Lovin’ the TTR1 from Sirius
I picked up a Sirius TTR1 radio and overall it’s a really excellent device. It’s signal is fed from Wi-Fi instead of satellite, which is very convenient because there is no wires leading to an outside antenna – a requirement of other models. I finally have a Sirius radio I can move from room to room with ease. The stock photo used here, does not do it justice – it’s actually stylish.
It also has no ESN – you simply use a Sirius internet account. Their web site states it’s $2.99 a month, but as a existing Sirius customer I was offered a deal for one year for $19.01.
That account consist of nothing more than a name and password, that will not only will work for the TTR1, but also on the internet via any web browser, so you can listen from any internet enabled computer. A great value for what comes out to be $1.59 a month.
The build quality of the TTR1 exceeded my expectations – it’s rock solid and weighs in at 6 pounds. The 10 station preset buttons and control dials are of high quality and are nothing like the cheapness of a table radio.
I think the sound is great. It has output jacks for a sound system, earphones and an input jack allowing me to use the TTR1 amp and internal speakers to listen to my Zune or other device.The display automatically adjusts brightness to different environments to easily view artist name, song title and clock functions. A parental control function allow you to restrict access to certain stations.
Their are no options for battery power (personally I don’t care about batteries), comes with a credit card size remote control and the WiFi signal strength meter is kind of cool.
Setup consisted of picking out your SSID, entering your password – then entering your Sirius name/password. I can see where it would be confusing for a novice, but even with a little technical experience it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.
Since I am using the TTR1 to replace another Sirius radio, I had to call Sirius to deactivate the older receiver. While I had them on the phone, I wanted to create an internet account for the TTR1. Their customer support was under the belief that the TTR1 has a ESN that had to be activated. I have to explain to her how this type of radio works in comparison to those that needed satellite authentication. I don’t know if Sirius customer support as whole is poorly trained of just the one person I ended up with.
My advice is to avoid calling Sirius and try to create/upgrade your account on their web site if at all possible. But, good luck with that – their web site is buggy when it comes to account changes and they have removed the ability for the customer to deactivate a device on the web site.
The TTR1 sells anywhere from $113 to $150 – many stores are showing the stock status as “sold out” or “back ordered” on their web sites.
Overall I really like the TTR1 – a lot. I am a big fan of Sirius, and love their variety of stations. This is a good looking, great functioning well-build device that I recommend to all Sirius fans.
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