The Rio 600 - An MP3 player that's worth checking out!
Written: Mar 17 '02 (Updated Mar 17 '02)
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Pros: Small, portable & convenient. The 64MB version holds an adequate amount of music.
Cons: Battery life isn't close to 11 hours and no skipping ahead "within" a song.
The Bottom Line: With the Rio 600's features and few drawbacks, it is worth considering if you're in the market for an MP3 player.
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| GOkinaka's Full Review: Rio 600 (32 MB) MP3 Player |
A few weeks ago, I was looking to spend part of my tax return on an MP3 player. I wanted it for travel, exercising, and use at work (with my computer's speakers). So after a little research online, I decided to head on over to Best Buy, and I bought the Rio 600.
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Features
So, what does the Rio 600 feature and come with?*
- 64 MB of memory
- Lightweight (under 3 ozs)
- Supports MP3 or WMA music files
- USB Connection for file transfers
- Various playing options
- Uses 1 AA alkaline battery
- Rugged, skip free design
- Over-the ear sport clip design earphones
- Carrying case with belt clip
- Two additional face plates
- Getting started guide
- Audio Management Software CD-ROM
*This is what came with my Rio 600 (64 MB) package from Best Buy. The 32 MB version may come with more or less than the above.
1. Memory
The Rio 600 is available in two versions, a 32 MB version and a 64 MB version. I opted for the 64 MB version since I wanted more than just a couple of songs on it. Most of my MP3s are either 160 Kbps or 128 Kbps, so I'm able to fit about 15 songs on it.....not too bad for a trip or exercise session. Although the 32 MB version is obviously cheaper, you probably won't be too satisfied with the amount of songs that you are able to put on it.
You can purchase additional rechargeable "memory backpacks" for your Rio 600 with either 32, 64 or 128 MB. These backpacks range in price from $39.99 to $199.95 on the S3 website (http://www.s3.com), but you can find them a little cheaper elsewhere like on buy.com (http://www.buy.com).
2. Playing Options
With the Rio 600 you can customize the EQ settings or choose from the following settings: Normal, Classic, Flat, Jazz, Book, Rock, or Rap.
You can also choose to repeat one track, repeat all tracks, or A-B loops.
The one drawback with the playing options is that you can go back and forward to other songs on your Rio 600, but you can't skip forward or backward a little bit while playing a song (i.e. if you wanted to skip to the middle or end of a song).
3. USB Transfers
The USB transfer between your computer and the Rio 600 is pretty quick as it takes about 10-15 seconds for each song (of about 4 to 5 MBs) to download. The included software gives you a version (albeit an older one) of the Real Jukebox software which you'll need to transfer files to and from your Rio 600. (I haven't used Real Jukebox before, and there weren't any explicit instructions for the transfers to the Rio 600, but eventually I figured it out).
4. Battery Life
The Rio 600 says that it can last up to 11 hours on 1 AA alkaline battery, but I've found that it last for a few hours less if you like the music turned up a little high (like me when I'm at the gym).
5. Earphones / Skip-Free
The over-the-ear sport clip designed earphones sound great with no apparent skipping, and they really stay in place if you're moving around.
6. Carrying Case w/ Belt Clip
The included carrying case really protects your Rio 600 as I've dropped it a few times on the pavement with no damage. It is a little harder to press the buttons with the carrying case on, but I guess thats the drawback to having it protected.
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The Cost
I purchased the Rio 600 at Best Buy for about $150. However, there is currently a $20 rebate that I had to mail in, so $130 wasn't too bad. Although buy.com (http://www.buy.com) does have it available for about $126 (plus with the $20 rebate, that brings that down to $106), they have been out of stock of the Rio 600 for some time now, and I didn't want to wait.
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PC Requirements
- Windows 98, 98SE, 2000 or Me
- Pentium 166 or higher
- 32 MB available RAM
- USB Port
- CD-ROM drive (for software)
- 35 MB of available hard drive space
Mac Requirements
- Mac OS 9.0.4 or later
- 32 MB available RAM
- USB port
- CD-ROM drive (for software)
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OVERALL
The Rio 600 is an MP3 player that is definitely worth considering. It's portability, skip-free play, decent (upgradeable) music storage, decent battery life, and overall cool looks are some definite advantages of the Rio 600.
If you'd like more info, go to the S3 website at:
http://www.s3.com
Or if you're going to purchase one, check out these websites as well:
http://www.buy.com
http://www.bestbuy.com
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 149
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Epinions.com ID:
GOkinaka
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: George Okinaka
Location: Las Vegas, NV (USA)
Reviews written: 130
Trusted by: 196 members
About Me:
George is a native Las Vegan in commercial real estate who loves to travel.
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