SIRIUS Stiletto 2 Portable Satellite Radio with MP3 Player

I knew I'd like this thing, but I didn't know how much! I use it all the time in the car, mow the lawn connected to wi-fi, listen to the library all the time...it's great. The Altec Lansing antenna headphones sound and work quite well, and the home and vehicle kits are a must. The "patch" antenna on the unit itself doesn't receive satellite well at all. If you're in a city, the terrestrial repeaters are received by the portable very well. Sirius programming is excellent- you just need to get past their customer service first. I highly recommend the Stiletto 2.

I received my Stiletto II about two weeks ago, and I've enjoyed the convenience of listening to Sirius programming on-the-go after recording it in my office during the day. The headphones it comes with are quite nice (metallic wiring). Most of the joy I get out of the device, however, is dashed by the very buggy software that's installed - and that I find myself having to reinstall over and over again - on it. In the last two weeks, I've had to perform an approximately 15-minute "device recovery" using a PC and the provided software to erase everything I've recorded and then reformat the Stiletto II. Thus far I've had to recover because: 1) the device had some kind of issue with an inability to delete recorded programs I no longer needed, freezing and then giving me an "error, plug into computer to recover" message; 2) for no apparent reason other than waking up the device after it had been recording during the afternoon; and 3) the software crashed the first time I attempted to upload mp3's onto it because I foolishly downloaded updated device software when prompted to by the "My Sirius Studio" program (the software you use to upload music and manage the files already on the Stiletto II, provided on a CD-ROM). In fact, I'm typing this as my Stiletto II is recovering after incident #3 ("Recovering / Please wait..." it says).

I regret buying this; I had a Sportster 4 that worked just fine. I haven't had to reboot the Stiletto 2 in the last few days (the time between incidents 2 and 3 because, I suspect, I'd been limiting my use to very simple things, like recording and listening to just one station, rather than attempting to upload mp3's or manage what files I had on the device after successive recordings. That means, however, it seems that to avoid future crashes I'll have to avoid enjoying the Stiletto 2 to its fullest advertised capability. I hope in the future other device makers than Sirius/Directed Electronics offer Sirius reception. The Stiletto 2 is just a mess.

It's been about 15 minutes already and my Stiletto 2 is now in the "Receiving Software" stage of the software recovery. I'll have to reselect my favorite stations and will have lost all my recordings. Sigh.

The Siruis Stiletto 2 is a far cry from my previous Siruis S50 portable radio. It is an attractive multi-functional device that makes me smile when I hold in my hand or wake up next to it on my pillow. I will however replace it the moment Sirius comes out with the Stiletto 3. Out with the old and in with the new. Similiar philosophy for my relationships.

The rebate had been extended by 30 days on their site and I had the updated form. Their web system was not so I mailed the form. They rejected it - I know how to properly submit. I let it go as did not feel like battling them.

We actually bought this as a gift for my father. He loves it. You can record mp3s on it and you can record right off sirius as well. The headphones it came with are pretty dorky, but they include an antenna in them so that's why they are so bulky. But you can actually use it with your own headphones and just rely on the internal antenna in the stiletto. Or if you are in a bad connection area you can just listen to your prerecorded music. I want one of these for myself now!I have a regular sirius radio, but this can also be docked so its multi use! So cool.