Pioneer Inno (XM)
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America Part number: GEXINNO1
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Pioneer Inno is compact, gets great reception, and lets you enjoy live satellite audio and your own tracks on the go. Better battery life and more storage would make this XM portable even better.
Read more
Where to buy
| store | customer rating | inventory | tax & shipping | price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | See Site | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
Pioneer Inno (XM) price range: $299.99
- Reviewed by: Troy Dreier
- Edited by: James Kim
- Reviewed on: 04/07/2006
- Updated on:11/14/2008
- Released on: 01/04/2006
The good: The most portable satellite radio receiver yet, the Pioneer Inno (and its twin, the Samsung Helix) lets you listen to live radio and stored content on a device about the size of an iPod. It has an attractive, easy-to-learn interface, and it can schedule recordings or record any XM song live.
The bad: We got only 5 hours of satellite playback from the battery, and the Inno's 1GB storage capacity is too small for power MP3 and WMA users. You can't skip backward in the song list or pause a live stream, and there's no way to add more storage space.
The bottom line: The Pioneer Inno is compact, gets great reception, and lets you enjoy live satellite audio and your own tracks on the go. Better battery life and more storage would make this XM portable even better.
Editors' Note: As of November 2008, this product has been replaced by the Pioneer XMP3.
Oh, the humanity. Satellite broadcaster XM has always been one step ahead of rival Sirius, but with the Pioneer Inno and its twin, the Samsung Helix, XM is officially two steps ahead. While XM is already on its second generation, Sirius hasn't released even one portable receiver yet; the best it has, the Sirius S50, can't play live content unless it's plugged into a dock. First came the Delphi XM MyFi and a few similar devices, which were great but a bit too bulky. Now come these slimmed-down models, which put a satellite receiver in an unbelievably small package and throw in MP3 and WMA playback, song recording, and FM transmitting. XM's required subscription service ($12.95 per month) matches Sirius's in offering a wide variety of music and talk with an arguably better roster of big-name hosts, such as Oprah, Ellen, and Snoop Dogg, as well as MBA and NHL sports coverage. XM also currently has 2.5 million more subscribers. While the Inno will make many users happy, we hope the next generation has better battery life (Inno has 5 hours of live satellite playback time) and more than 1GB of storage or an SD slot.
User reviews
-
-
They keep getting better!
by dygit on May 5, 2006
Pros: Size, sound quality, performance, ease of use, lots of features!
Cons: Tech support is non existent currently, should have included car kit; case is only adequate
Summary: This is my 4th xm radio - started with the 1st Sony, then SkyFi, MyFi and now Inno.
They just get better and better. I think CNET is a bit ...Summary: This is my 4th xm radio - started with the 1st Sony, then SkyFi, MyFi and now Inno.
They just get better and better. I think CNET is a bit unkind saying memory is too small. You can record 50 hours of XM or split the 1GB memory with 25 hrs. of Xm and about 8 hours of mp3/wma files. This was not meant to be a MP3 player like the ipod.
The reception is great; footprint is small; easy to use. The Napster software is great for fooling with your library and playlists. Downloads are easy too.
I love being able to schedule long recordings of XM then filtering out the music I do not want to keep. You can mix your playlists up with XM recorded music and your mp3s and also set them to play randomly. It is capable of doing so much - check out the review at xmfan.com also.
My 2 biggest gripes are that the car kit is extra ($70) and the battery could last longer. I will probably buty an extra battery or perhaps an aftermarket battery that has more capacity will come online.Updated
You can get antenna headphones at xmfan.comUpdated
Have had now for a month - like it more & more - can run battery for 10 hours plus in mp3 mode - 5 hours+ in sat mode. I think I like the record mode most - creating a playlist of your favorite music is so easy....11 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Cool little unit, needs headphones with built-in antenna for outdoor use
by dannonebr on May 2, 2006
Pros: Really small, controls easy to use, nice accessories
Cons: Needs proper placement for 100% reception , maximum volume level could be higher, watch included belt clip
Summary: I received the Pioneer Inno about 5 days ago with the intent of using it primarily for walking with the dog and replacing an existing XM unit in the home. ...
Summary: I received the Pioneer Inno about 5 days ago with the intent of using it primarily for walking with the dog and replacing an existing XM unit in the home. I also have a separate XM unit in my truck. I?ve used the Inno for about 6 hours while walking and about 3 hours in the docking port in the house as of this writing.
Upon purchasing the Inno, my primary concerns were reception, size and ease of use.
Concerning the reception, the Inno receives signal about 93% to 95% of the time. Placement of the Inno with it?s built-in antenna is critical. It must face a south east to south west view of the horizon. I clip the Inno to the collar of my sweatshirt while walking south, and clip it to the rear back pocket of my pants while walking north. Dense overhead tree growth will reduce the reception as will tall buildings. XM has no terrestrial transmitters in my town (in Grand Island Nebraska), and at best we only have 10 FM radio stations. I?ve owned several walkman/headphone type FM radios in the past and they too lose signal about 1% or 2% of the time, verses the Inno, about 3% to 5% of the time, all attributed to placement if the Inno with it?s built-in antenna. However, XM content vastly makes up for the difference. Reception in my home with the included antenna and docking port is 100% of the time.
The size of unit is incredible, it?s small, smaller than a deck of cards including the battery. The controls are very easy to use. The display works well, and as like most devices such as cell phones with color displays, the display is difficult to read in direct sunlight with sun glasses on. Take off the shades, and it can be read. The included black leather-ette case with belt hook has snaps that can?t be trusted. They work loose and out pops the Inno. The volume could use a bit more boost and is not loud enough for me, I like my rock loud. But the included headphones are OK. Battery life is about 2 to 3 hours between charges. I have not tried the built-in FM transmitter.
I have ordered the Belkin F5X002 antenna/headphones. They have been back ordered and are not available anywhere that I have found until Belkin ships them. If the reviews are correct, I expect the headphones to bring the reception to near 100% while walking.
In conclusion, I think the Inno is one very cool little unit. I?m rating it a 7 without the Belkin headphones, otherwise it would be a 9 or 10. Bluetooth would be cool as well. I recommend it.10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great XM radio but MP3 needs some work
by Tim663 on May 2, 2006
Pros: Small and compact
Cons: MP3 locks up
Summary: This is my 4th Inno. I had to return and reorder others.The XM radio part of it is great and yes by the headphones with the antenna for the ...
Summary: This is my 4th Inno. I had to return and reorder others.The XM radio part of it is great and yes by the headphones with the antenna for the best reception. I install the Napster/XM for songs to put on it and when i transferred the songs over it will lock up if you transfer more then 10 songs at a one shot deal.Napster has a update for the firmware on the Inno,but still doesnt help. Pioneer is aware of the problem and trying to fix it so be aware that this might happen to yours. Like i said, love the XM radio on it but the MP3 needs work.
9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Neat gadget, but a few caveats
by wroblicka on July 1, 2006
Pros: size, ease of use, versatility
Cons: reception, battery life, earbuds
Summary: Although I'm generally pleased with the features and performance of the Inno, I do have a few cautionary notes for prospective buyers.
The first concerns the XM satellite reception. ...Summary: Although I'm generally pleased with the features and performance of the Inno, I do have a few cautionary notes for prospective buyers.
The first concerns the XM satellite reception. The CNET review and some other comments have said it's "great," but I have not found that to be the case. In fact, where I live, in a leafy, hilly suburb in northwest New Jersey, it's downright lousy. I'm referring now to outdoor reception by the Inno unit itself without any auxiliary antenna attached. Walking around my neighborhood, I seem to get a signal only about 20% of the time -- it's lost every time I pass under a tree, skirt a building, or face in any direction but south by southwest. I've ordered the Belkin F5X002 headphones with a built-in antenna, which are reported to improve the reception, but I haven't received them yet.
While I'm on the subject of headphones, I don't much care for the earbuds that come with the Inno. Maybe it's just me, but I find the cord too short to let me wear them comfortably with the Inno unit clipped to my belt -- the cord keeps tugging the earbuds loose. Hopefully the Belkin headphones will solve this problem too.
Finally, I naively assumed that the XM service subscription I already had for the radio in my car would apply to the Inno as well. Wishful thinking, unfortunately. An additional subscription at an additional cost is needed for the Inno. Of course this is not a problem with the product, but I'm guessing many satisfied XM car-radio users who now want to "go portable" with the Inno may be under the same impression -- caveat emptor.Updated
I'd like to update my earlier comments. The Belkin F5X002 headphones do indeed improve reception considerably. Not only is outdoor reception just about perfect with the Belkin headphones, but they even provide fair to middling reception indoors.
But now I have two new bones to pick: First, the battery in my unit runs down after only about an hour of operation. I'd be interested to hear what battery-charge duration other Inno owners are experiencing.
And then there's this peculiar, downright authoritarian clause in the Inno's XM service contract that demands that the user listen to at least eight hours of satellite programming a month -- or "you will lose access to your recorded content and live XM programming." Now why the XM company should care how much of their programming I listen to, considering I'm paying for the subscription whether I listen or not, is beyond me. If someone can offer a rationale explanation, I'd love to hear it.7 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Car Kit Cripples Inno (and Helix)
by Al Margheim on December 7, 2006
Pros: Really nice form factor
Cons: Poor user interface.
Summary: If the programmed recording session feature is one of the main reasons you are interested in the Inno you should know that programmed recording sessions do not work when the ...
Summary: If the programmed recording session feature is one of the main reasons you are interested in the Inno you should know that programmed recording sessions do not work when the Inno is plugged into the car docking station. According to Pioneer Technical Support, XM has intentionally disabled the programmed recording session feature when the unit is in the car dock. Samsung Tech Support says that the Helix has the same limitation.
This means that if you want to leave your Inno in the car while you are at work and record something to listen to on the drive home, you are out of luck. If you want to leave the Inno in your car overnight to record a program to listen to the next day you are out of luck. $60 for a car kit that disables one of the Inno's most important features is highway robbery!6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Better choices for the money
by randyman1 on July 12, 2006
Pros: XM and MP3 player together, great idea.
Cons: Reality is the price, subscriptions, extras = a bad deal
Summary: I researched various MP3 players on this and other sites, I had XM radio before and thought the idea of combining the two in a portable device would be ideal. ...
Summary: I researched various MP3 players on this and other sites, I had XM radio before and thought the idea of combining the two in a portable device would be ideal. Inno was rated the best among the XM portables, so I got it. Included is a CD to set up XM + Napster. You can use XM+Napster Light for free, but XM+Napster is a monthly fee if you want to stream music to your PC. When I used Napster also for my wife's Samsung MP3 player, Napster indicated for 5.00 more a month, I could subscribe to Napster To Go, which allows you to transfer songs to a compatible MP3 device. The Samsung was compatible, the Pioneer Inno was not. Napster said it's up to the manufacturer to make firmware upgrades to the device if they want to be compatible. I contacted Pioneer, who said they had no plans to do this. So let's review: Approx. 350.00 for Inno, 12.95/month for XM, 9.95/month for XM+Napster, 5.00/month extra for Napster To Go, I couldn't get good reception and purchased special headphones with built in XM satelite antenna (40.00), if I want to run it in my car, the kit will be an extra 60.00. Also, when I purchased it just a couple of weeks ago, the Inno had an FM modulator that allowed you to listen on an FM radio; however Pioneer did do a firmware update on the Inno that removed the FM mod for everything other than when it's hooked up to the car. If you didn't accept the update, you're essentially told you can return your Inno. So, Pioneer has no issue with writing firmware updates to remove a service, but don't seem interested in writing one that adds service. Can I still rip songs to my Inno from Napster To Go? Sure, for .99 per song, just like every other device. Yet, I can listen to a ton of songs on my wife's Samsung MP3 player, which cost much less, I pay for the Napster services only, the battery life is at least twice as long, the sound quality is better, and the unit is smaller and lighter. Yes, it's cool that the Inno records XM programming as well as Mp3's, but you never know what songs coming up, so unless you just record a favorite channel for a long time, you never get the beginning of a song, and it certainly isn't CD quality. Also, there's a memory partition that sets the amount of space you can save for XM verses PC (50-50 is the default: 25 hours for XM, 8 hours for PC- i.e. MP3 and WMA tracks). IF you change the partition, you lose all of your stored XM content, AND MP3/WMA tracks. My suggestion: Get XM by itself for you car/home; there are plenty of good receivers for that. For MP3/WMA, get a portable device that has more than a 1G memory, longer battery life, and less money, and is compatible with Napster To Go.
7 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Nice in theory ....
by lfochtmann on August 27, 2006
Pros: Easy to save MP3 files to Inno, small and portable
Cons: Expensive, horrible reception, battery drains when unit is off, funky controls, horrible tech/customer support
Summary: I read all of the reviews on this site and others before buying the Inno. The features (MP3, built in FM transmitter, size, XM) seemed great. Unfortunately, the reality has ...
Summary: I read all of the reviews on this site and others before buying the Inno. The features (MP3, built in FM transmitter, size, XM) seemed great. Unfortunately, the reality has been far different than the reviews and I have been extremely disappointed with the Inno.
My dissatisfaction falls into a number of categories:
Reception: Although I know that satellite reception within buildings is limited, I'd thought the purpose of the antennae and docking station was to permit it's use inside the house (with the antennae perched on a window sill). With a great deal of adjusting, I can get it to work indoors about 5% of the time that it's docked. Outdoors and in the car, the reception is better but still <60%, which ruins ones listening experience and makes the XM subscription fees worthless.
FM transmitter: This feature is pretty good and allows one to play MP3's through the car radio without an extra attachment. This is one of the main reasons that I chose the Inno over another product. Unfortunately, the pluses of this feature are far outweighed by the other minuses of the product (see below).
FM transmitter controls: Every time I go to turn on the device, I have to reconfigure the FM transmitter, which is a pain. Other controls are not intuitive and when I'm listening to lectures as MP3 files and I turn the device back on after a break, it keeps resetting to the beginning of the lecture rather than resuming where I left off. This is also annoying.
Battery life: Pioneer says that the battery will continue to drain even when the device is turned off. [They only told me this after multiple phone calls to XM and to Pioneer trying to exchange what I thought was a defective battery.] They tell me that you have to physically remove the battery if the device is not in use and not in the docking station. This is the most bizarre design for an electronic battery operated device that I have ever heard of!
Tech/customer support: Even though I bought the device through XM radio, their support is limited and they keep telling me I have to call Pioneer. Pioneer says that other suppliers (besides XM) will exchange malfunctioning Inno's but that XM has an odd policy that makes it impossible for customers to exchange anything except the main unit. They told me I should have bought the Inno through another store and not through XM (but it's too late for that now.) XM customer service gives conflicting information and prevaricates. By the time one figures out all of the problems with the device, it's too late to return it for a refund and neither XM nor Pioneer are sympathetic or at all helpful.7 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Simply Awesome Device....Finally Step Aside iPod!!!
by MJRGoBlue79 on May 27, 2006
Pros: XM Radio, Personal MP3 Collection, Bright Color Screen, Very Easy User Interface, Record XM Radio To Add To Your MP3 Collection To Listen When Satelite Not Available, Home Kit Gets Greet Reception.
Cons: Upgradable Memory For Future Use.
Summary: My wife got me the Inno for my birthday since my iPod crapped out on me, and I have been wanting satelite radio. This device absolutly stunned me, I have ...
Summary: My wife got me the Inno for my birthday since my iPod crapped out on me, and I have been wanting satelite radio. This device absolutly stunned me, I have recorded over 40 XM songs, and added another 100 MP3's via the easy user interface. The screen is nice and bright, and best of all, I have the antenna on the window ledge facing south and I have three bars indoors, no need to set it up outside. I know the price is steep, but it is by far the best portable unit made to date, Circuit City has them on display, so go check it out and see for yourself!
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Great!!!!!!!!!
by Surcy on May 13, 2006
Pros: Xm+Napster, Bookmarking Songs, MP3, portable
Cons: Price and wish it had more memory
Summary: After owning several other xm and sirius recievers I can honestly say this is the best looking, most functional, mp3 playing, portable satellite unit available. The ability to listen to ...
Summary: After owning several other xm and sirius recievers I can honestly say this is the best looking, most functional, mp3 playing, portable satellite unit available. The ability to listen to live satellite content on the go is great. 9 due to high price andwish it had even more memory.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
-
Battery Life "Off" or "On"
by mcmussell on June 9, 2006
Pros: Good reception, ability to record, nice package
Cons: Battery drains fast when power is in off position
Summary: It seems that even when you have the player off ...in the "hold" mode, the battery runs down so that within a few days....you can't turn the unit ...
Summary: It seems that even when you have the player off ...in the "hold" mode, the battery runs down so that within a few days....you can't turn the unit on, and must recharge (even though the unit has not been used during that time)---a very large complaint since you better charge it right before you take it on a plane, etc.---maybe it is a defective battery.....anyone else notice this problem.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
- Part number: GEXINNO1
- Description: Pioneer Inno is the next-generation portable XM2go satellite radio receiver that plays live satellite radio "on the go" and both MP3 and WMA music files, heralding a major milestone in portable audio. The Pioneer Inno offers the long-awaited combination of MP3 and live XM Satellite Radio reception in a sleek, handheld device. The wearable radio delivers XM's 160 digital radio channels of commercial-free music and premier sports, news, talk, and entertainment programming live and nationwide. A particularly innovative feature of the Inno allows the user to "bookmark" songs heard on XM, connect the Inno to a personal computer, and instantly purchase the songs from the XM + Napster online service. In addition to the XM + Napster feature of the Inno, it has a full-color 180 X 180 pixels TFT display and a user-friendly interface for saving and deleting content. Users can build personal playlists using a mix of XM content and tracks from their own digital music collection. The Inno has a memory buffer to make it easy to store an entire track heard in XM, even if the user starts storing it in the middle of a song. Inno also has a built-in, wireless FM transmitter that beams XM to any car stereo radio. It offers a personal stock ticker and sport ticker, a category list for saving and playing favorite channels, and the popular TuneSelect feature, which tells the listener a favorite artist or song whenever it is played on any XM channel. Inno comes with headphones and all of the accessories needed for portable and home use.
General
- Product type XM radio tuner / digital player
- PC interface(s) supported USB
- Flash memory installed 1 GB Integrated
- Included accessories Belt clip, XM antenna, Carrying case, Docking station
Audio Features
- Digital storage None
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Additional features Built-in FM transmitter, XM radio recording capability
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards MP3, WMA
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display TFT
- Diagonal size 1.7 in
- Resolution 180 x 180
- Backlight display Yes
CD System
- CD system type None
Cassette System
- Cassette system type None
Radio
- Tuner type Digital XM radio tuner
- Station preset qty 50
- Tuning display TFT display
MD System
- MD system type None
Remote Control
- Remote control Remote control - Infrared
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included 1 x Audio cable -, 1 x USB cable -
- Connector type 1 x USB, 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
Battery / Power
- Battery Lithium ion Rechargeable Player battery
- Mfr estimated battery life 15 hour(s)
- Power device type Power adapter
Product series
-
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
Specs: XM radio tuner / digital player, Stereo, TFT
-
Manufacturer: Pioneer North America
Specs: Pink
Manufacturer info
- Pioneer North America
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Pioneer North America products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/
- Address:
2265 E. 220th St.
Long Beach, CA 90810 - Phone: 310/952-2111
%20-%20Compare%20prices,%20reviews,%20user%20opinions%20-%20Shopper.com&srcUrl=http://shopper.cnet.com/portable-audio-devices/pioneer-inno-xm/4014-6450_9-31824917.html){kind=small}