Ask Engadget: What are the best waterproof headphones?

It's true -- hunting down a waterproof MP3 player is a cinch, but finding a decent pair of waterproof headphones to accompany said player can prove challenging. Have a look at Melinda's question, and after you're done providing your best advice, send over an inquiry of your own to ask at engadget dawt com.

"I am an almost-daily lap swimmer, but lately I have been suffering from "lap boredom." I've been looking into the latest ways to take my MP3 player into the pool with me, and I need a set of waterproof headphones in order to do so. I've found waterproof earphones like H2O Audio and Aquatunes priced between $30 and $100, but I've also read many negative reviews. Before I spend this much money on waterproof 'phones, I want to know what I am getting. What brand / model do you recommend?"

Climb on out of the kiddie pool and toss in your advice, swimmers. What 'buds do you use to listen to music while submerged?

[Peter @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:38PM]

Aquapac or H2O

[Nickocosmic @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:41PM]

If your not afraid to spend nearly $200 on a pair, go with the AudioBone bone conducting headphones: http://audioboneheadphones.com/

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:47PM]

NOOO! don't spend $200 on waterproof headphones. If you are going to spend $200, buy some cheap rubber ones and get a high end stationary headphone like the senn hd580 or akg k501

[[e-mail] @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:18PM]

Aquapac is a solid pair:

If you want pretty good quality for not that much, go with Aquapac waterproof heasphones. They are one of the few capable of producing decent sound quality (good enough for swimming, maybe not body surfing). They've got silicone tips form stable seal, made for average sized aread and you can get up to like 11 feet deep in case you drop something or snorkeling I guess.

Cons: Don't buy the, if you have small- or large-canaled ears. Sometime swater gets in the speakers and you need to dry them off. Also, No gold plating to protect against water corrosion over time.

[[e-mail] @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:23PM]

Also, if you want more info for headphones, i reccomend.....http://bestcovery.com/search/node/headphones

[iEye @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:41PM]

Waterproof Earphones? I have soaked a pair of $9.99 Sony Fontopias many times and the never fail to perform... I never knew Earphones had to be designed waterproof....

[lawyer bird @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:41PM]

he's talking about wearing them in a pool dude. read the question next time.

[Major4Play @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:24AM]

He's talking about water not urine.

[Stefan @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:42PM]

Sennheiser MX-75

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:40AM]

Sennheisers are excellant, I own a few pairs and love them.

I'd also like to point out the Speedo Aquabeat headphone and mp3 player designed to work while swimming underwater (full submersion) vs most others are designed for splash resistance (aka getting rained on).

http://www.speedo.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FSContent_10151_10202_-1_//content/explorespeedo/equipmentfootwear/mp3.jsp

http://www.engadget.com/2008/06/28/speedo-aquabeat-mp3-player-sinks-floats-and-is-terrible-at-the/

[Peter @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:44PM]

i just realized it said no aquapac or h2o so ignore my other comment.

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 9:49PM]

It depends if you are swimming for fun or for training. Listening to music while swimming will affect lap times.

[lawyer bird @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:42PM]

that was the worst answer i've ever heard.

[mergedwarrior @ Oct 6th 2008 6:15PM]

If you knew anything about swimming, it would be added resistance, so when you compete without it your lap times would be better.

Theres a reason why swimmers wax right before a competition.

[swimdude @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:05PM]

I have headphones from both freestyleaudio and h2oaudio, and i've got to tell you that the new Surge waterproof headphones are the bomb.. They stay in my ears, they're comfortable, and keep me swimming. They tout themselves as being the first bass amplified waterproof headphones. They sound great, and work much better than others I have tried.

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:24PM]

Dude, bass does not equal good

[holycow @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:17PM]

go away!

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:22PM]

Yeah, just like Bose
/sarcasm

iBuds are great, compared to tin cans that is

[noyp @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:23PM]

Is it like illegal now to reply to trolls, because holycow couldn't reply to Mr. Caps Lock either.

[swimdude @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:17PM]

Noyp you've just got nothing better to do than post comments about a topic you obviously know nothing about. I didn't say bass = good, but it certainly helps.. I did happen to mention 4 qualities about headphones that I like. You on the other hand have posted several times in this forum without even providing a single model of "WATERPROOF HEADPHONES". This isn't a discussion on stationary headphones, it's about waterproof headphones. You haven't provided any useful information in any post, so as far as I'm concerned you can get licked.

[noyp @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:52AM]

Fudge, I wrote all THAT? I shouldn't post while half asleep I guess. Best of luck to the OP.

[noyp @ Oct 4th 2008 8:43AM]

Okay, the swimman waterproof headphones are supposedly pretty good. And, if she is not afraid to double her budget, the Challenger model m custom iem are supposedly waterproof.

From the website:
Challenger "M" and "S" earphones are high quality isolation earphones that are our pick for anyone who wants to wear earphones with a helmet or during physical exercise. You can even swim with these phones!

[blah @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:24PM]

What about an underwater speaker? Aqua Symphony DARAVOC Underwater Speakers go for as little as $79.99. Why fuss with headphones? A better option would be the Clark Synthesis AC339 Aquasonic Speaker but it's a little expensive.

[Dyselon @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:32PM]

Underwater speakers aren't going to do much good for me at the local YMCA, I'm afraid. I really need something that's just for me.

[TB101 @ Oct 3rd 2008 8:12PM]

Doesnt water have a higher density thus making an underwater speaker ppointless as when sound pushes through even water you have to be submerged in order to hear properly where as a swimmer isnt going to go diving and just sit still in one spot...

[Artie Lange @ Oct 2nd 2008 10:27PM]

As someone who has gone through several brands of waterproof headphones, I don't believe there is a descent pair on the market at this time. The biggest problem comes during the kick-turn, during which every pair I've ever owned dislodged. You can try tucking them under you cap, and that will work for a couple of laps, but eventually they will pop-out. I may suck it up and see if the bone-conducting style solves this problem.

[SwimsWithMusic @ Oct 6th 2008 12:03AM]

I have the Swimman waterproof Ipod shuffle and headphones.
Pro's: The design attaches to your goggles and they suction right in. Flipturns aren't an issue at all. In fact, the suction is so air-tight that these things duel as earplugs! I'd rate the sound a b+. These are nothing like even the crappy buds that come with the ipod, but at least you can listen to tunes instead of the sound of your own splashing.
Cons: The headphones lasted about 14 months and just shorted out on me. They're $100.

[Hero @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:13PM]

http://www.over-board.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=30_35&osCsid=3cc1830ef4f080d567f63b1c2c3764c6
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/14/swimmans-waterproof-ipod-shuffle-its-whats-inside-that-count/ and http://0175f2c.netsolhost.com/PACKAGEC.html.

[Martlark @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:21PM]

I've used for many years a sony am/fm with an external speaker. I bought a waterproof mobile phone case from a camping supplies shop ($50) which I store it in. Then stick it under my swim cap. Works very well. Makes swimming laps less boring.

[technology420 @ Oct 3rd 2008 9:43AM]

Yeah, less boring...IF YOU'RE A CYBORG!!!

[Benson @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:25PM]

Begone, 'CLAK'!

[Micanos @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:40PM]

nobody loves you man....nonbody loves you...

[mrpoo @ Oct 2nd 2008 11:59PM]

Pick up some of those $300 Bose at the airport and jump right in. Trust me, they're awesome.

[catnIP @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:04AM]

I am an avid lap swimmer as well and I've recently bought the audiobone. I have to say while outside of the water the result isn't all that great (since the in door pool has quite a bit of noise and echo) but while swimming it simply cannot be beat. I am currently using it with my FreeStyle waterproof mp3 player (comes with a arm band) and it works great. I've tried the headphones that comes with freestyle but it was very uncomfortable and I've also tried a few other ones. So far as far as max comfort and sound goes; audiobone is the one to get. It is a bit pricy but if yuo count how many time you'll use it; it makes it all worth while.

[icepop4who @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:31AM]

blast music on the side of the pool, so every breath of fresh air is a blast of sweet tunes.

[Stan @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:34AM]

All of the "old style" H2O Audio headphones are basically useless for swimming. They are waterproof, but simply are not designed for swimming, and won't work worth a damn.

The new "Surge" headphones they have look like they might work better. At least they will sit inside your ear canal and seal out the water, which their other headphones never did a good job of (seriously, they suggest you waterproof them by packing wax ear plug material around them - no thanks!)

The SwimMan (http://www.swimman.com) headphones are pretty good. I had a chance to try them out for a few laps and didn't have any trouble with them staying in, or hearing the audio. Kind of pricey if you are outside of the US ($35 shipping? Really?)

The Freestyle Audio headphones are OK if they fit you. If not, well, you are out of luck. Way better than the H2O headphones, not as nice as the SwimMan. But for $10, they are worth a try.

[jiggs @ Oct 3rd 2008 10:50AM]

+1 for Swimman products

[Howie_in_AZ @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:40PM]

I have the SwimMan headphones, along with their (slightly overpriced) waterproofed 1GB iPod Shuffle. It's slightly overpriced in that they advertise the 1GB Shuffle for $79 when Apple is now selling them for $49.

Anyway, the headphones are pretty good but expect to run through the rubber ear pieces quickly. They're 'only' $10/pair, however. One of mine (right side) is slightly torn which allows water to seep in after a few laps. It's annoying to have to keep stopping every 3-5 laps and readjust it; music playing in only one ear tends to become annoying quickly. When they're in they're great although they do block out most other sounds seeing that they sit pretty far in the ear.

[EtherGnat @ Oct 3rd 2008 12:57AM]

What about the SwiMP3? http://www.finisinc.com/products-swimp3v2.shtml

I don't know a lot about the alternatives, but integrating the MP3 player into the headphones seems like the way to go to me.

[Striker @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:00AM]

Well, I always do that to Ocean and Clak, but they are really the same person. Boy, that flunk really killed it, that's pretty embarassing, made me sound like a total asshole.

[Back-Breaker @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:07AM]

Wow, these guys are just not helpful at all.

Although, I like & have yet to own the H2O products I have found something a little bit more PRO on the swimming side, but limited in data size. It's not like you are going to spend more than 3 hrs swimming so this might be a solution for you. The product name is "SwiMP3" and made by Finis. If you are an avid swimmer you would've heard of their swim products. They make stuff from fins to swimmer snorkels (different from regular ones). I've included a link to their waterproof mp3 player.

http://www.finisinc.com/products-swimp3.shtml

You might also want to look them up on YouTube, there are a few videos on it. Good luck & happy swimming.

[PsychoFarmer @ Oct 3rd 2008 1:44AM]

This depends a lot on the type of swimming you will be doing. As a competitive swimmer, none of the waterproof earphones I've ever tried worked terribly well for a workout. The drag coming off a turn is usually more than enough to pull any in ear headphones free, and cable management is a HUGE pain in the ass.

That said, I've heard some positive things about bone conduction headphones. SwiMP3 used to make a shuffle style mp3 player that attached to your goggle strap and had bone conduction headphones. The biggest downside is that the sound changes quite a bit from under water and out of water, so every time you breathe the audio quality changes.

Another option is to get an underwater speaker if you're swimming somewhere you aren't going to annoy everyone around you.

Of course if you're a casual swimmer not going to fast, most waterproof headphones will work just fine if you can get them to stay under your cap...

[Brad @ Oct 3rd 2008 2:58AM]

Any tips on underwater speakers?

[PsychoFarmer @ Oct 3rd 2008 5:43AM]

I believe the speaker the company that did our swim meets used was a Lubell

http://www.lubell.com/LL916.html

Most likely way overkill for most pool setups, since this was being used to broadcast on a 25 yd x 50 m pool

[Benson @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:03AM]

Did it now? I wonder why you could have sounded like that. It's almost as though you were one, and too pathetic to work around 'CLAK'/OCEAN's exploitation of engadget's broken comment system to boot.

[Benson @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:05AM]

Am I the only one who reads "lap swimmer" and thinks of underwater lap dances?

[wickedpheonix @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:14AM]

yes

[Benson @ Oct 3rd 2008 3:21AM]

I was afraid of that.

Oh well, there's probably a lap swimmer out there who reads "mountain biker" and thinks of Jim Bridger on a Harley.

[Major4Play @ Oct 3rd 2008 6:21AM]

My advice, don't buy waterproof headphones just tie a plastic bag over your head, nice and tight to keep the water out.

[Colin @ Oct 3rd 2008 7:38AM]

I tried that. But I stopped breathing and had to be pulled from the water by a lifeguard. :(