Satellite Radio: Here, There, Everywhere Page 3

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Satelitte Radio homeEnthusiasts want top-quality hi-fi equipment for the best possible sound. For them, there are now several component satellite-radio tuners to choose from. While many of these tuners were designed for custom installation, almost all of them can also be used in a simple single-room system.

Just in case anyone had doubts about satellite radio's high-end cachet, component maker Krell will soon begin shipping its way-cool Trio tuner ($4,000), an AM/FM/XM unit that also offers a Wi-Fi-capable Internet radio option. The Trio can send signals to three zones, allowing you to simultaneously feed AM to one room, FM to a second room, and XM to a third. Wall-mounted keypads in the remote rooms relay the track title and artist information provided by XM. krellonline.com polk xm reference tuner 12 Polk XM Reference Tuner 12 ($330)

Polk Audio, best known for its speakers, is also getting into the XM tuner business. Its XM Reference Tuner 12 ($330, shown on the next page) uses audiophile-grade Burr-Brown digital-to-analog converters, and like the Krell, it can be controlled as part of a whole-house system through its RS-232 control port. Its ultraslim chassis (only 2 1/4 inches high) will slip easily into any A/V rack. polkaudio.com

Speaking of multiroom systems, Crestron, one of the key players in the field, has introduced an XM tuner. As you might expect, the CN2-TXM ($1,100) is designed to be used with Crestron's high-tech touchscreen control panels. crestron.com

Audio Design Associates (ADA), another major name in custom installation, has two products that include XM satellite tuners. The Tune Suite four-band tuner ($2,499) has AM/FM/XM and the WX weather band, while the impressive HTR-2400 ($9,900) incorporates these same features into a state-of-the-art home theater receiver. ada-usa.com

Antex might not be a household name, but this pro-sound company has covered all the bases by offering three-zone tuners for both XM (the XM3000, $1,999) and Sirius (the SRX-3, $1,999). Both models have three independent satellite tuners so you can play different channels in each of three rooms simultaneously. antex.com kenwood dt-700s Kenwood's DT-7000S tuner ($299)

Antex isn't the only company making component tuners for Sirius. The Audiovox CE1000SR ($250) is a single-zone unit with an RS-232 control port and a digital output, while the snazzy-looking Kenwood DT-7000S ($299, shown below) has a scrolling dot-matrix display, along with a song-title and artist memory bank to help you remember the name of that great new band you just heard. audiovox.com, kenwoodusa.com

tivoli audio sirius tabletop radio Tivoli Audio Sirius tabletop radio ($300) For more casual home or office use, a stylish table radio is an excellent option. Tivoli Audio, makers of the popular Model One radio, has the Tivoli Audio Sirius radio ($300, shown below), which combines the looks and performance of the Model One with a Sirius satellite tuner. The Tivoli addresses one of the main complaints about satellite radios with its large, easy-to-read display. tivoliaudio.com

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