Discussion Forums

~Wren~ · September 18th, 2008, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swimalison

I'm sure the pool faculty loves me putting Neosporin in the pool.hehe.

I bet they mind it a whole lot less than some of the other stuff that goes in there. *giggle*

Honestly, I don't really pay attention to wear I clip them . . . I just stick them on.

I'll have to pay more attention next time.

Thanks for the help - off to order the smaller earbuds. . .

MindTrikSwimmer · September 19th, 2008, 11:35 AM

I looked at the ones from H2O that you are talking about. The one thing I DO like about them are that they put the Shuffle in a CASE that snaps instead of the style that slides the rubber over the plastic. Which makes for a better seal....the thing that kept me from buying it was that the case is locked to the headphones and I wanted to be able to use the headphones wherever I wanted with whatever iPod I wanted to use them with...Good design on the case..BAD design that it doesn't allow it to revert to just the plain H3 headphones.

Swimalison · September 20th, 2008, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MindTrikSwimmer

I looked at the ones from H2O that you are talking about. The one thing I DO like about them are that they put the Shuffle in a CASE that snaps instead of the style that slides the rubber over the plastic. Which makes for a better seal....the thing that kept me from buying it was that the case is locked to the headphones and I wanted to be able to use the headphones wherever I wanted with whatever iPod I wanted to use them with...Good design on the case..BAD design that it doesn't allow it to revert to just the plain H3 headphones.

Yeah, I have the one that holds the newer 3rd generation IPOD (with the little TV screen on it). I tried it once...UGH! It was so heavy and I hated the earphones!!! I need to sell that thing....Plus, I was just so afraid it would leak and ruin my IPOD! Sticking with my SWIMMAN promoting..hehe

triathlete23 · October 12th, 2008, 08:04 PM

Swimalison,

I followed your suggestion to use a little Neosporin on the earbuds of my Swimman headset. It really works great and increases the comfort and ear seal - even with flipturns! I found however, that you have to be careful not to use too much. Just a very thin coat on the earbud flanges about every other time I do my pool workout seems to do it. Thanks for the advice! Got anymore tips?

**Ron Lockman** · October 14th, 2008, 01:45 PM

I`ve finially got my swimman "dialed in".....seems I wasn`t placing the earbud far enough down into the ear.
It is an improvement over the swimp3 in that you can really crank up the volumn.

Concho Pearl · October 19th, 2008, 04:17 PM

I use the Finis Swim MP3 V.2 - LOVE IT!!!!

wzvh3c · November 8th, 2008, 08:18 AM

Does the swimman ipod work well when swimming fly, back or breast stroke? I am concerned the earplugs will not stay in when swimming strokes other than freestyle.

mjgold · November 8th, 2008, 12:24 PM

I'm getting my H2O Audio welcome pack in the mail any day now. As soon as I get it, I'll test it out and report back. I have the nano and the classic, so I probably won't be getting the headset, since that only works for the shuffle or something.

triathlete23 · November 12th, 2008, 04:53 AM

Rick, I just answered your question on another USMS forum. For your convenience, I'll post it here too.

Re: Experience with MP3 Players
I've had experience with a number of the brands that have been mentioned in this forum. Concerning Rick's question as to whether the Swimman earphones will stay in the ears with flipturns and the various IM strokes, I've had no problems with it. For casual swims, I clip the Swimman waterproof iPod Shuffle onto my suit and run the cord up the center of my back. The headset clips onto your swim goggles so there is no tug on the earbuds no matter how hard you swim. When doing sprints and aggressive flipturns, I clip the Shuffle onto the back of the goggle strap and wind the cord around the strap so that there is no loose cord. In this setup, there is no way for the cord to ever get in the way no matter how aggressive your laps might be. I have encountered various problems with other units mentioned in this forum however. I find that the finis bone conduction units produce a wavering sound as they come in and out of the water. Further, other people in the pool can hear my music as the bone conduction transducers send signals through the water as well as through bone! On occasion, others in the pool would get annoyed with the sound (and possibly my choice of music). As for the H2O models, I have never had any luck with their earbuds staying in my ears. Further, the barbs on their earbuds are rather stiff making them painful to use on a regular basis (I even got swimmers ear from those hard earbuds). Same goes for the FreeStyle earbuds -- real ear canal wreckers. To top it off, my Natalie Coughlin H2O model developed condensation (or leakage?) inside and killed my shuffle. I found that H2O doesn't cover such damage! Really annoying. While the Swimman does cost more, it appears that you get what you pay for in this instance. If you want to enjoy your workouts (and I find that it really helps) without having to deal with big floppy cases or clunky units and earbuds that hurt and keep coming out of your ears, then just get the Swimman and don't go through the learning curve and expense that I had to go through.

SuperFlyGal · December 27th, 2008, 04:29 PM

I got a Swimman for Christmas....yay? At first it kept on turning off and I would have to use the "2-thumbs technique" to get it restarted. It's really hard to push when it is new. I didn't get the headset that Swimman sells. Instead I opted for the H2O Audio Surge headphones. What a bad decision that was! I couldn't get them wedged into my ear no matter what size earbud I tried. I have a feeling that the headphones were the trouble with the Ipod shutting down; something about pressure changes causing the iPod to turn off. Forget about flipturns with these headphones, that's when my ears would fill with water and the music would mute. When I swam fly, I always lost at least one of them. I kept pulling my cap down over my ears, but it would eventually creep over my ears. My coach seemed annoyed and I was ashamed. I just ordered the Swimman headphones and I hope to have something better to say about them.

In the past I borrowed a teammates Finnis SwiMP3, but was hoping to have better sound from the Swimman, so I have my fingers crossed that this is going to work with the proper headphones. I found the Finnis to lack base, and at times it seemed overpowered by the sound of the water.

**Update: I got my Swimman headphones and they work great! The music sounds just like I am listening to it on land. They are a bit tricky to get the seal just right, but as some people have recommended if you lightly coat them with Neosporin before inserting they are easier to get in place and will maintain a good seal. The Neo also helps prevent ear infections if you ever have that problem. The only time I have trouble is during speed sets, but the rest of the time no troubles at all! Love them.

Zuter · January 16th, 2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triathlete23

Yes, I've tried about everything out there including H20, Otterbox, Finis, you name it. The only player and headset that I have found that really works, isn't bulky, and sounds and feels great in the ears is the Swimman waterproofed iPod Shuffle and Headset. All other headsets either don't stay in your ears, feel terrible and produce tinny sound or produce wavering and very distracting sound. Every time your ear comes out of the water with the Finis, the music volume drops. With every breath you take the volume changes so much that it drives you crazy. As for the player itself, there is nothing smaller, easier to wear or easier to work than the Swimman iPod Shuffle. When I use it for my workouts, I hardly know that I'm wearing it. There is no drag, or stuff flopping around like when I use the bulky plastic cases such as those made by H20 and Otterbox. Using the Swimman is just pure music and swimming bliss.

I checked out Swimman on Google...looks way better than anything I've seen plus it would still be practical for running/riding even if it rained. I think I'm going to get one of their products.

swimminformiles · June 16th, 2009, 06:00 PM

This seems to be an ongoing debate: what's the best way to get music while swimming? I have tried a few (H2O Audio, SwiMP3 Aqua, etc), and the best by far is the SwiMP3 Underwater MP3 Player V2. The sound quality underwater was incredible, loading it with music was as easy as dragging MP3 files to a flash drive, and it didn't impede my stroke like the arm bands do. I bought my dad one for his birthday and he uses it every day of the week. It seems a little pricey at first, but being a distance swimmer (swimmin-for-miles... get it?

), I find it to be worth every penny.

You can find them all over, but I bought mine here: http://www.activeforever.com/p-1665-...-by-finis.aspx - they sell fins, underwater treadmills, and other aquatic fitness stuff too.

hurleyswimmer417 · July 23rd, 2009, 11:02 PM

This has really helped me out. I've been looking around for awhile. I think I will probably go with the swimman.

Lui · July 24th, 2009, 07:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swimminformiles

You can find them all over, but I bought mine here: http://www.activeforever.com/p-1665-...-by-finis.aspx - they sell fins, underwater treadmills, and other aquatic fitness stuff too.

I just saw that amazon sells it as well:

Amazon.com: FINIS SwiMP3 v2 Waterproof MP3 Player: Sports & Outdoors

Faded_Memories · October 12th, 2009, 12:31 AM

I bought the H2O Interval case about 6 weeks ago and it made an instant and huge difference to my workouts. I pretty much doubled my distances swam right away.

I HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you have to go track down a shuffle to use with it. (The 2nd gen shuffles have been discontinued and the case too I think.)

One warning though, be very careful with the clips on the back of the unit. I had one break when I tried to put a thicker headband or something through them. I took it back to Best Buy (just shy of a month old) and got it exchanged AND some money back. They went on clearance!!!

Check your local BestBuy and maybe you can get one for $65 or less. (Down from $80.)

There is a new model coming out for the new shuffle. The newer shuffle has received horrible reviews AND the newer case is more expensive. Looks bigger too.

I like the Surge buds so much I am thinking about buying a pair for general/other workout use.

I do occasionally have the buds pop out, but not much. YMMV, as I am not doing hard sprints etc. Lately I have been putting Trance electronic mixes in the shuffle and I can totally zone out if I get left alone in my lane.

I'd like to have a bigger iPod with me in the pool, but it seems like the cord would always be an issue somewhere.

I would love to hear some reviews of the larger Amphibix cases.

-eric

davesebastian · October 16th, 2009, 02:32 PM

I've got the "Interval" waterproof container for the ipod shuffle. A friend said they saw something on swimoutlet.com and I immediately bought it.

I've had great fun with it. I wear earplugs normally during swim workouts, and the earbuds that come with this work very well as earplugs. They give you a few sizes so you should be able to find one that properly fits you.

It might take you a couple workouts to figure out the volume you need to set it at to keep it audible. But that also relates to the quality of the recorded music you've got on your shuffle.

It's worked well for me without a bathing cap, but I've come to get better results with using a bathing cap. then I bring the wires over my ear, under my goggles strap and into my ears.

On occassion if water does get into my ear, I cannot hear the music at all. But I've become use to the sensation when it's starting to come loose and most times I can adjust it relatively easy during a flip turn. If all fails, stop and make a quick adjustment and miss a 50.

The pause control on the "Interval" works well and it's usually quickly found when I reach to the back of my goggle strap if someone is talking to me or when we're between sets. And the forward and back button controls on the exterior of the unit work well too.

It's a blast to get lost in music during those long sets of repeated 500s. Really helps stretch out the turns.

The price wasn't bad either.

Hope you find this interesting and if you purchase one, hope you have as much luck with it as I have had.

Tiffanyblue_swimgirl · October 22nd, 2009, 08:11 PM

I have had my waterproof armband and earphones from H2O Audio and I have to say that it is

GREAT, GREAT, GREAT. The only down side is now I just want to keep swimming. Since having the armband and earphones I have shaved a good 5 minutes off my usual workout.

Depending on how you get your music on your iPod some songs can sound muffled or more quiet, but other than that the quality is great. I also like how the earphones are earplugs as well. They block out the water and other sounds too. I use them when I run on the treadmill; keeps me focused!

They have to be the best investment I have toward my working out!

September 19th, 2008, 11:35 AM	#42
MindTrikSwimmer Participating Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 15	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I looked at the ones from H2O that you are talking about. The one thing I DO like about them are that they put the Shuffle in a CASE that snaps instead of the style that slides the rubber over the plastic. Which makes for a better seal....the thing that kept me from buying it was that the case is locked to the headphones and I wanted to be able to use the headphones wherever I wanted with whatever iPod I wanted to use them with...Good design on the case..BAD design that it doesn't allow it to revert to just the plain H3 headphones.

October 12th, 2008, 08:04 PM	#44
triathlete23 Participating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof Swimalison, I followed your suggestion to use a little Neosporin on the earbuds of my Swimman headset. It really works great and increases the comfort and ear seal - even with flipturns! I found however, that you have to be careful not to use too much. Just a very thin coat on the earbud flanges about every other time I do my pool workout seems to do it. Thanks for the advice! Got anymore tips?

October 14th, 2008, 01:45 PM	#45
Ron Lockman Very Active Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 248 Blog Entries: 3	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I`ve finially got my swimman "dialed in".....seems I wasn`t placing the earbud far enough down into the ear. It is an improvement over the swimp3 in that you can really crank up the volumn.

October 19th, 2008, 04:17 PM	#46
Concho Pearl Very Active Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Texas Posts: 152	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I use the Finis Swim MP3 V.2 - LOVE IT!!!! __________________ Concho Pearl http://stores.ebay.com/Concho-Pearl-...enameZL2QQtZkm We specialize in providing everything you need for a memorable wedding.

November 8th, 2008, 08:18 AM	#47
wzvh3c Participating Member Rick Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Kokomo, In. Posts: 2	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof Does the swimman ipod work well when swimming fly, back or breast stroke? I am concerned the earplugs will not stay in when swimming strokes other than freestyle.

November 8th, 2008, 12:24 PM	#48
mjgold Very Active Member Michael Goldstein Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Marlton, NJ Posts: 404 Blog Entries: 1	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I'm getting my H2O Audio welcome pack in the mail any day now. As soon as I get it, I'll test it out and report back. I have the nano and the classic, so I probably won't be getting the headset, since that only works for the shuffle or something. __________________ My swimming blog: http://swimmersjournal.blogspot.com/ Proud Athlete of http://www.livefluid.com

November 12th, 2008, 04:53 AM	#49
triathlete23 Participating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 6	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof Rick, I just answered your question on another USMS forum. For your convenience, I'll post it here too. Re: Experience with MP3 Players I've had experience with a number of the brands that have been mentioned in this forum. Concerning Rick's question as to whether the Swimman earphones will stay in the ears with flipturns and the various IM strokes, I've had no problems with it. For casual swims, I clip the Swimman waterproof iPod Shuffle onto my suit and run the cord up the center of my back. The headset clips onto your swim goggles so there is no tug on the earbuds no matter how hard you swim. When doing sprints and aggressive flipturns, I clip the Shuffle onto the back of the goggle strap and wind the cord around the strap so that there is no loose cord. In this setup, there is no way for the cord to ever get in the way no matter how aggressive your laps might be. I have encountered various problems with other units mentioned in this forum however. I find that the finis bone conduction units produce a wavering sound as they come in and out of the water. Further, other people in the pool can hear my music as the bone conduction transducers send signals through the water as well as through bone! On occasion, others in the pool would get annoyed with the sound (and possibly my choice of music). As for the H2O models, I have never had any luck with their earbuds staying in my ears. Further, the barbs on their earbuds are rather stiff making them painful to use on a regular basis (I even got swimmers ear from those hard earbuds). Same goes for the FreeStyle earbuds -- real ear canal wreckers. To top it off, my Natalie Coughlin H2O model developed condensation (or leakage?) inside and killed my shuffle. I found that H2O doesn't cover such damage! Really annoying. While the Swimman does cost more, it appears that you get what you pay for in this instance. If you want to enjoy your workouts (and I find that it really helps) without having to deal with big floppy cases or clunky units and earbuds that hurt and keep coming out of your ears, then just get the Swimman and don't go through the learning curve and expense that I had to go through.

December 27th, 2008, 04:29 PM	#50
SuperFlyGal Participating Member Martha Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Gainesville, VA Posts: 22	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I got a Swimman for Christmas....yay? At first it kept on turning off and I would have to use the "2-thumbs technique" to get it restarted. It's really hard to push when it is new. I didn't get the headset that Swimman sells. Instead I opted for the H2O Audio Surge headphones. What a bad decision that was! I couldn't get them wedged into my ear no matter what size earbud I tried. I have a feeling that the headphones were the trouble with the Ipod shutting down; something about pressure changes causing the iPod to turn off. Forget about flipturns with these headphones, that's when my ears would fill with water and the music would mute. When I swam fly, I always lost at least one of them. I kept pulling my cap down over my ears, but it would eventually creep over my ears. My coach seemed annoyed and I was ashamed. I just ordered the Swimman headphones and I hope to have something better to say about them. In the past I borrowed a teammates Finnis SwiMP3, but was hoping to have better sound from the Swimman, so I have my fingers crossed that this is going to work with the proper headphones. I found the Finnis to lack base, and at times it seemed overpowered by the sound of the water. *Update: I got my Swimman headphones and they work great! The music sounds just like I am listening to it on land. They are a bit tricky to get the seal just right, but as some people have recommended if you lightly coat them with Neosporin before inserting they are easier to get in place and will maintain a good seal. The Neo also helps prevent ear infections if you ever have that problem. The only time I have trouble is during speed sets, but the rest of the time no troubles at all! Love them. __________________ “You can get what you want, or you can just get old.” William Joel* Last edited by SuperFlyGal; January 7th, 2009 at 10:17 AM. Reason: Add information

June 16th, 2009, 06:00 PM	#52
swimminformiles Newbie Richard Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Posts: 2	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof This seems to be an ongoing debate: what's the best way to get music while swimming? I have tried a few (H2O Audio, SwiMP3 Aqua, etc), and the best by far is the SwiMP3 Underwater MP3 Player V2. The sound quality underwater was incredible, loading it with music was as easy as dragging MP3 files to a flash drive, and it didn't impede my stroke like the arm bands do. I bought my dad one for his birthday and he uses it every day of the week. It seems a little pricey at first, but being a distance swimmer (swimmin-for-miles... get it? ), I find it to be worth every penny. You can find them all over, but I bought mine here: http://www.activeforever.com/p-1665-...-by-finis.aspx - they sell fins, underwater treadmills, and other aquatic fitness stuff too.

July 23rd, 2009, 11:02 PM	#53
hurleyswimmer417 Participating Member James Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 3	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof This has really helped me out. I've been looking around for awhile. I think I will probably go with the swimman.

October 12th, 2009, 12:31 AM	#55
Faded_Memories Participating Member Eric Weigand Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: St. Joseph, MO Posts: 14	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I bought the H2O Interval case about 6 weeks ago and it made an instant and huge difference to my workouts. I pretty much doubled my distances swam right away. I HIGHLY recommend it. Even if you have to go track down a shuffle to use with it. (The 2nd gen shuffles have been discontinued and the case too I think.) One warning though, be very careful with the clips on the back of the unit. I had one break when I tried to put a thicker headband or something through them. I took it back to Best Buy (just shy of a month old) and got it exchanged AND some money back. They went on clearance!!! Check your local BestBuy and maybe you can get one for $65 or less. (Down from $80.) There is a new model coming out for the new shuffle. The newer shuffle has received horrible reviews AND the newer case is more expensive. Looks bigger too. I like the Surge buds so much I am thinking about buying a pair for general/other workout use. I do occasionally have the buds pop out, but not much. YMMV, as I am not doing hard sprints etc. Lately I have been putting Trance electronic mixes in the shuffle and I can totally zone out if I get left alone in my lane. I'd like to have a bigger iPod with me in the pool, but it seems like the cord would always be an issue somewhere. I would love to hear some reviews of the larger Amphibix cases. -eric

October 16th, 2009, 02:32 PM	#56
davesebastian Active Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 41	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I've got the "Interval" waterproof container for the ipod shuffle. A friend said they saw something on swimoutlet.com and I immediately bought it. I've had great fun with it. I wear earplugs normally during swim workouts, and the earbuds that come with this work very well as earplugs. They give you a few sizes so you should be able to find one that properly fits you. It might take you a couple workouts to figure out the volume you need to set it at to keep it audible. But that also relates to the quality of the recorded music you've got on your shuffle. It's worked well for me without a bathing cap, but I've come to get better results with using a bathing cap. then I bring the wires over my ear, under my goggles strap and into my ears. On occassion if water does get into my ear, I cannot hear the music at all. But I've become use to the sensation when it's starting to come loose and most times I can adjust it relatively easy during a flip turn. If all fails, stop and make a quick adjustment and miss a 50. The pause control on the "Interval" works well and it's usually quickly found when I reach to the back of my goggle strap if someone is talking to me or when we're between sets. And the forward and back button controls on the exterior of the unit work well too. It's a blast to get lost in music during those long sets of repeated 500s. Really helps stretch out the turns. The price wasn't bad either. Hope you find this interesting and if you purchase one, hope you have as much luck with it as I have had. __________________ Have fun, Dave

October 22nd, 2009, 08:11 PM	#57
Tiffanyblue_swimgirl Newbie Erica Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Reedley, CA Posts: 1	Re: Has Anyone Tried the SWIMMAN Ipod or the H20 Waterproof I have had my waterproof armband and earphones from H2O Audio and I have to say that it is GREAT, GREAT, GREAT. The only down side is now I just want to keep swimming. Since having the armband and earphones I have shaved a good 5 minutes off my usual workout. Depending on how you get your music on your iPod some songs can sound muffled or more quiet, but other than that the quality is great. I also like how the earphones are earplugs as well. They block out the water and other sounds too. I use them when I run on the treadmill; keeps me focused! They have to be the best investment I have toward my working out!

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