Rating: 
Summary: Great overall with one fatal flaw
Review: The products specs are fine. The playback is loud, the user interface is intuitive, and the software is problem free. Guess what, none of that matters. The product is as fragile as a egg. I was very pleased with all aspects of the product until i tryed to actually use it where it was designed to be used, the gym. I had previously owned a Intel MP3 player, which was fantastic and only became outdated due to its memory size. But took the typical beating that a product takes when jogging, or lifting with electronics. Nothing outlandish, but typical wear and tear. Anyway, I have new Rio and its simply falls from my hip, at sitting level onto carpet (approx. 2.5 feet) and pops open, never to be properly closed again. This product can have all the memory, bells and whistles, and ease of use. But hey quess what kids, if the damn thing shatters when you look at it funny it kinda negates its cutting edge features. Note to RIO: If your gonna built a product as "Athlete friendly" don't just coat it in rubber and have a well proportioned dude hold it up and smile on the website, make it so. If you plan on using this product for anything other than sitting stationary, or maybe some brisk walking while maintaining a deathgrip on the player, i would have to issue a no-sale on this product.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor quality control
Review: The features on this unit are nice, but in my experience it's poorly manufactured. I had two die in under three weeks from getting the first one.
Rating: 
Summary: Awesome for the sport Enthusiast
Review: There is little I can say bad about this thing other than the oft mentioned FM reception(but if you are looking at this you aren't doing it for the radio). My feelings
1. Light ...very light. battery is the heaviest component(I clip it to my back wasteband, and can;t feel it.
2. No skip(of course it shouldn't but some people fail to realize the technology they are dealing with here.
3. A timer for running. This works well(you CAN use it while playing music.
4. There is a HOLD/LOCK function. Some of the other reviewers need to read the manual.
5. EASY file transfer. Absolutely no issues. Great software for doing this.
6. Customizeable setting such as time/date, indiglo, and power saver features are wonderful
7. The ability to play random and shuffle is standard and not lost in this player. Definately worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Sports enthusiast beware!
Review: I am extremely disappointed with the sports armband and belt clip this unit comes with. The belt clip is a flimsy piece of plastic that easily breaks off. I accidentally broke mine trying to simply pull it off my shorts. Additionally the arm band is nothing more than a cheap piece of cloth that wraps around your arm. To attach the player to your arm, you use the belt clip... obviously not much thought was put into the design. This use of the belt clip/armband combo makes the player jut out from your arm, and you feel the entire unit bounce like it's about to fall off while you jog.I have one of the older Nike PSA 32MB units, and the arm-band is fantastic. The player is actually recessed within the band which is made of a thick durable, spandex-type material. I expected the same level of quality from the Rio. The actual player is pretty good, though you can't easily manage the controls without looking at them... the Nike PSA has raised buttons. Though the sound and features of the player are decent, I'm giving this only 2 stars because I don't think this truly qualifies as a "Sport" unit. Rio needs to rethink their approach if they're going to target the sports demographic.
Rating: 
Summary: FM tuner doesn't work
Review: This player is fine as an MP3 player but the FM tuner is not really functional. I live in manhattan where there are plenty of strong radio signals but the SONIC blue only picks up about 2 stations and they sound terrible. In contrast, my 10 dollar sony analog tuning radio picks up a couple dozen radio stations at least and it is about the same size. Also, if you do buy this unit you should know to take off the wrap-around-ear plastic things on the earphones which are removable and very uncomfortable in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Great Player, but Sonics support is the worst!!!!
Review: I bought the S35 for my daughter for Christmas, and right out of the box the volume/function button would not work in one direction. Other than that player worked very well and had no problems with downloading music and were very happy with it other than what I thought was a minor problem....UNTIL....I called tech support and after 1/2 hour wait (no 800# so MY dime to boot) they tell me to send it back. That was on Jan 3rd...its now Feb 14th and still nothing! I finally call back on Feb 13 and wait on hold for another 50 minutes this time, and after reaching a person they agree that they recieved the player but couldnt tell me anymore than that and to just wait a couple more weeks! UNBELIEVABLE! I should have just returned it through Amazon. So beware...player works great when it works, but if it breaks and you need to send it back youll be very sorry. At least I know to stay away from Sonic in the future....good thing because I just about purchased a Replay last week, but went with the Tivo instead after this mess.
Rating:
Summary: Well Worth It!
Review: 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: 
Summary: They were right
Review: I give this little thing a 4.5, actually. After reading some of the other reviews I ran across when deciding whether or not to buy this, I must point out that I'm probably not the norm. I'm a licensed driver. This apparently gives me an advantage with software installation and player operation. I put the CD in, followed the directions on the screen, copied the songs to my player, and was done. The longest part was waiting for the Rio manager to sort through my MP3s. The FM reception picks up the stations I'm interested in, so I'm pleased. I still haven't upgraded the firmware (the website is a little slow) - but everything works like I hoped it would. I noticed a bit of the grainy reception in a station, but the tuner was just a bonus, in my mind. The menu options are easy to use and figure out. The sound is really good - I think some people expect too much when buying electronics sometimes. I didn't give it a five because of its downside - requires batteries. A perfect product would run off of oxygen in the air or something. The only real difference I noticed between this and the Rio S50 is the included rechargeable batteries ...
Rating:
Summary: Coolest unit I could find
Review: I have been doing tons of research on various MP3 players, and only about half of them are Mac friendly. After concluding that this was the right model for me, I was a bit worried about all the reviews stating the reception is poor. Well let me tell you, I live in Oregon, and I can't even get TV reception with regular or enhanced antennas. The tuner worked fine from inside my apartment! And as for people stating there is no lock feature, THERE IS. Read the manual. Press and hold MENU, then hit enter. It locks the buttons in case of accidental bumps. My only complaint is that sometimes the sound (Bass in particular) during MP3 playback sounds distorted.. Then after playing around with the unit a bit, it starts to come in clear. Anyone else with this problem? Otherwise, I think it's a great, feature-rich, sleek-designed, sporty unit!
Rating:
Summary: Perfect for the athlete
Review: 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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