Rio SP250 - mmm, mmm, good

“"I just bought a Rio SP250 for $130 (after $20 mail-in rebate). While I don't do any winter hiking here in Massachusetts, I have started walking a lot this winter.

The Rio SP250 is an MP3 CD player with a built-in FM tuner. The cost is high when compared to other MP3 CD players, but this player is leagues above the competition. I was surprised a few months ago after purchasing a cheap MP3 CD player, only to find out that it couldn't save the position you were at when turning it off, and it couldn't fast forward or rewind MP3 CDs. First generation to say the least. The Rio has all of those features and more. Skip protection is great and it reads CD-RW discs - a feature that may be standard on MP3 CD players, but the Rio reads DIRECTCD CD-RW discs, which most of the others do not. However, when I created a DIRECTCD CD-RW disc, containg both music and part of an audio book, the Rio would sometimes not recognize the CD when first powered on. Powering off and powering on usually rectified the problem, but as a result of not seeing the CD, it lost my saved spot. After reading Rio's web site and searching on Google, I discovered that it's best to avoid DIRECTCD cds. Another problem was that my DIRECTCD CD-RW disc has multiple files with varying bitrates (the Rio supports this, but that, combined with the DIRECTCD CD, obviously caused a problem).

The Rio comes with 2 rechargable AA batteries and an AC adapter. Plug the Rio in and it has the ability to recharge its own batteries. A very nice feature. Better yet, it has the option to 'Discharge and recharge' the batteries, allowing you a maximum life cycle. Battery life is listed as 15 hours. I'd say it's around 8-10 hours.

Audio books are my thing - I prefer them over music any day. I can fit a 23 hour book onto 2 cds. And it's easy to convert CD audio books into MP3. But just imagine how many songs you can fit onto a 700mb CD. Quite a few!

I swear I don't work for Rio. When I like a product this much, I tell people about it. Between my commute, walks, and occasional deliveries for my job, my Rio is getting a lot of use. Having to carry around only 1 cd is a big plus too.

My only complaint is the lack of an AM tuner. FM tuner is nice, but not being much of a music person, I would have preferred the option of AM to listen to news and talk shows.

I can't wait to use this on the trail. I'm planning on a lot of solo hikes with my dog this year, so it'll be nice to have the Rio with me."”

“spaming.

STOP HERE.”

“Try humming or whistling. It's a lot cheaper and lighter.”

“LOL. Spamming? How so?

I've been on this forum for a while - search the threads for my name. I'm not spamming, dumbass.

BTW, the Rio comes with a belt clip and is very light. Worth the extra weight!”

“Same post in two threads? That's more than enough for me.”

“but who am I to say.”

“Accept my most humble apoligies. ”

“PS-Thanks for the compliment. My insensitivity training must be working. LOL.”

“Apology accepted.”