Rating: 
Summary: A good sound when you can get it
Review: This unit works well and sounds good when / if you can ever get it set up. It comes bundled with AudioManager software that is several versions out of date. You can download the current version from Rioport.com, but I wouldn't bother. In my case, running a PII 400Mhz Dell with Win98, I could never get the software to recognize the player. For two days I got error messages when I tried to register the player with Rioport.com or email Diamond Rio tech support (there is no toll free calls to their tech support). The documentation that comes with the unit is nearly useless. Finally, I just downloaded RealJukeBox for free and I have had no problems using it. The unit itself is easy to use, controls are intuitive and the display is easy to read. The earphones are cheap, bass-free, and make static or cut out when you bump or move the plug. But with good headphones the unit is near CD quality. So, I'd recommend you buy the unit, throw out the headphones and software and use good headphones and RealJukeBox.
Rating: 
Summary: Working Great
Review: I've had the Rio 500 for about 3 weeks. It's been working good for me. No problem with the software -can change order of songs without deleating everything (when connected to computer). Holds about 19 songs. The only problem was that with out-of-ear earphones (with foam) the volume wasn't loud enough. However, with small in-the-ear earphones no problem with sound volume or quality. Can quickly skip ahead or back to desired song.
Rating:
Summary: Please think!
Review: Hey!The Rio is awesome, I have NO trouble with mine... First of all the problem of crashing Rio's is caused by you neglecting to use charged batteries when downloading music! Obviously the data will be corrupted! I do believe Diamond should have a paper clip memory reset button for emergencies, but the reset software is alirght. Second, the 'few Mp3 files that fail to play inexplicably' must have been encoded with Variable Bitrate Encoding or something of that nature... simple re-encode them and they're fine! Just my 2 bits Evan
Rating:
Summary: Hard to begin, GREAT to to use!
Review: When I first received my Rio it was very frustrating. The Software istall CD was broken. I E-Mailed Rio to see what to do, they directed me to the site where to download the software -simple enough. Well now I had a new problem: the player installed itself to the wrong place in the hard drive- making itself undetectable to the Audio Manager. Well anyways, it took two days but it was worth it. I give the Rio500 4 stars because the technical staff at Rio was very helpful and now that it is working it is excellent. Some people complain that the volume should go higher, it's lower than the others, but fine none of the less.
Rating:
Summary: Great workout machine
Review: Most of the important points about this machine have been made elsewhere, but I'd like to summarize and add my experience. Ease of use: Forget the software that comes with it. I use Realjukebox and the transfer of song is a snap. USB port makes transfer speedy. The backlit screen is great and the controls are intuitive. The belt clip case is not very useful as it hard to remove the unit while exercising and difficult to press the buttons through the webbing. Its small enough to carry. Durability: I've dropped this on a hard gym floor twice from a stairmaster and it kept on playing. Battery life: One AA battery lasted 5-6 hours. Quality of sound: Typical of other MP3 players. Changing headphones makes a little difference. Memory: 64 Meg = about one hour of tunes. The reason I love this product so much: I used to tire of my workout tapes very quickly and it took forever to make a new mix. Now that I have lots of MP3's stashed on my computer (don't tell Lars Ulrich!) I can make different mixes very quickly. This really enhances my workout experience. This product is just what I was looking for. JPO
Rating:
Summary: Gotta Have One!
Review: I recently purchased two of these Rio500 MP3 players, one for my girlfriend and one for myself, and they're without a doubt a godsend for anyone who loves to listen to music, or shall I say digital quality music on the go - without the annoying skips and shuffles associated with portable CD and yes even MD players. The Rio500 is a marvelous little unit, and when I mean little - I mean tiny! It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes and almost half a packs thickness. It's rugged yet simple looks and user-friendly design makes it ideal for even the entry-level MP3 enthusiast. Sound quality and sheer power of the unit is among the highest that I have heard among the other MP3 players on the market. The onboard 64MB and expansion capabilities also makes it one of the most powerful in terms of memory "in it's price range" of all the players. With all that good, unfortunately I also think it has one small flaw. I found the included KOSS ear bud headphones to be of very poor quality and extremely uncomfortable to use. Although it may not be a huge imperfection, I do believe it affects the over-all standing of the unit. As you don't achieve the sound quality that it states it can produce. I found the use of a set of headphones I had from an old Sony CD Walkman worked amazing well. You can purchase equivalent headphone from Sony or most any other brand name audio manufacturer for anywhere from $15. to $20. Other than that, the Rio500 is a great buy, "if you get it from Amazon.com for [a great price]. that is" Both my girlfriend and I love it, and we're positive that you will too..
Rating:
Summary: Perfect, just perfect...well just shy anyway
Review: I love this thing. I use everyday for running, and when I go to the beach. If you use it with Real player it is awesome. The only problems are the battery life, the non rechargable battery, the small display.
Rating: 
Summary: Neat Product - Hassles with the company
Review: The Diamond Rio 500 is a neat product. It is lightweight, has great sound, and is adaptable to car cassette players which I thought was great. I returned mine today though. I had several problems with my unit that the Tech support line could not seem to help me with. I even gave them several chances, but they didn't come through so I opted to get my money back. Problem 1: Very poor instructions are provided with the product. Since this technology is probably new to most purchasers, I would have expected them to go overboard with the instructions. They provide the basics, but if you have a problem like I did, you may not be able to use the product without calling tech support several times. Problem 2: When I tried to register the software, I provided my work e-mail instead of the e-mail for my home computer where the software was loaded. For some reason, I never received the return e-mail from them providing the number you need to "Unlock" the software for unlimited use. Tech support told me I needed to re-register the software, but the register option was gone from the menu since I had already registered. I called back, but they were not able to just give me a number over the phone which would have been fine. If I don't have unlimited use of the software, it goes back. Problem 3: The switch to turn the unit on and off didn't seem to function properly which caused the batteries to go dead when I wasn't even using the unit. I would turn the unit "Off", but the display was still on. I ended up taking the battery out each time I wanted the unit off which got old quick. Tech said I could download a fix for this, but I decided I didn't feel like paying $200 for a headache. Again, neat product that I wish would have worked for me.
Rating:
Summary: The best out there
Review: This is a great product. Sound output is just as good as a CD player. After spending time researching, I found that this was the only mp3 player that could support over 64MB of memory, which is an advantage over other mp3 players because you don't have to constantly switch fragile memory cards to get another hour of music. With updates that can be downloaded from diamond's website, the rio500 can now support 64MB of external memory, so the player can have a total of 128MB of memory, which is more than anything out there. (The flash-ROM is useful in quickly and easily updating the rio). I had no problems installing the software. And downloading songs to the player is incredibly fast. With a download rate of 0.5MB per second, it takes just 4 minutes to fill 128MB of memory. The built-in equilizer is useful in boosting bass and treble. The adjustable backlight it very bright. It also includes random and repeat play modes, as well as some other progroming functions. A bookmark feature is useful for listening to books. My only complaint is that the software is confusing to use at first. Oh, and also buy better headphones along with the Rio, since the earbuds it comes with are basically junk. With its tiny size, sleek design, and good quality, it's well worth the $200 pricetag.
Rating:
Summary: Great product (NOTE: It can get up to 128 MB of RAM)
Review: There are a lot of upsides and a lot of downsides to this product. First thing that I need to say though, is that they have updated one very important aspect of the Rio 500. There is now availability to use a 64 MB SmartMedia card which makes a huge amount of difference when comparing this mp3 player to others out in the market. I originally bought a 64 MB card when my Rio arrived, and it did not work. But, after emailing Diamond/S3, they promptly (1-2 weeks, not bad considering they had to update the firmware) corrected the problem, and now the 500 works great. I can fit nearly 30 songs at the 128 k/sec rate. It's about 2-3 hours of quality play, depending on your rate preferences. The controls on the unit itself are excellent in my opinion. It is true that they are not (at all) well described in the putrid manual. We really can't refer to it as a manual, more like a tiny folded poster. The blue backlit screen is really great. Also, the text is clear and neat looking. Many people say they wish the Rio 500 had the circular play/pause/stop/ff/rew controller, but I think it's fine the way it is. I suppose it's up to you. But the unit is light, slick, and very nice in general. The sound quality, as with all Rios, is pretty much as good as it gets for mp3 players. Get good headphones though, as it is true that the ones they provide just don't cut it. Besides just the headphones issue is the small problem that the volume level 20 (the loudest) is not as loud as one may like it to be. But considering what many people need the Rio for, it's understandable that it doesn't break any records for loudness. It really isn't that necessary. Here come some problems... The software really is horrible. It's just not as good as many other options. But since those options are generally free (MusicMatch, RealJukebox, etc), it's not really worth worrying about. How about the transfer of data? Well, first, a good thing is that the Rio 500 uses USB connection, which allows for the transfer of a song in mere seconds. However, beware, because if the battery is low when you transfer, you could damage the Rio. Word is, however, that they now have a utility for fixing this problem if it happens. Better than the old plan of sending the customer a refurbished one. WMA. I have heard that this format is going to be better than mp3, but the 500 does not support it... yet. Hopefully, they will upgrade the firmware some day to support it, but as of now, they aren't. Last of all, what about the Rio 600 and soon to come Rio 800? Well, the 600 comes with only 32 MB of RAM and costs less. But how much will it cost to get it up to 128 MB? I'm not sure. I think that if you can get a good deal on a 64 MB SmartMedia Card, the 500 is quite enough with the 128 MB, at least until the next generation of players which will store songs in the GB range. The price of the 500 will likely go down with the 600 here, so it isn't the rip off it once was. The 600 has different colored face plates, but how important is that? Depends on what you want from the Rio. The 600 is a tiny bit lighter than the 500, but that is not even negotiable (about .2 oz.). So, overall, I think the 500 is a great product. When it's working well, it's completely awesome. If they upgrade the firmware to support WMA, the 500 would become even more flexible. And with the availability of 128 MB of RAM, it can boast space that many other mp3 players can't. (Keep in mind that the largest SmartMedia card available now is 64 MB, leaving the no-flash memory players at a 64 MB maximum.) It's cool, and it does the job. And from what I have seen, Diamond/S3 has a decent support staff. If you want a nice mp3 player that will last a while, or at least until the amount of memory doesn't matter anymore, this is a great choice.
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