A good Mp3 player
Written: Jul 09 '02 (Updated Jul 09 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Loud; 85dB signal to noise ratio; 7 presets; playlists; good backlight; bookmarks; solid construction; layout
Cons: battery life; Ni-MH battery; charging adapter
The Bottom Line: This Rio is a great mp3 player, and I prefer it to many others available. Having liked it since I received it, it has not disappointed me.
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| spartas's Full Review: Rio 800 (128 MB) MP3 Player |
First Impressions
The Rio 800 I purchased last year has served me well. I like looks of it, and the sound is good. This player has many features, some of which I do not use, but it is better to have them and not use them.
Product Overview
Screen Layout
I like the layout on the Rio 800 screen, as it is easy to read and with one glance, I see everything at once. It is all there, title, album, band, format (mp3 or wma), compression rate (kbps), length of song, current location in song, volume level, and number in list. In addition, the on screen menu is very easy to understand, as all of the menu tweaking options are in the first three submenus.
Buttons
The buttons are well laid out, and the function of each is engraved into the button itself, not just printed on. This is so it will not rub off over time, however even if they did, the buttons are in a layout so finding the correct button at night with the lights out would not be a challenge. The control buttons (play, stop, pause, Next song, and Previous song) are located around a circle at 90 degrees from each other. In the center is a select button, and along the right side are the Vol+/Vol-, and the Menu and Record buttons. This allows for ease of use even when it is not possible to see the buttons.
Battery
The battery in the Rio 800 is a Hi-MH, which is known to develop a memory effect over time. I have had first hand experience with this, and it would not even charge at all. I got a backpack replacement for the Rio, and now have had no memory effects with the new battery, as they have redesigned the power adapter.
Menu Options
Menu options are divided into three sub categories, which define the purpose of these options. Audio, Player, and Prefs are these sub categories by which all the options are defined. The menu options are plentiful, and they allow many types of audio and settings to be modified.
Backlight
The backlight causes the Rio to use up considerably more battery life than when it is not in use. There are six settings for the backlight, which determines how long it is on. This is to adjust if it is on, off, or on for a specific amount of time after a button is pressed.
Audio Quality
I have heard distortion in audio only on higher volume levels (>16), on this player. Most distortion depends on the song itself, and the type of compression used in the mp3 format. Generally the higher the bit rate, the lesser the compression, also the greater the sound quality, which is reflected in the amount of distortion.
Specifics
The Rio 800 is a player which combines all the essentials with additional menu options which make this a very functional player. Aside from the battery, this player is excellent.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
spartas
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Reviews written: 5
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