Rio Cali 256 256 MB

Advantages Cheap, durable, solid, and does its job.
Disadvantages Maybe just a little bit ugly and lacks sorage space compared to competitors.

..., a milestone, a culmination of months of intense racing and preparation. The hard slog is done in the training- the lonely, long, (more often than not wet and cold) miles when everyone else seems to be having fun doing other things. But in my experience, this is where the Rio Cali 256MB Sport MP3 Player comes into its own.... Every runner will tell you that training is boring, no matter how good you feel and wherever you go... there is just no emulating the feeling of race day, although I must say that after purchasing the Cali, some training runs come close. Quite simply, starting off a training run with MC Hammer- Hammer Time sets the tone for a great run! The main quality of the Cali is its various functions. It has room for around 60 songs of your choice, and comes with software which can be easily installed and a simple USB cord... Read review

Advantages Expandable memory, light, good sound quality
Disadvantages Slight operational noise,

...PRICE : Approx £110 ACCESSORIES: 1 x MP3 Player, Arm Band, Belt Clip, 1 Energizer Battery, Sports Style Headphones, Warranty. After researching to find an MP3 player that would suit my needs, something that could take a few knocks, small and lightweight, good storage capabilities... i came across the Rio Cali on ebuyer.com, a perfect match to my needs. It cost me around £110.00, £30 cheaper than the other options that were available from the second cheapest being £139.99 from Amazon.co.uk, so i think i found a good buy myself. I've had the Cali for a few weeks now, had no problems with it so far, nothing major anyway. The only problem i do have is that when the volume is on a low setting if your in a quiet room, you tend to hear slight operational noises from the player other than that i cant seem to fault it. *Design... Read review

Advantages None
Disadvantages Totally unreliable and short warranty period

...The Rio Cali Sport (RCS from now on in this review) MP3 player is one of RIO's range of flash memory MP3 / WMA format players. Equipped with 256Mb RAM it sells for around £80 - £100, but you may find it on overstock clearance for less, Argos for example were selling them recently for £59.99. It comes with a software CD and headphones. Having said that the price and specification are irrelevant, as after reading this your money will be going elsewhere I hope. The RCS and many other RIO players are plagued by reliablility problems. Do a Google search on "RIO Upgrader" and you will find many internet articles describing the problem, even a whole discussion forum providing buyers with 'backdoor' fixes. Death of RIO I bought the RIO in January, it was dead by May. Reasonable expectation... Read review