Pioneer Inno XMp3 reviewed: great, save for reception hiccups
By Darren Murph 
posted Nov 8th 2008 12:09PM
posted Nov 8th 2008 12:09PM
You've gotten a face full of the Pioneer-built Inno XMp3, but aren't you eager to find out how the bugger performs? Knowing that your head is wildly bobbing up and down as if to say "yes," we present to you CNET's take on the latest portable XM Radio. Overall, the compact unit fared pretty well in testing, as it proved to be easy to operate, easy on the eyes and just downright easy to live with. The only knocks came from the lack of photo / video viewing (yes, that includes album art for library music) and the occasional reception issue. It should be noted, however, that this "reception issue" is kind of a big deal given the nature of the device, and that quirk alone knocked it from the ranks of the elite. Still, critics felt the unit was a worthwhile purchase if you're willing to deal with a few drops, and the way we see it, those just give you ample opportunities to hone your freestyle skills. Word?
I nno want that.
That wwas useful. ;)
Inno right!
holycow! how yu right if Inno right?
Give it to the cell phone people, they are used to drops! In fact the more the better.
I'll stick with my Pioneer Inno. I dont like the car dock for this one.
Portable reception does suck if you dont live in a repeater area. When in NYC i can have my Inno buried in my suitcase and get full reception. Upstate, not so much.
I had an earlier model Inno and it was one of the worst purchases I have ever made. The battery life was a joke (even after they fixed the battery drain while off problem). It was pretty much useless unless you were standing in a field. Having an SD flash slot is great but $300 (+$ for SD card +$ for Sat Serv +$ for car adapter) for an MP3 player with iffy sat reception is ridiculous. What happens when XM and Sirius merge services? I noticed there wasn't a word about battery life in the review. Approach with caution.
Given what's going to happen to the XM channel lineup next week (see xmfan.com) I wouldn't spend anything on new hardware. If they're replacing most of the XM channels with the smaller playlists of Sirius, and dropping the trance, punk, and one of the jazz channels for more of the single-artist channels (up to AC/DC, Zeppelin, Elvis, Buffet, and Springsteen with their own 24/7 channels now) then forget it. Besides, with all the compression now, the audio quality sucks. When I first got XM in 2001 it was virtually CD quality. Now some of the music channels are so processed they barely sound like they're even in stereo.
I get reception hiccups even with a built in model in my fathers Acura... So it's not a big surprise for me.
As an Inno user, the most notable improvement I see on this unit is the expandable memory. I always thought the partitioning of memory--50/50 XM/mp3 or 100% XM recording--was a real let-down, so having the ability to expand memory to more than 1GB and still have 100 hours of XM recording seems like a decent selling point for current subscribers/Inno users.
The reception will always be an issue regardless if you're using it as a portable or in-car. I'm not real sure what their hangup is with lack of video/photo viewing or album artwork.
All that said, unless my Inno decides to take a dump in the near future, Ill stick with it no matter how ugly it may look when compared to this beauty.
Reception Hiccups? I have had no such prob-
C'mon people... I find it amazing that we use satellites and repeaters to listen to music! So what if there are a hiccups. I get some reception hiccups on my Inno now but I think it's cool That I can listen to recorded broadcasts and my pc's MP3s. I'm getring it simply because this is just incredible technology. (I don't want to return to the days of only AM, FM and SW)
I have an Inno2 and it has been great for me. No dropouts and the 50 hours XM recording time is sufficient for me. I can let it record Squizz rock channel overnight and just delete what I don't want. It works okay using built in antenna on the beach or just lying about, but not so great jogging. With indoor and Sat antenna it has been working very well. I also have sure-connect for one of my cars and direct connect for another. Sound quality of sureconnect FM modulator is acceptable, but direect connect to audio in on car stereo is great. Overall I would recommend the Inno2 and the new one hopefully is even better.
this unit rocks listening to howard stern real time while recording opie and anthony real time while recording 6 different music channels,commercial free come on people you save $100 a day on audio recording a day maybe more compared to 1 dollar a song for ipod
These things have horribly spotty reception -- I find it much more convenient to use my cell phone and its unlimited data plan to listen to satellite radio over the internet. I rarely get any interruptions of service, and it works inside buildings, trains, etc...
Holy moly, Sirius has had the most excellent Stiletto 2 out for some time now. Is this thing supposed to be an improvement?