marble03's Full Review: H2O Audio Waterproof case 2G Shuffle (DHS81A3) Sle...
I have recently taken up swimming at an indoor pool. I get pretty bored doing laps by my lonesome so I decided to invest in the H20 Audio iPod Shuffle waterproof housing. The catch is that you can't buy the waterproof housing without the earphones. If you don't have waterproof earphones then you don't have a waterproof system. I bought the H20 Audio H3 headset (can't find a place to put a review on epinions..but they are great earphones..absolutely love them and have not given me any problems..highly recommend!) to go along with this waterproof housing.
Out of the box you get a Velcro armband, a clear unlabeled tiny tube of sticky gel, and the housing. To use, you simply turn your iPod shuffle on, and slip into the black housing. There is a blue rubberized cover that slips over your iPod. Then to seal, at the top you're supposed to put some of the sticky gel between the black plastic and rubberized blue cover. That's it!
Functionality: You get functionality on the front of the iPod such as play/pause, volume, and forward/backward. However, you do not get access to the side of the iPod shuffle such as the continuous list or shuffle play switch. There's no access to the on/off switch. Also, there's no way to charge the iPod shuffle while it's in the waterproof housing.
The Good: I use my iPod shuffle mainly for swimming, therefore I only take it out of the housing to recharge which is probably every 3 weeks. When I'm done swimming I just put it on Pause and it temporarily shuts off the iPod without wasting battery life. I use the iPod casing while swimming and skiing. I live near the coast so I'm considering taking it to the beach. However, I'd still like to hear someone scream "Shark" if there ever is one, so maybe it's not that great of an idea to go surfing with it.
The Bad: The housing instructions states it'll only go 10 feet below or less depending on your underwater earphones. Guess you can't scuba dive with it! The iPod shuffle is meant to be small, however with the casing, it's a bit bulky and large to carry around. Also, not sure what happens if I run out of the clear gel for sealing. There is a toll free number I'm supposed to call to get more, guess when that time comes near I'll call.
I definitely love this product! Before I bought this waterproof system, I was skeptical as to the sound quality underwater. I remembered in physics that sound travels differently in water. However with the good earphones and the sound being so close to your ear, it's just as good as listening to music in an air medium.
As far as buying this underwater casing, as I was doing my research, I came across several iPod shuffles that were built to be waterproof. Therefore, you would not need this housing. If you know you're going to go swimming with it, I would suggest buying that off the bat instead of buying an iPod Shuffle and then buying the underwater housing as I did.
I absolutely love swimming with music. The pool I swim at only goes to 6 ft, so that's the deepest I've been with the housing and my iPod has survived! I've even been in several jacuzzis no problems thus far!
I highly recommend this product to anyone wanting waterproof protection for their iPod shuffle. You can do so many outdoor activities with it, not just swimming. It's always good to jam out and have fun being sporty!
Submersible up to 10ft/3m (when paired with H2O Audio Waterproof Headphones) Patented Control Pad (provides full access to the shuffles controls) Spor...More at Amazon Marketplace
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