Pioneer GEX-INNO1 XM Radio Receiver with Home Kit
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- Usage: Home
- Design: Compact
- FM Transmitter: Included
- Service: XM
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Audio Utopia? Almost!
Pros
Recording features. MP3/Radio all in one. Well constructed. Pioneer reliability.
Cons
Only 1GB memory. No expansion slots for more memory.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This is the best alternative for people who want an MP3 player as well as radio!
Everybody has an MP3 player these days! They wear them on armbands, they clip on belts, and some are even built into sunglasses! Simply stated, people love to carry their tunes with them. (This was particularly evident 20 years ago when we all carried the infamous portable cassette players on our hips. Wow. Those things were big as bricks weren't they?)
As the first MP3 players hit the market, the "radioheads" voiced their concerns quickly. MP3s are great and all, but could you add a tuner? Then came the MP3 with an FM tuner. OK....Only FM? Then came a few hapless stabs at an MP3/FM/AM unit. But the AM reception was horrible, thus disappointing talk radio enthusiasts. So what's the solution? XM radio to the rescue!
Admittedly, I was one of those who tried many MP3 players with both FM and AM tuners. However, I was never satisfied with the tuners. Particularly the AM tuners. The reception was weak (at best) to nil. Finally, one day while venting my frustrations to the Best Buy associate in the MP3 department, I came across the Pioneer XM2GO Inno. Over 170 radio channels. All genres including talk radio and broadcasting all Major League Baseball games and NCAA sports?!?!?! Are you kidding me? I also discovered it was an MP3 player! Whoa! Let me go into more detail!
XM Radio is a subscription based satellite radio service. The list price is $12.95 per month, although I was able to get it for around $9.00 per month by searching the web for applicable discount codes.
The programming on XM ranges from Christian, Pop, Rock, Metal, Country, Jazz, Blues, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, Oldies, Latin, Dance, News, Sports, Comedy, Talk Radio. If you can't find something appealing to listen to on XM, you just don't like radio at all!
Now, about the Pioneer Inno!
Physical attributes: It is small and portable. Only 3.5" tall and 2 inches wide. (About the size of a 30GB iPod.) It has a crystal clear screen that is very easy to read. The controls on the face are very easy to use. Switching from MP3 to radio is as simple as pushing a dedicated mode button on the face of the unit. It comes with a protective belt clip for easy portability while walking, jogging, mowing etc.
Reception I would not recommend this unit if you plan on using it primarily inside a home or office building that does not have access to a window. Remember, it is a satellite radio and requires that a signal reach the antenna. It comes with an antenna with a rather long cord which plugs in the base unit, however, the unit itself has a small antenna built on top mainly for outdoor use.
The MP3 side: The Inno comes with 1GB of internal memory. There are no slots for any expansion memory. You can store your own MP3s on the Inno or you can actually record satellite radio!! This is done in two different ways.
#1. Let's say you are listening to a station and a new song comes on the radio. After a minute or so, you're really digging this hot new tune. All you have to do is push the record button directly in the center of the face plate and the entire song will be stored for you on the MP3 player. But wait! You said a minute had already passed before you realized you like the tune. Wouldn't it chop off the first part of the song? NO!! The Inno has a 5 minute buffer and has the ability to record the entire song from beginning to end, even if you hit record in the middle of the song.
#2. Set the recorder to program shows! Suppose you like one of those weird talk shows that comes on at 3AM? Simple! The Pioneer Inno has the ability to record those shows onto the MP3 player and you can listen at your own convenience!
Tell me more, tell me more! Artist select is another great feature! Let's say you are a big fan of Elton John. With Artist Select, you can pre-program Elton John as a favorite artist. Anytime an Elton song is played on any station, an alert beeps on the display to tell you the name of the artist and song being played. To switch to that channel, simply push a button on the face of the unit, and you're doing the Crocodile Rock!
A final few diddies The best thing about the Inno is its flexibility and portability. No need for a home XM unit, you've got your Inno! Run it through any stereo with RCA cords. It even comes with a remote control when the lazies kick in.
No need for a separate XM head unit for the car. You've got your Inno! An optional car unit can be purchased to use the Inno via FM modulation or by cassette adapter. I prefer the cassette adapter personally.
The Inno has been a blast for me to use. I've already had two friends purchase one after giving them "the tour"!
As the first MP3 players hit the market, the "radioheads" voiced their concerns quickly. MP3s are great and all, but could you add a tuner? Then came the MP3 with an FM tuner. OK....Only FM? Then came a few hapless stabs at an MP3/FM/AM unit. But the AM reception was horrible, thus disappointing talk radio enthusiasts. So what's the solution? XM radio to the rescue!
Admittedly, I was one of those who tried many MP3 players with both FM and AM tuners. However, I was never satisfied with the tuners. Particularly the AM tuners. The reception was weak (at best) to nil. Finally, one day while venting my frustrations to the Best Buy associate in the MP3 department, I came across the Pioneer XM2GO Inno. Over 170 radio channels. All genres including talk radio and broadcasting all Major League Baseball games and NCAA sports?!?!?! Are you kidding me? I also discovered it was an MP3 player! Whoa! Let me go into more detail!
XM Radio is a subscription based satellite radio service. The list price is $12.95 per month, although I was able to get it for around $9.00 per month by searching the web for applicable discount codes.
The programming on XM ranges from Christian, Pop, Rock, Metal, Country, Jazz, Blues, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, Oldies, Latin, Dance, News, Sports, Comedy, Talk Radio. If you can't find something appealing to listen to on XM, you just don't like radio at all!
Now, about the Pioneer Inno!
Physical attributes: It is small and portable. Only 3.5" tall and 2 inches wide. (About the size of a 30GB iPod.) It has a crystal clear screen that is very easy to read. The controls on the face are very easy to use. Switching from MP3 to radio is as simple as pushing a dedicated mode button on the face of the unit. It comes with a protective belt clip for easy portability while walking, jogging, mowing etc.
Reception I would not recommend this unit if you plan on using it primarily inside a home or office building that does not have access to a window. Remember, it is a satellite radio and requires that a signal reach the antenna. It comes with an antenna with a rather long cord which plugs in the base unit, however, the unit itself has a small antenna built on top mainly for outdoor use.
The MP3 side: The Inno comes with 1GB of internal memory. There are no slots for any expansion memory. You can store your own MP3s on the Inno or you can actually record satellite radio!! This is done in two different ways.
#1. Let's say you are listening to a station and a new song comes on the radio. After a minute or so, you're really digging this hot new tune. All you have to do is push the record button directly in the center of the face plate and the entire song will be stored for you on the MP3 player. But wait! You said a minute had already passed before you realized you like the tune. Wouldn't it chop off the first part of the song? NO!! The Inno has a 5 minute buffer and has the ability to record the entire song from beginning to end, even if you hit record in the middle of the song.
#2. Set the recorder to program shows! Suppose you like one of those weird talk shows that comes on at 3AM? Simple! The Pioneer Inno has the ability to record those shows onto the MP3 player and you can listen at your own convenience!
Tell me more, tell me more! Artist select is another great feature! Let's say you are a big fan of Elton John. With Artist Select, you can pre-program Elton John as a favorite artist. Anytime an Elton song is played on any station, an alert beeps on the display to tell you the name of the artist and song being played. To switch to that channel, simply push a button on the face of the unit, and you're doing the Crocodile Rock!
A final few diddies The best thing about the Inno is its flexibility and portability. No need for a home XM unit, you've got your Inno! Run it through any stereo with RCA cords. It even comes with a remote control when the lazies kick in.
No need for a separate XM head unit for the car. You've got your Inno! An optional car unit can be purchased to use the Inno via FM modulation or by cassette adapter. I prefer the cassette adapter personally.
The Inno has been a blast for me to use. I've already had two friends purchase one after giving them "the tour"!
