The RioVolt SP250 is the premier portable CD player. The RioVolt SP250 plays CDs with MP3 and WMA files as well as standard audio CDs. This high-powered CD player delivers 8 minutes of shock protection and features an integrated FM tuner. It comes with long-life rechargeable batteries, an on-wire remote control, carrying case, and two styles of headphones. The RioVolt SP250 sets a new standard for excellence in portable audio.
1 A good player, but needs better instructions.
This item arrived with very little information on how to burn and play MP3 files and, in particular, WMA files. I burnt two discs and messed around with the player and my computer for a week before writing Rio and receiving a technician's answer. I appreciated the customer support, but the information really should have been in the player's documentation or on Rio's website. To listen to WMA files, I ended up having to delete and restore the 1200 songs on my computer because I'd stored them initially with the "automatic rights control" (or some such) box checked in the Windows Media Player. After all the headache, and two years of continuous use, I do enjoy having this player. Do remember that it only plays MP3 or WMA files burnt to a disk; it does not function as an MP3 player that stores and plays files in its hardware.
2 there must be something better
When I first got the thing, I thought it was fantastic. It had all the features I wanted, and wasn't too difficult to figure out on my own. The FM tuner worked as well as my car radio and was a nice perk. The sound was good, too.
The downside, it's skip protection is, well, mediocre. I've certainly seen better, although I have owned worse as well. I wasn't jogging with the thing and it would sufficiently occupy me durring a long car ride, so I didn't really mind. After awhile though, it stopped recognizing any batteries other than the rechargables it came with. I know it sounds weird; I still don't know why. Not to mention recharging takes a really long time, and the battery life is also mediocre. I can't get more than 2 or 3 hours from it. Consequently, the thing seems to never have any power to it, and I can't use any other batteries. Heaven forbid I don't charge it every day. It'd be a nice player, if I could actually use it. I don't know that this is something inherent in the player, or if it's just a flaw in my unit, but it makes me extreamly hesitant to spend any money on Rio products.
3 It is good and still kicking!!
I have had mine for a year now and it kicks azz! I don't think they break so easy, since mine was wedged between a metal stopper and an iron crate being pushed by a forklift! It dented the batteries in the case, I can't charge the batteries in the player anymore and the lid is a tad bit crooked, but it still plays perfect and the display works fine too. That convinced me that is was rock solid. Just hope you don't have any problems with it, because Riovolt has the worst customer service ever rated, they are horrible to talk to. just so you know.
**** I wrote a review in here earlier about how strong it is. It got crushed by a forklift and still works. I have now had it for 2 years (actually my little brother has it), and it's still kicking strong. The SP250 was designed by the same people who designed the iriver iMP-350, and the menus look almost exactly the same. I have since upgreaded to the iMP-450, a new model from iRiver, and am a tad happier. I bought my Riovolt for $100 and it was worth it then. But after the forklift mishap, it stopped recharging batteries, and the batteries got a dent in each of them, and I wanted to recharge them at work. The case it comes with is VERY nice and got used all the time. I didn't have to buy a case for it that way and it saved me some dough. Plus, all the buttons were imprinted in the leather on the case, so you could push the buttons through the case without seeing them. The batteries lasted fine, about 12-14 hours with MP3 playback. The remote was great. I now have the iMP-450 and wish I had the SP250 remote. There is the cool level to having a slim case with a screen on the remote, but the buttons aren't as easy to hit by feel. I believe they are actually interchangeable, since I know you can order a LCD remote for the SP250. I just can't do it with mine cuz there's no screen on the main unit. But the SP250 remote was the best designed one I've seen, and I've looked at a lot of MP3/CD players, since everyone in my family wants one now. I guess I would recommend the iMP-450 over this one, cuz of the cool factor, the battery life, ongoing firmware support, tech support is slightly better, new technologies in place (like solid servo to stop skipping), more menu options, and price. I bought mine for 100 bucks, the iMP-450 is $120 on Amazon, and now Amazon shows this unit for $200, which is too much.
4 Great player
I have had mine for over a year now and haven't had any trouble. Mine gets extremely lite use, (I only use it every other month), but the the case has held up. I've taken it on several trips and never had a problem. I'm sure to keep it in the included case although it is a bit ugly it prevents scratching and gives a little cushion if you drop it. The sound quality is excellent and I haven't had any trouble with the firmware. Battery life is acceptable and the controls are easy. I haven't had any skipping problems either. Overall I would recomend it, but if you need a rough and tumble player this is not for you. Spend the extra cash and go with a flash or hard drive based player.
5 I've had one for a year
I was issued this player when I began my training. It is a pretty good player. It comes with 2 sets of headphones. AC adapter, rechargable batteries, carrying case, remote, and some software. I don't really believe it is worth the money for what I use it for. I don't use the radio. I only use it to listen to music now and used it to listen to MP3 files on discs issued to me for class. I think it is a bit ridiculous to have an 8 minute shock protection, especially when mine skips when I run. I had to stop it and didn't even use it the last time I ran because it was skipping so bad. I have dropped mine a few times and now it makes a funny noise when the cd rotates, but it still works. I know people who have said that it is easy to break the plastic. I know someone who has to use a rubber band to keep it closed. I think it is a nice player, however I am very disappointed in the 8 minute skip protection that doesn't work, I really don't think it is worth the price.
6 Not good
If you are looking into buying a Mp 3 player DON'T buy this one. I had it for two years and I had to replace it onced beacouse of the cheap plastic. The plastic tab that closes the cd player just snaped off. Plus sometimes when you hit a bump in a road or when u shake it up it will start skiping. I really think that if you are interested in a Mp 3 player, Cd player and a radio player you should look for diffrent one.
7 Good looks, but Cheap Product
Looks wise, i prefer this over the Iriver players, as the Text display is builtin the player itself, not the remote.
However, the if you turn the player too much, like while running, or keep it upside down for long, it shuts down. Also, it has little trouble reading MP3 cd's with too many folders in them.
Lastly, the metal plate inside which opens the player gets easily damaged over a few months, if used often.
8 Poor Construction/ Poor Warrenty
I think the options and updatable firmware are great, but that's as far as the praise goes. Mine slid off my knee, while sitting on a couch, and landed on a carpeted floor one foot below. The plastic of which the item's made, broke in three places (two of which were the door hinges). So I wrigged it to work, but a few months later out of the blue it wouldn't read the disc past the loading screen. I explained the above event to tech support and they informed me that the "drop" voided the warrenty. I'm very displeased with this expensive cd player.
9 Low Cost, Low Quality
I previously bought a RioVolt SP90, and it took a SLIGHT fall, no more than one foot, and the latch broke, and it stopped working. So I worked for a month and a half last summer, & bought a SP250. It too took a slight fall (off my bed--abt 1 1/2 feet) and refused to work--it doesnt go past the power ON screen. So, I am looking @ High-Capacity MP3 players. They are more compact, and probably wont break as easily. So in closing--the RioVolt SP250 & the RIOVOLT SP90 get
Two Thumbs Down
10 falling apart
I have had this product for about a year and a half. The product has worked flawlesly but this weekend I noticed that the screws that hold the metal plate on the inside top cover were falling out. When I tried to replace the screws they wouldn't stay in place. I removed the cover to see what the problem was and found that the plastic that the screws were anchored in was breaking apart. At first only one screw was a problem but when I put the unit back together two more broke! I have now glued the plate back on and it works great but if something happens and I have to remove the plate I'm "screwed" :-) Other than that this unit has performed flawlessly over the long haul. I would rate it 5 stars except for the screw problem.
11 The higher they go, the lower they fall
Rarely do I treat myself to the best. This was the best for me. I loved it. It had absolutely beautiful design, great displays, all the bells and whistles you could want and hope for, and then some.
I was a little disappointed, how long it took to load and play MP3s, but I could live with that and did not know then, that other players do much better. I otherwise enjoyed this product unlike anything else I have come across in electronics, period.
Then unpleasant things happened. The antiskip after a while was not worth much in my car. Then one of my CDs would only play in little piece meal snippets. Then the audio plugin- and the power plugin jack started to come loose and I had to use a rubber band to hold the plugs in place. Next, other CDs started to play piece meal. Then one day it stopped working.
And I pampered that player. It never got abused in a way that would explain these failures. This player was an awesome idea I wish some manufacturer would pick up and do right.
As it stands, if you want to spend a lot of money on a super product that will perhaps last less than a year, I would recommend it without hesitation.
12 Sonic Blue Rio - Sold off Division????
I have purchased the SP 250. While the unit work well, I contacted Sonicblue regarding a free car kit adapter offer that is prominently displayed on the package. After numerous phone calls, while talking with a Rebate Specialist at 1-888-859-1217, I was told that Sonic Blue was in the process of selling off the Rio division, and the website was in a state of dis-array. He recommended that I go back to the retailer, to try to claim the Car Kit from them. Funny, they had no trouble selling me an additional optional remote, you know the one with the digital display.
Generally, the product works fine, even has some nice features. If down the road I have problems I realize I will be out of luck.
Although they offer a competitive product their support is near the worst.
13 Rio Volt SP250
I purchased this item 8 months ago so this is kind of a late review. I'm happy to say that the SP250 hasn't missed a beat. Everything I've thrown at it hasn't been a problem for this player. After throwing the headphones away that came with it, I purchased and continue to use a pair of Sennheiser PX-200's with it and have no complaints. Once you get used to the navigation and how it operates it's a well designed MP3 player. Okay, it's no Creative Zen or Ipod, but for [the price] that I paid for it it's allowed me to take 150 songs per CD as well as allow me to keep my CD collection in tact by playing all my retail CD's as well without having to rip them. Since Sonic Blue has been bought over, I don't know if the SP350 is the last Mp3 player they will produce, but as far as I've concerned the model SP250 that I have has been a solid purchase. If they don't continue to produce MP3 portable players, then I might give IRIVER, the maker of the SP250 and SP350, my future business for one of their new models.
Regards
LTM
14 awful anti skip and the worst customer support ever
After having a few problems with the anti-skip on both cd's and mp3 cd's and awful radio reception I went through the hassle of trying to get in touch with customer support. I searched for a long time for a phone number or e-mail address and I finally found an e-mail hidden on their web page. When I wrote to it, I got a form e-mail that said if my questions weren't answered to respond to that letter and someone would get in touch with me. Needless to say I was very frusterated when I responded to this letter (more than once) and recieved the same letter back. Bottom line, even if their products were superior to others out there (which they're not) I would still NEVER purchase another Rio product again because of their absoloutely terrible customer support.
15 Not worth the money
I bought my rio volt, and was less than pleased with the antiskip and ease of use. 2 months later, it broke, and i had to send it back to rio, which took approx. 4 months. When the new one finally arrived, the headphone jack was broken. I have now gotten an ipod, and although it costs more, it is much more worth it.
16 RioVolt SP250
I've had this for over a year now and used it very little for several reasons. First, it's big and bulky and very akward to carry. Secondly, it eats batteries when used for playing CD's Thirdly, the radio reception is unacceptable. While the sound is very good, and the anti-skip feature works really, really well I would not purchase this again because of the drawbacks and because it's also quite [costly].
17 Worked great for 6 months and now it's broke
My RioVolt SP250 worked great for six months. I carry it around in my back pack when I commute. But recently it's been cutting out if it gets moved at all - the anti skip doesn't seem to working at all. It's been very frustrating.
The whole unit feels a bit light and flimsy. I wouldn't recommend it.
18 It's GREAT! ...
I used this product just recently; realised it's great among others.It had all the features a CD-MP3 discman should have.The only thing I wish it had is the LINE OUT JACK and LCD REMOTE.
I highly recommend all the customers to use this product.
-SUBRAT
19 A fantastic player.
All the RioVolts in the SP line (90, 100, 250) are great. I have the 100. It's anti-skip is wondefully good. I almost never am able to get mine to skip, especially when playing mp3's. It's built well, has a great shape for holding in your hand, and sounds great, too..
I really don't see the purpose in getting the 250 unless you're absolutely sure the stations you'd be listening to will come in clear on it. You'd likely be better off buying a seperate little radio that would deffinately get better reception and cost you 1/4 of the price difference between the 90 and the 250. And the fact that the 250 is firmware upgradable and the 90 is not is not a big deal either; my 100 is upgradable, too, but it was fine before I upgraded it!
In any case, any of these RioVolts will make you happy to own one.
20 A fantastic player.
All the RioVolts in the SP line (90, 100, 250) are great. I have the 100. It's anti-skip is wondefully good. I almost never am able to get mine to skip, especially when playing mp3's. It's built well, has a great shape for holding in your hand, and sounds great, too.
I really don't see the purpose in getting the 250 unless you're absolutely sure the stations you'd be listening to will come in clear on it. You'd likely be better off buying a seperate little radio that would deffinately get better reception and cost you 1/4 of the price difference between the 90 and the 250. And the fact that the 250 is firmware upgradable and the 90 is not is not a big deal either; my 100 is upgradable, too, but it was fine before I upgraded it!
In any case, any of these RioVolts will make you happy to own one.
21 A fantastic player.
All the RioVolts in the SP line (90, 100, 250) are great. I have the 100. It's anti-skip is wondefully good. I almost never am able to get mine to skip, especially when playing mp3's. It's built well, has a great shape for holding in your hand, and sounds great, too.
I really don't see the purpose in getting the 250 unless you're absolutely sure the stations you'd be listening to will come in clear on it. You'd likely be better off buying a seperate little radio that would deffinately get better reception and cost you 1/4 of the price difference between the 90 and the 250. And the fact that the 250 is firmware upgradable and the 90 is not is not a big deal either; my 100 is upgradable, too, but it was fine before I upgraded it!
In any case, any of these RioVolts will make you happy to own one.
22 A fantastic player.
All the RioVolts in the SP line (90, 100, 250) are great. I have the 100. It's anti-skip is wondefully good. I almost never am able to get mine to skip, especially when playing mp3's. It's built well, has a great shape for holding in your hand, and sounds great, too.
I really don't see the purpose in getting the 250 unless you're absolutely sure the stations you'd be listening to will come in clear on it. You'd likely be better off buying a seperate little radio that would deffinately get better reception and cost you 1/4 of the price difference between the 90 and the 250. And the fact that the 250 is firmware upgradable and the 90 is not is not a big deal either; my 100 is upgradable, too, but it was fine before I upgraded it!
In any case, any of these RioVolts will make you happy to own one.
23 lasts 2 months
Actually, Im not an electronics fan, and I don't know too much about electronics, but I saw this ...and bought it mainly because it had the most skip protection of all the cd players [I found]. I brought it home, tried it out.... nevermind jogging, it skipped when i simply walked with it! But I kept it, since I could still listen to it lifting weights. It worked great at the gym for 2 months, then suddenly stopped working. A[n expensive]purchase that only works for 2 months? Give me a break. That's rediculous. ...
24 Great Product
I have had this player for a year now with no problems. It works and sounds great. The headphones it comes with are fair and diminish the sound of the player. I use Koss Sportapro's and it sounds great. It plays all my mp3's including VBR. I am very pleased with this product.
25 One of the best MP3/CD players out there!
I believe SonicBlue has discontinued this item in favor of their new SP350 version which has a sleeker look; however, I did read some reviews about that one and the SP350 seems to have buggy firmware. The SP250, which I bought a year ago, has always worked from the first night I took it home. I upgraded to the most recent firmware (v. 2.05 I think) and with the new options, I absolutely love this music player. My SP250 came with 2 headphones, rechargeable 1600mAh NiMH batteries, AC/DC adapter, remote, and leather case. I paid $$$ for it (early 2002), but I would assume if you can find this player at a store, the price would be lower today. I like to use earbuds generally since I wear eye glasses and over-head-headphones irritate. Thus, the best earbuds are Sennheizer MX400 or MX500 - get these! I also like my music to have "meaningful" base so I suggest turning up the base on the customizable equalizers with the Sennheizers. Together, this will make the music sound incredibly high-end, "rich," and "deep."
The FM tuner has OK reception. I think because your earphone cord IS the antenna, that may have some effect on the reception. Perhaps you have to extend your cord a certain way to improve reception - I have not experimented too much with this though. I typically listen only to MP3s and CDs on this device, though its nice to have the option to switch over to NPR.
The menu system has a somewhat high learning curve, but after a few days fooling around with the options, it is fairly easy to navigate. The options are tab-driven and organized fairly well. You can change just about everything: backlight settings, shuffle/repeat modes, intro modes, treble and base, skip protection, fade in (which fades in the song on startup), song title scrolling, intro banner, memory (which remembers the place in the song you were last listening to when you stop) and a host of other things.
The remote is so useful. In fact, I always have the main unit on "hold" and strictly use the remote control. The buttons on the unit can be pressed easily which can drain your batteries but if the main unit is on "hold", its buttons do not function yet it still allows the remote control to work. The remote has its own separate "hold" button. I just purchased the LCD remote from SonicBlue and I can't wait to get that!
In conclusion, I suggest buying the SP250 if you can find it in stores. It may not be the thinnest portable and although it is black and gray in color and not the sleek-looking silver like the SP350), the firmware on this model works wonderfully.
26 Terrible Customer Service and Less than Average Product
Learn from me and buy someone else's product because their customer service is horrible if you encounter any problems!
The company customer service representative informed me that they are undergoing an acquisition and cannot currently fill orders for their products. I have been waiting for my carry case, which I ordered over 3 months ago, and still have not received it. They told me on 4 occasions that the case was shipping the next day but I haven't gotten it. Now, they tell me that it is on back order again (when the last time they told me they would overnight it the next day) and I will have to wait another month or more, and they refuse to allow me to cancel the order to obtain a refund of my money.
Oh yeah, if you're still crazy enough to consider buying this or any other Rio product, the player is of less than average quality, very poorly built, and very poor performing. For example, the battery cover comes open with the slightest touch and although marketed as skip-free it does skip with even minor bumping when I am walking with it in my briefcase.
Do yourself a favor and buy another player!
27 Good, but I'm worried....
I bought this product in July for my birthday. I was so exited to recieve it. The player is very nice, however, like a lot of other reviews that are posted, it has weak radio reception and it isn't very durable. I however, have not come across a problem with it in the nine months thay I have owned it (probably because I hate radio). One time I did drop it without the case (KEEP IT IN THE CASE!! TRUST ME!!) and the top fell off. I was able to get it back on. It worked fine after that. Also, though, it sometimes doesn't read all of my MP3 or WMA files. It's probably the disc. Over all, I can't really complain about much. The battery life is alright. I just put it to charge while I sleep so I don't have to worry about it. I did, however, find out that the product doesn't do too well on battery life when you play CD's. I don't play them because why should I? I bought this for MP3s. It defiantly satisfies me for that purpose. I did find that when I walk or jog that it does skip for some strange reason. It's only a minor problem, though. The headphones that it came with are terrible but it sounds great with a nice pair. Also, the features are very easy to use and nicely customisable.
I'm also worried that it may break. I treat it nicely and it treats me nicely back. Listen, people. You get what you pay for. I got a nice player. I would have prefered a 20 Gigabyte hardrive player over this because of the storage capacity. However, it was $ at the time, so I settled with this.
In short, this player is okay. Don't buy it for a CD player, though. And be careful. Always keep it in the case. That is what it's there for.
28 Muy buen Reproductor de CD/MP3
Tengo aproximadamente 1 a?o con este aparato y hasta el momento su desempe?o ha sido excelente. Cosas que podrian mejorar: Alargar el tiempo de funcionamiento con baterias(aunque son recargables, pero no te duran lo que dicen los fabricantes), la fidelidad con que se escuchan las emisoras en la radio no es muy buena (aunque he probado otras marcas con esta funcionalidad y en todos pasa lo mismo). Las cosas buenas que tiene son muchas: Puedes crear cd's con los archivos mp3 almacenados en Directorios y el reproductor te permite navegar por estos y si quieres solamente tocar los temas contenidos en un directorio, o mezclarlos con el modo random, o crear listas de reproducci?n dinamicas, tambien te reconoce tambien listas que hayas grabado desde tu pc al cd, varios modos de ecualizaci?n, iluminaci?n de la pantalla, apagado automatico, el estuche de protecci?n, y un sinnumero de etc... De verdad para mi ha sido una muy buena compra, y lo recomiendo
29 Could have been good... IF it ever Worked
Yeah i used to have one, i bought it and it came broken, it wouldn't load up any type of cd, the radio worked fine, and that helped me in what way??
I got an RMA from SonicBlue, guess what, more than six months and i still haven't gotten my replacement. At this point I don't even want it any more, any company that authorizes a return and then never sends back its replacement, should be ignored by anyone, BEWARE OF SONICBLUE their customer service is awful
If you don't believe me try calling them and you'll see
30 A Great MP3 Player
This was the first MP3 player I ever had. It has everything. You can hold the remote control right in your hand while you listen. The FM tuner has excellent reception so you can listen to your favorite radio station. You can use it while your running and it won't skip. You can use it during the day and recharge the rechargable batteries at night and have enough energy for 15 hours. I suggest you buy your own headphones because after wearing them for a while they start to hurt your ears. You can scroll through your music easily using the remote control. You can preset the bass and treble. There is a shuffle feature which is very impressive. I suggest this product to anyone who listens to MP3s. You can use it in your car and you don't have to install a new stereo, just buy an adapter. It may be a little expensive, but its worth it. If it every breaks you can return it to Sonic Blue for a new one using your warrenty. This is a great MP3 player.
31 Not exactly what you would think...
First of all, this player is a very good deal overall. It worked fine for me for about 8 months, but I don't recommend this for heavy use.
This player sounds great, works flawlessly, and is very easy to operate(for a few months).
The first problem I discovered was that the screws that held the metal piecs that contained the LCD screens and buttons to the cover fell out. The plastic that they were screwed into broke one by one until I had to glue the metal piece to the cover. This became very annoying and I was upset that something that I spent a lot of money on could disappoint me.
The second problem is that even with the very long 8-minute shock protection, it still skipped if you were running or even walking. I wanted something that I could put in my pocket and forget about, but this player demanded that I hold it flat and steady while it played.
The third problem was what really made me mad. On every portable cd player there is a little pin that pushes a button when the cover is closed to keep the cd from running while the cover is open. While I was taking out the CD, it clipped the pin and it broke off like it was glass.
The final problem came about when I dropped it. I know that was my fault, but I have dropped CD players before and not seen such a devastating effect. The cover broke off, things flew, and little pieces of plastic were everywhere.
While almost all of the problems were my fault I expected more out of a piece of equiptment that doesn't come very cheap. The RioVolt has what it takes technically, but I wouldn't ever associate the word "dependable" with this product. It'd work great at a desk or next to a bed, but be careful how hard you push the buttons, and if you take it somewhere, build it an airbag. Go for a regular mp3 player- the ones that cost the same as this hold more somgs, dont skip, and are probably less work to maintain.
32 The best out there (and yes, I'm including the SlimX line)!
First of all, it is inevitable that this product will be compared to the iRiver SlimX line of MP3-CD players. And while this topic is greatly debated, I give my vote to the RioVolt. I'll grant that it isn't as "slim" (pun intended). But it is much easier to use. First of all, you have the choice of using the remote (included or you can buy one with an LCD Display from the Sonic Blue website) or using the player itself. This is important to me, as remotes annoy me. They're always dangling in the way hard to use, whether it be the controls of the display (or lack thereof). Plus, I like admiring my electronic equipment. The SlimX's are almost competely required to be operated by remote. Yet these remotes are tiny, hard to read, and hard to operate. Plus, you're apt to lose them if you unplug it. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE WHO DOESN'T LIKE REMOTES! At least with the Rio, you have the option. Both CNet.com and IGN.com give this player the highest ratings next to the SlimX, therefore making it the default best MP3-CD player without a remote. The black finish and included leather chase make for a very chic look. I only take mine out of the case (it's like a cellphone case: form-fitting and always for complete access to all buttons) when I need to change a CD. The bright backlit display has both a nice font, and displays info such as artist, album, olithiscope, and so on (much more information than the SlimX players). Futhermore, the sound is clear and can go very loud, and the equalizer includes a few presets and one completely customizable setting. It's true, the included manual is lacking, but the controls are intuitive, and will become natural in the first ten minutes. The firmware is easily upgradable, and more accessories are available from the official website. This is the best MP3-CD player on the market, SlimX line included. If you have some sort of devotion to iRiver, or are appalled by the RioVolt SP250, then I recommend not the SlimX, but the ChromeX.
33 My Worst NIghtmare!!!1
I got this for christmas last year and within 2 days it broke and i didnt drop it or anything! Also just to get it fixed would cost another $100! Its the worst player i had ever had i would stay away far away!
34 Not worth it
This is definitely not worth buying. After a while mine stopped playing CDs. And the customer service, Rio doesn't provide any. Well they do but it can hardly be called "Customer service". It's a waste, those of you that are going to buy it, don't.
35 NIGHTMARE, DO NOT BUY
This player deserves -200 stars for every dollar my uncle wasted on it. I got it for christmas a year ago, and it has been more than a hassle:
* headphone jack broke twice,
* mp3/wma cds take about 3 MINUTES to load or dont load at all and when they do they skip every second or dont play, * regular cds skip when walking slowly and carefully,
* cd-rw's dont work period
* enhanced cds dont work
* regular burned cds skip for no reason while SITTING,
* fm radio is a complete joke, i have never gotten the slightest reception anywhere and i live in a city,
* mediocre (but bearable) battery life,
* noisy (the sounds of the player)
* tons of useless features
* included instructions tell you NOTHING, and go so far as to give false information on how to charge the batteries,
* the discman is pretty bulky
and to top it off, 5 days after the expiration of the warranty, the discman(more like discscam) is now completely broken. it no longer spins cds, and the laser makes a grinding noise. i have not been able to contact customer support.
36 Use Caution when dealing with Sonicblue
I have purchased both the SP 90, and the SP 250. While both these units work well, I had the inclination to contact Sonicblue regarding a free car kit adapter offer that is prominently displayed on the package. After numerous emails, phone calls that resulted in the same message, "we are experiencing a high volume of calls, please try again later" or a constant busy signal, I wrote to the CEO of Sonicblue. To date, I have received no response, nor do I expect one.
I had read reviews that described the extremely poor customer service and thought the person just had a bad experience and ordered the product anyway. This was not the best decision I have made. The products works fine ....for now. If I have the need for service, I realize this is not an option from Sonicblue.
Use caution when dealing with Sonicblue.
37 Good BUT BREAKS SO EASILY THAT IT LAST ABOUT 1 MONTH
When I first got this cd player I thought, "Wow. This is the best cd/mp3 player around." But then about a month later the smallest little thing breaks off and it doesn't work. I thought, "Maybe I will buy a new one and take extra special care of it." This time, nothing happened to it and it stopped working again. I wouldn't recommend buying this, but I gave it 3 stars because if it wasnt so poorly made it would be the coolest thing out there.
38 Riovolt cd mp3 player
Ordered for a Christmas present for my son and when I told my husband he wanted one to .This one came the 26 so my husband ended up with this and he loves it. Still playing with it learning . The delivery and receipt of product was fast and convienient. Will get many years of use .
39 Love at first sight
I'm a bit of a techno-gadget freak, so I researched this to death when I bought it, and I can say that it is still the best on the market today.
Pros-
10 CD's worth of music per CD
nice LCD screen
skips less than Bob Dole (tested on a vibrating massage chair)
supports playlists, track tags, you name it
easily updatable
small size
rechargeable or AA
easy navigation (important with 200+ songs)
durable (clumsy me)
Cons-
slightly non-intuitive menu structure
no lcd on remote (but you don't wind up using the remote much, believe me)
weak radio reception
If your favorite radio stations aren't the strongest, forget the radio feature and just buy the version without it. But this player still serves me well and has never given any trouble. It beats CD players and memory-based MP3 players, definitely the best of both worlds.
40 SP250, What more could you ask for?
I've had this player for about a year now and it is incredibly dependable. I love stuffing song after song onto one CD. If you are looking for sheer sex appeal, go with the iRiver, but this one has every feature I could want. Screen, battery life, quality are all great, anti-skip is bulletproof. The only minor gripes are radio reception and that I wish they had made the LCD remote standard. But all things considered, I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for portable MP3 music or trading up from a regular cd player.
41 Just too good
This is a great product, i use it on the treadmill while jogging and it hasnt skipped yet(i put it on the treadmill tray table). The sound is clear and the ear buds are very good, great way to listen to ur mp3s.
42 Great Player!
I've had my player for about four months now, and I must say, I am VERY impressed!
Pros:
-GREAT skip protection!
-Fairly sturdy overall
-TONS of features
-LCD screen ON the player itself
Cons:
-Poor radio reception
-Lid isn't terribly stable
-Fairly steep learning curve
Overall, it's a great player, but the lid of the player isn't terribly sturdy, I always get the feeling that it's gonna break off when I have it open. It's been a GREAT player and has read EVERYTHING I've thrown at it - even some fairly scratched up discs! After reading the reviews of some ppl who had problems, I almost went out and bought the iRiver 2, but then decided against it, mainly because I wanted the LCD screen on the player itself. I RARELY even use the remote, so having to always use the remote and tiny screen on the iRiver would have been a pain. I've not had ANY problems with it, unlike some people, and overall, I think it's a great player! I would reccomend this one over the iRiver if you are not going to be using the remote a whole lot, but if you are, go with the iRiver and save yourself the [trouble]... of having to buy the LCD remote for the Rio. I REALLY love this player, and unless you get a defective one, I'm pretty sure anyone in their right mind would really enjoy it as well.
43 a great buy!
The first unit I bought was missing the earphones. After a quick exchange I was up and running.
A few pros: the unit is thick enough I don't worry about putting it in my bag or resting it on the treadmill. It's fallen off a few times and always works. The fm receiver is pretty strong. The player always remembers where I was when I hit stop so I don't have to guess which tracks I've just listened to. The player can read most of my CD's so I can see the track names. I installed the upgrade from the RIO web sight and it worked right away. Very easy to use.
A few cons: the case is a little small so it's hard to fit the unit in. also the battery charger tries to discharge the batteries and then charge so it can take a long time to recharge the batteries if you don't change the setting. The headphones it comes with are cheep and should be quickly replaced. Would be better if could read track names on all CD's.
44 Problems after long-term use
I bought my SP250 over a year ago. It broke after a few months and they eventually sent me a replacement. This unit does not play self made music CDs, and will only play mp3s on CDRW (rewritable) discs, not on CDRs, and then only reliably with CDs I've made with one particular recorder (NEC) and not ones made with recordable drives on other computers (Sony,Samsung, and Ricoh brand CDRW burners). So I have loads of discs that will play on my computer or home DVD player but not on my RioVolt. If I want to listen to the radio instead, its reception is very poor. So I've recently bought a PDA with a built in mp3 player and am copying music (limited to 128mb at a time) to that to listen to. It doesn't skip when I walk, like the SP250.
45 Worthless MP3 player.
If you're thinking of buying the SonicBlue RioVolt SP250, think again. I've had nothing but problems with mine from day one. It had trouble reading my mp3 cds, which equates to long (30sec-1.5minute) startup time. That was just the beginning. It skipped all the time while driving around in my car. I haven't had a cd player that skipped for a long time, and my fried just bought a sony mp3 player that doesn't skip at all. This was all fairly disappointing when, wham, the worst thing of all. The electronic faceplate is screwed into plastic underneath the flip-up lid. After about 5-6 months of use, the screws broke free of the threads, and the electronic plate would touch the spinning cd when I pressed the play/stop/ffd button. About 4 months after that, the whole plate fell off and was just sitting on the cd. Needless to say, it doesn't work anymore.
I'm now in communication with their support, which is pretty much worthless as well.
46 The Greatest CD/MP3 player.
I've this player for about 5 months now and its great. There are so many settings on the player and the antishock works great. The battery life on this player amazing. The only down side is the leather cover. It's very difficult to get on the player.
47 Good Product, but DO NOT buy
This CD player has very nice features, including large display, great sound, and simple interface. It would be the perfect CD-MP3 CD player, and that is why there are so many positive reviews from recent buyers. HOWEVER, the other side of the story is not enticing, and you will uncover it after a few months to a year. My first SP250 stopped working after 8 months. I sent it in to SonicBlue, and they sent me back a refurbished product. The process took about a month of waiting for replies to emails; my warranty is now expired. The refurbished product does not play any sort of burned CDs: only commercially made ones. I again emailed Tech Support, and they have not replied. It has been almost 3 weeks. I have seen many reviews like this on Amazon.com and other sites and have come to a conclusion: that anybody who has owned an SP250 for any length of time experiences problems with it at some point. A reviewer who had the exact same problem as I, after sending his first in, and who did receive a response about the refurbished SP250, says, "The fact that a friend's SP250 plays burned CDs that ours does not, did not matter to the technician who claimed that could be part of the variability. 'As long as it is playing commercial CDs, there's nothing wrong with your Riovolt.'....that's not much help when we purchased this model in order to play burned CDs, " and is completely correct. You may be thinking, "This man just does not know what he is doing," or, "this will obviously not happen to me." I am generally experienced with electronics and computers; also, I would guess that there is almost a 25% chance that something will go wrong with your SP250, and once that happens, do not expect a well-working replacement (I believe that the company sends back replacements with cheaper and less sophisticated parts). Some people even had problems after only a month. Most problems have not happened yet, as this is a fairly new player, and not many people have had the SP250 for a while. Overall, this is a phenomenal product, but I would not recommend it unless you plan to use it very rarely for a short period of time.
48 Second SP250 gives problems
This is our second SP250 with problems. First stopped working entirely after a year. Second did not work right out of box. It will not play CD-R or CD-RW. Customer service is very poor. Long wait for technician. Both times, technicians were difficult to understand and not very helpful. The second technician said that play of burned CDs varies with SP250 used, possibly with burner used, and most of all with speed of burning (only 64kbs is totally reliable). The fact that a friend's SP250 plays burned CDs that ours does not, did not matter to the technician who claimed that could be part of the variability. "As long as it is playing commercial CDs, there's nothing wrong with your Riovolt."....that's not much help when we purchased this model in order to play burned CDs.
49 mostly all good
I have been using the sp250 for about 6 months now and am mostly impressed. One of the main reasons i purchased this product was that it had a radio as well as could play MP3s. The radio is not the greatest, if i walk around i switch from station to station and the same deal if i am just sitting in one place. the tuner basically only works on stations with a powerful signal, so local stations are not picked up very well. Here are the things that are great about it: remote control, great anti skip, plays mp3s and is fairly burly, so when i have dropped it, or toss it in my bag, it doesn't break. i looked at the iriver as well, but it is made of tin foil and all the demo models at the stores were broken. The negatives for this player are: weak radio and goes through batteries like water. If you want a good cd player and listen to the radio (an the stations you like have good signal) then get this player, and if you listen a lot, then get a battery charger and some rechargeable batteries, you will need them.
50 a definate NOT BUY
This product is the lowest quality of all. My first one stopped recognizing MP3 cds. I sent it, (paying 15$). The second one just randomly stopped working.
i sent that one back, my 3rd one now has a major problem with the earphone sockets. and after playing an mp3 cd for a few times, it stops to recognize the songs.
very very low chinese manufactured product. buy a sony/panasonic one. this one will make you sad...
51 riovolts the place for MP3 solutions
I have been a riovolt fan ever since I purchased the SP100 over 1 1/2 years ago, when it first came out. After which, I purchased the SP250. This MP3/ CD player is loaded with features that are hard to find elsewhere. I have also tried the IRiver 350 but that one doesnt read CD's that are burned using the Windows XP operating system. On top of that it doesnt even have a display on the player, what if I dont want to carry the wired remote? or what if I forget it?
As far as the customer service is concerned, they are slow but they arnt bad. They are slow on the emails which is why you gotta spend a few dollars and give them a call cuz once they know you have trouble they are really good. They had sent me a new player and a new remote on two different occasions when they had stopped working and I didnt even pay for the shipping charges for the new one or the damaged one.
If you can spend a little more money I strongly recomend the SP350. I have already have it pre ordered since my sp250 got stolen a few days ago.
52 No Tech Support
I bought one. The CD's are just not playing in the player. It's locking up. I emailed tech support almost 2 weeks ago and have gotten no response. What a waste of money.
53 Great Product, but very, very susceptible to Terminal Damage
I have had the player for about 10 months, and had no complaints. It was great: it remembered where I left off, had rechargeable batteries, had a remote, never skipped when I used it in the car. But...when I was re-arranging my living room and it slipped out of my hand 2-feet above a wooden floor, it broke its left hinge and has not powered on since then. I checked the Hold settings, took the thing apart, and even contacted support via e-mail. The small fall must've damaged its circuit board. Oh well...I still have working 8-track players, quadrophonic sound systems (yes, those things from the 70s), and near new Commodore computers. So, why is it that a 2-foot fall can damage this? Who knows...
So much for the one-year warranty...my MPTrip *still* works, and it's been banged around quite a bit. (MPTrip was the first generation MP3 CD player.)
54 Works Great - No Complaints!
I have had this mp3 player for over a year now and have had no problems with it at all. Based on oither reviews there seems to be a wide variety of problems but i have had none. The only real complaint is that i have accidentally started playing a CD when i put the p[layer in my bag and found the unit playing when on the airplane. The batteries still lasted the whole trip though.
The sound issues is mainly the headphones that come with the unit in my opinion. Since I travel a lot I bought some headphones that cover the ears to help block out noise and the sound is great. At home I plug the player into a spare set of computer speakers with sub-woofer and the sound is superb. On top of that I use 64k compression on my mp3's to fit over 200 songs on the CD and the sound is still good! I have even plugged it into my car stereo with a cassette adapter from sony and the sound is still great!
As far as the tuner I can't say since I did not by this unit for listening to the radio. I hate commercials.
The price is very competitive and I would recommend it to anyone.
55 Best player of it's type
And I should know, because I've owned just about every one of them at one time. Works great on a shaky exercise bike, I can set it on it and no skipping. I use CD-R and CD-RW disks, with no problems.
It comes with a faux leather case, and a basic remote.
There is an optional accessory, a LCD remote which should be a required accessory. Buy it.
56 this is the best portable player there is
One of my friends showed me this. I was amazed at the countless features and aspects of this player. Sonicblue is the best way to go. I have 230 songs on my player and get new cds all the time. The price is kinda steep but if u get it i know youll like it. It has a backlight for playing in the dark and you can scroll through your songs in an instant. I love this thing and would recommend anyone over 10 years old to get one. The buttons are kinda wierd at first but you get used to them. Buy this if you like computers and have good knowledge of burners. you need a burner to get a cd-mp3 player. Good LUCK
57 So So
When I first received the RioVolt in the box, I must admit it looked very damn impressive. I was astonished by the display, and all the options it had, and the 8-minute anti skip. I also loved that it came with rechargeable batteries, and that they would last long. So, when I got it, I charged up the batteries and started listening to it during the days. I was amazed when the batteries ran dry on me in UNDER 3 hours. The player has gotten progressively worse since then. I can't walk from one end of a room to another without it skipping every time I take a footstep. It's a nice player, but it really doesn't do what I expected. I used to own a little Panasonic CD player, with 40 sec anti skip, and only played CD's (not mp3's) I could mow my whole lawn (over an hour of walking) and it would never skip, and batteries lasted at least 25 hours. So if you're considering spending a lot of money, I'd suggest a nice Panasonic CD player, better bang for your buck.
58 i love it i love it i love it!!!!!!!
i love this mp3 player. it has long battery life and excellent skip protection and it even plays my audio cd's.
59 Great features, poor durability
Pros:
1. good sound
2. large LCD display
3. host of useful features
Cons:
1. poor durability
2. bulky
3. uncomfortable buttons
This player lasted me seven days. I was pretty happy with it until it started displaying NO DISK with any CD(R), audio or MP3. Looks like a very unreliable less expensive piece of plastic stuffed with expensive electronics.
If you're willing to gamble (and go through the return/exchange wait), this may be the best unit out there ... if it doesn't break down within a week/month that is.
60 P.O.S
No customer support. Will not play compilations. 8-minute skip, right!
61 An excellent piece of technology
I've owned the SP250 for about a month now and I have to say that it is incredible. I use it for about a half hour a day going to and from work on the subway and I've only had to charge it twice since I bought it including the initial charging when I first took it out of the box. The shock protection is great too if you give it some time to read ahead first. I do run into slight skipping problems if I turn it on while I'm walking but it only lasts for about 30 seconds. Once it reads ahead far enough its fine. There are only two drawbacks to this player. The learning curve is a little high. I don't typically like to read user manuals but I've had to refer to it a couple of times for this player to find out how to work something. The other drawback is that there is no display on the remote. This makes it a little difficult to find the song your looking for if the player is in a briefcase or backpack and you're operating it solely by remote. Both of these drawbacks are minor in my opinion and believe me the positive aspects of this player far outweigh the negative ones.
62 Great product, terrible software
After much research and testing of MP3 players this is the best. The size of the device is not an issue for me but being able to play cd's and having a radio as well make this the device for me. HOWEVER, the software is terrible. How can anyone sell an MP3 palyer with software where one has to purchase - yes pay extra - for the piece to make MP3 files from CD's - disgusting! Fortunatley I have Adaptec on my Sony Laptop and that works extremely well and is very easy to use. So - great device, works well but need a different software and I will NOT purchase any thing from Real out of principal now.
63 The best ever!
I admit this can be a little bit too much of technology for some folks out there, but if you take your time to understand how does it work, that's the best thing you can get on the market! At the beginning I had some of the problems someone describes in the other reviews: remote not working? I figured out I had to push it in arder than expected to get it to the bottom (and thats good, by the way, because it rock solid in); charging problems? there's a menu with three possibilities "charge" "discharge and charge" and something else I do not remember popping up if you press the stop button a couple of times (it's really not that difficult!); I really had no problems with skipping!... I had it set on just 45 seconds antiskip and no problems, you can go to 180 sec for a cd (8 min for mp3) but I really didn't see the reason (I do not use it for run).
Hey where do you find a player with all the features it has? You even have possibility to update the software via a cd you burn...
That's far out in the future!
64 The Greatest Player Out There
The RioVolt SP250 is one of the best CD/MP3 players avalibale on the market. I have owned other CD/MP3 platers and feel that there is no comparison, the RioVolt is simply the best. I will always buy RioVolt(Sonicblue)players, because it is a reliable machine, and is a great product!
65 Absolutely satisfied
I was a bit skeptic after i read several reviews here. But after checking out some more sources on the web i went for this player.
I must say I am more than satisfied with this product. I didn't detect any skipping, not while playing mp3 CDs or common audio CDs. I even shook the player while it was playing, and nothing happened. The functions the SP250 provides are very useful, the menu is userfriendly and easy to navigate. The only backdraw is that the display, which is well lit, is a bit small, but considering the size of the player it is reasonable.
To sum it up, together with all the accessories provided, this is the best player in this price segment.
66 skip skip
8 minutes anti-skip! try again. as i walk (slowly) with this thing, it skips. Constantly skipping. Then when trying to recharge it takes forever to figure out how to.
Piece of @#$. i would not recommend this. I got a better CD player for free! Don't waste your money
67 Bad Customer Support
We've tried to make compilation CD's to play on it and they don't recognized it. Customer support made suggestions which we tried to no avail. They then said they would get back to us and after two months no word.
68 Never thought music could sound so good.
I just got this so I cant account for durabilty or longevity but neglecting those two factors I must say: this thing rocks. It has all the standard options one would expect from an mp3 player and much more. The price is considerable but fair, the accessories are well above average in both qauntity and quality (AC adapter/charger, case made from some kind of fabric, presumably leather, two sets of decent headphones, and a remote control) The LCD screen is adequately lit, a problem way too common in electronics today. Where this player really shines is the quality of sound it produces. I've had players before, both CD and mp3, some costing more than this model, but this one sounds the absolute best. To say that this is worth the price is an understatement, its worth a hell of a lot more.
69 It's worth its price
By far the best mp3 player i've seen so far in this price range
It has more functions than i expected
70 Will break down within months
I bought this player because, at the time, it was the only MP3/CD player that also had a radio, which was a must for me.
Sadly, soon after I bought it (within a few months, max) it refused to play MP3s. Cds that worked fine in other CD/MP3 players would show up as "NO DISC" in this unit. I still use it to play regular CDs and CD-RWs, but only until I find the time to get another, better MP3 player.
I have seen this same problem reported here at Amazon.com and at other sites, so this appears to be a basic design flaw.
Avoid, avoid, avoid.
71 This is one hot MP3 player!!!
Enought can't be said about this incredible MP3 player! The sound (with EQ) and features (loaded) are amazing! And with the upgradeable firmware, it will be a long time before this thing ever becomes outdated. The SP250 displays ID3 tags and is so easy to sort through your play lists. The FM radio gets decent reception too. The case and remote are a nice bonus as well. As far as MP3 discmans go, this is the cream of the crop! A little bit higher priced than some others perhaps but well worth the difference in price. You will not be disappointed if you get this unit. I've been enjoying mine for months without a problem!
The rechargeable batteries are great and last longer than standard alkaline, just don't ever loose them! I have yet to find a replacement rechargeable battery that will recharge in the SP250. Most likely, if you do have to replace the batteries ever, you will have to buy a recharging unit if you plan to buy rechargeables. Of course you can stick with good old fashioned alkaline but plan to change batteries a lot. Alkaline power drains out quick with this unit (probably 6 to 8 hours at best)! I highly recommend buying two Lithium Ion AA's (you can usually get these at a battery store). They run about [$] a battery but it is worth it! I bought a pair two weeks ago and have been playing the unit a lot (more than 20 hours so far) - the battery meter on the SP250 is still at FULL!!! Get the Lithium Ion, you will be astounded at how long they last!
The down side of the SP250 is that there is no car kit. Minor problem, just go buy one for [$$]and you're set. Make sure you get the right car power adaptor though; it's the one with the tiny plug.
Hope these tips help you enjoy the unit better! I highly recommend it! Excellent unit! Very durable, nice looking, easy to use and sounds fantastic!!! A perfect choice for the MP3 enthusaist!
72 Wouldn't buy it if I could do it again.
I have never been more frustrated by a machine, except for a rio mp3 player that I bought a long time ago. I just want it to play what I put into it, but the machine refuses! It will randomly reset your music when your listening to it. Also, the shock protection is sub par to the sony cd players that came out 5 years ago. Overall, the design of this machine is untested and juvenile - coming from an engineer...
73 solid MP3 player, ... of a car kit
hi,
don't know how many of you purchased the riovolt as part of a free car kit deal, but I've found the carkit causes my music to sound scratchy at times. (Yes, it's the kit's fault, because when I listen with headphones, the defects are gone).
the remote control is a bit sloppy, and it takes some getting used to if you're trying to navigate menus with the remote. it's much easier to do this with the buttons on the cd player itself, but that's not always possible (eg, if you're driving).
also, sometimes I've noticed it spins like crazy and hangs while trying to read my mp3 discs. It's not like I burned them in any obscure way. In those cases I would have to turn the system off and turn it back on again.
but otherwise, a solid mp3 player.
74 Perfect player
I used to have the Genica player and didn't know what a real player was until I bought this one. Rio is a perfect player for all purposes, it never failed, skipped or did anything that could diminish its qualities. I take it everywhere and the battery lasts for a lifetime. It's incredible. I loved it !
75 THIS PRODUCT IS NO GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON NOT BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!
If only I could give a rating of -10. This company and this product are horrible. When the device works properly, it's fine. But that is usually not the case. Mine has completely stopped playing MP3 files. I have had them replace it twice and have had the same exact problem every time. They refuse to send a new one albeit of the situation or refund my money. Hence, they have forced me to go to everyplace it has sold and give them a bad review. If you want an example of bad business practices, don't look any further. SIMPLY HORRIBLE....
76 Wonderful Unit
I first Bought the RioVolt100 model and wanted the FM radio, but I got a great unit when I purchase this of My girlfriend. She loves it.. MP3's , WMA, CDRW no problem... Great unit,, I remommend this to anyone who loves Winmx and Kaaza...
77 Nice features but not good for exercise.
After looking around for a while for a quality cd/mp3 player I went with the SP250. On many websites the reviews for this player are outstanding which I agree with in some aspects. The features in the player are over the top. Everything you can ask for in a CD/MP3 player are here. My major complaint and it was a big one with me is the the player seemed to skip everytime I went running. Casually walking was fine but once you start moving in a running pace is was like playing a scratched CD skipping over and over. To sum it up... If you run a lot this player might not be for you.
78 great
great product but i river is better built. i have tried out both and technology wise it is exactly the same thing as the iriver. setup on the screnn is exactly the same. one thing nice about this product is the accessories. the carrying case is great, well built and lines where the buttons are because it covers it up. there are two pairs of headphones, over the head and earbuds, but of course they are not that great (not that much to buy a good set) joggers might prefer the riovolt over the iriver and for people who also like to have a screen on the player not just on the remote like the iriver. overall most people probably prefer the iriver since its is 2 pounds lighter, half as thick (.6 in compared to 1.2 in) and has a better looking design. so this is a great product but i think the iriver is a better choice.
79 Nice setup...
SONICblue has put together a good little package here. When I was searching for a MP3 player I couldn't decide between a harddrive-based unit (such as the CreativeLabs offering) or a CD-MP3 player. In the end I decided that the fact that I own a CD burner and the low price of black CDs made a CD/MP3 player more logical.
After owning mine for eight months or so, here is what I like:
1. WMA capability
2. Variety of modes and bells and whistles
Here is what I hate:
1. The headphones (it comes w/ two pair, one of which is unusable w/o pulling hairs, and the other pair doesn't fit properly)
2. The 8 minute anti-skip doesn't mean that you can run with it. It cannot handle contuous jarring. I tried to put it on a treadmill and it worked for about three minutes, but then kept skipping (not a big deal in the end as I hate working out to music).
3. The interface is EXTREMELY clumsy. They should allow you to sort by something other than the artist (if you have fifty songs in a row by the Smashing Pumpkins, you'll see a long list of Smashing pump... and have to wait for the title to scroll across. A definite hassle)
4. The control that it comes with is equally akward. I never remember which button skips and which turns the vol. down.
5. The battery life is nothing near 13 hours. I can get maybe five or six out of it before the indicator begins blinking.
Conclusion:
Best unit that I have used. Has problems, but they do nothing more than hamper the experience a bit.
80 Great player, cheaply made
I had bought the first RioVolt MP3-CD Player and it worked great until I accidently dropped it a few inches from the ground, then it refused to recognize ANY cd. I thought to myself "well, it's their first so everyone is entitled to [mess] up on their first try". Then I say the SP250 with the FM Tuner. It looked to be better built and with more features, not to mention a pretty good price. Well, a few months it broke as well. I cant use the controls on the player itself anymore, the back part broke away. I now have to use the remote control until I find a way to fuse it back together. I'd recommend this if you only plan on using it very delicately and don't rough it up by carrying it with you or putting it in your backpack. Hold it like a very full cup of steaming, scalding hot cup of coffee where any slight tilt will cause agony (just a tad sarcastic). It's made of very [inexpensive] plastic.
81 Extremely Disappointed With Product AND Company
I bought a Rio Volt SP250 just over 1 month ago. It was working fine one minute, and the next it said "NO DISC." No matter what I put into it (CD-R or regular CD) it says "NO DISC." I'm now trying to get an RMA number to return it to Sonic Blue for repair, but their customer service is a joke. It's been over a week since I submitted my request to their customer support email address, but I have yet to hear back from a real human being; all I get are automated email responses.
Buyer Beware!!
82 AMAZING CD-MP3
IF you dont want just 64 MB of songs, but dont want to pay 400 for an ipod, get this. It is perfect.
Colors aren't especially attractive, but it comes w/ a very handy case.
You don't have to flip through tracks; if you burn folders onto the data CD, you can use those to navigate through the menu. The menu displays all the songs in a folder in alphabetical order, the name appearing as the file name. When the song is played, the song's real name appears.
The sound quality is excellent. I got this because I needed a new player; my old player was broken. It comes w/ good-quality plug headphones, and the sound on the player is better than almost all CD players and even as good as most MP3 players w/out a CD.
If you dont want to carry around a lot of CDs, then this is what to get. On the other hand, if you have some regular Audio CDs you need to listen to, you can do that. Perfect music tool.
83 AMAZING CD-MP3
IF you dont want just 64 MB of songs, but dont want to pay 400 for an ipod, get this. It is perfect.
Colors aren't especially attractive, but it comes w/ a very handy case.
You don't have to flip through tracks; if you burn folders onto the data CD, you can use those to navigate through the menu. The menu displays all the songs in a folder in alphabetical order, the name appearing as the file name. When the song is played, the song's real name appears.
The sound quality is excellent. I got this because I needed a new player; my old player was broken. It comes w/ good-quality plug headphones, and the sound on the player is better than almost all CD players and even as good as most MP3 players w/out a CD.
If you dont want to carry around a lot of CDs, then this is what to get. On the other hand, if you have some regular Audio CDs you need to listen to, you can do that. Perfect music tool.
84 What More Can You Want
Its very simple. The RioVolt sp250 is the best mp3 cd player out there. It is the best and it can do more than you expect it to. This is somehthin worth payin extra money for, besides, it'll last you forever.
85 Never Been So Happy With A purchase
Ive Had the SP-250 for about 6 weeks now. I have not had a single skip or other failure. Not since I bought my first bicycle have I been so pleased with a purchase. Great sound, a ton of options (there is no since repeating what is otherwise already known of this great player)and the easiest firmware upgrade I've ever had. I have had two other MP3 players (Both from Diamond/Rio) and this is by far the one to have. I have'nt used the FM radio enough to give a review but thats not the reason I bought this unit. All in All this unit is really nice and well worth the price.
86 Good Buy
I've recently acquired this item and have been satisfied with it for the last couple days' of usage. It does everything Rio claims it would - plays all formats of music with ease. The functions will require a bit of guess work to figure out, but not that bad really. Charging the battery wasn't the most intuitive process either. I attbiute the guess work to the lack of detail in Rio's manual. It simply states what each function does, but does not go into detail on the "How to". It does come with 2 types of earphone, but both are earbuds. The remote only has the basic function such as toggle between tracks, and volume. The included leather case is, in a word - ugly. But the blue back lite LCD screen is nice.
I've yet to test the unit's skip protection abilities...
All in all, a good buy with the recent price drop and the rebate offered by Rio. Only wish it also has AM tuner so I can listen to Laker games...
87 Great Little Machine!
Perfect mp3 portable player with regular CD,CD R/W and FM capability.Add your own headphones (in my case medium priced Koss) and you're there!
88 Wonderful CD/MP3 Player
I must say, I absolutely Love this player. Now I'm picky, i've gotten more then one portable cd player that i hated and i usually refuse to spend more then [$$$]on something like this. But i broke my mold and unfortuantely it seems i paid more then i would have here since its now on sale.
But anyway, the Riovolt SP250 player is a wonderfully versatile player. Not only does it play MP3s and WMAs from a burned cd, but it also plays my normal cds.
This player is impossible to cause to skip, i haven't seen it skip once, and trust me i tried. The construction seems durable and tough instead of the cheap plastic most are made of. The front menu is readable, though at times a bit cluttered, i'd like to be seem perhaps the title your highlighting in on the nav menu to scroll since the band names are sometimes long.
I use this player primarily in my car, and it was bought mostly for long trips but i've found myself using it everyday. I have been able to consolidate my huge music collection onto cds.
If you plan to use this player in your car, be sure to get a good cigarette power adapter and tape. I have cheap ones from my portable cd player, but the power cord does not want to stay in so if the player gets bumped wrong it turns off, and the tape seems to emit a popping noise if i turn it up to loud. I know it isn't the player because it sounds wonderful on the earphones that came with it.
Speaking of the earphones, they are great! The sound quality is wonderful, and the remote is usefully especially since its not attached to the earphones. Both the ear buds and the collapsible earphones get good quality sound, if you want better just get a pair...for [$$]-[$$]...
89 ITs as good as it gets
I had the Sp100 model as well and i loved that player, had for just over a year and despite abuse it worked great, eventually the remote took too much abuse and would only give me sound in the left ear and the volume became very weak. I have better hopes for this, although it feels flimsy i know not to drop it it will stay in my bag all the time. But with 8 Min antiskip in mp3, and the remote i know this player will be good to me if i am good to it
90 BOGUS! Do not purchase this product!
i initially bought this player in september 2001. 5 months into ownership, the damn thing completely stopped playing data cd's (ones with mp3s on them). hell, it wouldn't even recognize a disc with just a firmware upgrade on it, so i couldn't update that either. it would play regular audio cd's just fine (including burned ones). plus, discs that used to work wouldn't work in it anymore. to make a long story short, it was obvious that this was a hardware problem internal to the device. anyway, i sent it to sonicblue for a "refurbished" player only to encounter the same problem again after another 5 months. i am now currently dealing with them to either give me a completely new device or get all of my money back. i'm sick and tired of having to go through this process. if you're lucky enough to have a player that works though, it's still a great tool for listening to music - but that's a big if...
91 This thing is the S"H#I%T
I got this 5 days after I ordered it. Within 20 min of receiving it, I had cd's burned and playing. 2 days after that I decided to look at the manual. This thing has loads of features, and is easy to use. Sure the headphones could be better, but I dont use them anyway. I plug it into my amp at work, and I'm jamming. Im able to put 1500-1600 songs on 9 cd-r's . What more could one ask for? (A big bag of money would be nice :) Just get it, you will love it. If you dont, you must be "too old" to understand anything, except albums and reel-to-reel.
92 This is the best MP3 CD player
I have had this player for a year now and love it. I works great and it does not pop at all. If it does then you should return it to get a refund or a new one. Becasue i had one i pressed the buttons too hard then the screw came out under the front cover. Then everytime i pressed it it was scratching the CD and made it skip like what people say. So you have to be a little more careful with it then other CD players but once u do it its the best.
Your Friend yodadude
93 They don't work for long
The SP250 is frustrating because when it works it is an awesome, revolutionary product. I would happily use it as my primary listening device because of it's ability to randomly play large lists of fully IDed mp3s. But it doesn't work well.
I'm on my second player. The first became unstable and the slightest (really, really, teeny tiny) jar would cause it to power down, I could get no help from RIO so I exchanged it. The new one will not recharge batteries so I use the external power source or regular batteries. I have read reviews from people who love their devices but I am positive that none of their players are still operating flawlessly. I am convinced that mp3 cds are the best way for music fanatics to store, trade and listen to their music but this machine and the company that produces it are below par.
94 Not the winner it's said to be....
In general im dissapointed with this cd player. After spending 150 bucks on it, I decided it was a waist of money. First of all, it clearly states all over the package it has 8 minutes of anti-shock which kind of confused me because on the menu of the cd player it only offers 120 seconds. I looked on Rio's website and it told me that it only has 8 minute anti-shock when playing "compressed audio". I have no idea what compressed audio is. Second, this thing eats batteries like you would not believe. I brought it to europe (which wasnt very smart) and I went through 6 sets of batteries in two weeks (6 sets is 12 batteries). Total waist in general. Also, the ear buds broke within two days. Consider some other cd player for less money.
95 Excellent MP3/CD player!!
My wife bought me a SP250 for Christmas 2001, and I have used it almost daily since then. I can honestly say, I dont know how I managed without one before!
Some of the other reviews paint a pretty dim picture of this unit, but in my 8 months of use I have had very few problems. It plays all my MP3 discs (even if not closed),and CDs without much fuss. I found it will skip if I place it in a vertical position in my car, but that is minor.
The FM tuner works fine, since it is only used at cricket matches anyway;-)
The unit could do with some improvements, such as the ability to change discs while playing, plug/unplug the adapter without rebooting, and the choice of no backlight. Hopefully these issues will be fixed in later models, or firmware upgrades.
I would buy another tomorrow if my 250 was stolen or lost. Truly a wonderful product.
96 Fantabulous !!
This is the greatest CD Player I've seen. For [$$$] it comes with a remote, two rechargeable batteries, case, earphones, headphones, and by paying [money] for shipping you can get a car kit including the cassette and the adapter. Its antiskip is wonderful. I tried all sorts of things to find a fault, but it was perfectly smooth. The battery lasts quite a while so you don't have to worry about how much time you spend without the AC adapter. You save so much money on AA batteries ;) The only downside that I saw was the looks and quality of the buttons. But again, who cares about looks when u get so much quality music and so many features !! I love mine, hope you enjoy yours.
97 Terrible
I was enthusiastic when I first found out about the player. Even though I found a lot of negative reviews on how it was defective and unreliable, I ignored them and bought it. When I opened it the remote didn't work and it was made of ... plastic. I decided I could live with that and use the warranty for my remote. ...
98 you want a mp3/cd player??? get sp250
the player is great, earphones work very well (sound is very good). i didn't use a radio tuner yet, but i will soon. i will also get a car kit for free. if you want a GREAT DEAL buy it between 28th and 31st of july. you'll pay 138$ but they will give you 30$ back (mial-in rebate) plus a free car kit (worth another 30 bucks (after you pay 6$ shipping&handlind)! so the player will cost you about 85 dollars. there is no better deal than this one. BUY IT!
99 MP3/WMA on CDR/CDRW pops and skips!!!
MP3 burned on to CDR/CDRW have pops and skips when playing. Unbearable! MP3/WMA are at all good to high qualities on my pc. Upgraded firmware to 2.05 but did not help.
FM turner is very good. Good reception. Playing regular CD is also pretty good. Nice leather case, rechargeable batteries, adapter, headphones, etc.
Don't buy this if you're looking for MP3/WMA player. You'll be very disappointed!!!
100 Great device!! no problem at all
RioVolt it's a cool cd/mp3/wma player. You have a great sound, full capabilities, remote control, customizable options, etc. I have played cda, mp3's cd (multisession, rewritable, nested directories...all the possibilities!!!) and passed it ok. MMMMmmmm, yeah...some things aren't at the same level: the in-ear headphones doesn't sound so cool, the batteries charges very slow in the rio (but who doesn't have an external charger?...), and the FM tuner doesn't catch the lower stations. But think, what are these details against the possibility of get all the features and actualizations in your all-in-one-Rio?
