Sonic Blue Rio S35 128MB MP3 Player - Not For The Average Joe
Written: Jul 18 '03
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Pros: small, low weight, sleek design, attractive, skip-free, waterproof, clock
Cons: battery life, memory cards are expensive, cheap earphones, high price
The Bottom Line: This device is perfect for people who do not listen to music for long periods of time. Otherwise, get something else.
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| vadimio's Full Review: Sonic Blue Rio S35 128MB MP3 Player |
I have been shopping around for an audio device to become the heir to my Aiwa CD Player, and after many months, I settled on a mini-disc player, which turned out to be a perfect decision. However, before I bought my MD player, I tried out many audio devices, and many MP3, CD and MD players were borrowed for short time spans from my friends. On such MP3 player, was the Sonic Blue Rio S35S Sport MP3 player, a nifty and attractive device that caught my eye. I considered purchasing it, but I found out a friend of mine owned it and was willing to part with it for a week if I let him borrow a few Xbox games. I agreed.
If I were to describe the S35S in one word, I would have to call it 'cute'. The dimensions of this model are roughly 2.5 by 3 by 1 inch, the primary colors are red and white, and it weighs a measly 2.2 ounces, including the battery. It easily fits in the palm of your hand, so it really is cute. The actual design is as follows: the S35S is an ovalish shape, with a small groove on the right side, which is for the thumb. The entire player is red, except for the front side, which is white. The front features an LCD with a backlit screen (very useful, especially in the dark) on top, a small 'enter' button on the left-middle part, as well as a four buttons - play/pause, forward, stop and back- all on a circular pad. All of these buttons are white. The menu button is on the top of the player, while the volume and on/off switches are on the side. "Rio Sport" is written on the front, while the back has the Rio logo. The S35S is made completely of plastic, except the LCD, but it is very durable and not cheap plastic.
MP3 players like the S35S, and unlike the Apple Ipod, store music on memory cards, which are also used with digital cameras and PDAs. The S35S comes with 128 megabytes of memory already built-in, which can hold between 2-4 hours of music, depending on the bitrate. Inside the battery compartment, there is a single slot, where you can slide a memory card (sold separately). The largest memory card that you can use with this Rio is 512 megabytes, therefore give you a total of 640 megabytes (actually some of the memory is not usable, so it becomes around 600 megabytes. With such a memory card, you can store a fair amount of music, however there is a problem. The large disadvantage of owning an MP3 player, and what made me decide to buy a MD player, is the fact that memory cards are very expensive. I have one for my Palm, it is 64 megabytes and cost $40. 512 megabytes will cost around $100, so it will really set you back. But then again, if you were looking for something to store dozens of hours of music, you would buy an Ipod. The S35S is not meant to store a lot of music, it is meant to store a few hours.
The S35S is a sports MP3 player, and Rio encourages you to use it while working out, jogging, walking. It is water proof and skip-free. Due to its small design and light weight, you can easily fit it into any pocket. It does not have a remote, so you will have to do all of the operations (skip tracks, pause) by either taking it out of your pocket or fiddling around in your pocket, but it was no trouble for me. The material felt really durable and if it were dropped, no damage would be done.
This MP3 player not only plays MP3 files, it can also play WMA files. It also has a built-in radio, but you can only listen to FM. The reception, depending on the signal, but way fairly good. Another cool feature was the clock. My MD player does not have one, and I really wish it did. A stopwatch is also available, and this was a feature meant for people who work out, and time things such as how long you've been jogging, etc.
A bunch of software was included, and the S35S is compatible with PCs and Macs. Mac users will have to use the iTunes software, while PC users like me get to use the RealOne software for working with and converting MP3s and the Rio Music Manager for sending files to the device. The files are transmitted via a USB port, which is included. The files are sent very quickly, I am not sure what the exact speed it, but it is usually a little less than 10 seconds per song.
Also included with the player and USB cable, is a quick start manual, earphones, a case, an armband and a battery. The case is transparent, made of plastic, and protects the player a little. It is not large so you will still be able to fit the player in your pocket with the case. The armband is just like any other armband, but it is very useful. The earphones are cheap. They are hard to describe, but their are like basic earbuds, only their sort of go around your ears. They are not too comfortable, and the sound quality is just average, but I won't complain too much.
A major turn-off for me was the battery. The S35S runs on a single AAA battery. Rio claims that the battery life is 15 hours, but that is bull. I got around 7 hours from this thing before I had to switch batteries. If you use the rechargeable battery, you cannot hook-up an AC adapter and charge them, you have to take the battery out and charge it externally.
You don't get too many playback options with this device. Sure you can shuffle and repeat. You can lock the thing by pressing Menu and Enter, and this will guard you from accidentally pressing buttons, which is nice. You can bookmark your favorite songs. You can't record anything, you can only listen to files. When you are listen to music, the LCD displays the current time of the day, the battery level (from E to F, like a car), the title of the song, as well as the artist and album. A few other things, such as are you in shuffle and repeat mode or not, is the device locked or not, the volume, and other necessary things are clearly seen.
Overall, the Sonic Blue Rio S35S Sport MP3 Player, is a nice little device. It will play your MP3, and is perfect if you want to listen to music for a few hours. But it is not a cheap device at all. The average price for one of these is roughly $180 and the memory card will set up back some more. I don't think that this is an ideal portable audio device, and although it has its ups, I prefer my MD player.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 179.99
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vadimio
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