H2O Audio SURGE Headphones

The two newest products from H2O Audio, the SURGE Waterproof headphones and the Amphibx Waterproof Armband, now allow you to listen to your favorite tunes wherever there is water; whether in the shower, bath, swimming pool or sea. They are also priced at a reasonable £49.95 ($60 USD) for the headphones and £54.95 ($70 USD) for the armband (£64.95 for the large size version). For active music listeners who want to protect their MP3 player from water damage and listen while on-the-go, read on for our take on this unique portable set of water-proof headphones.

Design

Waterproof up to depths of 12 feet, these small, compact in-ear headphones from H2O Audio offer surprisingly good sound quality and come complete with five different sizes of rubber tips to fit different ears. They also come with a small waterproof carrying case, so you can keep everything in good condition.

The headphones are very compact – smaller than standard iPod headphones, for example. The ear buds are black and the tips are royal blue. The wiring is the same colour as the buds, so it’s quite bright, but I personally didn’t mind this. The headphones themselves are very light and seem quite durable, despite only being plastic.

Surge Headphones with case		Headphones with fittings

Features

• Submersible up to 12ft/3.6m
• Acoustically engineered for exceptional clarity and bass
• Ergonomically designed Earplugs-Five separate sizes included for an individualized fit and watertight seal
• MotionFlex strain relief connector fits standard 3.5mm jacks
• Compatible with H2O Audio Amphibx Waterproof Armbands, H2O Audio Waterproof Cases, and standard 3.5mm headphone jacks
• Low profile design minimizes drag through the water
• Designed to stay snugly in your ears during active use
• Pioneering surfer/waterman, Laird Hamilton, has been involved testing the new products and providing feedback
• Perfect for swimming, surfing, kayaking, wakeboarding, etc.
• 1 year warranty
• Carrying Case included

Sound Quality

According to the pamphlet supplied with the headphones, they are designed to offer ‘exceptional clarity and bass’. So, I decided to put them to the test by comparing them directly with standard iPod headphones. The quality overall of the Surge headphones was very good, with the bass improving the further the headphones were pushed into my ears. However, this resulted in a decline in the clarity, so some give and take is required! But, for a pair of waterproof headphones, the quality of the sound was excellent overall and exceeds the sound quality of the standard iPod headphones.

Headphones closeup		Headphones with iPhone in case

How do they work in water?

They work perfectly well if you keep water out of the tips of the earbuds. If water does get in them I found sound is often lost, but a quick shake to displace the water gets them working again immediately. Also, once in your ear they are pretty watertight so, generally, this is not an issue anyway. Assuming no water does get in the tips, there isn't any loss in sound quality when compared to listening with them in a dry situation.

H2O Audio Surge Waterproof Headphones

With the Surge headphones, what you pay for is exactly what you get. £49.95 ($60 USD) may seem pricey for a pair of headphones, but all things considered, you could easily spend that much or even more for any other pair of headphones.

Overall the sound quality is not quite as good as you may get in a standard pair of headphones at the same price, but for what they are, the sound quality of the headphones is very good. One flaw, for me at least, , is the fact that they are not compatible with my iPhone jack without the waterproof case or an adaptor. This is because I have the first generation iPhone with the recessed headphone jack. The 3G iPhone, on the other hand, has a normal headphone jack so the headphones will plug in and work without a hitch. So, you only need to bear this in mind if you have the first gen iPhone and want to use the headphones without the armband.

Pros: Usable in any water activity, reasonable price, earplug fittings for any ear size, carrying case included.

Cons: Sound quality is good, but not great.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

www.h2oaudio.co.uk