Rio Cali 256MB doesn't disappoint!
Written: Feb 14 '04
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Pros: Small size, FM tuner, expandable, arm strap included, reasonable priced
Cons: Weak FM tuner signal, poor belt clip, Army green color
The Bottom Line: Small package, FM tuner, expandable and reasonable price. Very good support via website (haven't needed to call for support), I was able to download updated drivers for it as well.
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| gizmos17's Full Review: Rio Cali Sport (256 MB) MP3 Player |
Rio Cali 256mb review
When I set out on my quest to find the “perfect” mp3 player, I wasn’t sure what I would end up with, iRiver, SDIO, Apple iPod, Dell DJ…solid state or hard drive based…the choices can drive one crazy! After much research and reading reviews, I finally decided to buy the Rio Cali. It had all the features I wanted at a decent price.
Researching
I started my search by making a list of features I wanted in an mp3 player. I knew I would be using this at the gym and for jogging so I wanted something small and one with an FM tuner in it for the TVs at the gym that are broadcasted on to FM frequencies. So the features I wanted are:
• FM tuner
• Expandable memory
• Something that can withstand physical activity
• Good battery life
• If possible, decent price
Just wanting to have a FM tuner reduced the number of players to a handful. This also eliminated the iPod, Apple’s popular mp3 player. I was very tempted to get the iPod because of its attractive design, storage capacity and features (can be used as a calendar and phonebook). Apparently the iPod has battery issues at the time of this writing and just got hit with a class action lawsuit. The Rio Cali’s battery life is better compared to a hard drive type player (Dell DJ, Apple iPod, Rio Nitrus) because there are no moving parts and once you battery is dead just pick up a new one at any store, no worries about charging and rechargeables going bad.
It arrives!
Very nicely packaged in one of those annoying-to-open plastic clamshell boxes but it gave it a really nice presentation. In the package are instructions, software (Rio software to transfer mp3’s and Apple iTunes disk), headphones, Rio Cali, holster with built belt clip, arm strap, AAA battery and USB cable.
My first impression of this was very good, the Rio itself is made of sturdy plastic with some rubberized parts, fits the palm of my left hand very comfortably. All the buttons on it are within reach. The holster with the belt clip is okay, the Rio snaps into it and is really snug, it can be a little tricky getting in into the holster. But the clip itself looks and feels and looks like cheap metal with edges that are a little sharp. The real hassle is trying to get the arm strap looped through the belt clip! I think it would’ve been better if the clip was made out of plastic, the arm strap would probably slide through it easier.
Features
The Cali has a menu that’s fairly easy to navigate once you’ve used it a few times, I think its got a good amount of options. My favorite is being able to tell it what to allow you to change when you have the “HOLD” switch on. For example, I like to be able to move the volume up and down without taking it off hold.
The Cali can also accommodate a SD memory card. At this time there are SD cards up to 512mb, giving you a total of 768mb! On a side note, Lexar just announced a 1GB SD cards available later this year. The Cali can read mp3 formats and wma, Windows Media format (wma’s are smaller and you can store approximately twice as many songs on the same amount of space). Some of the other features and settings include: equalizer, a stopwatch, mute and 8 tuner memory slots.
The test!
The software is easy to install and navigate; I would say it is user friendly since I didn’t need to reference the instructions to figure it out. If you want to use a SD card you must use the Rio software to put mp3’s onto it. I tried taking a SD card that I had mp3s on which I loaded with a USB card reader, it didn’t see the files.
The player worked great, just as I imagined it would! The name of the file scrolls by as it’s playing, the LCD has a cool blue backlight (you can control the amount of time it stays lit in the options menu). You can choose the time mode options by pressing the red joystick like button (time/date, mp3 timer or mp3 count down timer).
The FM tuner however is a little disappointing, it works fine when I’m at the gym to pick up the TV stations but when I’m listening to a normal radio station, sometimes it doesn’t come in clearly. I usually listen to Z100, a popular station in the NYC area, not a small station that’s on a weak frequency. I tried several stations and the results were similar – sometimes crystal clear other times not so clear.
The headphones that come with it are okay; not the best but most headphones included with anything aren’t the greatest.
The SD card slot is a little wider than the SD card itself; I found this a little odd. On every other device I used, PDA, digital camera etc, the slot was exactly the width of the card so there isn’t any play when you slide the card in. On this, the card is about 1/16” smaller than the slot. Also, to access the SD card you first have to take out the battery.
Conclusion
This is a great little player, packed with features at a reasonable price! The size and weight makes you forget you even have it with you sometimes. The amount of storage is adequate for me, I think I would have a hard time finding 40GB worth of music to fill one of those iPods up anyway! I purchased it from Amazon for $150 after $20 Rio rebate. Too bad it doesn’t come in other colors aside from Army green!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150.00
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
gizmos17
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Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 4 members
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