With the multitude of brands and models available today, choosing a portable audio device that best suits your preferences can be a difficult task. Feel obligated to buy an MP3 player and make use of all that downloaded music, yet can't bear to part with the idea of having hundreds of satellite radio channels at your fingertips? Stop biting your lip; now you can get a taste of both worlds in one convenient device. Satellite radio has collided with MP3 capability to bring the next big innovation in portable audio — the Samsung Helix XM2go. Perched at the pinnacle of satellite radio technology, the Helix's portability, teamed with its ability to record live XM content and play MP3s, makes it a strong contender on the market. As an iPod? addict, I was curious to see how this new gadget would compare. The Helix left me thirsty for better signal reception, but I remained hopeful that its cool features could wash away the glitches to quench my cochlear desires.

Meet the Helix

Why buy the Helix? First off, its portability distinguishes it from other satellite radios, which must remain docked to receive reception. I was excited to have a satellite radio that I could take with me when I left my car or apartment. I simply popped the Helix out of its cradle and I was ready to go, with live XM content at my fingertips. The Helix is lightweight and comparable to the iPod in size, so it's easy to carry in hand or slip into your pocket. It comes with a carrying case/holster, which proved to be very handy when I was on the move. When you're holding the Helix, make sure you keep the antenna exposed to the sky — unfortunately, it's very easy to lose the XM signal while indoors. I had trouble maintaining a strong signal while seated at my desk (which isn't close to a window). I recommend using the home docking system whenever you want to listen to your Helix indoors — if you mount the home antenna outside, you can receive a much stronger signal than if you rely solely on the Helix's built-in antenna, especially if you're not sitting near a window.

Cool, a portable XM radio. What else can it do?

Not only does the Helix grant you access to over 170 XM channels, it also allows you to store and play your favorite MP3 and WMA files. By the simple touch of the "mode" button, I could alternate between live satellite radio and my stored music. The Helix boasts 50 hours of storage for recorded XM content, and you can use just under half of this amount to store your favorite MP3 and WMA files. So not only could I hear a great variety of music, keep up-to-date on the news, and listen to my favorite sports teams kick butt, I could also store almost 25 hours of my own MP3s. All in one compact, handheld device.

Display

Physically, the Helix is striking. Comparable to a cell phone in size, the Helix is black with metallic silver trim. It's thin enough to slip into your pocket and small enough to carry comfortably in hand. The Helix's 1.7" illuminated color display is easy to read, even in the dark or in bright sunlight. A thin bar at the top of the screen provides helpful information such as the time, available memory or signal strength, battery charge, and current mode ("XM" or "My Music"). The XM channel name, playlist name, or MP3 genre always appears on the screen, along with the channel number, song title, and artist name. Press the up and down arrows to browse through the list of XM channels (color-coded according to genre). You can hit the display button to view the channel list by current song or artist on air (rather than by channel name), which makes finding your favorite music a breeze.

Directly under the screen, you'll find eight, easy-to-use buttons.

Here's a breakdown of each button and its function:

• Mode: press to switch between live XM content and stored music.
• Play/pause
• Display: press to change what appears on the screen — you can choose to view a scrolling artist/song ticker or a stationary readout. I preferred the stationary readout as it enables you to instantly see what's playing (instead of waiting for the artist/song name to inch across the screen). You can also choose to display the sports or stocks ticker with this button.
• Arrows: press to select menu entries or change channels. The left arrow also acts as an "exit" or "back" button.
• XM button: press to access channels, playlists, and menus, as well as to confirm selections.

Two more important control keys are located on the ride side of the Helix:

• Power/Hold: simply slide it down to turn the Helix on or off. Slide the power button upwards to put the Helix in "hold" mode — this locks all the buttons.
• Volume Control: located under the power button.

"TiVo" for Radio

One of the Helix's coolest (not to mention money-saving) features is its ability to record live XM content. Every month, I spend more money than I'd like to purchasing online music. But with the Helix, I found myself abstaining from doing so — there's less of a need to buy music when you can record and save all your favorite songs on XM. Equipped with the latest "time shifting" technology, the Helix can record live XM content, which it automatically stores for future listening. When you hear a song that you'd like to record, press and hold the "XM" button — a "Recording?" message appears for a few seconds and indicates which song you've chosen to record. A red recording symbol remains at the top of the display throughout the entire song, and the Helix automatically stops recording at the song's end. If you want to stop recording in the middle of a song, just press the "XM" button, and select "Record" followed by "Stop Recording." Awesome. I could get the music I wanted without touching my credit card.

If you really enjoy listening to a certain channel, you can opt to record everything it airs — select "XM" followed by "Record" and "Rec Channel." Be sure to remain on the channel while you're in record mode — the Helix automatically stops recording if you switch to a different channel, much to my dismay. Save yourself a lot of frustration and make sure you're in an open area or close to a window whenever you record — the Helix will also stop recording if it loses its signal.

Just like TiVo, the Helix has you covered if you decide to record a song after it's already started. A 10-minute buffer enables you to record a song in its entirety, even if you catch the song late. Sound too good to be true? Bingo, there's a hitch. In order for the buffer to work correctly, you must be tuned to a channel before the song actually begins. So, if you jump to a channel and immediately discover a tune that you want to record (mid-song), you won't be able to capture the beginning. What a disappointment — after all, the 10-minute buffer seems like it would be most useful for those times when you switch channels and suddenly stumble upon the middle of a great song. Although it is nice to be able to record music, the Helix's TiVo function isn't as great as it's cracked up to be.

Nevertheless, let's stay optimistic. If you want to record a basketball game but won't have access to your Helix at tip-off, you can schedule a recording session instead. I didn't want to miss the MLB All-Star game, so I set the Helix to automatically record the game later that night by simply pressing the "XM" button and selecting "Record," "Schedule Rec," and "New Session" (be sure that the clock displays the correct time). You can schedule the session to occur daily or on one specific date. Be aware that if the session length surpasses the available memory, the Helix will record over the oldest XM tracks in its memory.

If you switch to "My Music" mode (just press the "mode" button), you can listen to your recorded content, as well as any MP3s or WMAs you may have downloaded. It's easy to navigate from song to song using the arrow keys. With the Helix's "record and store" feature, I was pleasantly pummeled by a plethora of XM songs and my own music files. I organized my music by creating playlists with a mixture of XM content and my personal music collection — this way I could group my songs so they'd be easy to find later. Word of warning: if you don't receive a live XM signal for at least eight hours each month, all of your recorded XM content will become temporarily locked and unusable.

Cool Features

For you sports aficionados, the Helix also features a customizable sports ticker to keep you up-to-date on the latest scores and news. As a sports fan, the sports ticker made up for some of the displeasure I experienced due to the Helix's unreliable signal reception and insufficient TiVo buffer. I could easily program the device to provide continuous updates of my favorite sports teams' schedules and scores — I reviewed the Helix during Wimbledon, and it was great to always have the match results a glance away instead of being forced to search for them online. Plus, the ticker supplied game time and channel information, so I could conveniently locate a particular sporting event on XM.

You can also stay in check with the business world via the stocks ticker. Just enter a stock symbol on the virtual keyboard (you can track up to 20 stock symbols) and return to the main screen — the Helix will run the quotes on the bottom of the screen.

If the info extras don't appear on the screen when you turn on the Helix, just hit the "display" button several times until they appear.

Customize to your liking

One of the features I liked best about the Helix is its "customizability". You can create a list of your favorite channels for quick and easy access — simply press the "XM" button, and select "Favorites" followed by "Add Channel." It's just as easy to delete a channel, so you can continually update your favorites list (you can store up to 99 channel presets). To view your favorites list, press the right arrow key.

One of the Helix's most convenient functions is TuneSelect, which automatically alerts you when your favorite artists or songs are on air. When you hear a song or artist that you'd like to hear again, press the "XM" button and select "Bookmark." Then you can choose either "TuneSelect Artist" (to be alerted whenever a certain artist is on air) or "TuneSelect Song" (to be alerted whenever a certain song is on air). The next time that particular artist or song is playing, the Helix will beep and flash "Artist/Song Found" on the display — you can quickly switch to that channel by pressing the "XM" button. This feature allows you to effortlessly find your favorite music and saves you the time of scanning through over a hundred channels. You can bookmark up to 20 songs or artists on TuneSelect, and you can edit the list or turn TuneSelect off altogether at any time.

Napster Compatibility

These days, downloadable music is the way to go in terms of affordability and convenience, and the Helix is completely compatible with MP3 and WMA files. If you just can't get enough to listen to on XM (which was almost never the case for me), you can take advantage of the Helix's Napster compatibility. The Helix comes equipped with Napster software for purchasing online music. Finally, a device that combines the two hottest raves in music.

With the Helix's XM + Napster feature, you can bookmark songs you hear on XM, connect the Helix to your PC (not compatible with Macs), and then buy your bookmarked tracks from the XM + Napster online service. If you don't have a Napster subscription, you can buy each song for 99 cents. The XM + Napster software is included in the box and is easy to install. Between the recorded XM content and Napster downloads, I quickly and inexpensively expanded my music collection.

What's Included

The Helix comes with everything you need for portable or home use. When you're on the go, all you need is the Helix itself, earbuds, and maybe the carrying case/holster and travel power cable. At home, dock the Helix in its cradle near a window (so you minimize the likelihood of losing the signal and chucking the Helix outside in frustration) and plug in the AC power adapter and home XM antenna (all included). For better signal reception, you can mount the home antenna outdoors, facing south. You can use the remote control to conveniently manage the Helix from across the room. The Helix also comes with an RCA audio cable and a USB cable for uploading MP3s from your computer.

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Add-ons

You can enhance your Helix experience with these accessories:

• Car kit: If you want to hit the road with your Helix, consider purchasing the Samsung YA-CP100, the car kit designed especially for the Helix. The kit includes everything you'll need to enjoy the Helix in your car — dock, power adapter, and roof-mount antenna. The Helix's wireless FM transmitter allows you to broadcast the XM signal through your in-dash FM stereo. If your car stereo has an auxiliary input, you can use patch cables to connect the dock directly. For $69, the car kit is definitely worth the investment.
• Armband: If you want to wear the Helix around your arm rather than in the waist holster, for $25 you can buy Belkin's F5X009 armband, available in black or pink. Now you can run or work out without worrying about dropping or damaging your Helix.
• Headphone Antennas: Want better reception while on the go? You can buy Belkin F5X002 headphones with a built-in antenna for improved portable reception. They run for roughly 40 dollars.

Limitations

Just like any product, the Helix is hampered by some flaws.

One major pitfall is inadequate battery life. The Helix only lasts for about five hours of playing time before it needs to be recharged, so it's not ideal for long trips in which you won't have access to an outlet for the travel power cable.

Another huge weakness concerns signal reception. Most of the time I had trouble maintaining a strong enough signal for the Helix to function — even when I was out in an open field, the signal faltered. While at my desk indoors, I had to keep the Helix stationed in a certain position in order for it to receive good reception. It really only works well if you keep it near a window, with the antenna unobstructed from the sky.

One minor drawback is the Helix's incompatibility with iPods — I would have liked to upload my iTunes? to the Helix. I'd be in heaven if Samsung would work out a deal with Apple. Nevertheless, I ended up recording most of my favorite tracks off of live XM so, ultimately, I was satisfied. Another slight shortcoming is the poor sound quality of the factory earbuds — I used my iPod earbuds instead.

Conclusion

If you have the patience to put up with occasional signal lapses, the Samsung Helix is a great way to enjoy both satellite radio and MP3s. For now, I think I'll stick with my iPod.

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