Blaupunkt America SR04
Sirius Satellite Radio Tuner/Receiver
The SR04 is actually Blaupunkt’s first Sirius radio, and, while most satellite radio tuners nowadays come built-in to the radio tuner itself, we look back at a time when satellite radio (ergo, and Howard Stern) actually mattered.
The America SR04 then listed for $160 but you would have to pay a $12.99 monthly subscription to Sirius. The small albeit aggressively-sized radio measures 4.75″ wide, 3.2″ high and is 1.2″ deep. Back then it was small, but not as small as the XM Roady2. Up to this point, you might still be wondering what the SR04 is doing in a car audio blog, but it came with a car kit so it’s the closest thing you could get to enjoying satellite radio in your car. By the way, it also comes with a “home kit.”
Navigation through the SR04 either by its small remote or via the faceplate itself was somewhat a pain. Besides not being user-friendly, the touch mechanism was too sensitive for its own good, so you really need to press just right. But like all car audio devices, once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature to you.
Because satellite radio is a new technology, it is supposed to sound good. Its high bandwidth means of transferring data to your device translates to cd-like (or mp3-like) sound quality. And the Blaupunkt did a good job in this area. Of course, much of this depends on what kind of equipment you have plugged in its analog audio output. But, since the digital signal is converted within the unit itself, the SR04 affects the sound more than you’d think.
Additional Features
The America SR04 has a 6-line display, built-in wireless FM modulator, 30 station presets and a 10 artist and song memory. The car kit includes a docking cradle, a 12v DC power cord, line out jack and cable and a magnetic car antenna.
Blaupunkt SR04
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