The Pioneer Inno is in desperate need for a good case. The case that comes with it just doesn't cut it, and the Belkin leather case that came out at the same time - while nice looking - isn't really the best option for "active" users.
For someone who spends a lot of time working out, nothing beats a good armband. Yes, they're cheesy looking, but in terms of functionality they can't be beat. DLO released an armband a few weeks back that almost made me giddy - but as an Orbitcast reader pointed out - there's no access to the antenna port. Too bad, it could have been a contender.
Enter Speck Products. The same peeps known for creating incredible iPod cases, and who have set their sights on satellite radio having released cases for both the Sirius S50 and the MyFi. Now, they have cases for the Pioneer Inno and Samsung Helix.
So for the past two weeks I've had the privilege of fooling around with a couple of Speck's skins on the Inno. I'm not necessarily gentle on my Inno (or anything actually) - daily gym use, doing my ridiculous home improvements, and on my regular 10-block walk to/from work - I generally have a set of earbuds on at all times. So I put these things to the test.
Speck's Armband + Case includes both the armband and a Skin-Tight case. The Skin-Tight case has all the ports made available - headphones, USB, antenna port - all there. Big plus. All buttons are fully accessible through the skin as well - another plus. No more unsnapping of a strap to change channels/songs.
The band itself is made out of a soft neoprene-like material with velcro to attach it - it resists sweat 100% (nothing's worse than a sweaty armband) and I haven't had it fall off yet. It'll fit arms up to 16" so if you're a fat O&A listener you might be out of luck. The Skin-Tight case that comes with the Armband can still be used in the armband or out of it though, so stop crying.
Then there's Speck's Tough-Skin Case. This gives your Inno a raised paneling that looks straight off of a Hummer - definitely looks neat. S50 and iPod owners are probably quite familiar with the Tough-Skin case. It comes with a belt clip that detaches from the case itself - so a quick press of a button releases the Inno from your belt.
Gripes? For both the Armband and the Touch-Skin, you can't plug in the Inno into the home-dock (I don't have a car-dock... I listen to Sirius in the car). The Skin-Tight skin can almost make the connection, but I didn't force it. So in order to dock it, you need to peel off the skin each time you want to plug in. Sorta stinks, but I can't see a way around it since the backing of the home-dock has such little clearance to the connector plug. I also seem to avoid using the screen protector - just because I'm lazy.
The one thing that would make the Armband even better would be if it came with a belt holster. That way I could take it from the gym, pop it out of the armband and snap into the holster and head to work. Might be a good "deluxe pack" option for Speck to consider.
Aside from that, both cases are highly recommended. Best cases for the Inno yet in my opinion.
Nice review -- almost had me for my Helix, but the idea of struggling each day to get it into my cradle at work (on top of my Bose wave radio) is a no-go for me. I ran with the Helix case at the beach last week until it flew out of the magnetic restraints...luckily the sand was soft.
That Tough-Skin case is like Batman.
I bought a Speck for my Ipod a while back. While it was nice, I found that it increased the footprint too much. I don't think this is necessarily a Speck issue but rather a problem with most cases for small electronic equipment in general. Often, the case makes it just a bit too large to fit comfortably into a pocket and you're sacrificing convenience and form factor for protection.
It's like Sophie's Choice for your portable.
:)