Internal memory provides hours of MP3/WMA playbackSecure Digital or MMC expansion slots5 band adjustable equalizer with pre-setsIncludes MP3 player Sennheiser MX-500 stereo earbuds carrying case with armband sport clip earphones 1 AAA Energizer battery USB 1.1 cable and installation software CDManufacturers link: http://www.sonicblue.com
1 Thanks!
I decided that I would give this a try before "moving on to the next one". I am the person who when having a problem (in my opinion)calls my 19 yr old daughter and has her either walk me through it or comes home and fixes it. With this product I only had to call her and tell her that mom really really did it all by herself!! Woo Hoo!! I work outside and decided that after many funny looks due to me singing or talking to myself that I should go another route and try to manage one of these, and I am glad that I did.
2 First time buyer...glad i got it right in one shot!
I purchased the Rio Chiba about a month ago, and after extensive use, I feel it is a good time to write a review. First off, if you are looking to store your entire cd collection, I would suggest moving on. I, on the other hand, was just looking for something to load up for bus rides or long spells at the poker table.(Depending on the file type and bit rate, you could hold up to 120 songs! Plus you can expand your memory with separately sold memory cards.) I read alot before I decided on a player and I can say I was a bit worried after reading about some of the issues that other people seemed to have with this player. I have yet to experience anything of the sort. My battery cover stays on just fine, no crackling noise during playback. I did notice that some problems people were expressing could have been avoided by actually reading the instructions included with the player. I saw a few people who complained that their player would show the same track listing for different songs. This is caused by not turning off your player before disconnecting it from your computer. If this happens you need to reformat your player (hope you didn't delete the songs from your computer!). Some people expressed issues with the software. If you don't care about the order your songs play, you can simply "drag and drop" songs from your source directory right into the player. It will place the songs in alphabetical order by artist. Others have raised questions as to the durability of the player, saying that it looks cheap. It is an electronic device and requires a certain amount of care. You don't have to act like a psycho overprotective parent, just use common sense. My television doesn't look cheap, but I still don't want to drop it on the floor. Another I heard was in regards to the overall loudness of the player. If you crank it up out of the box, I will admit it is pretty weak. However, you can easily resolve this by setting the equalizer. One reviewer suggested cranking all the levels to the max. This works, but I feel you can get a much better sounds if you arrange the equalizer in a "smile" pattern. Put the low end and high end to the max, then descend and re-ascend through the rest of the levels. Anyway, a great deal at 79.99.
3 it's a good player
my chiba is good, it never skips a beat, although the reception for the radio could be better. It was easy to install the software, it only took five minutes from start to finish but that depends on how fast your computer is.
TIP: if the sound has a lot of static push the earphones in harder.
4 Rio updated their software and ended some complaints
A list of pros and cons for the Rio Chiba 256MB MP3 Player
Problems:
1. You can't select just one song to play, you have to scroll through a list of songs alphabetically to find it. However, this problem can be solved by creating playlists for each Artist. Now you simply scroll through the songs within the playlist to find the song you want.
2. Many people were frustrated with the automatic alpha-numeric order the player puts your songs into. You used to have to add a 1, 2, 3, etc. before each song in the order you wanted the songs to play. This was a pain because it required you to rename each song. This issue has been resolved by a simple fix in the software. You can simply click and drag the songs to the order you want them in.
3. The EQualizer presets really aren't that great, but it does have a custom option which allows you to adjust it to the levels you prefer. You can squeeze a suprising amount of sound out of this bad-boy!
Now let me give the player a few positives: (give it it's props)
1.It has a decent Tuner with 8 programmable save slots for your favorite stations
2.Enough music space to prevent from song-overplay-boredom. You can upgrade to up to 1 GB of space with (seperately purchased) SD cards.
3.Loud enough to block out the outside world
4.Easy software to work with
5.Easy to navigate through
6.CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP! I purchased mine from a great ebay seller for 79 bucks, that included shipping, insurance, warranty, and a package that landed on my doorstep 2 days later. Sorry Amazon, but I don't have a credit card, and you don't accept bank-connected online payments like PAYPAL.
7.Super small (about 1/2 the size of the average computer mouse)
8.Super light: unlike the brick known as iPod, the Chiba is so light I have to constantly check that it's still connected to my pants while on the treadmill
I hope this review helped you make your selection.
5 Great MP3 Player
This MP3 player is the best! I listen 2 it all the time when i get a chance. U should use wall mart music store 2 download all of your songs. .88 each!!!!!
6 Excellent Buy
I've had my Chiba 128 since Nov-2003 and it has worked fantastic the whole time. I use it 5 days per week while working out.
I've used the Rio Manager tool for Windows and the Rioutil for Linux and both work great. Battery life is very good, which I supposed is due to no moving parts. The SD Card expansion is probably one of the best features of this unit. With the price of these cards dropping, you can continue to upgrade your capacity as you see fit. The only flaw I have found, which is probably more user error than anything, is when you have the unit stored in a bag or something similar, the lock needs to be on otherwise, the power button will be pressed and drain your battery. Simply setting this lock before storing has eliminated these user errors.
I highly recommend this unit to anyone looking for a good, affordable, userfriendly mp3/wma player with expansion options.
7 Using it on a Mac? Choose another player.
I got this as a gift for a friend. I thought it would be nice to have it set up with music on it. I got this model because it was supposed to be compatible with iTunes. I went to the website and downloaded the driver. I followed the instructions, plugged it in and NOTHING. I tried it on another Mac. NOTHING. The device would not show up on the desktop or on iTunes. I asked my Tech guy at my job to see if he could make it mount. No luck. If you are on the Mac side. I would avoid this product.
8 Superb Flash MP3 Player
This is easily one of the best flash MP3 players.
I used the Chiba for about a month with no problems, but I needed more memory.
My favorite thing with the Chiba is the expansion slot. I added a 1GB SD card so now I have 20-40 hours of music in an extremely compact and ergonomic package!
It has a large backlit screen so you can easily see what you're listen to.
I couldn't be happier, great product.
9 Superb Player-Reliable & Easy
I did considerable research before I bought the RIO Chiba 256M MP3/WMA player, trying out every other major personal portable MP3 player on the market. My wife and I were tired of the clunky CD and cassette players around the house, and we wanted something more durable and reliable than the hard-drive based models like the Apple iPod or many others currently on the market. We bought the RIO Chiba two weeks ago, and it is clear that RIO has responded to earlier complaints: the Chiba is light and durable, especially in the enclosed belt-clip case; the software is updated and reliable out of the box; transfer takes no time at all. The greatest advantage of the RIO Chiba (like the higher-end and more expensive RIO Sport) is memory: with 256M internally, you get enough for about 80 songs; we added the 1 gig SD card, and this gave us enough room for a few hundred more songs, plus 20-30 hours of audible.com audio books. The best part? Unlike iPod or hard-drive based media, flash memory cards are solid state: so no skipping, popping, or crashing when you run, exercise, drop or otherwise abuse the player. The sound is fantastic, and we both like the Sennheiser earbuds--though hardcore runners may prefer Sony wraparound headphones that cling to your head better in extreme conditions. An alkaline AAA battery runs the system for about 18 hours--twice as long as an iPod, and there with a standard battery replacement there is never any down time for (re-)charging. We are so delighted with the quality that we are buying another for our 9-year-old daughter to use on the long rides on the school bus.
10 just about perfect
A lot of people have complained quite a bit about this. I've had it for four days, and it's just great. The storage space holds 4 hours of WMA or 2 hours of MP3, which is generally sufficient for most people. (It's about 40 MP3 songs or 80 WMA songs.) It comes with top quality Sennheiser earbuds, which are excellent, and I find the top volume to be quite sufficient, unless you like listening to very quiet songs at very very high volumes. It would be nice if you could use Windows Media Player playlists, but you can't. However, if you only have 35 songs it really shouldn't take you that long to put them in playlists. The included program for uploading music and playlists is quite good and very very easy to use. The battery lid thingy is a bit loose, but as long as you don't fiddle with it it stays on fine. Alternatively, you can put a bit of sticky tape on, or keep it in the plastic case which covers the lid entirely. Come on people, stop complaining. Buy some tape. It's not that hard. Personally I like the beltclip feature. The batteries (one provided AAA) are quite sufficient for about 12 hours of playback at 15 out of 30 volume notches. The controls are well placed and easy to use, and the "lock key" slider is useful. The only small problem I have with this player is the rather unusual shape, in that it doesn't fit in your hand very well. Interface and screen are nice and easy to figure out. Some people claim the menu doesn't open and it won't turn off; well obviously you got a lemon. Try pushing the buttons harder. I've had no trouble with that. Also, a nice feature is the optional backlighting and customizable equalizer. You cn set the backlight to stay on for a certain number of seconds after you used a control, or off all the time or on all the time, however the latter drains batteries pretty fast. The equalizer has loads of settings, or you can customize it. Another claim is that the displays are wrong (artist and song and album are in the wrong place.) This can be EASILY fixed in Rio Music Manager, the included program. There is nothing wrong with your player. Also, the entire thing is on a single circuit board with no moving parts inside the machine. This means guaranteed absolutely no slips or skips ever. It does fine being dropped or even stood on. NOTE: don't try this deliberately or for too long or if you weigh more than 200 pounds. Sorry, it sounds like I'm selling this thing. But it really is an excellent piece of gadgetry.
11 Great flash based MP3 player for the price
I've had this for about six months now, so I feel I can review it fairly accurately. It's a standard flash based MP3 player with 256 megs internal memory and an expansion slot.
Syncing isn't a problem, it goes fine using Media Player Nine or Ten (I have multiple devices that I need to sync, so I just always use Media Player--then I don't need to learn several different software suites).
The sound quality is fine, although I do reccomend buying better headphones for maybe 10-20 bucks--the bundled ones aren't all that good. Navigation in the player is a breeze, and the controls took me maybe 10 minutes to learn, if that, even before I read the manual. It's easy to go in and change any settings, set the time, etc. if you feel the need to do so. The manual that comes on CD is sufficient to teach you how to fully use your player. If only most computers and techie toys came with manuals like that--not elegent, but it gets the job done well.
Given how cheap even 512 memory cards have gotten, it's feasible to turn this into a 768 meg player real quick. Without a card, it holds about 65 songs at a 128 bit rate. It's not got the capacity of hard drive players, but it's cheaper, and it doesn't skip, which is good for those of us who tend to drop them, and/or use them during physical activity.
Battery life is great; I've been using it for 3 30 minutes bike sessions a week for over a month (although I have missed one or two), plus in between classes at college; haven't replaced it yet. The machine seems durable enough; it shrugged of a glancing blow when I dropped a 10 lb. plate on it in the gym (the plate slipped outta my hands while I was cleaning up) . It's not as solid as a rock, but stands up completly fine to day-to-day use.
If you want a good, inexpensive flash based player this is a solid choice
12 Good Buy!
I recently purchased my Chiba 256 player off of Amazon.com for $108 and it is the best bargain I've had all year. The sound quality is excellent if you don't use the supplied earbuds. I recommend Sony MDR-828L's which you can buy for around 10 bucks. They fit my ears better. The belt clip holder is fine for my use. I never worry about my player coming off even when I exercise. I have had some problems with the included software, it doesn't synch all the tracks to the player. I mostly use Windows Media Player 10 as a work around.
13 Good overall, except ear pieces
I just got my Rio and I must say, it's easy to use and sounds good. I took it out running and I live in a busy area. I only had the volume up to ~20 and had no problems--I thought it was plenty loud and had no desire to take it up to the max of 30. My only complaint is that the ear pieces are very uncomfortable to me and I had a hard time getting them to stay in place, on top of it. I ended up walking the rest of the way. Once I get new ear buds, I'll be happy. I was a little worried when I ordered it that the belt clip wouldn't be adequate to run--I'm no longer concerned. It didn't budge--felt very secure. And I LOVE the FM radio feature!!! It came in perfectly clear and, being that I haven't transferred many songs to it yet, let me test it out without boredom.
14 Wat I expected and more...
I did a lot of research before purchasing this. I wanted something small that had a radio and enough memory to hold the music I needed while I ran. I also wanted to be able to expand the memory if necessary. While the case may not be of the best quality (I don't think it would survive more then a drop or two) and it lacks an armband, it is without a doubt the best player for the $$$. My only complaint is that the software is very restrictive, but since it is software, that can be fixed. After owning it for about 2 months I do not know how I managed without it. I take it just about everywhere I go.
Overall I am very happy with it and have not regretted the purchase once!
15 Better than the TDK
I agree with all the other positive reviews. My TDK Mojo 256 finally quit working altogether a few days ago, and so I bought the Rio Chiba 256. The unit itself is slightly better than the TDK Mojo 256, but the software is VASTLY superior to the TDK software, which was the worst software I've ever had to deal with (extremely buggy, with a poor user interface, and a version update has never been made available). The Rio software, on the other hand, is a joy to use. I use it to read recorded books in MP3 format, and with a 512 Megabyte SD card, I can fit any book into it, and the transfer from CD is extremely easy.
16 Make that 5 out of 5 stars
I almost returned this mp3 player, but I am VERY glad I did not! My concern was about the volume output. It was perfect for using in areas without alot of background noise, but I found it too quiet to use while riding the bus or while walking beside a street with alot of traffic. BUT!!! I followed someone elses (online) suggestion to custom set the equalizer settings at their maximum level and doing this practically doubled the volume output! I am thrilled! Now it does everything and has all the features I was looking for. Some tracks still play quieter than others, but that is because of the mp3/wma track itself, NOT the player. And with these new equalizer settings I am using even these songs play at an acceptable level. So I have NO complaints! I should mention that I am using Sony $25 earbud headphones and not the headphones the player came with.
The player and software was extremely simple to set up, the display is fantastic, the upload of songs was quite fast, and manuevering thru the features and settings was very easy. I barely needed to consult the instructions. And as a bonus, I already have a USB port set up for my digital camera so I was able to use this connection for the mp3 player as well and didn't have to install the separate USB cable it came with.
I really like the software. Through it you can access your own directories to select your songs or use the software to scan your drives for all music files. It tells you how much space is left on the player after each upload and lets you know the size of each song(s) selected before you upload it. You can change the text of the track display too, so you dont have to have the entire ID3 tag displaying across the viewer.
The belt clip is very stable. When I ran with it there was no concern of it falling off. I would have preferred a durable fabric type holder for it than the plastic holder/clip it comes with, although this is not a drawback, just a preference.
I have had no trouble whatsoever with songs skipping, and the battery useage is very good. I have had no problems with the battery compartment closure.
I haven't used the expansion slot yet to add memory but I really like this feature since the more songs you can have on the player the better!
I definately recommend this mp3player.
17 Don't buy it
This device is cheap, it looks good in the picture but is poor quality. I have had nothing but trouble with it. It will not support playlist for songs stored on a SD card. The songs display the wrong artist when switching tracks. Sometimes it will not turn off or the menu will not come up. After several support calls and e-mails to Rio, I gave up, their technichians could not resolve the issue of the playlist. Spend your money instead on anything from Creative Labs, their stuff is always top quality and dependable.
18 This is CHEAPER at Naptser.com
You can get this at www.napster.com for about $119.00 and get one year of Napter's sevice. Get it there instead.
19 Great alternative for MAC users
I originally tried the iRiver iFP-190T. The biggest feature the iRiver had was that it was LOUD. However, the majority of the flash players out there seem to ignore MAC users. That's too bad, because there are a lot of us out there who think shelling out the big dough for an iPod is out of hand. Especially with the battery situation. I'll take cheap rechargeable AAA batteries that last twice as long anyday. Yes the iRiver sounded great, but was pretty much DOA when hooking up to OS X on my G4.
MACWorld magazine did the honest thing and reviewed some popular flash players. The Rio Chiba, Cali, and Fuse were given the highest honors. They were true to their word, I've had the Chiba a little over 24 hours and has been working seemlessly with iTunes. In fact, if you already have iTunes, you don't need to load any software! The Chiba display has 3 lines of text - very large. The controls are solid and easy to use. The menus are also straightforward. MAC users don't seem to have the option of creating multiple playlists (Correct me if I'm wrong - please). The transfer rate was 20 minutes for around 60 songs, about the amount of time it takes me to shower in the morning. The belt clip looks deceptively cheap. It works ok (the headphone connection is the key to locking it in place). You may prefer something a little more rugged and weatherproof. So I am quite happy with the Chiba, although I have a sentimental attachment to the name since I have been to Chiba, Japan. EXCEPT for the low headphone volume.
This is too bad, because it was a big compromise to find a MP3 player that really DID work well on a MAC, and was well rated. The price was $100 less than the mini iPod. I purchased an extended warranty plan, since the manufacturers warranties on these things are about 120 days, and they are still a little buggy. But I have a reliable and cheaper alternative for the iPOD, and it even has an expandable memory slot.
4 out of 5 stars.
20 Rio Chiba 256MB - Easy to use ( 1 hand) and sounds great.
This unit Sounds great and is easly controled w/one hand while on the belt clip. No arm band provided though. includes FM stereo w/8 presets and manual tunning mode (yea). Headphones are in-ear type and sound very good: by way of comparison Sony MDR-G63 sportphones sound just slightly better. WinXP's Media Player 9 recognizes the Rio and can transfer songs, delete songs and format the player: but be careful as I somehow deleted all my songs once.
Included software seems OK (I only had the unit 24 hours.)
There's a firmware (software) upgrade available: The upgrade was
so easy I did'nt realize it was done and almost did it again.
256MB = about 60 songs at a 128-192bps (Medium high bitrate).
Now I just need a cheap SD mem card (It takes up to 1Meg of SD/MMC memory). And there's the rub. Once you get used to having your music on demand you'll wnat more, more, more.
I gave 4 stars only because I have nothing to compare it to.
MK
21 Rio Chiba 256MB - Easy to use ( 1 hand) and sounds great.
This unit Sounds great and is easly controled w/one hand while on the belt clip. No arm band provided though. includes FM stereo w/8 presets and manual tunning mode (yea). Headphones are in-ear type and sound very good: by way of comparison Sony MDR-G63 sportphones sound just slightly better. WinXP's Media Player 9 recognizes the Rio and can transfer songs, delete songs and format the player: but be careful as I somehow deleted all my songs once.
Included software seems OK (I only had the unit 24 hours.)
There's a firmware (software) upgrade available: The upgrade was
so easy I did'nt realize it was done and almost did it again.
256MB = about 60 songs at a 128-192bps (Medium high bitrate).
Now I just need a cheap SD mem card (It takes up to 1Meg of SD/MMC memory). And there's the rub. Once you get used to having your music on demand you'll wnat more, more, more.
I gave 4 stars only because I have nothing to compare it to.
MK
22 Outstanding Product
I'll start off by stating that this is the first MP3 player I've bought. That said, I'd like to address some issues other reviewers have mentioned in relation to my own experience.
Issue 1.) Insufficient volume.
Rebut 1.) Sure, if you have a need to blow out your eardrums. I find the volume more than suffient. Mention of insufficient volume in other reviews left me hesitant to purchase. If you like your music painful then perhaps this product isn't for you. Otherwise I think you'll be quite satisfied with the output it provides. Further, I'll offer a kludge method you can use to pump up the output further. Simply go into the equalizer settings, select 'custom', move all equilizer bars to max and adjust downward. Seems to nearly double the output volume on mine.
Issue 2.) Battery cover doesn't snap into place with much conviction.
Rebut 2.) As one reviewer mentioned, this isn't an issue when you have the case (which comes with the unit) on, and because the case (in my opinion) fits well, feels good, and is sturdy, you'll probably want to leave it on all the time anyway. This _nearly_ renders the problem a 'non'. However, you do have to take off the case when hooking it to the USB cable, so the issue does bear some merit though it's far outweighed by the positives this unit offers. Finally, on this issue, I test dropped the unit from shoulder height. It took about five drops to knock the batter cover off. A very tiny piece of tape prevents even that.
Issue 3.) Headphones are not of sufficient quality.
Rubut 3.) They're not ultra high end but I consider them quite good enough to use all the time. You could certainly go higher end but they're far better than the defaults that come with many products. I consider that a forethought on their part - one I appreciate.
Issue 4.) Short battery life.
Rebut 4.) Nonsense. Battery life is excellent. About twice as long on a single AAA compared to my CDMan on multiple AA's.
Now on to my own pros and cons:
Pro 1.) Outstanding sound quality with MP3 file types at 128kbps sample rate or higher. The provided software doesn't come with an MP3 encoder - BUT - they do provide a link in the help file where you can download one. You'll need the unit's serial number to do so (it's inside the battery compartment).
Con 1.) Not so great sound quality using windows media format files. Most notably the intro (first second or so) of songs go so far as to crackle or distort. I'm not overly bothered by this since I have a bit of a peeve with Microsoft for pissing their own version of every format around. Example - .MPG's are great; Microsoft prefers it's own .WMV format. And the list goes on. Knock it off Microsoft - getting sick and tired of a new format from you for every standardized one that comes out from someone else - it just adds to the muck. *soapbox off*
Pro 2.) It comes with a builtin FM tuner.
Con 2.) Reception could be better.
Pro 3.) Included software is easy to use.
Con 3.) Conversion from rip to encode is slow, as is USB data rate. Not a major hit in my book - it would just be nice if they could speed that up a bit.
Pro 4.) Unit is ultra light. You can actually twirl it around on the end of the earphone plug while you're listening to it if you get bored. NOTE: That's a 'could do' but not a 'recommend do'.
Con 4.) None.
Pro 5.) Case comes with a belt clip that works well.
Con 5.) No armstrap. This would be nice considering you can't easily see what selection you're choosing when the unit is upside down and on your belt. You can if you buy an armstrap and wear it there.
Overall I'm impressed and have been liberated from my Sony portable CD player by this device. I haven't dealt with Rio support so I can't comment on that.
Kudos to Rio and to everyone who reviewed this product here at Amazon.
23 Rio Chiba Rox!!!
Great mp3-------just the right amount of song memory. SOoo fast with computer--I got my songs on in less than 5 min!!! Small and compact--perfect for jogging. BUY THIS MP3-IT IS WORTH IT!
24 Needs more volume!
I've wanted a MP3 player for awhile and to be honest I hadn't even heard of the Chiba but I stumbled onto a Chiba 256 for $65 with no shipping charges on Ebay (thanks Rick) so naturally I couldn't pass it up.
It didn't come with headphones or the cord or the clip but for that price who cares!
I don't listen to anything less than 128 kbps music and I prefer hard rock and classic rock.
I paired it with both $10 Sonys and the nicer MDREX71's and while the sound quality is good it could definately use more power.
Personally I'd rather have it be slightly bigger and take 2 AAA's if it would give it more volume.
As it is I find myself on 30 (max volume) all too often and what's worse is I'm occasionally reaching for the "up" volume button only to find its as up as it will go.
If you dont care about loud music you will love it but if you like it loud you'll wish the Chiba was more powerful.
I really notice it when I listen to the same music files on the computer which obviously has more power.
On the computer my Sony MDREX71's sound unbelievable, on the Chiba they sound merely good.
Other than the volume issue (a rather big issue for me, I'm glad I didn't pay the full $140 for the Chiba.) and the fact you need the Rio Music Manager software (not such a big deal but a minor annoyance) it is an amazing little device.
Everyone that's seen mine has been impressed. And personally I'd rather have this with an extra 512MB card than a more delicate and less reliable hard drive based player.
One last thing I bought the premium MDREX71 Sony headphones for the chiba and my old $10 Wal Mart Sonys actually sound slightly louder in the chiba. The 71's have zero distortion and do sound better but only slighty on the chiba.
Do the same headphone comparison on something with some power and the 71's blow the cheapies away.
All in all the Chiba is a cool piece of tech gear.
If I was buying it full price though I think I'd opt for the Cali 256 instead. Maybe even an IRiver product if they were louder than the Rio stuff.
(A day later )
I used the Chiba today walking the dog and my ears were fresh meaning I hadn't listened to any music.
I must say it is louder than I gave it credit for.
Also it is dependent on the album for instance I noticed my Rob Zombie CD is pretty loud whereas my Scorpions CD's were a fair amount quieter.
To be honest it probably is loud enough for most users although I'd still like a little more volume.
To be fair it does sound better than I originally thought it would.
All in all a pretty darn cool piece of gear.
UPDATE 8/20/04
I've been using the Chiba for a few months now and I must say I was overly harsh in complaining about the lack of volume.
It is too quiet with some files but with others it rocks...so I guess it isn't so much the player as the file that dictates how loud it is.
I still think it could use a touch more volume but it isn't as bad as I made it seem earlier.
I sure do love mine and would buy another in a second.
I'd be a crying you know what if it broke...that tells you how good of a product it is!
My only other gripe has been resolved as well. I didn't really care for the RIO software...I wished I could use the windows media player.
Well one day I got an automatic update message and viola...I could use the Windows media player that I was used to.
Now I really don't have any complaints except for a minor one...the FM reception could be better, but that is a minor quibble.
I am VERY impressed overall.
Now I'm waiting for the successor to the RIO Karma to come out.
Even when I have it though I'm sure I'll still use my beloved little Chiba alot!
I'd give it a 9 out of 10.
I'd be perfect with better FM reception and a touch more volume.
25 Simply GREAT
I am listening to this mp3 player as I write. It's amazing. Somehow, the 256 megabyte internal harddrive seems bigger than it really is. I have put 18 rather big songs on it and still have about 200 megabytes left over. Plus, you can use an MMC card to add additional space for songs. Also, the battery efficiency is outstanding. The Rio Chiba only needs ONE, count em, ONE AAA battery, and still lasts AT LEAST as long as my old iPAQ, which uses TWO. I am VERY pleased with this product. There is one slight detail that I do not like. I am having trouble using Windows Media Player as a transfering host. So basically, you're stuck with the Rio Management, which is still very good. So, overall, this is an excellent buy. I ordered mine here on amazon.com and received it in 3 days. I was salivating the whole time. I was NOT disappointed.
www.geocities.com/theout_takes
^ my webpage
26 Great little player!
I just got this player yesterday and I can't put it down. It has GREAT sound for such a small lightweight device...10 times better than those heavy a.. iPods (more like iPound!), trust me I listened to an iPod at the store before I bought this. I got the player from Walmart Online for $149 plus $5 for a 1yr extended warranty ($5! BestBuy wanted $20 for the same warranty!)
5 band user customizable EQ is nice, other flash players either don't offer one or they come with 5 or 6 crappy presets.
Memory is expandable up to 1GB SD card now!
If you are going to use an mp3 player for anything active get a flash based player specifically this one, you won't regret it.
27 Stellar music player good for all activities
I was a lately arrival to the world of downloading music off the internet and ripping songs from my CD collection. Once I finally joined the revolution, I was confronted with needing to find the best method for transporting and playing my music. The place I needed it most was while working out. Nothing makes a long run on the treadmill or the track go by more quickly than listening to some good, energizing music. Unfortunately, I only had a CD player. I had to burn songs onto a CD and put them in the CD player, which would skip and stop playing with the slightest vibrations. I upgraded and got an inexpensive MP3 player to help, but its quality was poor and its interface for uploading songs was very cumbersome. Eventually, it broke down, as well. So, I finally decided to go big time and get a Rio Chiba 256 MB player. Without a doubt, it was the right choice.
The Rio line of MP3 players is one of the longest standing and highest quality brands. From the tiniest portable carriers to the multi-gigabyte jukeboxes, Rio provides top quality sound and performance. The Rio Chiba (which also has a 128 MB version) is the perfect middle ground for people who don't want to put their entire CD collection on one machine, but also still wish to have a healthy variety of songs to choose from. Operating on solid memory technology, it also is not hampered by the vibrations caused by extreme movements of running or other activities. The 256 MB Chiba can contain between 42-48 songs (depending on size) to start. That's more than 3 hours of music right there. In addition, the Chiba is expandable. Using as Multi-Media Card or Secure Digital Card, the Chiba's memory capacity can be doubled to 512 MB. Furthermore, it only needs a single AAA battery to power it, so its power source runs for a long time before needing to be replaced. I am hard pressed to come up with negatives about this player. It has met all of my needs and I can't recommend one better than this.
28 Rio Chiba Review
OK. I bought the Rio Chiba on Amazon.com and then quickly returned it. Before jumping to any conclusions, I returned it because I found it way cheaper on eBay for $105.00, brand spanking new with the UPC code.
This MP3 player is more than I bargained for. For $105, I get 256mb of storage, portability, durability, and FM tuner. For these options, the price I paid for is a bargain. This MP3 player is perfect for those people on the go. I definitely prefer this over an Apple iPod or iPod mini or any "jukebox" players. Really, the real question when buying an MP3 player is, "does the battery life match the play length of the play?" I mean, why buy a player that can play 1,000 songs when the battery can only last up to the 75th song without recharging or changing the batteries.
This MP3 player is quite easy to use. If you are confused with the player, then go back to "walkmans." The software to create lists is not hard as people say it is. Also, You can pretty much transfer songs from any computer. Battery life is pretty good at 18 hours max on 1 AAA battery.
You would most likely change your headphones. They are pretty weak, especially when running. This is the only reason why i gave this MP3 player 4 stars.
I recommend this player to those who don't want to spend $150 or more. I recommend this player for smart people. I also recommend for those that run around a lot. It's so durable that "extended warranty" plans doesn't really matter.
29 So easy to use!
This is so easy to use. Just install the software, plug in the chiba, open Windows Media, and BOOM! transfer your music. doesn't get any easier. This little gadget is just as easy to listen to. The controls are super simple to figure out, the tuner works well (There are only 2 good stations in my area), but the reception isn't terrific inside. I like that the memory card is hidden away inside the battery compartment. The belt clip cover thingy isn't too attractive, but the Chiba is still easy to use when it's in it. I had to cut the hole in the case a bit larger to fit my headphones, but aside from that, no other modifications need be made. This little thing even has a stop watch! I had another player for a very short time, but the software refused to work with my computer. Not the chiba! If you look around, you can find this for a cheaper price than Amazon offers it for. It's well worth the $130 I paid for it. Lots of memory and it's expandable!
30 Tiny and Competent
I am making the move from my Samsung CD/MP3 player to this dynamite little player. The Rio is so small and packs in such better sound quality! I am really looking forward to putting it through the campus test!
My only complaint is about the earbuds that are included. While they have pretty rich sound quality, they kind of float around in my ears. I don't see these earbuds working out for me if I take it running, but that's kind of standard with earbuds anyway.
I am honestly shocked at just how small this thing is. In the pictures, you'd guss that the Chiba is about the size of the palm of your hand. In reality, it fits in the palm of your hand and you can almost wrap your fingers around it.
To give you an idea of the size, I can set it down on a diskette and it fits squarely over the diskette label.
So if you're entry-level like me, the Chiba will get the job done handily! I am very happy with it so far!
31 decent mp3 player. great for the gym.
i used to have the rio s35s which was a nice little sporty player, so when i upgraded i tried another rio since i had a good experience. don't regret it at all.
pros: black, key lock feature (to prevent hitting buttons accidentally), small versatile structure, plastic container and belt clip
possible negative: no armband, cheap earphones
(i bought my own earphones that go around the head - work really well for running)
otherwise, i have no real complaints. it does the job its expected to do - holds plenty of songs for a 2 hour workout at least, software is very usable (if you can't understand it, you must be very computer illiterate), and i never had problem with the construction - i always keep the case on. and if you complain about how cheap the rubber is, come on, what do you expect? gold-plated and diamond-encrusted players? i prefer this to the ipod (which supposedly skips) per se, because i've dropped it countless times, crammed it into small lockers, and stepped on it, and it still goes strong.
a good buy for a small relatively decent priced mp3 player. esp for running or the gym.
32 Ya gotta love it
I absolutely love this player. This is my first MP3 player and it is so easy to use. It is small enough that I can clip it onto my pocket or slip it inside. The song quality is great and the software is easy to understand when downloading. I thoroughly enjoy this product. I highly recommend it.
33 few annoyances but overall pretty good
I just purchased this mp3 today and overall, its a nice player with plenty of standard features. For those of you with customized playlists (My Playlist) on Windows Media Players, be prepaired to MANUALLY create new playlists using the rio software that comes with the mp3 player. I was hoping for a quick transfer of songs organized by my own personal playlists using windows media player. However, i guess in order to use the playlist feature on the mp3 player, you have to create them using the rio software. So after a few HOURS of assigning ALL my mp3's to their rio playlists, everything seems to be in good working order.
The other thing many people have talked about is the battery cover. Its really irritating since its never securly tightened and comes off too easily. It does however come with a plastic belt clip that completely covers the battery cover. So if you leave the belt clip on, the battery cover is no longer an issue. However the belt clip makes it a bit bulkier to carry around. So if you don't mind having a piece of tape to fasten the cover on your new player, which is what I did, it shouldn't be a problem.
The volume control is another issue if you want to get nit pickey. On max volume (denoted as the number 30), it is very loud, but not as loud as you would expect compaired to the max volume on a sony cd player or tape player. Since I listen to my music pretty loud, this is a minor issue.
Overall, good sound quality and all the buttons are in reach of a single hand. I will say that since I ended up paying drastically less than the list price ($199.00) it was a great buy! I would however NOT pay $199.00 for this player.
34 Beginner or advanced MP3 player enthusiasts, this is gold!!!
There are several reasons for my selection of this RIO as my player of choice and I will explain as best I can. So read this review in its entirety.Before ever owning the RIO Chiba 256M, the first MP3 player I had ever tried was indeed a RIO (the RIO 800 128M model before the new line of RIO MP3 players were recently put out on the market).The look and size was as instrumental in my choosing of any MP3 player back then (as it is now). I was frustrated with bulky discman CD players for years....because the bottom line is you CANNOT wear them without skipping at some point (no matter how long the anti-skip protection is) or major player instability while attached to your body. These were MAJOR issues for me. So it was no mystery that I sincerely enjoyed the RIO 128M model especially because of its SIZE and the wonderfully convenient BELT CLIP!! It turned out however that after using this 128 M RIO player for about a month I had found myself longing for more songs thereby larger internal memory.It was then that I visited the RIO website and discovered the new line of MP3 players with the RIO Chiba 256 soon to come out. I concluded 256M would be enough internal memory for me so while waiting for the RIO Chiba 256 to become available, I tried and subsequently returned MP3 players from IRiver, Samsung, RCA, and Creative Labs.All had plenty of "bells and whistles" for features but none had the shear small size advantage AND compactness (belt clip convenience) of the RIO 128M model I used to own. The general EASE OF USE(ridiculously easy), battery-life saving feature (all RIO players shut off within 5 minutes of inactivity by default), great sound quality via the more advanced graphic equalizer, as well as a very attractive blue-backlit LCD screen were other secondary but still significant advantages the RIO model had, those other players did not! When the RIO Chiba 256 finally did come out I purchased one without a second thought.
And now I'd like to add something!All these reviews of "cheap this, cheap that" are frankly nausseating if not comical!!People, you do not purchase this or any MP3 player to lose sleep over "what material its made out of" or "what would happen if i dropped it compared to another model".Yes, this player is not made of some space age plastic or material but no MP3 player is.The reality is this player has SOLID construction. It is sold at 199.99 on the RIO website and not counting participating department store discounts(about 20 or 30 bucks) such as Circuit City, for a $200 dollar value you can rest assured you are getting something of good foundational quality)!AND it designed to be used and carried around LATCHED in the provided beltclip compartment.Once its secure in the beltclip compartment and latched on to you via your belt, there are no issues with battery compartment looseness and very little chance of the user dropping the player.Wow, imagine that...a beltclip,what a concept!!Yes indeed everyone is still clumsy at somepoint.Regardless I have dropped my model at least ten times since I purchased it, it remains in one piece AND the sound quality remains exceptionally!C'mon people, have a little practicality in your reviews!!!
Ease of use is OK, however the included RIO MP3 transfer("ripping")software has ONE flaw, it doesn't recognize every MP3 or WMA music file you have.The solution to this problem is very simple.Uninstall the RIO software if you have already loaded it, then download and use Windows Media Player 9.0 for your Chiba's transfering needs.Windows Media Player 9.0 recognizes and plays EVERY music file,including all the ones the Real Player can.I find it to be of higher quality and more reliable than Real Player(in regards to suddenly shutting/closing down due to bugs in Windows XP).
The best headphones for this player ARE NOT the included Senheisser earbuds, but rather Sony, the SON MDRW08L model to be exact.I would highly recommend you invest the $10 bucks these sell for. You will find out within 15 minutes of use why these are 5000 times more comfortable than the included "ear soreing" Senheissers not to mention complement your Chiba's graphic equalizer settings with ridiculously crystal clear sound(due to Neodynium magnets for sounddrivers in each earpiece).
I have been using the Chiba for about 5 months now, I believe for beginners or advanced MP3 player enthusiasts alike RIO makes the best overall MP3 player on the market!!
35 Seems okay to me.
I should start out by saying that the Rio Chiba is the first MP3 player I've ever seen in person. I won it in a radio station contest. As others have stated they have a problem with the battery door coming off, I have not had that problem, mine snaps into place securely. Regarding the software, I was able to use it pretty easily without reading hardly any of the instructions. I'm moderately computer savvy so I think that says a lot. I think the sound is great although I agree it could be a little louder. The tuner doesn't get the best reception but I don't use it much for that anyway. I think it's a good little player but again, it's the only one I've had any experience with.
36 Cheap Construction
This unit was in my possession for only 3 days. The battery cover constantly comes off and the battery will fall out.
The interface and screen is pretty nice, as well as the button placement. Sound quality was also excellent.
Its cheap construction cannot be overlooked. My unit's battery cover didn't even lineup correctly with the case. Pass on this one.
37 A great deal for the right person
I'll try to add a little to what has already been written in other reviews. I've been holding out for quite sometime to make a decision between small, lightweight, long battery life MP3 players with limited memory, or ones that are a bit larger, heavier, and have hard-drives big enough to hold my own CD collection. In the end, I chose "small" because my PC is the better place to hold my library, that's where I make the MP3s anyway, and I use the PC like a stereo these days. This Chiba is super small and lightweight, no bigger than the Palm of my hand, fits easily in a pocket, and AAA battery life is great. 256MB + optional 512MB expansion is plenty for my listening habits (on the train to/from work, or exercising <-ha). The built in FM tuner with presets is a big plus too, and WMA support means it's supporting a great deal of online music you can buy.
I find the controls and display very easy to use. Another review complained that they were prone to error, but there is a lock button to prevent that! Read the manual, it's short and useful. The Rio Chiba software does, in fact, suck. I use MusicMatch, and it is compatible "out of the box" with the Chiba, but I find their playlists somewhat incompatible, and I still choose to use the Rio software to upload my playlists to the Chiba because it has a size calculator. Other than that, the software is really, really miserable (though it did read and find my library correctly). It's the weakest link, goodbye.
I don't find the construction to be as weak as others have indicated, though I agree that the battery lid does not *seem* secure (but I think it is). The belt clip must have been made with people who wear belts made of tissue in mind. But the little clip case itself should provide enough protection to ease your mind about shock.
I found the headphones great, and the volume impressive. Ultimately, I may try to find more comfortable earbud-type headphones than the Sennheisers. Audio quality is excellent, the equalizer is a nice touch.
I would encourage Digital Networks (and any purchaser of the Chiba) to get some better software. But failing that, I think that most users who favor lightweight portability, an FM tuner, and the minimum acceptable onboard memory (to me, anything less than 256 is useless) will find the Chiba a great deal if you can get it for $150 - 160, especially if you already have your own software and music subscription.
38 Cheapo made...great features....
I got my yesterday at circuit city for $150. I am happy with the features and size, but again as the others have stated, it is VERY cheaply made. I bought it as a upgrade for my Rio 800 128mb player, which has worked FLAWLESSLEY for about 1 year, and I have VERY disappointed with the construction/quality of materials used on the Chiba when compared to the Rio 800 128mb.
If you can get it cheap, I mean CHEAP, then the Chiba will work for you. I have dropped my Rio 800 several times, and it has never broken or failed to work, but I would be VERY HESITANT
to say the same for the Chiba. Belt clip system stinks.
Final analysis, look at ALL your options before you buy this one!
39 Its ok, but for 200 bucks...
The sound is good, could be louder..and for 200 bucks they could have made it stronger, the battery lid comes off really easy, its amazing they cant get the most simple aspect of the machine right. Im taking it back tomorrow!
40 Great features, cheaply made
I was about to purchase the iAUDIO CW200 when I came across this one locally which had similiar features, but also supported up to a 512MB SD card for memory expansion. It was new and nobody had reviewed it, so I took a chance.
My first impression was that it was not well made. The case did not seem put together too well, and the battery cover comes off really easily. I actually had to snap it together a little bit better when I first opened it because one of the buttons wasn't working right. It comes with a separate little case with a belt clip, when in the case it is solid and won't come apart but it is also a lot bigger that way.
The headphones seem ok and the sound is good, at least as good as my old Intel. Feature wise, it does everything I wanted but menus/navigation are not as good as the Intel was. The one big joystick-like button to go forward, backward, stop, etc. is also prone to error and I hit the wrong function alot like when in my jacket pocket. The display is small and can be hard to read.
The Rio software that comes with the unit is terrible and I switched to Real Player right away for downloading music to the device (which also comes on the CD).
Given the features, I guess I am happy with it, and it seems to be the only choice with this much expansion memory in this price range. If it was put together better I would give it 4 stars and if easier to use and ship with good software it would get 5.
