Pioneer Inno August 7th, 2006 | by Rebecca Day
Video ReviewFull Review - Setup and Use
Pioneer Inno Accessories
Setup and Use
The Inno comes with a gaggle of pieces and parts including a remote control, battery, earbuds, home dock, home antenna, AC power adapter, travel power cable, RCA audio cable, USB cable, carrying case and a CD-ROM with XM+Napster software. If you take Inno on the road you need the AC adapter and the travel power cable to charge the device. I wonder which will get lost first?
You can get the optional car kit ($70) with all the cables and adapters required to play back the unit through the car stereo (including a cassette adapter which is a better-sounding alternative to using Inno’s built-in FM modulator). It’s a messy solution with all the wires, but it works, and it’s a sound add to a long road trip.
Charging took between 4-5 hours. I plugged the AC charger into several outlets and heard annoying high-pitched ringing during the charging stage. It was very distracting in a quiet room.
Pioneer Inno Accessories
Through the antenna repeater system in Manhattan, I was able to pull in the XM signal fairly easily without the external antenna. In the ‘burbs, it was more spotty. I loved being able to get reception on the fly. I could listen to the Cardinals game before dozing off to sleep in the way I used to listen to my transistor radio under the pillow as a kid. Even better, the next morning I just had to recharge the battery rather than plunk down money for a 9-volt replacement.
Although I could get reception in New York City, it was a come-and-go signal—especially as I walked around both in the apartment and on the street. I’m used to that with AM and FM reception when I drive through Manhattan so the dropouts didn’t seem that unusual for a radio. The difference is that the record capability is one of the major selling points of this device. If I heard a song that I liked, hit the XM button to record the song, and then lost the signal midway through, that recording became useless.
The other thing I noticed, especially in the 100-degree heat, was the exceptionally warm operating temperature of the device. I might appreciate a pocket warmer on a December day but it wasn’t a welcome addition in August.
Do you have an opinion on this product? Write your own review and let others know what you think!
by Craig on November 24, 2009:
“I drive for a living and am a parent of a teenage boy who is always on the go. This product is a lifesaver. Not only can I listen to my favorite XM channels on the road but I can carry it with me to games and do my daily walk. And what I really like is...” More...
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by Daniel on November 24, 2009:
“I've had my Inno for 1.5 years and have never been able to get more than 3-4 hours out of the battery. Now, the unit appears dead, the charger make a high pitched sound like its charging, but the unit is dead. I had to return my first one after a week or...” More...