The H2O Audio Reviewed
Photos courtesy of H2O Audio
by Steve Ackerman
posted 2006-11-02
The Nano slipped right into the housing, easily plugging into the headphone jack. Then you simply fold the two halves back together, making sure the seal is clean and properly aligned as you are closing the housing. And once you've done that... just flip the clasp over the top and snap it down until it locks, sealing the two halves together again.
Finally, you will need to plug your headphones into the sealed headphone jack port at the bottom of the housing, then you are ready to go. You can use H2O Audio's waterproof headphones or opt for a pair of higher-quality headphones if you want to have a better listening experience when you're not in the water. As with most waterproof headphones, the sound quality is much lower, giving off a somewhat "tinny" sound. So grab yourself a descent pair for when you're not in the water, you'll be glad you did.
Once in the housing, the iPod functioned without any difficulty whatsoever. It was a breeze to navigate through the menu system, using only the integrated control system provided in the housing. It only took a few minutes to get used to the feel of the buttons and control wheel, with the exception of the missing 'hold' control, but this really won't be much of an issue for most people. The buttons and control wheel are spring-loaded and provide a solid feel to them as you press down on them or turn the wheel. Truly a superb interface design.
The armband is made of a comfortable neoprene fabric with an extra-wide Velcro strap. The band fits comfortably on either arm, providing full-access to the display window and menu navigation controls.
Initially, I decided that I would try it out in a controlled environment before taking it out into the surf with my iPod inside. I have to tell you that I was a bit apprehensive about loosing another iPod, so I had to be sure that it would be completely safe before I submersed my iPod into anything. I thought I would give it the old "cotton ball torture test" first. I packed a few cotton balls inside and sealed it up, then I dropped it into the kids blow-up pool to see what would happen. Of course... it floated, so I had to hold it under. Then I began wrapping it against the bottom of the pool just to see if the shock would cause it to leak. After a few minutes of this, I pulled it out of the water and dried it off. When I opened it up, the cotton was completely dry... No leaks!
For the next test, I decided it was safe enough to test with my iPod, so I took it for a whirl in my pool. As I stepped down into the pool, I dipped it in just enough to get it wet... And it played on. Then, I took it a bit deeper... Still, it played on. So finally, I started tapping it against the steps of the pool... And it played on. And the screen always stayed clear and visible even under 8 feet of water. When I was done, I just dried it off and took it inside. It was thrilling to see the housing working flawlessly without leaking a single drop.
I wasn't ready to slam the housing down onto the controls with my iPod in place just to see what would happen so I thought I would pass on a "crash test" for now... But I still had more rigorous testing to do under some real-world conditions.
For the first of the "real-world" tests, I took the housing and buried it in some wet sand at the beach. Then I dug it up and rinsed it off in the water and it never skipped a beat. For the next test, I took it out for some sponge-riding. After a few rides into the shore, I decided to switch waveriding vehicles. Again, I went out with the housing strapped securely to my arm. Even after a long morning session, and all of the paddling, the housing and cable always stayed out of the way and the headphones usually stayed in position. With music going, this session was much more enjoyable on many levels. Whether you are into music or audio books, it is a fun ride.
Once I finally made back to shore, I gathered my stuff up and headed strait for the showers to rinse off. I quickly rinsed the housing off and tossed it into my bag for the long ride home. After I got home and cleaned myself up, I rinsed the housing off in the sink, dried it off again and opened it up. I was very careful not to allow any moisture that I might have missed from dripping onto my iPod as I slipped it out of the housing. It was a rock'in day at the beach, all thanks to H2O Audio and their impressive line of media player housings... Maybe I'll have to hit the slopes with it this winter.
Overall, I was very impressed by the high level of craftsmanship and quality materials used in H2O Audio's housings, not to mention the easy-to-use interface. I found H2O Audio's housings are priced reasonably for the level of protection that you will receive from them. Now you can safely take your tunes with you, just about anywhere you want to go...
So drop by www.h2oaudio.com for more information, check out the testimonials and go try one out for yourself.
