Customer Reviews

Pioneer GEX-P920XM XM Digital Satellite Tuner

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was really tired of the cheesy little XM receiver that I had - it clipped on to the vent and had three wires (antenna, power, and sound to the head unit). It was time to change.

My Pioneer DEH-P980BT is Satellite Radio ready and this unit is compatible. So I ordered it and installed it. It was just as easy to install as the cheesy unit and has the added benefit of being hidden away, and integrated into the display of my Pioneer Head Unit.

What I had not counted on was the improvement in sound quality. Even directly wired through the AUX connection of my stereo, the cheesy XM radio had some sound limitations. With FM Modulation (wired or wireless), it was horrid. The GEX-P920XM puts all that behind you!

Now I have XM as another sound source on my main stereo, all the info displays through the main unit, I have 18 presets, can search by category or station, and there's nothing blocking my air vent!

Get this - you will not regret it. Even if you already have something plugged into your IP-BUS port on your Pioneer Stereo, you can add this - they string together like a network so you are not limited to just one unit! I use this together with the CD-IB100II iPod Adapter and it's bliss!

Installed myself and hooked up to my new Pioneer AVH-P3100DVD. After install I thought I had a bad unit; wouldn't show up as a source on the head unit. Finally deduced I hadn't properly grounded the ground wire. Had it hooked up to the inside of my trunk, under the rear deck. The trunk is all metal, but apparently not all grounded? Attached to a mounting screw of my shock, and voila!
The antenna head is tiny, the picture doesn't do it justice. Just larger than my thumb! Still trying to figure out a suitable exterior mounting location. Worried it'll get popped off whenever I go through a carwash. Oh well, there are bigger worries in my life than that. :-)
Searched the web for a coupon code. Found an awesome one: XMSCION03.
$77/yr (XM Everything plan) + waived activation fee ($14.99). Couldn't apply it online as it only gave me the free activation fee. Had to call. But it worked. And you don't have to be a Scion owner. Sweet.

This product is pretty straightforward: it's easy to install and works very well. I'm happy with the sound quality and reception. Running the antenna to the roof is easy, and there's enough antenna wire included to get there.

However, I can't get over how large this gizmo actually is. For something with four connections, I was expecting smaller. Considering that portable units like the XpressRC and XMP3 have all of the same functions in a much smaller package, AND have built-in screens, this tuner seems gigantic.

The included mounting hardware isn't much to speak of; I can see it being used only if you're going to mount the device under a seat, directly to the floor of the vehicle. This appears to be the way Pioneer assumes you will do your installation, as the IP-Bus cable included is an unholy length (I didn't measure, but it's got to be longer than the antenna wire and ten times as thick). If you mount this product anywhere near your dash, you'll have quite an excess of wire to hide. I put mine in the glove compartment and called it a day.

Overall, this product is great. Just expect to spend a little time trying to figure out where to put it in your vehicle.

I am definitely not electronically inclined so I cannot speak on the specs like a pro. What I do know is that I wanted Satellite Radio in my truck. I visited the local area audio stores and the professional recommended this tuner along with a Pioneer Radio. I trusted their judgement however, I did not like the prices that they had to offer. I did my research on the internet and Amazon offered the radio and tuner for the lowest price. I ordered everything I needed and just paid the pros to install it for me. The tuner is small and I actually had to go searching for it to locate it inside my SUV. I have fantastic satellite radio reception which far beats out the mobile unit I had previously. I travelled from NC to MD and did not run into any dead spots which was wonderful.

After a great deal of difficulty with 2 other online radio resources, we finally found the right equipment for our new car. We just wanted to enjoy XM radio on our XM 'ready' car stereo. We opted for the Pioneer after market since Ford's XM Ready Factory set is not really XM Ready. Warning to others interested: do your research, car manufacturers are not so forthcoming. Thanks Amazon.com!

I dumped a Sony stereo in one car for the Pioneer system. It worked so well that when I set up my next car I used exactly the same components. Truely a plug and play component.

This is a nice add-on to Pioneer receivers that are compatible with it. It is well made and the installation was easy. I agree with other reviewers that there is way too much cable. It's OK if it's in the trunk or behind the seats, but I installed this 2 inches below the receiver and had a huge bundle of wires to fit in there too. They should ship an additional 12" cable for installations where this product and the receiver are next to each other. A minor complaint is that the antenna connector should unplug from the wire so it's much smaller to run through cracks and moldings. I have a much harder install trying to fit the large connector through small spaces.

If you want XM radio with your Pioneer head unit, this is what you should get. It's small, and it works fine.

Speaking of XM, don't even consider getting a yearly subscription. Get lifetime. It's the best deal, financially.

I have had numerous XM radio devices in the past few years and this by far is the easiest interface I have used with an aftermarket CD receiver. It is plug and play with very few wires to connect to the Pioneer head unit. The antenna is fairly small and receives excellent reception from within the vehicle.

I have previously owned the GEX-P900XM tuner with an older unit and it did not do half of the things this one does. This will display the channel logo, song title, station name, and artist (at least on the AVIC Z110BT).

GREAT product and much easier to use than the Sirius unit

This has been a great buy. Im glad that i was purchased this. I would highly suggest it. Simple instillation, and comes with everything needed to operate unit.