Pioneer Inno

Price: $199 - $299.99

Read all user reviews

Leaps and bounds ahead of the MyFi07/09/06

Pros:

MUCH improved portable signal, a lot smaller than MyFi, mp3 capability, color screen

Cons:

a bit expensive, no FM Modulator on versions 1.10 and 1.16 of firmware

This unit is superior in just about every conceivable way to the MyFi. Everything from reception to size to features to portability is improved. I can now slip the Inno in my jeans pocket and use the antenna headphones when outside to pick up a signal, whereas the bulky MyFi wouldn't fit very well. It also comes with a very nice leather carrying case, but the belt clip faces the wrong way. Rather strange. You can set the recorded content to all XM recordings or half recording XM and half mp3s. This I kind of didn't like, but a future firmware update hopefully will allow the user to bea bit more flexible with the partitioning. The battery life is very good, getting about 5-6 hours in LiveXM mode and 15 hours with your recorded stuff.



The color screen is a very nice touch, along with the additions of a background on the screen unique to each genre.



The internal antenna in the Inno is leaps and bounds ahead of the one in the MyFi. You now only have to be near a south-facing window in order to pick up the signal. For whatever reason, I can get a signal in the middle of my house, with only a North-facing window about 10 feet from me. It's amazing how much fewer dropouts I've been having using just the internal antenna. You should be able to pick up a signal outside anywhere you can see the south sky. It's antenna is omnidirectional, so you can hold it up towards any direction and the antenna will pick up the signal from the South. The optional antenna headphones offer nearly perfect reception outside. They are $40 and are sold pretty much everywhere the Inno is sold. I didn't get a single dropout when I used it outside, and the best part is I can put the Inno in a pants poclet and don't have to hold it out in my hand.



The price may scare some people off, but you can find it online for signficantly less than what retailers want for it in-store. I bought mine online for $315 with shipping and couldn't have been happier. With the money you save buying online you could buy the car kit ($70, and this enables the Inno FM Modulator) and still have some money left over from the retail $400 price. Overall a great value, and would recommend this to anyone who is looking to upgrade from the MyFi or any XM Radio.