Rated 
Samsung Helix YX-M1
Fairly compact and records easily, Connects easy to PC, Plays variety of wma and mp3 formats
Disappointing reception, FM Modulator requires $60 car accessory, Bulky and pricey for a mp3 player that doesn't hold much, Organizing files could be easier, Lousy battery life, Limited accessori
Posted Mar 10, 2007 - Overall the device is user friendly. Moving between XM channels is easy and recording is straightforward. Transferring files between the device is as simple as copy -> paste. Organizing saved music isn't complicated but editing a playlist could be more intuitive. I deleted more than a few files permanently before figuring out how to just remove it from the playlist. The stock quotes and sport scores scrolling feature is pretty cool, not necessary but comes in handy. The overall sound quality is pretty good. Obviously you're listening to an XM signal but mp3s come through good. However, many of my friends have mp3 players with much better quality and acoustical range. For an XM receiver it is compact but you need to live near several repeaters. The overall reception quality is disappointing. I've used it stand alone, with the car adapter and home adapter. No matter where the antenna is positioned or I'm driving the reception is random from day to day. Sitting at home (Orlando) in the cradle the reception is all over the place. I've spent just as much time listening to XM recorded songs as I have to XM. I've mainly used the device in Orlando, FL and travel frequently to the coast and WPB, FL. I've also used it at Lake Tahoe, Gatlinburg and Andros Island, BI. Surprisingly, the reception was pretty good in Gatlinburg using the car cradle and FM modulator. Lake Tahoe was disappointing especially since it's a mountain which is closer to the satellites and free of obstructions (buildings, overpasses, etc). I have several friends with XM at Andros Island where I frequently travel for work. One of my main reasons for getting XM was to listen there. The Helix doesn't work there. I've tried it with cradle, antenna and standing in a field. Other XM units get much better reception there. However, I did find the Helix gets good reception on the plane from PBI until about 10 miles out from Andros. It works good in most planes if you hold it against the window. Move it away from the window and the signal is completely lost (which makes sense). The internal storage could have a higher capacity considering the unit size and be more reliable (get to that later). The battery life is terrible. I tried several methods including screen brightness and recorded songs vs satellite but I was never able to get more than a couple hours without plugging it in. I think my standards are pretty realistic, for a road trip the battery in my mp3 player should last longer than a full tank of gas in my car (13 gallon tank). My old mp3 player (actually my Sony Clie) was able to play 4 hours of recorded music. The Helix couldn't play satellite radio for that long. Now the death of my Helix. I turned it on two days ago and was welcomed by a "Scanning Files screen". It hasn't left that screen since. I'm trying to get the device repaired but the outlook isn't good. I've read a couple blogs with discussions and usually the Helix/Inno become a paperweight. This is seriously disappointing since I haven't owned it a year and typically enjoy being the person to break something I bought. In this case, it just decided to break...not cool. So, the Helix is pretty neat but it isn't worth the money. I would seriously recommend buying a cheaper XM receiver and a separate mp3 player. This device doesn't have many accessories available and the overall performance is disappointing.
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