Rio S50 Street (128 MB) MP3 Player

Pros: Right size, good memory, excellent sound quality and easy to use
Cons: MMC memory is hard to find and a bit expensive, headphones could be better

I was slow in moving from my old tape Walkman into an MP3 format player but I am really happy that I waited for the Rio S50. This player makes listening to MP3s easy and a total pleasure.

I looked at all sorts of different MP3 players, from...

Pros: Simple, no-frills, expandable, intuitive software, comes with carrying case, indestructable
Cons: Limited to 256MB, feels cheap

Let me begin by saying that this is no iPod. It has limited storage capacity, only basic features, and doesn't have a frosty white appearance with chrome trim. However, it is significantly cheaper and is a smart choice for anyone needing a basic MP3 ...

Pros: Light, compact, backlight, LCD screen, interface, headphones, and battery life.
Cons: Headphones don't block out sound very well.

The Sonicblue Rio S50 has it all. Even for a flash media player, it can handle 12hrs of songs after a memory card upgrade (and more when 640MB becomes available). Since I have used this MP3 player longer, I've decided to rewrite my review and make ...

Pros: Integration with iTunes (Mac), Design and Build Quality, Belt Holster, Battery Performance
Cons: poor radio reception, no audible.com support

I have the Rio s50 (same product as the s35s, just different plastics and rechargable AA instead of the AAA) I borrowed an iPod for month and fell in love with it but couldn't justify the expense, didn't like the scratch-sensitive case, don't have a ...

Pros: Basic; Great sound; 12 hour battery; rugged; no DRM; expandable memory; great display; longevity
Cons: No bling; cheap looking; proprietary firmware/software/cables required; New protective case please; Tuner 

I purchased this player appx 5 years ago.  I can't remember the price, but remember it being fairly cheap.  Didn't expect much from it with 128mb of memory.  I've tried a myriad of other players some good others far worse than this player. ...

Pros: If you're looking for the qualities of MP3 player as I have, this is forU
Cons: Earphones are weak, not sound-wise, but durability.

*UPDATE* - Buy.com deal of the day $50.99 Free shipping, plus 64Internal MB + 32External MB = 96MB Size. GREAT DEAT! http://www.buy.com/retail/clea rance/product.asp?sku=70012552 &loc=33448&product= I was searching for a portable MP3 Player with ...

Pros: Cheap!! what else?
Cons: Poor customer service,sound

I got this thru online, and only reason i bought this was because this is CHEAP!! You could get it at BestBuy or somewhere else for one twenty to hundred or so. After reading the reviews written about this MP3 player, I see that most people find it ...

Pros: Nice design and great features.
Cons: Didn't work out of the box. Volume button was broken.

I purchased this unit directly from Sonicblue. I like all the features and the look of the unit but it should work out of the box. The volume control was broken as soon as I opened it. I called Sonicblue right after I received the unit and was told to...

Pros: This Mp3 player has great sound no matter what brand of headphones you are using
Cons: It has a tendancy to get "stuck" on certain songs.

The Rio S50 is a good product for listening solely to MP3 files. The tuner has less than adaquete reception, and the player has a tendency to be slow to react when buttons are pressed. Sometimes I have to restart the player because it gets "stuck" on...

Pros: Full featured, sure
Cons: Unit has never worked/ fast but useless service

Opened the S50 package and plugged the unit in order to charge it. Nothing appeared on the screen despite the fact that I tried several plug points. I then called Sonic Blue service (quick response) and I was told by the technician that there appeared to...

Pros: design, durability, sound -- I love this player.
Cons: It doesn't come with a terrific headset, but that's true with all these players.

I did extensive research on MP3 players after my first Rio broke from over use & too many drops from the treadmill. After looking at the other manufacturers, decided to stay with Rio because of the design actually, it’s a good looking machine, with easy ...

Pros: acceptable battery life
Cons: poor quality, worst ever support

After less than a year (there was one year warranty) I realised a small fault. Now recently t ...

Pros: Cost is reasonable. Small sized. Holds a bunch of music.
Cons: 128 MB not as much space as expected. Earphones don't stay in ears when exercising.

Overall I love it. I need a little more space, but you can easily upgrade to a 256MB card for about ...

Pros: Sound quality, ease of use
Cons: Didn't like the ear buds

I love my Rio. The sound quality is great, downloads are easy and fits in my hand nicely when I run. Don't know what I would do without it.

Pros: battery life, light, small, nice design, FM radio, nice menu, easy to use
Cons: buttons in a circle need some time getting used to, just 128MB

I had this baby for a looong time. I think I got it in 2002, maybe a year earlier, really can't remember.
It's very light, relatively small, and comes with a nice clip-on. Battery life is extremely long- sometimes it would last me for a month!
The only problem of this player is, that it has only 128MB and this is actually the only reason why I decided to give it away and go with Creative MuVo Tx, 512 MB.

Pros: It is very small and lightweight.
Cons: It drains the battery a little quickly.

This is one of my first MP3 players that I ever bought. It has a good memory of 128 MB, and is very easy to use. When I first bought it, I enjoyed it a lot more than any other device I bought before. I recommend this player for anyone who wants a good player at a reasonably fair price.

Pros: tuner, rubber sides, stopwatch, expandable memory, scrolling titles, display options, takes AA battery, battery life
Cons: firmware failure, tiny power/menu/volume buttons

I bought this player used off of eBay in Spring 2004. 128MB of music was enough to get me through my commute and the tuner was great for when I needed to fill time or silence above ground. I'm a little clumsy and it had nice rubberized sides to withstand my abuse. The volume control on the side was hard to work when I left it in the carry case, which was all the time because it cushioned falls. However, last month it started restarting over and over again every time I turned it on and there was no fixing it. Finally, earlier this week my menu button got stuck. A spring gave out or something. The menu and power buttons are too small as well (and I have small woman hands).

Pros: Price, good EQ, good sound, easy to use.
Cons: Unit should more volume. Bundled headphones are average at best.

I bought this unit for $80 at Best Buy, and seeing as how all of the other 128MB MP3 players were much more expensive, I was shocked to find it holds its own with many of the others. It's compact, easy to use, durable (so far), and produces very good sound. I've gotten excellent battery life (single AA or NiMH), even playing at high volumes consistently.
I would've rated the unit a five had it been able to produce more volume. The highest setting is adequate, but really should be louder, to compete with today's portable CD players.
The headphones are standard fare earbuds and I find myself frequently readjusting them for comfort. Again, the sound is very good, but could be louder.
Overall, a great value, and highly recommended.

Pros: Great sound Good size Holds a lot of music
Cons: Can't arrange music in playlist

My wonderful husband got me my mp3 player for Christmas. I was bummed that I forgot to take it with me on Christmas vacation. Once I got home, I loaded it up with music and used it faithfully everyday when I got on my elliptical machine. I would tote it to the minivan with me where I popped a converter on it that made it play through the tape player. I haven't gotten a new card for it, but once the lean first few months of the new year end, I plan to.

The sound is great. Battery life is good- I have gone through 2 batteries so far but only because I use it all the time.

The only thing I do not like about it is that when you send music over from your computer, you can not arrange the playlist. Maybe you can and I just haven't figured it out.

Otherwise, it's a fantastic little mp3 player. I was surprised to get it and it surprises me every day. Really a gift that keeps on giving!

Pros: Cheap, durable, expandable
Cons: Not much memory (but expandable)

My 9 year old daughter got one of these for Christmas...she is into track so it had to be durable, but we also didn't want something too expensive in case of mishap. The Sonic Blue fit the bill extremely well, so well, in fact, that I went and bought one for myself! The one drawback is the lack of memory but you can usually get a deal if you look. Otherwise, it's easy enough for a kid to use and holds up well to being knocked around. All in all, a good performer.

Pros: None
Cons: Broke

A piece of junk. Had mine for just over a year and the on/off switch and the DC input broke. Customer support for Rio is a technical answering service in India, good luck. They won't replace it. Now it's worthless after owning it for only a year.

Pros: Good tech support
Cons: Always freezes or restarts no matter what I do.

This product I had for about 3 months and the unit kept restarting any time you pushed a button. I received my second one and out of the box it was doing the exact same thing. When I got my THIRD one it was freezing with my memory card in it and anytime it was out it worked fine. I sent the memory back and got a new one and tried it and it was doing the exact same thing with the old one. So right now I am contacting Sonic Blue to get my FORTH replacement. The only pros I can say is that it is a good player when it plays correctly and they have good tech support.

Pros: -small, easy to handle -cool color
Cons: -hard to work with if your computer skills are limited

I got the player as a gift. I've found it very difficult to work with, as i am not a computer person. I've seeked help from other people and they can't help me with it either. I load the program and the music I want, but then the "Transfer" button refuses to light up so I can click on it. I unloaded the program, then reloaded it again, and the same thin happened.

Pros: The small, sleek body has rubberized sides and can be gripped easily.
Cons: It can be too small for some hands.

The Rio S50 is a great little player. I own one of these and highly recomend it. It's company Rio,(formerly owned by Sonic|BLUE, but now owned by the DNNA), has fairly good support for it's flash player. It has a small dark blue body with an expansion slot for SD or MMC memory cards. While it is not one of Rio's newest products, it is still a highlight of the company's line.

Pros: Size,color,FM/AM tuner,lcd display
Cons: Buttons,no "hold" button,recharable,price

Before I had one of the first rio mp3 players to come out but I was ready to upgrade. I purchased my rio s50 exactly one year ago. I have been pretty happy with it. I don't know how many times I have droped it but its been a few. The size is perfect! My next mp3 player is going to be a Dell dj 20 because I need more memory.

Pros: Almost everything
Cons: radio isnt the best its greatly improved if you update the firmware and software.

Awsome little mp3 player but alot of people have problems. i had alot but they wer fixed when i installed the latest software and firmware update. which you can get at

http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/support/rio/product.asp?prodID=73&locSup=USA

I purchased the S50 after trying a comparable radio shack product. The radio shack model's drivers crashed my XP system multiple times so I took it back and got the RIO instead. Wow, what a difference! Sound quality is impressive and yes, loud enough to overcome background noise when jogging. The rechargeable battery is great. I get about 20 hours of listening time on it and I use the RIO in my car with a cassette adapter. This thing rocks! By the way, did I mentioned it's Flash card ready. You can expand it to 256! Woo hoo! I am very happy with it!

This mp3 player has everythin, clock, stopwatch,radio,and 128mb and can go to 256!! This was my first mp3 player and i love It!!It comes with great earphones, music downloades fast, and the software help me organize my songs easly. If you are looking for a good and tough, and low priced mp3, you want know other that this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i went on this website to begin with to check the different brands of mp3 players and found the s50. everything that was written about it was true. i use it boarding and haven't had any problem with it yet. only negative was that the memory cards are expensive... but you don't need them. you won't be dissapointed with this player. thats why they are out of stock at most places.

The S50 comes with a nice carry case w/belt clip and access to all of the S50 buttons. It has a great user interface with plenty of features although the LCD light could be brighter. Tuning the radio is a pain but I didn't buy it for the radio. I expanded to 256meg right away and it's holding just over 4 hours of music. This is my 2nd mp3 player and it's by far the best that I've seen. Buy one and you won't be disappointed.

This MP3 player is awesome. It comes with a very convienient rechargable battery that lasts up to 20 hours and also take regular AA batteries. Holds hours of high quality music with unbeatable sound! The only thing I would do is to buy new earphones... the kinda hurt but thats not a reason to not buy this player. It is absolutely the best out there i am very pleases