RioVolt SP50 Portable CD/MP3 Player

RioVolt SP50 Portable CD/MP3 Player

Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
The RioVolt portable MP3-CD player grants free listening across standard audio CDs, as well as the MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) files that you've recorded to CD-Rs and CD-RWs, letting you enjoy over 20 hours of digital audio from one CD (or around 250 songs). Plus, RioVolt's large backlit LCD supports both ID3 tags and CD Text, simplifying song identification from any compatible disc, while 120-second antishock circuitry guards your listening almost anywhere.

Amazingly, the RioVolt sports a playback time of up to 10 hours on two AA batteries (included), making it the first disc player we know of that can't play a single CD in its entirety.

The ID3 text display includes track number, song name, artist name, folder (album title), and overall playing time. The RioVolt also lets you navigate through directories and search for tracks one by one or in blocks of 10.

A sleek eight-function remote control lets you operate the RioVolt while it's tucked away in its carrying case or even in a backpack. The RioVolt comes bundled with RealNetworks music management software and Adaptec CD-burning software for use on your PC or Macintosh.

Audio features include adjustable equalization curves with five presets (normal, jazz, rock, classical, ultrabass), repeat and shuffle play modes, and programmable playlists.

The RioVolt comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Product Description:
The RioVolt SP50 plays both standard music CDs as well as your own custom CDs that you've burned with MP3 files on CD-R or CD-RW. With your RioVolt and one favorite MP3 CD, you'll have ten times more music with you than a traditional CD player. Plus, it features up to 120 seconds of skip protection, making it the perfect companion for your music.

RioVolt SP50 Portable CD/MP3 Player
Average customer rating:

I've never used this CD player, so ignore my review..

Reliable basic player

Made in China, and it shows

Can't beat the price

Cheap and it works

RioVolt SP50 Portable CD/MP3 Player

Manufacturer: RioVolt
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All Portable CD Players | Portable CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
MP3-CD Players | Portable CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Portable Audio | Rio | Brands | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones

Fellowes Nylon CD Album (320-Disc Capacity)

Panasonic RP-HT970 Vibration Series Home Theater Headphones

Energizer E2 X91RP-8 AA Batteries (8-Pack)

Motorized SkipDoctor by Digital Innovations (Model 1013000)

Product Features:

Plays CD-R and CD-RW discs and standard audio CDs

120-second anti-skip protection (above average)

Adjustable EQ, Repeat and Shuffle play modes and programmable playlists

Supports ID3 tag title display

10 hour battery life using only two AA batteries

ASIN: B00005YU7N

Amazon.com Product Description

The RioVolt portable MP3-CD player grants free listening across standard audio CDs, as well as the MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio) files that you've recorded to CD-Rs and CD-RWs, letting you enjoy over 20 hours of digital audio from one CD (or around 250 songs). Plus, RioVolt's large backlit LCD supports both ID3 tags and CD Text, simplifying song identification from any compatible disc, while 120-second antishock circuitry guards your listening almost anywhere.

Amazingly, the RioVolt sports a playback time of up to 10 hours on two AA batteries (included), making it the first disc player we know of that can't play a single CD in its entirety.

Audio features include adjustable equalization curves with five presets (normal, jazz, rock, classical, ultrabass), repeat and shuffle play modes, and programmable playlists.

The RioVolt comes with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Product Description

The RioVolt SP50 plays both standard music CDs as well as your own custom CDs that you've burned with MP3 files on CD-R or CD-RW. With your RioVolt and one favorite MP3 CD, you'll have ten times more music with you than a traditional CD player. Plus, it features up to 120 seconds of skip protection, making it the perfect companion for your music.

Customer Reviews:

I've never used this CD player, so ignore my review.. .......2006-08-23

I was going to explain the logic behind Skip-protection on these CD players. The "45 second" skip protection is really 45 seconds of buffer memory. If it says 45 seconds for a regular CD, you can figure out how much memory the buffer is. For a regular CD, a second is 16-bits times 44100 sample/sec, divided by 8-bits (per byte), per channel. So 88200 bytes times two channels (left/right), which comes to ~172Kilobytes per second. If you have 45 seconds of buffer memory, that is approximately 8 megabytes.

Translated, for your mp3 files:
Take you bit rate, divide it by 8, to get the rate in kilobytes,
then divide 8 megabytes by that.

So 128Kbit = 16Kilobytes, 8000KB / 16KB per sec = 500 seconds of anti-skip protection. It's possible (and I don't know) that that's for just one channel, so at least it's half that, but at most its 8.3 minutes. Half, sounds about right.

So if you are playing mp3 files, you will get better anti-shock protection.

Another side effect of mp3 players is that the decoding process takes less power than spinning the disk. IF the CD only needs to spin the disk every 4 to 8 minutes, your batteries will last longer with mp3's than with regular CD's.

The downside is that all mp3's are of lesser quality, encode at 160Kbit (Dual-Stereo, VBR). Don't do Joint-Stereo it sucks. I don't know if with many mp3 encoders there is that choice anymore. VBR = Variable Bit Rate, it means the audio converter balances quality with bit-rate over the CD, so where bits would be do nothing for some quiet areas on the disk, they go further toward the areas where there is audio. CBR encoded mp3 applies the same number of bits per frame, so every second has the same amount of sound quality (sound loss), but there are times when VBR can sound better than CBR, because savings in one area can be applied to make a higher quality in another area. Other formats like WMA and Sony's ATRAC, have different ways of storing the information, and may compress the audio much better with higher quality. Note that some companies hold patents of encoding processes, MPEG was the only one that was available in "Open Source".. MP3 was a off-shoot that deals with low-bit rates,
generally not what you encode CD audio to. Audio books require WMA DRM, because its a patented process that is illegal to circumvent (if not impossible). But anyone can decode mp3's, not everyone can decode WMA DRM, except Microsoft.

Oh another quality of mp3 files, each second of a mp3 file is split into chunks, each chunk has a 4 byte header that specifies the encoding of the chunk (I'm writing a mp3 utility), anyhow, if you seperate the ID3v2 header from the front and the 128 byte V1 header from the back, all that is left is these "frames", which supposedly can be mixed, cut, spliced, all without re-encoding the files. In the encoding process it's very easy to equalize the audio because its stored in a frequency/time format rather than amplitude/time. So all one needs to do is filter out the frequencies before they are converted back to waveforms. Also the length of the audio can be increased, decreased, and the pitch can be changed, independent of each other. This is just something you get for free with the mp3 format..

Reliable basic player.......2004-09-19

I have used this player for more than a year. The only thing that has broken is the little window showing the disk turning. This can be pushed in relatively easily, so I had to super glue it in. Other than that, everything still works properly.

I only play Mp3 CDs on this. Sound is good. I got a car kit to play in cassette players and in the car. The bass boost needs to be turned off to do this or it will distort. No equalizer, but my experiences with other players are that the preset equalizers are pretty much useless- they only degrade the sound in slightly different ways. The bass boost really makes a difference.

I almost always use the random play mode only, which works well (a truly random mix that doesn't repeat the same songs). Otherwise, navigation is confusing- I can never remember what sequence to punch the buttons, which aren't labeled very well for this. I just memorized the sequence for random play. The ID3 tag information scrolls as the song plays.

It will sometimes skip when bumped hard, but does not skip when just sitting still, which I've found some other players do. That's a plus for this player.

It has a hold switch (called Lock), no resume feature. No backlight, which is a drawback if you listen in the dark and punch in songs a lot. It has no belt clip- why don't they put removable belt clips on any of these things? They're supposed to be "portable," right?

All in all, a good player but a bit difficult to navigate.

Made in China, and it shows.......2003-10-30

What is wrong with this player:

The volume control knob is messed up, right channel comes on before left.

Line-Out refuses to work

No remote, and it would be easy to put one in

This player feels like it's going to split in two.

$.01 per unit and the screen could be back-lit

Navigating your songs is next to impossible if they are not in folders, and it only plays
in the order they were burned (leading zeros are required)

High bit-rate (160kbps) reduces the anti-skip to around 50 seconds, down from 120.

If it's moving when it gets more MP3 data, it will skip and pop (loudly)

Adjustable EQ is a bass boost switch, sounds like you're listening through a blanket

Eats batteries as a light snack, no matter the type

Good luck with tech support, it's outsourced to India, they have thick accents and are clueless, and the number is a long-distance call!

Do not buy this player!

Can't beat the price.......2003-08-16

I bought the SP50 for [cheap] after mail in rebate. It plays any mp3 disc i throw at it. The only thing is the headphones just plain [horrible]. But for the price get some better ones.

Cheap and it works.......2003-08-04

OK, a few things that the description for the SP50 lies about:
1. The display is not backlit.
2. You can not add a remote.
3. There is no EQ.
4. It does not come with burning software, but you can use anything that can burn a MP3 CD (most any good burning software).

That aside, this is a good, cheap player. Navigation is a little sketchy, you have to select a track in a folder to jump to that folder, but the manual doesn't tell you this. The CD comes to a complete stop during MP3 playback, and spins back up every 120 seconds to save batteries. If it's not spinning, you have to wait about 3 seconds for it to spin up and get data. Most players do this, even the iPod does it (it has a hard drive so it kind of has to). Throw away the included earbuds, they [are poor quality], which is typical.

If you need a cheap player that you don't care if it gets dropped/smashed/soaked in napalm and set ablaze, and can play MP3's, get this player. It even comes wih batteries.

RioVolt SP50C Coke Volt Portable CD/MP3 Player with Car Kit
Average customer rating:

Satisfactory CD Player

You Get What You Pay For

Very good product

MP3 HEAVEN

RioVolt SP50C Coke Volt Portable CD/MP3 Player with Car Kit

Manufacturer: RioVolt
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

All Portable CD Players | Portable CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
MP3-CD Players | Portable CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
CD Players With Car Kits | Portable CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Audio & Video | Categories | Electronics
CD Players | Portable Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Energizer E2 X91RP-8 AA Batteries (8-Pack)

Skipdoctor CD Repair Kit

Motorized SkipDoctor by Digital Innovations (Model 1013000)

Sony MDR-G57G S2 Sports Street Style Headphones with Reflective Ear Piece

Sony SRS-T55 Folding Travel Speaker with 2-Way Power Supply

Product Features:

MP3-CD player (plays standard CDs and MP3-encoded discs with up to 10 hours of audio storage)

ID3 tag support (with artist and title information)

Offers folder navigation, playlists

Up to 10 hours of playtime on 2 AA batteries (batteries included)

Up to 120 seconds skip protection; includes car kit (cassette and power adapters)

ASIN: B000060K50

Amazon.com Product Description

The Coke brand SP50C player is a sleek, eye-catching portable disc player that plays both standard music CDs and discs loaded with MP3 files. Assembling collections on a CD burner gives you the option of storing up to 10 hours of MP3 music on a single CD-R or CD-RW. You also get text display for ID3 title information, showing track and artist information while music plays.

Electronic shock protection (up to 120 seconds) keeps the music flowing smoothly, and you'll get around 10 hours of playback time using only two AA batteries. Bass boost, folder navigation, programmable sequencing, repeat play, and shuffle play modes broaden listening options. The package includes CD player, car power and cassette adapter, earphones, 2 AA batteries, and a starter guide.

Product Description

The Coke Brand SP50C CD player allows you to take ten times more music with you than a normal CD player. It plays both MP3 CDs and standard music CDs and features up to 120 seconds of skip protection, making it the perfect companion for your music collection.The package includes a Flickerstick CD.

Customer Reviews:

Satisfactory CD Player.......2004-11-29

This CD player is pretty good, but not the best. First with the negatives, is guzzles up batteries SO fast that I bought a recharging kit for them. Its also not that easy to navigate around a 200 song MP3 CD. With multiple headphones, I started only getting sound out of only my left ear. The sound quality is satisfactory. The car kit is nice as well. It is pretty durable, I dropped it around 15 times from pretty high while working out until I started encountering problems. It stopped playing MP3 cds, and then one day it randomly stopped playing all CDs. It had a lifespan of around 10 months for regular CDs, and 8 for MP3 CDs. But it still might be working if I didn't drop it a lot. It was a good CD player but I will be buying another one this time, that is a little more expensive. Overall, it is a satisfactory CD player.

You Get What You Pay For.......2003-12-24

Not only is my LCD screen upside down, it's broken. What it's telling me upside down is gibberish. Even wih normal CDs. And I've tried using both versions of ID3 tags, it won't recognize either.

The sound quality is crap at it's very best (320kb/s Mp3s and $40 headphones), and it takes a good 10 seconds to switch tracks with the skip button. When you have 150 songs on a CD, and can't navigate by folder due to the LCD screen being broken, that's a big problem. It's also annoying to have a song end and wait 10 seconds before the next one starts.

The lid just unlocks and locks, you have to pull it up and push it down. When pushing it up, you have to push until it finds it's little groove, when it feels like it's going to break. It just feels cheap like it's going to break, makes you scared to operate it.

Also, the headpone jack is trash (for my headphones and the crappy ones that came with it). It doesn't fit the entire little prong in, it sticks out about 1/5th an inch if you push it in as much as you can, and if you do that, you'll only have left-channel audio. So you have to pull it out to the point where only about half the headphone prong is in the player, but really, the sound this player gives you isn't worth the trouble of just that.

It came with a card that says "Don't return this product to the store. Contact the helpful and friendly staff at SONICblue Custom Care". I suppose I'll be doing that, but I can't imagine them fixing the sound and lid problem, even if they can fix the LCD screen. I've bought many things online in the past years, and I've never been so dissatisfied with a product as I am with this player, even at this low price. Maybe the non-Coke SP50 is a better product, but I doubt it, they appear identical aside from lid design.

Very good product.......2003-02-05

I have a RioVolt CD/MP3 player, but it's not this one exactly. I just think the design is different. I have had my player for over a year and so far it has been perfect. I have not had it skip on me even while driving. So on that note, I am very satisfied with this product.

MP3 HEAVEN.......2003-01-23

This is by far the best Discman known to MAN and I kid you not. Never has my darling failed me. There's nothing left desirable. Period.