Working out can be a monotonous task whether it is running or lifting weights at the gym. Music helps to take your mind off it and even pump you up to work harder. It’s easy to bring an MP3 player or phone to the gym, but swimmers have never had this convenience in the pool. Sony’s Walkman NWZ-W273 offers an ambitious claim to provide wearers with a waterproof MP3 player that works even when swimming.
The Walkman has a unique design. The entire MP3 player is packed into a pair of comfortable, easy to wear headphones. All the controls are located right on the earpieces with the right one housing play, skip, hold, and on/off while the left has a volume rocker and shuffle songs button. This makes for easy access to controls during workouts for quick changes if a song you don’t like comes on or if you want to switch to a playlist.
To put music on your device, the easiest option is to install Sony’s music software by simply plugging the MP3 player into your computer. The software works surprisingly well and makes adding and editing playlists on your player simple and easy. You can add up to 4GB of music which should make for plenty of space. The battery charges in an hour and a half for up to 8 hours of playback. If you are all ready to go, but realize that the battery on your player is dead, a 3 minute charge will give you an hour of playback which is extremely convenient.
Using the headphones, you would barely notice they were there. A flexible rubber wire runs around the back of your head and an adjustable strap keeps them snug to your head. Rubber in-ear earpieces also serve to block out a significant amount of background noise during use. However, by far the best part of actually using the headphones is that they eliminate the need for pesky headphone wires that can easily get tangled or caught during workouts.
Now for the Walkman’s claim to fame: waterproof listening. While the housing on the device itself is waterproof, its Achilles heel lies in the earpieces. If water makes it in, the result is a major drop in sound quality until dried out. Because of this, Sony includes 4 different sized earpieces allowing for the tightest possible fit to keep water out. If done correctly, you should not experience significant leakage into the earpieces and will able to enjoy music during your workout carefree.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-W273 is great not just if you are a swimmer, but for all activities. This includes running in the rain or a host of water sports like kayaking or rowing. It gives you the unbeatable convenience of not having to deal with annoying headphone wires or carrying an MP3 player in your hand or in an arm strap with the added bonus of being waterproof.
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