The new MiRGE radio, which has the ability to play both Sirius and XM services on the same receiver, was on display at the Sirius XM Radio exhibit at the Bellagio. And Orbitcast had the opportunity to play with the unit, as well as learn some additional details about its capabilities.
The new MiRGE is essentially an XpressRC, using a nearly identical chassis, but with both Sirius and XM chipsets built in. You have the same functionality of being able to preview three channels while viewing your current channel, on a clear full-color display. The only difference is that you can seamlessly switch between either service with the simple push of a button.
The MiRGE cannot display the channels from one service, while listening to another. But the switching between the two services is immediate. The device literally has both chipsets embedded - complete with separate IDs - so it's even possible to be a subscriber to only one service without the other.
Above you can see the two separate Sirius and XM IDs. As a result, you can do anything to this device that you can to any other satellite radio - such as attach Lifetime subscriptions to it. And, obviously, since the MiRGE has both chipsets built-in, the device is thicker than its brethren. Also note the universal docking capability.
The proprietary aspect to this device is really the satellite radio antenna (not pictured). It is a truly interoperable antenna and not much bigger than the dedicated Sirius or XM ones. The antenna is completely unique to this device.
One really cool thing with the MiRGE is now we can truly tell the differences between the sound quality of either Sirius or XM. During the demo, we set both services to AC/DC Radio, and with the simple push of the "sat" button, instaneously were able to compare the two services - apples to apples, oranges to oranges. It's pretty neat to experience.
Will the MiRGE be a big seller? Probably not. It's great for hardcore satellite radio enthusiasts or for people who simply must have every single MLB game and every single NFL game available to them. Many truckers might like this, since it really provides everything that both Sirius and XM have to offer. But it's hardly a mass-market device. This is a mandated device, and it fulfills that mandate.
So I guess I have to ask...
What's the point? Other than fulfilling an FCC Mandate?
Like Ryan wrote, you can every EVERY NFL and EVERY MLB game, but with the "best of" packages will anyone really buy this?
I'll still hold off on buying any new hardware, for a little while longer. I haven't even added Best of Sirius to my XM yet, and so far I'm still happy. I guess I'll just keep what I have until I either break down and am Jonesing so bad for NFL Radio, that I get Best of Sirius, or when my SkyFi2 finally decides to crap out, then I'll be forced to get anything new. Other than that.....I don't see a need just yet.
Why are the graphics the same on each channel and each song that plays? Why don't they change?
C'mon, Ryan, give it up. Which one sounded better? I'm dying to know.
"The MiRGE cannot display the channels from one service, while listening to another."
So I assume this means that seek lists won't work across the networks? Boy, this is really a "dumb" machine...I thought it might do more to actually work with both networks simulatneously. What a disappointment.
Ryan!!! Which sounded better??? AC/DC on XM or Sirius?
Way to leave us hanging: Who won the sound quality comparison? :)
Also, for the antenna, when you say "The proprietary aspect to this device is really the satellite radio antenna (not pictured). It is a truly interoperable antenna and not much bigger than the dedicated Sirius or XM ones. The antenna is completely unique to this device."
By "proprietary" do you mean it uses a connector that won't work with other Sirius or XM radios? If so, that's a shame. An interoperable antenna might be a useful thing to have installed in your car, even if right now it makes no sense to receive both XM and Sirius. It would be nice to install this antenna along with a head unit where both XM and Sirius tuner boxes could be installed. Which would let you switch from one to the other, or have both, without having to reinstall an antenna.
An aside - do you not get every NFL game with "Best of Sirius" on XM? You list that as a reason to subscribe to both full services. Can you not get it now with XM plus Best of Sirius?
this will be on the clearance rack at Big Lots this comming Christmas.
you were able to compare sound quality "apples to apples".
So, the $1meg question. Which sounds better?
So you mentioned that you can compare sound quality with this unit but you gave no impression thereafter. Could you hear any difference?
Why is this website called orbitcast when it ONLY talks about Sirius XM?
@all Neither of the services sounded "better" (it's a subjective opinion afterall) - so that's why I bit my tongue on passing judgement.
XM had more bass, Sirius had better higher levels. That's really the difference from what I could tell.
If I simply had to say which one was "better"I would say Sirius did for AC/DC Radio. But seriously, it really just depends.
The amazing $10 million radio! Developed since 2003 and required by the FCC as a condition of license yet only hitting the market six years later and after a SDARS merger prohibited by the FCC itself.
Too little too late. But thanks for playing.
OK the sound is not the problem. why get this product when Sirius xm have merger channels and gave the best of to the customers. the only people to buy this product are new customers and trust me. They will bitch when they see that the channels have merger and getting same channels on both services and they are paying 19.99 a month for something we getting cheaper. also by get this Product you only get 5 more channels total with the everything of Sirius and xm. those are commercial music channels from clear channel on xm and more music channels from Sirius.
I'm not seeing anything that resembles an XM receiver ID on the back of that radio.
I agree that this may be pretty much useless to existing customers with the 'Best of' packages. BUT I think it may have some appeal to the Sirius customers who want MLB, such as myself. Unless I am mistaken, MLB games are not included in the 'Best of XM' package with Sirius. So I think the only way to get MLB for Sirius is through the MIRGE. Correct me if I am wrong.
we as truck drivers have purchased the mirge. we had both units in the trk and paid 2 different prices. i liked sirus. my co driver liked xm. when we got our new co trk, we did away with the sirus and he added the best of sirus to his xm. this was a wrong decision. with the ncaa march madness coming on his heels, he couldnt get live play, just updates. i had called sirus to get back with them when they introduced me to the mirge. sirus came thru again. been a customer to long. wont leave again. thx
I have purchased the Mirge, and I have just about every XM radio receiver and boom box, as well as Sirius.
It turns out that all of the BoomBox and Car accessories that work for the Xpress RC work just fine with the Mirge, as long as you swap out the antenna....for a Sirius one. When I have a Sirius antenna connected either directly to a boombox or through my wireless repeater, both XM and Sirius come in. The micro-car antennas have long been interoperable (I switched between a Sportser 5 and a myriad of XM radios by swapping the base but using the same antennas.