Rio Fuse: Small, Sleek, and Ready to Go

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/shop/_templates/item_main_Rio.asp?model=217&cat=35' target='_blank'>http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/shop/_templates/item_main_Rio.asp?model=217&cat=35</a><br /><br /></div>Personally, I am not a big fan of flash-based digital audio players. They offer limited storage capacity and are often rather overpriced with limited features. But Rio's Fuse is a competent little player. It's a $99 128MB USB flash storage player that you simply plug-in to your PC for easy music transfer, holds up to 60 songs, and offers all the same features you would except in a media player such at EQ presets and mutliple play modes. All in a tiny package the size of a cigarette lighter with over 18 hours of battery life. <br /><br />Obviously not for serious audiophiles, but for casual users, inexpensive flash players like the Fuse make sense. There are a couple knocks against this device however. It lacks an expansion slot, which means you are stuck with the built-in 128MB. And it does not support Apple's popular AAC audio format, which means users won't be able to play music purchased from the iTunes Music Store without converting the track(s) to MP3 or WMA.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalnetworksna.com/images/rio/report/90260467_product.jpg" />

[possmann]

Cool device.

I still have my old Nike psa mp3 player - it's nice because i can throw an SD card in it for more capacity and it's light. I've had it for at least 3 years now and the darn thing won't break! :lol:

[crstbo623]

Apple really has to work on that AAC file format thing, cause it is the only thing keeping me back from wasting all of my money on iTunes.

[Gary Sheynkman]

It is great to see Rio being revived into this "hip" and "cool" brand. If the Karma had better built quality (friend said that he thought it was creaky and he is an audiophile to the nth degree) I would be a winner.

[Raven]

Yup, the Karma does suffer from very bad build quality. Seems very plasticky and the buttons don't inspire too much confidence in their ability to "keep clicking".

But the Fuse sure looks an attractive deive with a low price to boot. A definite gym audio device. I can just see somebody plugging it into a front USB 2 port and downloading an album before heading off for the gym. Too bad the package content doesn't include an extension USB cable for those without front USB ports.

[klinux]

Well, definitely can't blame Rio on the fact that they cannot playback tunes bought from iTunes store.

In fact, even if Rio or any other non-iPod player out there offer AAC support, it cannot playback protected AAC content from Apple. Quicktime does the authentication when playing back the protected content on the desktop/laptop on either Windows or Mac. When the m4a songs move the the iPod, the software within the iPod does the authentication i.e. the song is not deauthenticated when moving it to the iPod. The proof of this is when you move that protected song from the iPod to another PC/Mac, you will not be able to play it back without authentication.

While this does not bother me (I have an iPod and use iTunes on Mac and PC) and I still think other players should support AAC and iPod should support WMA, Apple is the only one to blame for not allowing you to playback the purchased content on non-supported platform (Linux, non-iPod portable players).