Best Reviewed
Satellite Radio
- Satellite radio service XM Satellite Radio *Est. $13
- Satellite radio service Sirius Satellite Radio *Est. $13
- XM receiver for home or car Delphi XpressRC *Est. $120
- Portable XM receiver and MP3 player Pioneer Inno2BK *Est. $200
- Sirius receiver for home or car Sirius Starmate 4 *Est. $90
- Portable Sirius radio and MP3 player Sirius Stiletto 2 *Est. $275
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Portable XM receiver and MP3 player
- Integrated antenna
- Sound quality
- Clear, bright, color screen
- Short battery life
- Not much memory
- No pause/rewind capability
Reviewers say the Pioneer Inno2BK is the best portable player yet for XM. Its integrated antenna makes it truly portable, letting you listen to live XM satellite radio through headphones while you're outdoors. Reviewers point out the good sound quality of the Inno2BK, but also note that portable reception is sometimes patchy; however, using headphones that have an XM radio antenna can help. You can also hook it up to your car stereo via an optional car kit (*est. $60) or to your home stereo with the included home kit. The Inno2BK has 1 GB of internal memory for XM recordings or MP3 files. Though it's not truly portable, the Delphi SkyFi3 (*est. $80) is another on the go solution when paired with an optional standard wearable kit (*est. $40).
The Pioneer Inno2BK and its essentially identical predecessor, the Pioneer Inno, have been well-received by professional critics. Great reviews can be read at PC Magazine and Cnet.com, and the write ups at Sound & Vision magazine and DigitalTrends.com are also worthwhile. There's tons of user feedback at retailer sites. (The only difference between the Inno2BK and the original Inno is the elimination of the wireless transmitter for in-car use, and added compatibility with other installation methods, such as XM SureConnect).
| Pioneer GEX-INNO2BK Inno 2 Portable XM Satellite Radio with MP3 Capability | |
(116 reviews) |
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Our Sources
1. CNET
The original Pioneer Inno gets 3.5 stars out of five here, with Dreier noting his likes (its portability, size, attractive interface and recording capability) and dislikes (battery life, storage capacity, inability to pause or skip backward).
Review: Pioneer Inno (XM), Troy Dreier, Apr. 7, 2006
This review gives the Inno 4.5 stars out of five and names it an Editor's Choice. Mike Kobrin raves extensively on its looks, saying it's sleek, solid, sexy, slim and ultra-stylish, but disliking that the bass and treble controls don't work for recorded music and the inflexibility in partitioning the storage space.
Review: Pioneer Inno, Mike Kobrin, Apr. 7, 2006
John Sciacca likes the Inno's (now shipping as the Inno2BK) versatility and portability (in spite of some reception problems), but feels the price relative to other portable units is the Inno's biggest drawback. Still, he gives it a Sound & Vision Certified and Recommended award.
Review: Pioneer Inno XM2go Portable Satellite Radio, John Sciacca, June 2006
Digital Trends' Rebecca Day likes the Pioneer Inno's ergonomics and sound quality (in that order), but would prefer longer battery life. A video review can also be found here.
Review: Pioneer Inno, Rebecca Day, Aug. 7, 2006
Crutchfield also lets its customers post reviews of products that they own. Although the feedback here is far less (just 18 when last we looked), satisfaction seems to follow a similar pattern to the feedback we saw at CircuitCity.com.
Review: Pioneer Inno, Contributors to Crutchfield.com
Satellite Radio Runners Up:
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
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