Pioneer GEX-INNO1 XM Radio Receiver with Home Kit
Out of stock |
Similar in Satellite Radio Receivers
- Usage: Home
- Design: Compact
- FM Transmitter: Included
- Service: XM
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Nice Quality XM Radio, But With Trade-Offs
Pros
A good quality XM radio with some media player functionality.
Cons
Limited battery life, and poor memory capacity.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you want a dockable XM radio that's portable, and can live with the limited memory capacity, go for it! Just don't expect it to be an iPod.
I've installed & used nearly all Sirius & XM satellite "dockable" units, including the Audiovox Xpress R unit.
Note: I formerly owned an Inno and now own an XPress RC.
General Layout:
The Pioneer Inno is somewhat similiar to the SkyFi 3 in general design: a portable unit which can record XM live content for later listening, or optionally you can transfer your .MP3 or .WMA files to the unit from your PC via the USB port.
The Inno has a vertical display perspective until plugged into the home or car dock, which causes it to recognize that it's now horizontal and it rotates the display appropriately.
Buttons are soft-key button and are not too unlike the directional pad of a game controller, in addition to a side volume up/down control (rocker type switch).
The docking port can be used to power it directly from an AC-DC adapter when you don't wish to use the internal battery while on-the-go (requires the power jack plug-in adapter, included). Headphone jack is the standard 1/8" (3.5mm) size.
Display Quality:
One place where the Inno really shines is its display! I have to say that I was always happy with the Inno when in close proximity to my eyes.
The screen is bright, colorful, and has pretty good contrast. The color images are not washed out and the color palette (range of on-screen colors) is actually somewhat better than my current XPress RC.
However when used in the car or home, you really have to squint hard to see the tiny screen from a distance. Especially the clock...the time numerals only a few pixels in width & height!
Otherwise, quite pleasant.
FM Modulator Functionality:
I've only used the Inno's FM modulator (SureConnect, hardwired version) for one installation. The parts included are identical to all other XM radios with the SureConnect accessory, and the sound is likewise: decent but with audible distortion but no more than any other XM radio.
A proper installation is absolutely essential if you don't want "bleed over" from other radio stations into the FM modulated signal. Even then you may still have issues as with any XM radio (that's why I always recommend using an AUX input port or adapter for your car stereo system).
Audio-out Quality:
The sound quality in both the included "bud" earphones is pretty good! Sufficient bass and treble, which are adjustable in the settings menu. But on low-bitrate .MP3 playback I can easily hear the compressed audio distortion. On higher bitrate .MP3s this was not really an issue.
At home, work, & in the car I used the Inno via an AUX input to the stereo(s) and can't really complain about the sound quality. Typical XM sound: poor treble on almost all channels except the two 'high resolution' channels (76 & 113). So, not a deciding factor. However overall, it was satisfactory, with no undersireable audio noise introduced by the radio.
Mounting accessories:
Unfortunately one weakness of the Inno/Helix family is the lightweight home and car docks & mounting accessories. The plastic feels kind of cheap, very lightweight, and until recently was VERY overpriced for the home or car dock kits.
I have had to use great care when installing Innos in car applications in order to attempt to firmly mount the dock, normally using custom brackets mounted to the dock itself.
The home application is not so bad and seems to work without any real issues.
Remote Control, Battery Life, Music Capacity, User Interface, Etc.:
A critical factor for the Inno is updating to the most recent firmware version! This helped with battery life and cleans up some bugs in the earlier firmware versions.
The user interface is menu-driven via the keypads and work really well-very intuitive. You can carry out operations, enter XM channels directly, or use XM presets, create music playlists, and so on without too much fuss.
Music capacity: Unfortunately one of the big drawbacks you have to live with is choosing to use 100% of the Inno's 1GB music capacity for XM recording, or 50% XM/50% .MP3s & .WMAs. This is so outdated in this day and age of high-capacity iPods and etc.
Also note that you can't transfer XM recordings to your PC. The Inno is designed to prevent that from happening.
We were supposed to see a 2GB version of the Inno come out earlier, but it seems to be "vaporware" and never hit the store shelves.
Battery life is decent, but not great. Even when not in use the battery seems to die overnight, and lasts a few hours when in live XM mode-not terrible in .MP3 mode but not nearly as good as an iPod Nano for example.
I had moderate quality live XM reception when walking outside with the Inno. But I have realistic expectations and knew it would be "ok" but not perfect. One reason is that somehow we seem to have poor repeater coverage in metro Atlanta.
Note!:
This review is applicable to general applications for the radio. A poor quality installation will lead to lots of frustration & poor reception, if not worse for any make/model of radio. Also I recommend against using double-sided tape due to climate changes/sunlight causing the tape to fail.
I highly recommend a professional installation and avoiding the use of FM modulated-adapters/SureConnect if possible.
I've had excellent results using AUX input adapters for radios in almost all factory stereos!
Bottom Line:
THE GOOD:
Portable live XM radio reception, good quality with a metal case, good software design, nice display & nice earphones.
Also you can schedule XM recording sessions for replaying later. The keypad is backlit for night use.
THE BAD:
Not even close to being a real media player like an iPod-VERY limited capacity, hard to see from a distance, only have 100% XM or 50%/50% XM/.MP3 options for memory useage.
Note: I formerly owned an Inno and now own an XPress RC.
General Layout:
The Pioneer Inno is somewhat similiar to the SkyFi 3 in general design: a portable unit which can record XM live content for later listening, or optionally you can transfer your .MP3 or .WMA files to the unit from your PC via the USB port.
The Inno has a vertical display perspective until plugged into the home or car dock, which causes it to recognize that it's now horizontal and it rotates the display appropriately.
Buttons are soft-key button and are not too unlike the directional pad of a game controller, in addition to a side volume up/down control (rocker type switch).
The docking port can be used to power it directly from an AC-DC adapter when you don't wish to use the internal battery while on-the-go (requires the power jack plug-in adapter, included). Headphone jack is the standard 1/8" (3.5mm) size.
Display Quality:
One place where the Inno really shines is its display! I have to say that I was always happy with the Inno when in close proximity to my eyes.
The screen is bright, colorful, and has pretty good contrast. The color images are not washed out and the color palette (range of on-screen colors) is actually somewhat better than my current XPress RC.
However when used in the car or home, you really have to squint hard to see the tiny screen from a distance. Especially the clock...the time numerals only a few pixels in width & height!
Otherwise, quite pleasant.
FM Modulator Functionality:
I've only used the Inno's FM modulator (SureConnect, hardwired version) for one installation. The parts included are identical to all other XM radios with the SureConnect accessory, and the sound is likewise: decent but with audible distortion but no more than any other XM radio.
A proper installation is absolutely essential if you don't want "bleed over" from other radio stations into the FM modulated signal. Even then you may still have issues as with any XM radio (that's why I always recommend using an AUX input port or adapter for your car stereo system).
Audio-out Quality:
The sound quality in both the included "bud" earphones is pretty good! Sufficient bass and treble, which are adjustable in the settings menu. But on low-bitrate .MP3 playback I can easily hear the compressed audio distortion. On higher bitrate .MP3s this was not really an issue.
At home, work, & in the car I used the Inno via an AUX input to the stereo(s) and can't really complain about the sound quality. Typical XM sound: poor treble on almost all channels except the two 'high resolution' channels (76 & 113). So, not a deciding factor. However overall, it was satisfactory, with no undersireable audio noise introduced by the radio.
Mounting accessories:
Unfortunately one weakness of the Inno/Helix family is the lightweight home and car docks & mounting accessories. The plastic feels kind of cheap, very lightweight, and until recently was VERY overpriced for the home or car dock kits.
I have had to use great care when installing Innos in car applications in order to attempt to firmly mount the dock, normally using custom brackets mounted to the dock itself.
The home application is not so bad and seems to work without any real issues.
Remote Control, Battery Life, Music Capacity, User Interface, Etc.:
A critical factor for the Inno is updating to the most recent firmware version! This helped with battery life and cleans up some bugs in the earlier firmware versions.
The user interface is menu-driven via the keypads and work really well-very intuitive. You can carry out operations, enter XM channels directly, or use XM presets, create music playlists, and so on without too much fuss.
Music capacity: Unfortunately one of the big drawbacks you have to live with is choosing to use 100% of the Inno's 1GB music capacity for XM recording, or 50% XM/50% .MP3s & .WMAs. This is so outdated in this day and age of high-capacity iPods and etc.
Also note that you can't transfer XM recordings to your PC. The Inno is designed to prevent that from happening.
We were supposed to see a 2GB version of the Inno come out earlier, but it seems to be "vaporware" and never hit the store shelves.
Battery life is decent, but not great. Even when not in use the battery seems to die overnight, and lasts a few hours when in live XM mode-not terrible in .MP3 mode but not nearly as good as an iPod Nano for example.
I had moderate quality live XM reception when walking outside with the Inno. But I have realistic expectations and knew it would be "ok" but not perfect. One reason is that somehow we seem to have poor repeater coverage in metro Atlanta.
Note!:
This review is applicable to general applications for the radio. A poor quality installation will lead to lots of frustration & poor reception, if not worse for any make/model of radio. Also I recommend against using double-sided tape due to climate changes/sunlight causing the tape to fail.
I highly recommend a professional installation and avoiding the use of FM modulated-adapters/SureConnect if possible.
I've had excellent results using AUX input adapters for radios in almost all factory stereos!
Bottom Line:
THE GOOD:
Portable live XM radio reception, good quality with a metal case, good software design, nice display & nice earphones.
Also you can schedule XM recording sessions for replaying later. The keypad is backlit for night use.
THE BAD:
Not even close to being a real media player like an iPod-VERY limited capacity, hard to see from a distance, only have 100% XM or 50%/50% XM/.MP3 options for memory useage.
