Car Stereos: Sattelite radio sound quality, imperfect methods, oem radio

Question
Does sattelite radio sound better on an OEM system, or a system with an aftermarket head unit?  I was told that aftermarket HU's with a sattelite tuner somehow condense the sound, making it less than desireable when compared to a factory system.

Cheers and thanks

Answer
Hi Cory,

I've never had the opportunity to make a direct comparison between an OEM satellite radio system and an after-market version.  I certainly haven't noticed any sound quality deficiency on the many after-market satellite radio systems I've installed.  Personally, I think it's pretty unlikely that there's any significant difference between OEM and after-market systems, when it comes to the compression of satellite radio signals.  XM and Sirius radio signals are compressed by the broadcaster; there's no reason for an after-market equipment manufacturer to add additional compression.  

Note that an OEM satellite radio system or an after-market head unit and tuner package would both be likely to outperform an after-market portable satellite tuner used with an OEM radio.  However, this is due to the various imperfect methods of getting the audio output from the satellite tuner to play through a factory head unit, and not due to additional compression.

Hope this helps!

Brian