Hands on with the Pioneer Inno XM2go

On Monday I noted that truly portable satellite radio players were now available. Good news: I've managed to spend some time with Pioneer's Inno XM2go, and I'm pleased to report back with a full, hands-on review.

First off, the little gadget works exactly as advertised: Charge it up and hit the road. No matter where you go (within reason), you can get great-sounding satellite radio. A comment on my earlier post said that reception was spotty indoors, but I have not seen this to be the case. Even in the basement of my house, I've had no trouble getting clean reception without any problems. (Of course, terrestrial repeaters may be helping things out here, and if you're locked in an Iowa storm cellar your mileage may vary.)

If reception does flag, you can always dock the XM2go on the included charging base, which also sports a monster-sized antenna. Intriguingly, the Inno docks on its side instead of vertically (like an iPod), which makes for an interesting design. A remote control and a variety of adapter cables are also included.

How's the sound? It's great. The Inno gets very loud, to the point where going past 50% was painful. Sound is crisp and free of static or warble, though the bass didn't seem particularly pronounced. My only real complaint with the Inno, and it's minor, is with the earbuds. They are the kind that extend partway into the ear canal, but the rubber is too soft, and they have a tendency to fall out if you're walking. When they get loose, they begin to wobble around, sending a thump thump thump into your ears.

The Inno's looks are pretty smashing. It's much smaller and lighter than a standard iPod, and the screen is ridiculously bright: I had no trouble reading small fonts, even under direct, noonday sun. Compare that to my Razr, where I have to huddle in a shadow if it's the least bit sunny.

The Inno is clearly a radio first and an MP3 player second: The 1GB of internal storage, which you can use for recorded radio or for MP3s from your collection, almost feels like an afterthought. Nevertheless it works fine, and though the storage space feels small, it's a welcome addition to an outstanding product. Pop in an SD slot (as one commenter suggested), and Pioneer would sell a zillion.