Start-up was easy. Once you've snapped the basic components together and run the antenna outside or fastened it to the roof of the car, you call customer service or go online to activate your account. Suddenly you've got 100 channels of static-free radio.

Picking a channel takes longer than scanning FM, but the reward is sweeter. After jumping around the cleverly named stations, from Symphony Hall to Folk Town, I landed on The Bridge, dedicated to the quarter century of easy rock from Cat Stevens to Sarah McLachlan. It's like taking a personality quiz: no other station gave me such a consistent reason not to touch that dial.

Still, touching the dial isn't so bad. Scrolling up or down, you instantly see what song is playing; before you even hear music, you know whether to keep going or stick around. Higher up the list, you reach the Sirius Entertainment Streams, stations broadcast by partners including CNN, BBC, Bloomberg and Fox, plus ESPN, E! and Disney.

Moving from home to car was simple with the Here2Anywhere. You just snap the receiver into the car cradle (sold separately), which includes cigarette-lighter power jack and a magnetic antenna that clings to the roof without damaging it. I used the cassette adapter; you can also use your car stereo's auxiliary input.

In the car, I noticed a sound quality issue. In MP3 jargon, Sirius broadcasts at a variable bit rate up to 128Kbps, so in a system with nice speakers, you're bound to notice the compression. A strong standard radio signal might sound better, at least momentarily. On the flip side, although satellite radio might blink in and out in heavily wooded areas, it is normally consistent: the signal never varies in volume or goes fuzzy.