Rio 500 - The Good, Bad, and Ugly
Written: May 04 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: durable, USB, good sound
Cons: software flaky, headphones crappy
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| bregoli's Full Review: Rio PMP-500 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
I've been the proud owner of a Diamond Rio 500 for about 4 months now. I figured that I would wait a while before reviewing it to see what goes wrong with it. Well, to date it has always worked perfectly and still does.
The Good
The Rio 500 was in my opinion the premium MP3 player on the market when I bought it, though better items may be available now, and will likely be available in the future. The sound quality is perfect. The battery life is incredible: 1 AA battery will last 12-16 hours! (NOTE: don't buy the cheapo batteries at discount stores, I have had lackluster performance with them (less than 2 hours on the Rio!) in the past) The rio is very durable. I generally don't take very good care of my stuff, and i just toss the rio on the floor etc, but it hasn't hurt it one bit. The small size of the unit is great. I like to stick it in my jeans pocket and listen to it on the way to/from class (and during those boring lectures). The Rio 500 uses the USB port to connect to your computer, which is in my opinion an important feature to look for in your MP3 player. The USB is faster and more convenient than conventional serial connection. Finally, the Rio 500 has a very nice, sleek look to it. You won't be embarrassed to be carrying one around with you.
The Bad
The software that comes with the Rio leaves something to be desired. Not that it doesn't work or anything like that, but it is a little flaky. Fortunately, there is third party alternative software that you can use (MusicMatch, etc). The headphones that are included are ridiculous. You will have to buy some of your own headphones, but that is also no big deal. The case that comes with the Rio is also silly, and not for the fashion-conscious. In other words, you wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing that thing! I just tossed mine to collect dust somewhere. The rio is small enough that you can just slip it into your pocket anyway, so you dont really need a carrying case. Everyone complains about the lack of memory (only 64mb) but that is the current standard. It will hold a little over an hour of music, which is fine for trips to class, jogging, etc.
The Ugly
Hey did I mention that carrying case? Yuck.
Overall, the Rio is a neat little toy. I like it in particular because most of my music collection is on mp3, not on CD or tape, so it gives me a way to listen to my music without burning a new CD every other day. I bought a CD->FM converter so that I can listen to my Rio in my car as well, which is nice. I would recommend the Rio to others like me who have a large collection of MP3s that you want to listen to on the go. It is also very nice for people who do a lot of jogging or other exercise and want to listen to "eye of the tiger" while they work out. =) For everyone else I feel that I should point out that $250 is a lot of money for a glorified walkman. You might have better things to spend your money on.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
bregoli
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Member: Mike Bregoli
Location: Worcester, MA
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 6 members
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