Rating: 
Summary: Good memory card unit
Review: Just picked it up today after returning a Sony Minidisc player. So far I love it, great sound AFTER upgrading the firmware. As with any new product like this it is always best to check for updates and apply them. The firmware update did a remararkable job of improving the radio reception and solving the other problems listed in the readme for it. In the first few hours of use I did have problems with radion reception, playing it loud, and a couple of resets for a unknown reason. It has been a couple of hours since the update has been applied and it sounds better playing mp3, sounds better in radio (twice as many stations tuned in now, all that I want) and hasn't reset playing the same files as before. My big complaint isn't Rio's fault I think though, there is no Musicmatch plug'in yet. I am sorely tempted to try one of the other Rio ones listed though to see if they work. Hopefully one will get posted soon since Music match is one heck of a better program than the Rio one. I am still not sure about adding more memory through cards but will try it as soon as I get a card or two. The sales persons at my local Blessed Buy ;-) were unable to figure out what kind of cards it took when I picked it up. Would give it 5 stars if the management program was better. Real also is on the disc, but who in their right mind uses any Real software???!
Rating: 
Summary: Sent mine back
Review: The recharge feature over USB is a great idea but mine didn't work. The sound quality was really good but it got progressivly worse as the unit ran. After three songs it was fuzzy and unbearable. At nearly 200 bills I expect better and will probably get better sound from a cheaper unit. Tech support was unresponsive and only sent me a form email stating that I should try playing the MP3 file again.
Rating: 
Summary: Good MP3 player...
Review: Just bought it and I like it. Holds about 35 songs with the standard 128MB memory. The UI in the hardware and on the PC are both easy to use. No complaints about the battery life. I have only used the rechargable battery but not the disposable AAs. The headset seem fine. It is the kind that fits directly into your ears. I didn't buy it for the FM tuner so I haven't used it a variety of situations BUT I just flipped it on and the sound is crystal clear. No complaints about the tuner despite what the other reviews have said.I am very satisfied. A great buy. My only complaint is that it does not come with some kind of clip so you can hook it to you while you work out or walk around town.
Rating:
Summary: Nice MP3 player...but don't buy for the radio
Review: Good: sturdy design, you can use standard AA or included rechargable batteries(life is EXCELLENT!), nice form factor (2"W,3"H,3/4"D, well designed case, tranfer time for 128mb on a standard USB is about four minutes. Bad: the radio reception is very weak, management software is average, MMC memory is more expensive than compact flash to upgrade Conclusion: Buy this player if you want a well made player with capacity for 256mb. Do not base your purchase on the fact that it has a radio because you will never use it. I paid a premium compared to other 128 players, but would probably make the same choice today.
Rating: 
Summary: sent mine back
Review: The only reason to spend so much on this unit was because it has a radio ............in my area using identicle headphones my $30 dollar potable radio picks up 36 stations clear the Rio picked up 2 .....Their customer service was just as bad. dont wast your money.
But it did look good. Howard
Rating:
Summary: Great player, poor radio
Review: The performance of this unit for playing mp3s is AOK. The radio is not good enough, and I frequently find myself carrying a radio in another pocket when I carry the S50. I would love to have the same thing with 256 MB built in--and dispense with the radio if they can't do better than this.
Rating:
Summary: Light and powerful player
Review: I'm really impressed by the Rio S50, its light weight and powerful output is unmatched by any player on the market. I paid $90 dollars for the unit and $75 for a 512 mb memory card. With the onboard 128mb ram, 640mb ram total I was able to store approximately 10 hours of music all for about $165. This is impressive considering prices almost a year ago. The audio quality and the units 5 band adjustable equalizer, matched with a good set of headsets (Koss 'The Plug' earbuds), deliver superb bass and crystal clear highs without any distortion throughout the entire volume range; you'll never get caught short of audio quality (something to take for granted nowadays with most units at this price.) The S50 will never seriously compete with the more expensive units such as the ipod in storage(the ipod is basically a hard drive.), although the s50 may be more rugged. However, if you're measuring light weight vs. quality, ruggedness and storage size vs. price the s50 is definitely a way to go. The s50 is my champ in the light weight department, with no moving parts except for the on off switch it's a reliable companion on just about any trip or climate. I wouldn't hesitate to throw it into my backpack or luggage for a week-long outing. You may want to bring along an extremely light-weight FM/Am radio, though; On the rare occasion when I did want to listen to the radio, I never picked up any stations reliably. This is truly an mp3 player enthusiasts unit.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible Company!!!
Review: Bought one of this company's mp3 players and I lost my cord which connects it to the computer. I ordered a replacement and waited WEEKS to get it despite the next day air priority shipping. For over a week they showed that it was ready to ship, but they still didn't send it out. If you buy this item, pray you never have to replace a part!
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your money
Review: I've had my rio for almost a year now and I love it. I have never had a problem with it. The sound is great and the eq works really well. The menu is very easy to use. It even has a hold mode so you can't push the buttons by accident. The software is very easy to use it just finds all your music and you just select it and download them to the player which happens in a few minutes. I have never been shocked by mine nor has it ever skipped. I have a 256mb card inside it so I'm up to 384 which is like 85-88 tracks. If you get a larger card then you'll have even more storage. What I like to do is get cheap low mb card and copy whole cds to them and carry around a few cards. The only down side is the radio doesn't have very good reception. It does work great occasionally. Oh and the earbuds aren't that great but who hasn't bought a player of some sort the didn't come with a crappy head set. So if you want a radio with your mp3 player that this is not the one for you but if you don't mind then go pick this one up.
Rating:
Summary: Best MP3 Short of and IPOD
Review: This player has EVERYTHING that you need in an MP3! I believe I've got 5 full CD's at a time in the "built in" memory, which should be plenty for anyone. The software is extremely simple, and I'd say it takes me <5 minutes to erase the player and enter a whole new set of music. This was the part of using an MP3 that I was hesitant about before purchasing the RIO, but I've been pleasantly surprised. Aside from ease of use, and sufficiency of the built in memory (not to mention that it is expandable), this player has every other feature you could want. The backlight is key, and you shouldn't waste your money on a player without that feature! The leather case is always on my player, because it not only protects the hardware, but it looks better too (has it's own belt clip). The FM player is also hugely convenient for anyone with radio tuners on their Fitness Centers' Television sets! (other than that, you won't get much reception aside from 1/2 dozen local stations).
I couldn't be happier with the value of this player. Sounds great, totally affordable (I paid ~$95 12/03) and incredibaly convenient.
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