Where's the base model?

[JoeySD]

The crappy sound quality of satellite radio fits right in with those crappy cars.

Sirius Satellite radio that is built in to the head unit sounds simply amazing in my GTI with a premium sound system. Now if ur using an FM transmitter type satellite radio receiver device, well then that may be the reason for the "crappy sound quality" you mentioned ;)

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[JoeDogInKC]

No, there is very little bandwidth for the audio stream from the satellite to the car. It'd actually sound better with a worse stereo system because you would be less likely to notice just how bad it is. Sometime their streams are in Mono, even.

 

[phil1336]

No, there is very little bandwidth for the audio stream from the satellite to the car. It'd actually sound better with a worse stereo system because you would be less likely to notice just how bad it is. Sometime their streams are in Mono, even.

I agree totally! For (myself), the Sirius/XM Satellite feature is not so much for the "audiophile" purest but for those that want a vast choice of whats available on the airwaves. Sports, News, Traffic, don`t need to be broadcast in HD, right? Its all about choice thats adds little to nominal cost to Ford, the Manufacturer, by offering a feature that you can subscribe to or not. Same issue back in 2010 when I pre-ordered my 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback. Ford eliminated the Sirius/XM feature from its standard radios requiring a $600 upgrade for SYNC and a dozen speakers while all Base Fiesta Models sold for the Canadian market included the Satellite Radio.

 

[JoeDogInKC]

Oh yeah, it definitely has it's use. I'm looking forward to HD radio. I never really listen to the radio, but being on a trip that'll be good. You'll get good quality audio, even though it'll be from local stations.

 

[Colleton]

While HD radio may give you an improved sound quality due to the digital signal (less noise), in my experience all HD radio really gives you is meta-data for the song or station. Some stations will give you song titles, others just scroll their call sign and marketing phrase over and over. /shrug

While I hate to bust on Mustangs, I think that JoeySD had it right. Sirius radio sounded much better in my '08 GTI than it does my '14 GT500, mostly because, IMHO, the stock sound system in the GTI was better than the one in the Mustang. The stock sound system in every Mustang I've owned has been pretty sucky. I have hopes for the new Mustang though, as it looks like MFT equipped cars will be getting the same sound system currently available in other Ford cars equipped with MFT, and this system is pretty good. I really like the stock sound system in my wife's MFT equipped Focus ST, it beats the crap out of the sound system in my GT500.

As always, JMO.

 

[JoeDogInKC]

In Sirius/XM, there’s about 4.4 Mbits/s for the audio that’s divided up among more than 100 channels. Voice-only broadcasts use low-bit-rate streams (about 24 kbits/s), and music broadcasts get streams of 40 to 64 kbits/s. 64Kbps Max.

In HD Radio, you can multicast, allowing a 100Kbps stream for audio (on FM band), as well as regular FM (25 - 50 Kbps), AM (12 Kbps) and talk (5Kbps) qualities. You can divide the bandwidth up however you want, even going with a single digital only stream at 300Kbps for audio.

100 Kbps is noticeably better than "up to 64Kpbs" for Sirius/XM, which is their highest quality.

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