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RioVolt SP100 Portable CD/MP3 Player with 120 Second Anti-Shock

Average customer rating:

Solid!
.
Don't Buy
Great So Far
Stands to the test of time

RioVolt SP100 Portable CD/MP3 Player with 120 Second Anti-Shock

Manufacturer: RioVolt
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Home Audio & Video | Sunday Specials | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics

Portable Audio | Rio | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Motorized SkipDoctor by Digital Innovations (Model 1013000)
Koss SportaPro Stereo Headphones
Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones
DiscRestore 3680 DiscRx Pro Series II
Fellowes Nylon CD Wallet (224-Disc Capacity)

Product Features:

Plays MP3, WMA, and standard audio CDs
Listen to CD-R and CD-RW discs with more than 10 hours of music on them
Can be upgraded to accommodate emerging audio-compression schemes
Includes audio management software for PCs and Macintoshes
Includes 8-function remote control and offers repeat and shuffle modes, adjustable equalization, and programmable playlists

ASIN: B00005A1KZ

Product Description

Welcome to RioVolt, the next generation of portable CD players. With the ability to play over 20 hours of digital audio from one CD, RioVolt allows you to play both standard audio CDs as well as the MP3 and WMA files that you recorded to CD-Rs. Plus, there's a large, backlit LCD so you can easily find whatever song you like, and a shock resistant feature that lets you take your music anywhere.

Amazon.com Review

There are certain milestones in the progression of any technology that demand attention and praise. With its versatility, sound quality, and ease of use, the Rio Volt Portable CD MP3 Player represents such a standard-setting achievement in the world of portable MP3 CD players and has positioned SONICblue as an industry leader worthy of emulation and acclaim.

While the Rio Volt's predecessors combined solid sound with the ability to play MP3-encoded discs along with standard CD-Rs and CD-RWs, none of them took the extra step of including both WMA (Windows Media Audio) compatibility and ID3 tag support. The addition of these features to the MP3 CD formula makes this unit the most adaptable portable on the market, as well as one of the most convenient.

WMA is a Microsoft audio format that purports to offer MP3-quality sound from files one-half the size, potentially letting you cram up to 300 or so songs on a single disc. The format supports data transmission of 48 Kbps (near-CD quality) and 64 Kbps (CD quality).

ID3 tags are markers embedded in MP3 files that feed song, artist, and album names to your player. Supporting these tags means that a device can display this information, letting you find the song you want without having to remember exactly where on the disc a song sits. This proved an invaluable feature as we scavenged through the hundreds of WMA and MP3 files on our discs for tunes to match our ever-changing moods.

Moving through a song list is easy with the Rio Volt's up/down buttons, and a +10 button lets you jump ahead 10 tracks at a time--especially useful with fully loaded MP3 discs. The inline remote (part of the headphone cord) lets you operate most functions without having to dig the unit out of its carrying case and even offers a battery-friendly hold switch that prevents unwanted initiation of playback.

For those new to MP3, WMA, and rewritable CD formats, the Rio Volt includes Adaptec's Easy CD Creator Standard 4 (for PC--a Deluxe version is available separately) and SoundJam (for Macintosh) software packages for creating your own CDs. Of course, the burning of CDs does require a CD-recording burner, an expense that is almost inevitable if you want to keep up with the latest in audio technology.

Despite the numerous strengths of the Rio Volt, we ultimately discerned a few chinks in its technological armor. Most notably, its programming feature--which offers shuffle and repeat modes along with memory programming--lets you choose songs only by track number rather than by song name. In our testing, this forced us to check track numbers against the CD playlist on our computer several times (and we couldn't print the playlist for easy reference, because the software doesn't provide this option).

Another shortcoming of this portable is its earbud headphones--consider upgrading as soon as possible to headphones that better convey the quality of the Rio Volt's sound.

Along with the handiness of the unit's feature set, we were impressed by the rich, powerful sound of the unit and the consistency of sound quality across the various compatible formats. High-bit-rate MP3 files sounded nearly as crisp and full as standard CDs, and digitally copied CD-RWs (rewritable CDs) sounded just as good as their sources.

Five equalizer presets really make a sonic difference, especially the Jazz and Extra Bass settings. Throw in a choice of 10 or 40 seconds of extremely effective antiskip protection (the 40-second option consumes more power), and you've got the recipe for an easily customized aural treat that performs under almost any conditions. --Ed Noble

Pros:

Compatibility with MP3/WMA, standard audio CDs, and CD-R/RWs
Supports ID3 tags for easy search of MP3 files
Five EQ presets that complement various musical genres
Great sound

Cons:

ID3 tag info not displayed when programming
Hollow-sounding earbud headphones
Awkward carrying case

Amazon.com Product Description

The Rio Volt portable MP3-CD player grants free listening across standard audio CDs as well as the MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) files that you've recorded to CD-Rs and CD-RWs, letting you enjoy over 20 hours of digital audio from one CD (or around 250 songs). Plus, Rio Volt's large backlit LCD supports both ID3 tags and CD Text, simplifying song identification from any compatible disc, while 120-second antishock circuitry guards your listening almost anywhere.

While the Rio Volt is the first portable CD player in the family of Rio digital audio players, the manufacturer was thinking ahead: the device supports firmware upgrades to accommodate future digital audio formats.

Amazingly, the Rio Volt sports a playback time of up to 15 hours on two AA batteries (included), making it the first disc player we know of that can't play a single CD in its entirety. Don't fret, however--you'll find an AC/DC adapter in the box in case you want to listen to all 250 tracks of a single disc in one sitting.

The ID3 text display includes track number, song name, artist name, folder (album title), and overall playing time. The Rio Volt also lets you navigate through directories and search for tracks one by one or in blocks of 10.

A sleek eight-function remote control lets you operate the Rio Volt while it's tucked away in its carrying case or even in a backpack. The Rio Volt comes bundled with RealNetworks music management software and Adaptec CD-burning software for use on your PC or Macintosh.

Audio features include adjustable equalization curves with five presets (normal, jazz, rock, classical, ultrabass), repeat and shuffle play modes, and programmable playlists.

The Rio Volt comes with a 1-year warranty on parts and labor.

Customer Reviews:

Solid!.......2006-03-16

This little bugger has been in my possession forever now. I've had it for years. I got it when I was in the later years of high school, looking for a cheap mp3 player. (Portables were expensive and small back then).
I burned a sleu of mp3 CD-Rs, and headed out. This thing lasted for hours. I could carry a case of CDs and MP3CD-Rs and and it would work beautifully. The batteries would last forever. I could go for about 10 hours on Mp3 mode. I took it to college, and it outlasted my 2nd gen ipod (which was pretty unstable in its own).
It still works. I posted this review, because I dragged it out today, and I decided to see if it still worked..and it did. I have dropped it, had it in my pocket and fell off a porch while intoxicated, and just used it constantly for a while.

All in all, it has some nice features. The display could be a little bit bigger. The skip protection is not that great...even though it says it is. Its wonderful for Mp3s, and is an all right CD player, even though the skip protection isnt all that great.

........2005-05-07

i must have had this since the first week of its release. my dad got 2 for free somehow, and this thing can take a beating. This thing runs as smooth at the day i got it, and i've dropped it like crazy. this was much better than any other mp3 on the market in the past, and its still one of them now.

Don't Buy.......2004-11-22

Ok where to start...
It's bulky
It eat batteries like no other. About 4 hours max on battery life.
I dropped it from about 2 feet and the lid broke; now I use the case to keep it closed.
It does scroll and that is probably the only good feature. However, you cannot organize your music in anyway. So you might be scrolling through a 170 song playlist.
I would suggest buying and Iriver SlimX 350 or higher.

Great So Far.......2003-12-04

After just a short time with this, I'm really happy. The warnings about this skipping have proved untrue. I made sure I had the latest software update. I will say that I haven't done a lot of jumping around to test this, but I've carried it in a fanny pack while working around the house and shop. I did find that it is a little slow to rev up with MP3s, and so gave it only 4 of 5 stars. My TDK Mojo gave up the ghost after a couple years, and I chose this RioVolt as a replacement. If I get a couple years out of it, I'll be happy.

Stands to the test of time.......2003-04-21

Bought in 2001, runs like it was brand new. Has stood up to running abuse & being dropped multiple times. Key point: Plays anything you throw @ it, cd, cd-r, vbr mp3, mp3 encoded to cd-rw...etc. Remote is worthless. Battery cover opens easily. Eats batteries (you should have some good rechargeables anyways). Excellent sound that can be tweaked w/ the equalizer. Button placement could be better as you can hit the stop or play button instead of FF/RW especially if inside your pocket.

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