- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 14 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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4.5 stars
"Stripped down, sweet little player"
Pros: Tiny, weightless, can be used as flash drive
Cons: No extras, if that bothers you.
Summary: My Rio Fuse finally just died this fall, and I miss it. It doesn't do a lot of fancy things, but did what it was supposed to do quite well. This player is tiny and basically weightless. It runs on AAA batteries, so you don't have to worry about a built-in battery going haywire, like my iPod has done.
You can use the hold button but exclude volume, so that everything but the volume is deactivated. I found this feature incredibly handy. You can have it in your pocket and not have the buttons accidentally get pressed, but quick reach in and change the volume (which wouldn't get pressed accidentally, generally).
It looked silly, I guess, but I just popped this player in our iPod armband to run with, and while it didn't fit perfectly, it worked just fine. So it would be nice if it came with a lanyard or something, but it fits inside just about anything (purse, pocket, other armbands), so you can work around it.
It's usable as a flash drive, which several times was quite handy when I needed to move a document file from one place to another but didn't have the proper disk. You just take off the cap and plug it in to the USB port - easy!
It doesn't hold a ton of files, but for use for working out or taking the bus places, I had more than enough songs and/or podcasts to keep me surprised. The Rio software isn't fantastic, but it's usable.
I was pretty hard on this little player - dropped it many times, used it in the cold and held it in my hand while running (sweat got all over it), and it endured for more than two years with flying colors. The little joystick may feel breakable, but after kicking around in my purse and bags and pockets for two years, it's still intact.
Bottom line: This player doesn't do much, but if you're buying one at this point, I'm guessing you're looking for something cheap anyway. It will play your sound files like a champ, and can handle the jostling of everyday life.
(It is a little fun, I must admit, to look for a replacement, though! I'm looking at the Creative Zen V Plus and am so excited that I can have an FM tuner and line-in recording as well as more room for my music! The Fuse is just from a different generation at this point!)
128 MB Rio Fuse MP3 Player:
