed. I’m not surprised based upon what I read before and since I received, but I am disappointed. The reality is not in line with the hype.
Comment by Bob Lehman — December 26, 2006 @ 11:46 am PST
[…] I finally joined the satellite radio movement in September 2006. Our oldest son has the Stiletto 100 and enjoys channel 19, BuzzSaw (rock). We’ll be keeping our two satellite subscriptions into 2007, so the next time somebody says who would pay for radio you have at least one name. I’d rather pay for satellite radio than TV because radio is something I can enjoy while working. I enjoy terrestrial radio too but the signal is pretty spotty at home and our offices. TV is much too distractive, unfortunately. […]
Pingback by Martha Stewart uses the Thumper, has no close friends » Make You Go Hmm — December 27, 2006 @ 3:57 pm PST
hmmm . i was very excited to sign up and begin listening to sirius. i was given a stiletto 100 and a 1yr. subscription for xmas . it didnt take me long before i was thinking of returning this product and seeing if they would refund any of the 1yr. subscription. i live in Detroit Michigan and i waste more of my battery looking for a signal than tuning in . i get no signal at home or at work so its worthless to me , when i do get a signal i must stand still in that position, defeats the whole mobile concept. 2GB??? for that price i would expect something a bit closer to the ipod or zune in storage space. big disappointment.
Comment by John Puddles — December 27, 2006 @ 4:10 pm PST
I tried using the headphones as an antenna, put up on my rear view mirror, and tried sticking it in my sunroof between shade and the sunroof, clear view of the sky. Wouldn’t even work in a convertible with the top down. Still unlistenable reception in NJ, even on wide highways without trees like Interstate Route 80. And all the accessory Sirius antennas you can buy seem to need you to have purchased a car or home docking station, versus plugging directly into the bottom of the phone where the antenna slash ear torture device connects. This is a portable unit, it should offer a portable docking kit, such as a suction cup antenna that can connect to the proprietary connector on the phone, not need some $70 docking station that’s supposed to be wired into power. And something that can provide power to the unit with FM transmitter, but not the big clunky ‘permanent’ car kit. The bottom of the phone is designed to sell kits, not convenience or portability. They even put the power connector so close to the antenna/headset connector, that if you plug in the antenna, you can’t plug in the power to charge the battery. (it misses fitting by about 1/4 of an inch, filing down the connector might allow it to fit). They seemed to have deliberately set it up so that you can’t use the headset (as antenna or painful headset) while charging the unit, to force purchase of the home unit docking station. Amazingly proprietary and almost designed for inconvenience to force customers to buy multiple car and home kits, rather than one portable ‘kit’ for the portable Stiletto. And if they let it accept a memory card or decent storage, it could really replace an ipod instead of just being some big thing to carry around that maybe gets a signal sometimes, in addition to carry an ipod. And does not even include a cheap carrying clip so that its ready to be portable, very surprising. Like they didn’t realize that portability was the reason someone might buy the stiletto. The 802.11 works great though, but before leaving my house, I might want to check traffic, but those stations only come in via satellite (if you’re lucky). And of course, you can listen 802.11 without a device at all from a PC, so that’s not selling Stiletto benefits either. Maybe they have to keep the satellite reception crappy to keep the RIAA happy, since 802.11, where reception is good, you’re not allowed to record at all. RIAA probably didn’t care about stiletto users recording from satellite, its about as likely as someone recording from AM radio. And to add insult to injury, they charge extra for broadband internet access. Not sure if that’s only extra for the PC-based broadband, or if it effects Stiletto 802.11 mode, but either way, it should be included for customers stuck with a stiletto, so at least they can listen somewhere, and they really should allow the recording mode to work, its not transferrable outside the device anyway, why restrict customers from having SOME way to get the music to listen to on the device. And there’s a way to record a station based on time of day (assuming the unit is on and can get satellite reception), but I’ve yet to see a schedule, so I’d know when to record. Or a way to pick a favorite artist, and tell it to record whenever that artist is played (1st time per song) on the selected channel. And you’d need a docking station, since they made sure you can’t otherwise plug in the antenna/headset and keep the battery charged at the same time, unless you file the 1/4 inch off the connector to make them both fit at the same time. Its like they went out of their way to make the unit inconvenient.
Comment by John Rurzman — December 31, 2006 @ 5:31 pm PST
well, sounds like we have a bunch of XM listeners commenting on the stiletto. First off, it does not have a built in FM transmitter (whoever said that is obviously lying and has never used a stiletto). Next, if you have a clear shot of the southern sky you will get a great signal, no matter where you are (idiots, this thing cannot be shoved in your pocket like an ipod, the antenna needs to be pointing towards the sky). Also, ALL major cites have repeaters (so saying you are not getting a signal in the city is a LIE or you have a faulty unit). Proprietary connectors are a way of sliming the device (look at iPod), if you knew anything about electronics you would realize it is a space matter and not sirius trying to inconvenience the customer. Stop comparing the storage to an ipod or zune. Mp3 devices do not need to add the satellite technology to thier devies so of course they are going to have more space. All of you that are complaining are morons, you have no sense. At least the reviewer was logical, unlike you commentators. Quit your complaining and return it and cancel your subscription, you don\’t deserve to have this wonderful product/service.
Comment by namewithheld — January 1, 2007 @ 2:59 pm PST
Minor clarification to namewithheld’s comments. The Stiletto 100 does, indeed, have an FM transmitter, but it can only be activated when the unit is placed in either the home or car docking station. Actually, that’s where my biggest complaint lies. I have three active subscriptions, one each on a Sportster Replay, a Starmate, and now a Stiletto. The FM transmitter in the Stiletto is subpar at best, but from my understanding it has to do with the FCC’s complaints that wireless FM transmitters (across the board, not just in Sirius equipment) must be toned down.
See http://www.siriusbackstage.com/forum/showthread.php?t=82451 for more information.
Comment by jjwinc — January 2, 2007 @ 3:49 pm PST
I do not own any XM anything. This device was given as a gift.
If it was a lie we wouldn\’t be taking time to post.
We are coming here as a group to see if anyone has had the
same issues. Simple as that.
It is rather easy to cancel the service..and maybe
we might take that advice and do just that…
This isn\’t complaining..it is called consumer knowledge.
We are sick of being taken advantage of as customers so
the only way to gather information on a specific problem
is to post and perhaps find out what went wrong.
Comment by zincink — January 2, 2007 @ 5:48 pm PST
[…] Our family started a Sirius satellite radio subscription in September 2006 and I’ve enjoyed listening to NFL and Howard Stern, plus a few of the music channels. Is it worth approximately $200 a year for two subscriptions? We renewed the first quarter anyway. One for a Sirius Starmate radio that works in the home or car via FM transmitter, the other for my son’s Stiletto 100. I know he’s controversial, but Howard Stern does some excellent radio. As mentioned here before, it’s easier for me to follow radio than TV while working and the terrestrial radio in our area is spotty, at best, so paying for satellite radio is worth it to us. We haven’t fully explored all channels, just like TV, but at least my son and I are enjoying what Sirius offers. The next time you hear or see somebody say who will pay for radio, point them here. […]
Pingback by Find a clear channel at Sirius » Make You Go Hmm — January 10, 2007 @ 1:06 pm PST
I was given this Stiletto 10 for Christmas and it works well for me. I do have an apple ipod video 30g and numerous other mp3 players. I had no problems getting this machine to work correctly. I was able to plug in the HORRID ear torture device and gain antenna coverage in wide open Wyoming from my kitchen window. Then I could record a little bit of music and play with it while listening through the cheap silver ear buds.
I found that the best thing for my needs was to go ahead and purchase the home kit. I was able to put a dab of hot glue on the home kit antenna and stick it right outside of my window. Then I used the dock rather easily. My machine will turn itself on and record whatever programs I want (P.S. I get the listing of programs by going to Sirius and choosing my channel) you can do this by going to Sirius.com clicking on ALL CHANNELS and then selecting the BLUE number beside the channel you like. Here is an example of one channel and their lineup.
http://www.sirius.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Sirius/CachedPage&c=Channel&cid=1126670695378
This allows you to tell your machine what date, time and duration you want. (Provided that you have a home kit and a signal, which I read above some of you don’t.)
With the home kit it has an additional slot that charges an extra battery (or the extra one that came with it).
I do however have a problem with the FM transmitter property on the home dock. My machine tells me which channel it transmits over and my stereo was tuned to that channel, I can not make the FM modulator work on it. But then again I have my radio sitting on my stereo so I just use the an audio cable from the headphone jack into my AUX input on the stereo. It plays very clearly and streams right from the satellite.
I am also able to take the unit to work and “replay” music that it automatically stores while it is playing live. I only requested it for Christmas to use the sat radio not for MP3’s (I have the ipod for those). I mainly chose it because we like to camp and such. I hate the horrible antenna ear buds but like I mentioned above if you just plug in a “good” pair of ear buds beside it, you can just hang it outside of your tent or window, etc.
I hope that this review is helpful and allows those who have any problems to see how to solve them (IE charging and listening at the same time, or picking out music to pre-record/program).
Comment by Kimberly — January 15, 2007 @ 12:30 am PST
I received the Stiletto 100 for Christmas, and enjoy it. I was originally given the XM Inno, but traded it in for the Stiletto as I wanted to be able to hear Stern (and I’m not an O&A fan). The only advantage I saw with XM was MLB, but the rumors out there say that Sirius and XM will merge eventually.
I’ve also had luck in receiving a signal INSIDE the house. I was amazed! I live in a Boston suburb and really haven’t had any signal issues.
The only complaint I have is that when I try to record something, it doesn’t record the song from the beginning….only from the point when I hit “record”.
Comment by Dave — January 26, 2007 @ 11:57 am PST
I just bought the Stiletto 100 directly from Sirius and received last night. I am pretty electronic literate but I was overwhelmed by the car kit package. There are so many little pieces and parts that I’m sure I’ going to have fun installing it this weekend. LOL.
As for the receiver itself, I live in Norther NJ and received a strong signal from the start. This morning I took it to work(in Manhattan) and it worked fine with a strong signal in midtown.
I am somewhat disappointed with the features that seem awkward. Also, I feel that the unit gets very hot after 15 minutes of use…HEY SIRIUS IS THIS NORMAL???
But overall I’m happy with this.
Comment by Rolando — February 9, 2007 @ 11:02 am PST
One major problem with the Stiletto 100 that I did not have with the Starmate is that the Stiletto will record dead air when I lose signal. While using the car dock, if I park under an awning to get gas the stiletto will record the dead air while my antenna is block from the southern sky. Very annoying to have to fast forward thru dead air.
I have a program scheduled to record at midnight, I leave my stiletto in the car with power on and power to the car dock for the antenna. In the morning the stiletto is off and the program did not record. Any suggestions on that?
The head phones should be recalled and replaced by Sirius. I can not imagine what idiot agreed with that design.
While fast forwarding after I release the button it continues to fast forward for appx 15 to 30 seconds of recorded material. Same for fast rewinding. The starmate would stop when I released the button.
I could use more information on the display while listening to a recorded program. For instance the date it was recorded would help.
The FM transmitter on the card dock is almost useless. I use external speakers in my vehicle.
The love button allows me to record duplicate songs. The stiletto should use a prompt asking me if I want to overwrite the current recorded song or continue to record the duplicate (Helpful if I know I have a partially recorded song). It is hard for me to remember which songs I have already recorded so I end of with duplicates all the time. Such an obvious problem should not have been over looked.
Another issue is that I can pause a music channel for up to an hour, then I can fast forward one song at a time. When I find a song I want to record I can push the love button and it records the song in an instant. That was great I could very quickly scan an hour of music and record songs very quickly. Well that was great while it lasted, for some reason it no longer records the song, instead it pops up that it added it to my favorites. My “loved songs” memory is at 6 hours and 49 minutes. I am allowed 10 hours. So that is not the problem.
Over all I am very satisified with the Stiletto 100, just a few issues I hope Sirius can fix with software updates.
Comment by robert — February 17, 2007 @ 7:58 am PST
The antenna headphones do feel awful. The cap on the right fell off — just fell off, I didn’t drop them or sit on them or anything. They were around my neck at the time. I kept pushing it back on, but the wires eventually came disconnected. I came here trying to figure out how to get it fixed — can’t find anyone online who will service the thing or sell a spare antenna/headset. If no one knows where someone in Brooklyn/Manhattan can get them serviced, I may try to find a pocket to stick them in and just use some regular headphones. The trouble is I walk around a lot for my work (in a neighborhood where I can’t carry a purse) and already look like a homeless person with the bulging jacket and pants pockets.
Comment by ElaineTyger — February 19, 2007 @ 11:59 am PST
I just got one when I was in Clearwater florida on spring break in Feb, anyway I am extremely disappointed. It wouldn’t work in a convertible unless you were in an absolute open area . I had the top down the signal by the beach driving up the coast from alt 19 from Clearwater beach to Dunedin to go to the gym was awful. It would cut in and out, it was nerve racking. I think if the FCC wants to make rules to cut down the signal , Sirius shouldn’t sell this product. Either your product has to work 1000% or don’t sell it. A lot of us paid a lot of money to get a sub par kind of reception. I love Sirius content much more than XM stuff. I got it for the NFL mostly but love the music and talk radio. I wish they would get their shit together and make a friggin product that works better. Or someone invest a frigging after market antennna that works better . This is Horse SHIT!.
Comment by JohnnyBeGood — March 6, 2007 @ 8:45 pm PST
I just bought a S100 and have to say - very impressed. For those of you who are having reception issues, I’m not really sure what the issue is, I live in small town BC, surrounded by mountains, yet have no problem picking up reception. Just went for a walk with my puppy using the aforementioned headphones and didn’t have a single signal dropout. My Wi-Fi works awesome in my house, and yeah - it’s a good set-up.
For a first time product out of the gate, I have to say Sirius did a good job.
Comment by Robb S — March 17, 2007 @ 5:02 pm PST
Question?Is everyone defending sirius working for sirius…Sure sounds like
Comment by Sacha — March 20, 2007 @ 5:39 pm PST
I am buying the unit mostly for music so programming for me is basically the same. Based on looks, I would definitely choose the Stilletto over the pioneer. However, from what I have read, are you telling me that if I go to the gym I won’t get a signal? Why wouldn’t they build an antenna into the unit? What is the point of the unit if its not truly portable (buying the antenna kit). The price has gone down since this article was written I think.
I guess most important for me is functionality. I want to be able to plug this into my stereo at home, in the car, and listen at the gym or on vacations.
Any advice??
Comment by kevdragon — April 9, 2007 @ 12:22 pm PST
Well…
I love my Sirius. I use the Starmate that I carry from car to home, with docks in both places. Why not the Stilleto? Well I had one and returned it for the Starmate. Every one of the complaints above is valid.
I went through 3 Stilletos. Either because the Wifi didn’t work or because the unit was freezing up or the unit was rebooting etc etc etc. Finally the last Stilleto 100 I got had no problems, except for the reception. It seemed that I had to stand still in the middle of the parking lot, with my head slightly tilled, left hand behind my back while jumping on one leg. Well that last part was an exaggeration.
I live in western part of Fort Lauderdale, but every time I went to Miami, the reception was fantastic. I guess it all has to do with repeaters. My area does not have them, so roof top or car antennas are a must. If you still have problems with reception in an area with repeaters then there must be a problem with your unit. Replace it.
Remember this is satellite reception, so line of site is important. I would just ask Sirius to be a little clearer about the limitations. I convinced 3 people at Best Buy not to buy the Stilleto because I overheard them telling the salesperson they wanted a SAT radio while they work out at the gym. The sales person told them, “No problem”, but I had to butt in and come to the rescue. Too many people are entering the stores thing the product is one thing when it really is not.
The product still does not take away from Sirius’s programming. I am getting another Starmate for my wife.
Comment by peter — April 10, 2007 @ 11:16 am PST
Bought the Stiletto 100 as a gift for my wife. Probably a no go. ONLY works if wearing the torturous antenna headphones (reception — even just walking the streets — is spotty is hell with the regular headphones). Have taped the two together to make less cumbersome while putting on both at the same time. Antenaa on the head… regular earphones in for comfort. “I look like a friggin’ robot,” my wife says. Yeah, well. A couple more days of Ms. Robot and then it’s surely going back…
Comment by Jeff Davis — July 13, 2007 @ 9:06 am PST
Treated myself to the Stiletto 100 basically to listen to Howard, I have XM on my computer with AOL and Directv. I love satellite both XM and Sirius. As for the S100, Wi-Fi is the best and only way in home unless you need to record a program, Damn I wish i could record using Wi-Fi. I installed the car docking kit in 15 minutes, it was so easy my 8 year old could have done it and the reception is crystal clear. I am a real estate agent and constantly in the ride. This has been my best purchase since my Brazilian mail-order bride.
Comment by Lee Spurlock — July 26, 2007 @ 10:09 pm PST
I just got the stiletto 100, not sure what the deal is with those of you who are having issues with reception, mine is working just fine, but I do agree that the external headphones/antenna is silly and it hurts the ears a bit. Reception is great. Metro Detroit.
Comment by jd — August 12, 2007 @ 6:18 pm PST
I just got the stiletto 100 as a gift. Excellent reception thus far with the antenna headphones both inside and out. While I agree the antenna headphones are far from comfortable I don’t find them entirely unwearable. Then again I’ve always prefered earbud headphones.
Comment by Mark — August 25, 2007 @ 6:47 pm PST
I live in Montreal….yep Montreal Canada!!!
Bought the Stiletto since i wanted to stay connected to satellite radio outside of my car.
Can’t say i am super trilled by it but when you pass mail for 4 to 5 hours a day ( i am a mail man by the way )
the time pass more quickly. Forget that awful antenna, its in my bag. I use my own pair of headphones and its great.
As for the reception, well depends where i am in the city. I noticed that when i pass into a WiFi hotspot i loose all
contact. So downtown isn’t the best place to be. In the mountains outside the city is the best spot. Satellite signal is strong
and never fades away.
Battery life is an absolute joke. I get only 40 minutes out of the small battery and 2 hours out of the big one and yes…i turned off the screen completely so it wont stay on all the time…got that already from a Sirius salesman.
Still i don’t regret buying it. Won’t use it that much but it does the trick for me.
Now for the home antenna and a docking station so i can record the Octane top 20 and listen to it while working
Comment by Greg — December 16, 2007 @ 6:10 am PST
if anyone has any experience installing the vehicle kit for the stiletto 10 or 100 i’d really appreciate your comments. i just bought a stiletto 10 and am wondering if it’s worth installing the vehicle kit or possibly wait till i can afford the new stiletto 2 and install the vehicle kit that comes with it.
Comment by joe b — December 28, 2007 @ 6:36 am PST
I’ve had both the Stiletto 10 and Stiletto 100. They both shuffle parts of the 6 hour show around if I record the whole show in one block. It seems random. I’ve asked tech support and they all claim they’ve heard this problem before. I can’t be the only one that has this problem can I?
Comment by Marc G — June 23, 2008 @ 9:01 pm PST
TYPO in my last POST…..I’ve had both the Stiletto 10 and Stiletto 100. They both shuffle parts of the 6 hour show around if I record the whole show in one block. It seems random. I’ve asked tech support and they all claim they’ve NEVER heard this problem before. I can’t be the only one that has this problem can I?
Comment by Marc G — June 23, 2008 @ 9:51 pm PST