MP3 players: waterproof mp3 players - do they work
Freestyle Audio Waterproof MP3 Players Available Again
by Zorro101 - 8/10/05 4:52 PM In reply to: Is Freestyle available? by rickjmitchellGot one last week off their website. Surf and wakeboarded with it -- works great and is super simple to use.
freestyle audio waterproof player
by nelsa - 7/5/05 3:31 AM In reply to: Waterproof MP3 Players - Freestyle Audio by Zorro101hello there. how do the ear buds stay in your ears whilst swimming laps?. And how do you stop water from entering into your ear canal so that it doesn't muffle the sound coming out of the earphones?
Thnx R
Cap, maybe?
by sophieNS - 12/3/07 3:58 AM In reply to: freestyle audio waterproof player by nelsaTry with a swimming cap. I think (and hope) it will work.
I'm going to buy one of these, just as soon as I get the money... I spent all of it on Bon Joviconcert tickets 
waterproof mp3 players-freestyle audio
by illiah black - 8/28/07 1:16 AM In reply to: Waterproof MP3 Players - Freestyle Audio by Zorro101hey zorro101, which brand did you get?
Got it and returned the very same day
by supertrasgu - 6/28/05 6:02 AM In reply to: waterproof mp3 players - do they work by slI got this thing yesterday and returned it the very same day. It is ok except for the earphones - they are a total screw-up. I tried it at home and had a lot of problems keeping them in my ears. I can only expect them falling of all the time in the water.
Let me try to explain with my lousy english. First, the earphones have an small rubber tube that you are supossed to shove in your "ear tube". The problem is the rubber is too soft, so it just gets squeezed instead of getting in.
Second, get a pair of typical earphones, the ones that hold inside your ear, and cover them with 1-2 milimeters of rubber. The result is a ball that doesn't fit in your ear anymore. That is what the Oregon people did.
Third, the earphone and the rubber are not glued to each other. When I tried to fit them, the earphone sometimes moved inside the rubber coating and they looked like they were not perfectly fit. I thought water could go in.
The sound of the earphones is very bad, but I can forgive that considering what they were made for.
This thing may be ok for surfers who spend most of the time with the head out of water, but swimmers... I don't think so.
I'm talking about Oregon MP120 512MB
by supertrasgu - 6/28/05 6:06 AM In reply to: Got it and returned the very same day by supertrasguSorry, I forgot to specify
Oregon Scientific MP3 512 MB
by SharieB - 1/19/06 6:25 AM In reply to: I'm talking about Oregon MP120 512MB by supertrasguI have used this player for about 8 months, approximately 3 times weekly for about 90 minutes at a time. It has worked for what I expected, i.e. to pass the time while swimming laps. The sound is acceptable, not outstanding. The prior complaints of ear-buds moving around are accurate - it helps to use a cap to hold them in place, but doesn't solve the problem completely. The maximum depth for safety is stated to be 3 feet, usually acceptable. The product duration however is said to be 30 minutes at a time under water, thus limiting the strokes that would keep your head under water, such as the standard crawl. (Yes, I realize you don't keep your head under water continually). My major complaint would be that the wiring from unit to ear-buds is beginning to "fray". I have followed care instructions religiously, rinsing and patting dry. My e-mail to Oregon Scientific last week concerning this fraying remains unanswered. So, I'm unsure as to how long I can safely use the unit before there is danger of shock. Doesn't seem to be that I'm getting my money's worth from the unit if I have to stop using it now. The waterproof part is removable and it can be used with standard headphones for "nonwater related" activities.
No risk of shock in water
by vivideaux - 12/18/07 6:48 AM In reply to: Oregon Scientific MP3 512 MB by SharieBJust so everyone knows, there is NO RISK OF SHOCK from any MP3 player -- or really any portable electronic device that's not plugged into the wall. The current is so miniscule on these devices (most of these players run on 2 x 1.5-volt batteries, for a total of 3 volts) that you wouldn't feel anything, let alone a slight shock.
FYI if you want to feel what triple that amount (9 volts) feels like, get a fresh 9-volt (rectangular) battery and touch both contacts to your tongue. If it's fresh, you'll feel a little harmless shock. It's actually a great way to tell how much charge is left in a 9v battery.
12 volts is what a car will give you if you want a more substantial shock -- still pretty harmless I believe -- but that's starting to get up there. It's the 120 volts of the AC outlets, and cords leading therein, that you really want to try to avoid.
Waterproof MP3 Players
by pmorrison - 5/11/06 2:57 PM In reply to: waterproof mp3 players - do they work by slMy roommate bought the Oregon Scientific a couple of months ago and she loves it so much that it took her to this week to FINALLY allow me to try it out. I understand her hesistancy now. Its the best thing I've ever heard under water. The bass REALLY kicks in when you're complely immersed! Needless to say, I fell in love with it and am online right now about to purchase my own! What can I say? This is an excellent product and you won't regret it. It's more than I thought it would be, but well worth the cost!!! Hope this helps!
Swimman
by Temporallobe9 - 7/18/06 12:45 AM In reply to: waterproof mp3 players - do they work by slIn my experience, the swimman is the only thing worth the money, at least for lap swimmers. The Finis Swimp3 is a total waste of time--can barely hear it underwater and the "headphones" flop around too much if you are swimming at a fairly vigorous pace.
The advantage of the swimman is that the part that actually goes into the ear is very light. Thus, it stays in place as you swim. The actual sound-producing element can be clipped to your goggles. I haven't used any of the other waterproof headphones that are on the market, but they all seem to be constructed pretty much like traditional headphones, with the sound-producing element going directly in/on your ear. Maybe this would work if it were as small as a hearing aid (and could fit entirely into the ear canal). But anything else is probably going to fall out as you swim.
It also seems like that the other headphones have the problem of water getting into the ear canal. This happens occasionally when I use my swimman (maybe once or twice a week, and I swim every day), but it just takes a few seconds to pat the water out and re-attach the headphones.
The sound is not perfect, but it's definitely loud enough to enjoy your music over the sound of splashing and breathing. The headphones are roughly akin to those old-style airplane headphones (the type with the air tube). Thus, you're not going to get a super powerful bass sound. But it's night and day compared to the swimp3.
Although you can use the swimman headphones with a number of different waterproof cases, I rather like their mp3 player. It's simple, yes, but it's also really small. I've got it rigged like this: the excess wire I fold up and tie to the back of my goggle strap with twist-ties, over which I clip my swimman. Then I cover the whole thing with my swim cap. It ends up looking like a lumpy bump at the back of my head with two thin tubes coming out and turning into my ears. (By the way, the other great thing about the design is that the headphones work better than any earplug I've ever used. Those tubes really keep the earbuds in place.)
Sorry to go on like this. It just seems like everyone is as confused about what to buy as I was, and I hope to save anyone who reads this the bother of buying and returning something (like I had to do with the swimp3). The other headphones might work for surfing and water aerobics, but the swimman is your best bet if you're a lap swimmer.
You are right -- Swimman is the only one that really works.
by triathletezero - 1/22/07 1:18 AM In reply to: Swimman by Temporallobe9I have had a similar experience. Every other waterproof MP3 player is not worth buying. Only Swimman's headphones stay in the ears while you are swimming and I find the sound quality to be as good as or better than any other (waterproof or non-waterproof) headphones that I have used. While I have been using the Swimman 2.0 version for some time, I just purchased their new offering. It is a waterproofed 2nd generation iPod Shuffle. Somehow they have been able to waterproof the Shuffle from inside so that it looks exactly like the regular Shuffle. It comes with their superior waterproof headset. I have been using it since Christmas and am blown out by it. You can see it at www.swimipod.blogspot.com or www.swimman.com.
waterproof mp3 players
by genieg - 10/25/07 1:55 PM In reply to: You are right -- Swimman is the only one that really works. by triathletezeroInteresting comments!I have found the best to be the new wireless mi-sport mp3 player.No Doubt.Swimman cannot compare music quality wise and no wires is so much better.They are not small,being a significant pair of headphones with the mp3 player built in.The conveniance factor is great though. Feels weird with no further attachments but wires are a pain.
How about out of the water??
by Bethaknee - 1/23/08 5:34 PM In reply to: Swimman by Temporallobe9This may seem like a silly question, but how well does the SwimMan work out of the water? If I am going to lay down the money I just want to be sure I can use it for purposes other than swimming...
have teh mp 120 oregon
by iusforap - 1/29/07 11:10 AM In reply to: waterproof mp3 players - do they work by slI use the waterproof mp3 player oregon and It works. Just one thing cause me some trouble, the earbugs. But with swimming Cap I solve the problem.
SwimMan vs. Freestyle
by jazzfingers - 2/1/07 9:19 AM In reply to: waterproof mp3 players - do they work by slFor those who have bought the Freestyle Audio player... did you notice that the earbuds look like they've been hastily glued on by a grade school student? And they don't even fit in my ears. I'm pretty sure I have normal-sized ears. The player seems to do the job, but it's bulky.
I returned my Freestyle and opted for the SwimMan. IT'S AN IPOD SHUFFLE!! Why haven't I seen anything about this around here? They modded the shuffle inside out. So I can just clip it on and go for a dip - no armbands or crappy plastic cases.
It's a total no-brainer. SwimMan rocks in comparison to the former.
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