Following the success of its portable MP3 players, Rio has expanded into the CD market with the release of the RioVolt. Although it looks much like a standard portable CD player, underneath the blue and silver casing is the technology allowing it to read and play back MP3 files straight from a CD.

Of course, you'll need a CD-RW drive to create your own MP3 collections, but the RioVolt will play files from both CD-R and CD-RW discs, with a potential playback time of more than 10 hours.

The RioVolt can also handle discs with multiple folders and subfolders which makes it easier to organise and retrieve songs on the move.

As well as MP3, the RioVolt can read Windows Media Audio (WMA) files - an ability that many other players claim but ultimately fail to deliver. It is also one of the only MP3 CD players we've come across that can read ID3 tags - the name of the artist and the song from the audio file. As a result, you won't find yourself wandering blindly through 150 songs looking for your favourite Wurzels classic.

Another fantastic extra to the RioVolt is the extremely handy eight-button remote control which can be clipped onto your clothing, providing a quick way to scan tracks and adjust audio settings. However, the absence of a display on the remote can sometimes lead to confusion as to which folder is being accessed or audio setting changed.

Perhaps the RioVolt's best feature is its anti-shock mechanism. While playing MP3 or WMA files, 120 seconds of audio is collected and stored for playback in some built-in memory. This means CD skipping is rare, and it's especially noticeable when you're out and about.

When playing standard audio CDs, you can choose between 10 and 40 seconds of anti-skip protection. However, 40 seconds consumes more power which reduces battery life considerably.

Although it will cost you a few bob, the RioVolt is a great portable music machine and possibly the best MP3 CD player we've seen.

Contact
Rio: 0118 944 4400 www.riohome.com ALSO CONSIDER

Terratec M3PO Go!
Sturdy but can cause problems if you're thinking of combining the M3PO with your gym workouts.
£200 ***