Automatic playlists
The Riot does break some new ground with its Rio DJ feature, which creates playlists based on your most- or least-played tracks, your most recently added music, songs from a specific decade, or random play. Just select how long you'd like your mix to be--anywhere from 15 minutes to every song on the player. And if you grow tired of listening to all 4,000 or so of your own songs, the Riot comes with a built-in digital FM tuner that sports eight presets and pulls in channels clearly.
Supreme sound
Once you get all of your files in order, you're in for a treat because the Riot sounds great. Music is lush and vibrant with a generous low end, and you can tweak the treble and bass if you're so inclined. In comparison, the iPod sounds a bit flat even with its new built-in equalizer. The Riot's volume could stand to be a little louder--we often found ourselves trying to turn it up in vain. But at least you'll be listening in comfort, for the player comes with a pair of comfy, decent-sounding headphones.
The Riot also ships with a sturdy carrying case and a belt clip, perfect for taking your music out on a stroll. However, think twice before taking the player on a marathon; the 10-ounce weight precludes jogging. The player never skipped during our tests, even when we shook it with reckless abandon, and its built-in, rechargeable batteries lasted for the 10 hours that Sonicblue promised.
It's getting there
If you're looking for a player to hold every last one of your MP3s, and you're willing to put up with slow file transfers and a hard-to-master user interface that makes organizing your music less than pleasant, the great-sounding Rio Riot could be the hard drive-based MP3 player for you. For our money, the smaller iPod, with its speedy FireWire connection, file-syncing capabilities, and simple UI, is still the player to beat, although Toshiba's Mobilphile also makes a great choice for Windows users.
