Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Well Worth It!
I love my new SonicBlue Rio! After having read every user review ...I had some reservations with the key complaints (which were relatively minor to begin with): FM radio, software use/compatibility, and headset comfort. But given Amazon.com's competitively low price by far, I went ahead with the purchase.When I received it (approx. 2 days - using regular shipping), I had prepared myself to encounter problems with the aforementioned. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find the FM stereo feature not only works very well, but it did so both at the office (inside a 5-story building) and at the gym (converted industrial steel & concrete building). While the FM radio feature is usually not the reason one buys an MP3 player, it does come in handy when tuning into the TV monitors at the gym. The software installed quickly and is very user-friendly. The downloads only take a matter of minutes for an entire playlist. The earphones/headset is not only comfortable, but fits securely in both ears. The overall quality of sound is quite good, but as other users have mentioned, if you're a real audiophile, simply invest in a better headset that provides the heavy bass, etc. Otherwise, I doubt one would notice the difference much. The unit itself fits ergonomically in either hand. The backlighting in the display is very useful, but the text can be too small to read when engaged in rigorous workouts, but that's somewhat expected in such a compact device anyway. The option to wear it on your arm or use the belt clip is also a big plus. I don't know if it helps to lower one's expectations, but this unit worked out very well for me. After thoroughly comparing it to others in and out of it's class, I'd highly recommend this product. It's well worth the small investment! The only thing missing is a "free set of Ginsu Knives" to accompany it!
Rating:  - Pay proper precaution before buying
Generally, I like the player's size and how well it works while out and about. But it's in no way perfect. Here's what I've learned, having very recently received my S35S player. 1. FM Radio. Everybody complains about it. There's some sort of tuning strength function on this device, as when I press play while the tuner is active, a different icon comes up and the signal seems to change. Hmmm... 2. Stopwatch. Hard to get to for being a "sports" device. 3. Battery strength indicator. A lot of people complain about this one too. For those people, note there is a battery type setting (Alkaline/NiMH). Also, with NiMH, also note there's different battery capacities. I've seen AAA range from 300 ma to over 800 ma, depending on who made them and what you paid. Battery properties, such as voltage fall off rates in your battery affect how long this player will run on one charge. 4. Time and date. Remove the battery and the "tuned" station is remembered. But...the time and date need to be reset. This MUST be fixed. As a side note, the player settings also revert to default after battery removal. Why don't they just save to onboard memory??? Time I can understand, but the general settings?? 5. Installation. I too had problems, which took 45 minutes to finally resolve. You MUST install the Rio Manager software, which I found disappointing. All I know is that before installing the software the machine didn't recognize it, and after a couple reboots it did. (As a USB storage device, Windows "should" have assigned it a drive letter automatically.) I use other player software, which may NOW work, but I just haven't tried yet. Do NOT use Real One player. It's just a conduit for being spammed with ads. I used to use it, but found at least Microsoft didn't spam me with ads using Media Player. 6. Menu. Sometimes setting menu changes don't appear to take effect. I have to go back in and double check the settings.
Rating: - Perfect for the athlete
This player is fabulous. I'm extremely particular when it comes to what I'm wearing when I work out and run. The armband is secure and comfortable. The headphones are fabulous, they don't fall off ever, and they are comfortable. Installation was very easy. I haven't tried the radio, I only listen to mp3s. The extended memory is definitely an added bonus. There is enough room for a good workout, but when traveling, the extended memory is extremely beneficial.
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