Rio VoltSP250 User Manual

RioVolt SP250™ User Guide

About the User Guide

The RioVolt SP250 User Guide includes the following sections:

Introduction
Getting Started
Using Your RioVolt SP250

The Display
Menus and Buttons
The Remote Control

The FM Tuner
Troubleshooting & Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
RioVolt SP250 Specifications
Warranty & Regulatory Information
Glossary
Contacting Customer Care

About the User Guide

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Navigating and printing the RioVolt SP250 User Guide

The online RioVolt SP250 User Guide is in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) file format.

NOTE: We strongly recommend that you use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 4.0 —

available on the CD-ROM — to view and print the RioVolt SP250 User Guide.

Click links (blue underlined text) to jump to another location in the document or to a location on the
World Wide Web.

Acrobat Toolbar icons

Click the Show/Hide Navigation Pane icon in the Acrobat toolbar to show the Navigation Pane Window
and bookmarks in the left column. Bookmarks are links to the contents of the User Guide. Click any
bookmark in the list to jump to the page in the User Guide that contains the topic.
Click the Print icon in the Acrobat toolbar to print the User Guide. The size of the User Guide is
optimized for printing.

Copyright and trademark

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Copyright and trademark

© 2001 SONICblue Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
SONICblue Incorporated does not assume any responsibility for errors or omissions in this document or make
any commitment to update the information contained herein.
Rio® is a registered trademark of RioPort, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries and is used under
license.
RealNetworks, RealAudio, RealPlayer, WebActive, and the RN logo are registered trademarks of
RealNetworks, Inc.
This product is iTunes ready. iTunes is provided by Apple Computer, Inc. Copyright ©2001
Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. iTunes is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Mac
and the Mac logo are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the United States and
other countries.
Microsoft, Windows Media and the Windows Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks

of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
All other product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

First Edition, July, 2001
Product Number 75550177-001

Introduction

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Introduction

Congratulations on purchasing the RioVolt SP250, the premier portable CD player. This high-powered device

plays all of your standard audio CDs (Red Book), plus CDs you’ve burned with MP3 and Windows Media
(WMA) files. When playing your MP3 and WMA music files, the RioVolt SP250 delivers 8 mintues of skip
protection (up to 160 seconds for CD Audio). It also supports firmware upgrades should new features become
available for your player in the future. With the simple to use interface, including folder and track titles, the
RioVolt SP250 will give you easy access to over 250 music tracks on each CD you create! And with the built-in
FM tuner, you can listen to your favorite radio stations whenever and wherever you want.

Package Contents

• RioVolt SP250™

• Remote Control

• RioVolt Carrying Case

• Headphones

• Earphones

• AC Adapter

• 2 Rechargeable Batteries (2 x AA NiMH)

• Getting Started Poster

• RioVolt Installation CD

• RioVolt SP250 User Guide

• Frequently Asked Question Document (FAQ)

• Real Jukebox®

• ITunes® Installation CD

• RioVolt SP250 User Guide

• Frequently Asked Question Document (FAQ)

Package Contents

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System Requirements (For included software only)

PC (Minimum System Requirements)

• Intel® Pentium®166 MHz MMX or higher CPU

• 32MB RAM

• 35MB or more free hard drive space

• Windows 95, 98, 98SE, ME, 2000,

Mac

• OS 9.0.1 or higher

• 32MB RAM

• 35MB or more free hard drive space

System Recommendations

• CD-ROM Writer (RW) highly recommended

• Internet connection and web browser

Safety Information

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Safety Information

WARNIN G

TO REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SHOCK OR INJURY, DO NOT USE OR OPERATE THIS DEVICE IN OR
NEAR WATER OR WET LOCATIONS

CAUTION

RISK OF EXPLOSION, DAMAGE OR BATTERY LEAKAGE IF BATTERY REPLACED INCORRECTLY OR
WITH AN INCORRECT TYPE. DISPOSE OF USED BATTERIES ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS AND
LOCAL LAWS.
Use only certified and approved Batteries and AC Adapters as specified in the RioVolt User Guide.
Use of headphones while operating a vehicle is not recommended and is unlawful in some states and areas. Be
careful and attentive while driving. Stop operation of the player if you find it disruptive or distracting while
operating any type of equipment.
Listening to music at full power over extended periods of time can change the hearing of the user.

Class 1 Laser

Invisible laser radiation when open and interlocks defeated, avoid exposure to beam.

Product Care

Exposure to extreme hot or cold temperatures may cause damage to your product or cause your product to
malfunction. Do not expose your product to direct sunlight continuously or leave it in a vehicle with the doors
and windows closed or the case may become deformed, discolored or malfunction. Do not use your product
near open flame.
If moving from a cold environment to a warm environment, let the product’s temperature stabilize before
operation.
Keep dirt, sand, dust and moisture from entering your product. Do not use in areas of excessive dust. Do not
use in places where the humidity is excessively high.
Do not drop or subject your product to shock.
If radio or TV interference occurs, move your product away from such devices.
Do not clean your product with solvents, chemicals or abrasive cleaners. If necessary, use a soft cloth to clean
your product.

Getting Started

You will need the following items to start using your new RioVolt:

• The RioVolt SP250

• 2 Rechargeable Batteries (included)or 2 AA Alkaline Batteries (not included)

• RioVolt AC Adapter (included)

• Headphones or earphones (included) or powered speakers (not included)

• Remote Control (included)

1. Unpack the RioVolt SP250 and all of its components.

2. Open the Battery Compartment Door by sliding it away from
the RioVolt and insert 2 batteries.

3. Slide the Battery Compartment Door back to its original
position to close.

4. Plug the RioVolt AC Adapter into the Power Por t on the side
of the RioVolt and into a power outlet.

Getting Started

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Battery Door

NOTE: Let the RioVolt batteries charge up for X hours

before playing the RioVolt SP250 without the AC
Adapter attached and plugged into a power
outlet or insert 2 AA Alkaline batteries (not
included).

5. Plug the Headphones Cable into the
Headphones Port on the side of the RioVolt.
OR
To use the Remote Control, plug the Headphones
Cable into the Remote Control, and then plug the
Remote Control Cable into the Headphones
Port on the side of the RioVolt.

The Remote Control can then be clipped to your
clothing for easy access.

NOTE: Another option is to plug a pair of powered speakers into the RioVolt’s Lineout

Port instead of using headphones.

Headphones Port

Lineout
Port

Power
Port

6. Slide the Release Latch at the front of the RioVolt to the right to
open the case.

Release Latch

7. Place a music CD or a CD that you have burned with your own
digital music files into the RioVolt.

8. Close the top lid securely.

9. Press and hold the Play button on the Joypad to turn the
RioVolt SP250 on and to begin playing the first track on the CD.

NOTE: If the RioVolt SP250 display does not light up and

the unit demonstrates no activity, check the Hold
Switch on the RioVolt and on the Remote Control to
make sure they are in the OFF position.

Getting Started

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Using Your RioVolt SP250

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Using Your RioVolt SP250

The Display

When powered on, the RioVolt’s Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) is backlit for easier viewing while buttons are in
use. The backlight turns off after a few seconds to conserve battery power when selections are not being made
unless the AC Adapter is in use. The LCD displays the status of the RioVolt and the Track information for the

the encoded music. The LCD assists you in selecting new music to listen to.

Tr a ck
Time

Track Number

Directory Folder

Music/Program/
Playlist Indicator

Codec
Indicator

• Battery Indicator — Appears in the upper corner of the display and measures the approximate
remainder of the battery life.

• Artist Name and Track Title — If you encoded the song using Real Jukebox, Rio Audio Manager,
MusicMatch, or iTunes software, the LCD scrolls from side to side through the Artist Name, CD Title, and
Track Title. Track information is contained in the ID3 Tag, which can be included manually or by
connecting to a music database on the Internet.

• Balance/EQ Indicators — Graphically displays the Balance between Left and Right or the EQ Preset
selected.

• Compression Rate — Indicates at which compression rate the track was encoded.

• Sampling Rate — Indicates at which sampling rate the track was recorded.

• Codec Indicator — Indicates which codec was used to record and encode the track.

• Music/Program/Playlist Indicator — Indicates whether the RioVolt SP250 is playing an existing playlist

on the CD, a playlist of tracks you programmed the RioVolt to play or simply tracks on the CD.

• Directory Folder — Indicates that the track being played exists within a music folder, which may be based
upon the Artist, Album, Genre or on whatever criteria you used to group your tracks on the CD.

• Track Number — Track Number on the CD.

• Tr a c k T i m e — Time elapsed in the track.

Sampling
Rate

Repeat/Shuffle
Indicators

Compression
Rate

Hold Indicator

Battery Indicator

Artist Name

Tra c k T i t l e

Balance/ EQ Indicator

• Repeat/Shuffle Indicator — Shows if one track, all tracks in a directory, all tracks on the CD

or no tracks are set to repeat; and if one track, all tracks in a directory, all tracks on the CD, or
none of the tracks are set to shuffle. It also shows if the RioVolt is set to play only the track intros .

• Hold Indicator — Indicates whether or not the Hold Switch on the RioVolt SP250 or the remote control
has turned on. If the Hold Switch is ON, the rest of the buttons will no longer function.

Menus and Buttons

The buttons on the face of the RioVolt SP250 include:

• CD-FM

• MODE

• PROG

• +10/EQ

• NAVI/MENU

• VOLUME +

• VOLUME -

• Joypad (Play/Pause, FastForward, Rewind, Stop)

Using Your RioVolt SP250

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CD-FM

The CD-FM button toggles the RioVolt SP250 between playing CDs and FM radio stations.
If you are playing a CD and decide to check what’s playing on the radio, press the CD-FM button. The CD will
stop playing and the display will change to show the radio frequencies.
When you decide to return to listening to your CD, press the CD-FM button again and the RioVolt SP250 will
resume playing the CD where it previously left off.

MODE

Pressing the Mode button toggles the RioVolt SP250 through the following
modes:

• Repeat 1 (one)

• Repeat DA

• Repeat A

• SFL

• SFL DA

• SFL A

• I (Intro)

Pressing the Mode button again turns off all Repeat and Shuffle features.

Using Your RioVolt SP250

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PROG

The PROG button allows you to repeat selected sequences of your music or to program a playlist of tracks
you wish to listen to.

Repeat A-B

1. Once you have located the sequence you wish to repeat, press PROG
once.
This initiates the sequence and places the Repeat symbol and an A at the
top of the display.

2. Press Play/Pause on the Joypad to begin playing the music you wish to
repeat.

3. Once you reach the end of the sequence you wish to repeat, press PROG again.
This ends the sequence, places an A-B at the top of the display and begins replaying the sequence you
selected.

NOTE: To clear the Program settings, press the Prog. button again.

Program

1. Press and hold PROG while the CD is not in play.
This will display the Program screen.

2. Press , or +10 buttons to locate the tracks you wish to program into
your playlist.

3. Press PROG to select each track.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have finished selecting tracks.

5. Press Play/Pause to begin playing the playlist of tracks.
A P will replace the musical note icon to indicate the RioVolt is playing a programmed playlist.

6. Press Stop to stop playing the playlist and to clear it from memory.

+10/EQ

Pressing the +10/EQ button causes the RioVolt to skip 10 tracks ahead of its current song position.
Pressing and holding the +10/EQ button for approximately 1.5 seconds brings up the available EQ presets in
the bottom-right corner of the display, replacing the Balance Indicators.
They are:

• Normal (factory default)

• Rock

• Jazz

• Classic

• Ultra Bass

• User EQ

Press +10/EQ to cycle through them until you find the one that satisfies your listening preferences.
If no action is taken for a few seconds, the RioVolt will return to the normal display and whatever preset was
last selected will be the one it uses.
The User EQ preset is a setting that you can create based upon your preferences. See “User EQ” on

page 19 for more information on creating User EQ presets.

Using Your RioVolt SP250

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NAVI/MENU

The NAVI/MENU button a couple of different purposes.

• It allows you to look through the directory of music available on a CD and select tracks from folders based
on Album Title or Artist Name, depending on how they were structured before the CD was burned.

• It allows you to go through the Setup Menu
operates.

NAVI

1. Press the NAVI/MENU button once to bring up the Root directory of
music with an alphabetical list of folders beneath.

2. Press Stop on the Joypad to scroll down through the list of folders until
you locate the one you want.

3. Press FastForward on the Joypad to select that folder and to open it up
to show the tracks located there.

4. Press Stop on the Joypad to scroll down through the list of tracks until you highlight the one you are
searching for.

5. Press FastForward on the Joypad to select that track and to start playing it. This will return you to the
Normal Play display screen.

system to adjust how the RioVolt SP250 is configured and

MENU

1. Press and hold the NAVI/MENU button for approximately 1.5 seconds to bring up the Setup Menu
system for the RioVolt SP250’s settings and operations.

Press Play/Pause on the Joypad to make selections.
Press FastForward and Rewind on the Joypad to move through the available Setup Menu tabs.
Press Stop on the Joypad to escape a menu option or exits the Setup Menu

system.

VOLUME + & -

The VOLUME buttons are located below the NAVI/MENU button to the right of the
Display. They adjust the volume level whether you are in NAVI, MENU or Normal mode.

Press + to increase the volume.
Press - to decrease the volume.