Customer Reviews

H2O Audio Interval Waterproof Headphone System for iPod Shuffle (2nd Gen)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've been swimming with this waterproof iPod case/earphone system for several weeks now and so far it works very well. Over the past 20 years of lap swimming exercise I have had a variety of systems to listen to music in the pool, starting with the big & bulky Aquatunes pouch that held my Sony Walkman casette player to various sizes of the Otterbox to a completely waterproofed iPod shuffle, and now this H2O Audio Interval Waterproof iPod Shuffle case. The pro's: It's easy to insert the iPod shuffle and clamp it tight. The earphones are sealed and integral to the case, so they can't come out. You can buy lots of sizes of earbud covers to get a good watertight fit for your ears. If you buy extra warranty protection on your iPod, as I did from Best Buy, supposedly even if you get your iPod wet by sealing the case incompletely (the most likely error you can make when you use any waterproof case), your iPod will still be covered and will be repaired for free or replaced. Now for the cons: Integrated headphones mean that if a wire comes loose or anything else goes wrong with the headphones, you need to replace the whole case, not just plug in a new set of waterproof headphones. The Shuffle doesn't hold a whole lot of stuff on it; you need to keep deleting things to free up space to put new stuff on. Sooner or later I know I'm going to fail to seal the case correctly and the iPod within will get wet. If that makes it stop working, I'm going to have to find out if that 2-year extended warranty that I bought from Best Buy really does cover this situation. But for now, I am happy to report that this waterproof case&headphone system works well, sounds good, and is easy to use. I recommend it as a way for swimmers to be able to work out to music or podcasts.

This product is in no way perfect, and in fact I am having a problem with mine and am trying to see if it may just be the one I got. But the review system says 5-stars is for "I Love It" and I can truly tell you that I love this case despite the minor problems I've had!

I was extremely excited the moment I got the case, and am very pleased with how well it works and its ease of use. In the month or so that I've been swimming with the case, I've really come to enjoy my swims a lot more and feel a lot less bored lap and lap in the pool.

Pros:
- The case is easy to attach to a set of goggles (and really is designed and meant for that) and seals well.
- The buttons require a little force to push (usually I use my thumb for the play button itself in the center) but I appreciate that they don't just press easily from a bump, a dive, or me shaking my head.
- The volume runs from quiet to extremely loud and music comes out clear in the water.
- The headphones that are attached are secure and have great bass.
- While the entire case may in fact look bulky from the start, it is light with the ipod inside and doesn't weigh your goggles or head down at all.
- Tons of ear insert sizes - make sure you try several to find the right one!
- All in all makes swimming just a greater experience.

Now, some of the cons:
- I wish the headphones were just a little longer so that I could blow water out of them when I feel water may have seeped in.
- Lately, I've been getting a crackly sound at times in use and think it may be because of a faulty seal in the headphones where water is interfering.
- Aesthetics... can't deny the fact that it could look better.

Meanwhile, I am calling H2O audio to possibly get an exchange to see if the crackling sounds I get are just from this one faulty item. If the problem recurs again or if I have any difficulty, I'll likely lower this to 4 stars. Ultimately though, I love the product for doing what it says, its ease of use, etc!

I'm a former competitive swimmer and was excited to get this product, especially since it was endorsed by Michael Phelps. I was leary of the headphone system and unfortunately that proved to be true. The player comes with several earphone plugs in different sizes. I tried several of them and water continues to seep in and the plugs eventually fall out. Maybe it's my ears but it's incredibly annoying. I get about one lap done and I'm constantly stopping to adjust the headphones. If you do flip turns, it's especially bad as water naturally goes into your ears, thus pushing the headphones out. I tried the plugs/ears under my cap, cords over/under my ears, the entire unit/goggles under the cap and nothing works. Even the slight movements of the swimcap cause them to come loose. I'm returning this and will buy the swimp3 which I've personally tried from a friend and there's no comparison.

When I first purchased the H2O Audio Interval and tried it away from the pool, I was disappointed because I did not feel I could get a good fit in my ear canals and was sure it would not work in the water. However, when I took it to the pool anyway I was surprised at how well it worked. There must be something about the water that improves the seal of the earplugs. If you think about it, the same phenomenon is often true of swim goggles not seeming to fit well but working great in the water (and vice-versa). The sound was great and the earplugs stayed in place for 1650 meters with only one brief push on them to tighten the seal after about a 1000 meters. While you can still hear the splashing of water as you swim, I was able to offset this with the volume adjustment. The only problem I still need to overcome is the fact that different tunes are recorded at different volumes but I believe that iTunes has a feature called Sound Check that I plan to use to resolve this issue. This is of course a problem with all MP3 tunes, not related to this product.

What really pleased me about this product is the fact that it actually improved my swimming in multiple ways. First, my almost hour-long swim (I am a slow swimmer) seemed to fly by. Second, because I had experienced the positive effects of walking to cadence-based music, I took the time to analyze my swimming and determine the tempo of my swim strokes. I then used songs with matching tempos (beats-per-minute) on my Shuffle. I started my playlist with slower tempo and gradually increased the tempo. The results were incredible. I completed my 1650 meters 10 minutes faster than I had ever done before without really perceiving any major fatigue. There is just something about exercising to the beat of the music that, at least mentally, improved my performance.

I chose this product firstly because it was the most economical to buy this together with the iPod Shuffle, as opposed to spending $70 for the case and then another $60 or so for the headphones. Also, in case the case fails and leaks (which it hasn't), I won't be heart-broken to lose a $45 shuffle vs. my 8G Nano which I use for all my other iPod needs. After using it, I also recommend this system because it clips to the back of your goggle straps, which makes it the most non-obtrusive system I've seen for any exercise. I wish I could have a similar setup for when I go running. The only problem I've had with it is that the earphone tends to fall out of my left ear. I might need to change the earplug size (multiple sizes included). Altogether I am extremely satisfied with this product.

Unfortunately, I purchased the Interval for the 2nd Generation Ipod just a few months ago (November 2010) and after about a month of use it broke at the hinges. Its an obvious design flaw that the hinge pin puts too much stress on the cheap plastic and the product fails. Not only did it take the H2O Audio support team over a week to even recognize an email from me regarding the product failure, they were neither apologetic for selling me a known defective product nor were they in the least bit sympathetic for what I was going through or with my Ipod being at risk because of their product failure. However, they were sure quick to tell me they no longer manufacture or sell this product and haven't for quite some time. Really, then why was it sold to me just a few months ago through H20 Audio online??? Furthermore, they go on to explain how their newer products are far stronger with upgraded headphones. Now what good does that do me and how does that help my trust in their products??? After calling and talking to the worst customer support I have ever experienced (essentially being laughed at while explaining my frustration with being sold a known defective product and essentially being blamed for causing the breakage even though he was aware of this flaw from other customer complaints), I still need to go through customer support and their additional required steps to obtain a new Interval. Even so, once I receive a new Interval, there is no provided solution to the problem that it will break again immediately after use. Therefore, its on me to make a fix that will work. Its pretty obvious that I will need to machine the hinge pins and install them so they will not break the hinge, something H2O Audio should have done for the customers in the first place.

Now, Im sure many customers have had great experience with H2O Audio and their newer products, but I cannot support or trust a company that is willing to sell a product even though there are known defects to its design. By the way, I know its a known problem because: H2O Audio's online review responses acknowledge the problem from previous customer complaints, the acknowledgement from H2O Audio customer support that other customers have complained about this same issue, its an obvious design flaw whereas the hinge pin applies too much pressure on the plastic hinge. It was nice to hear from the H2O Audio customer support however, that customers even blame them for problems with their cat. Thanks H2O Audio for being so supportive and taking responsibility.

My perspective is of a Pro Swimmer.

This device has great potential but a very poor work on the headphones (which also suppose to be earplugs) made the device be a failure to me.

They made it all look nice when Michael Phelps swam with it though the truth is that any swim faster than non movement would displace the headphones from your ear.

Beside, due to bad work on keeping water outside, the sound quality vary constantly during the swimming. For a moment it could be loud and the next you'll barely hear it.

Overall, I was really disappointed to realize that they have not invested fine enough engineering into figuring this device through.


If you consider yourself to be a slow swimmer, you may still consider the headphones as ones who has the ability to keep water out. Otherwise, there's no chance from what I checked the last 4 swims I had.

Hope that help you guys.

All the best!!

I just returned from working out at our neighborhood pool - only person in the pool this evening. Did my workout, including stretching, fitness, floating, swimming under a sky full of stars to the music of Celine Dion (among others). It was AWESOME! Adding music to the already fluid movement of the water creates MAGIC. I received this unit for my Birthday a few days ago - have used it three times so far with great satisfaction. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. The only challenge was the 2nd generation Shuffle it fits is hard to find now (I didn't already have one). I actually got a used one from a friend - all the local stores now are into 4th generation. But perserverance won out and it was well worth the wait! Swim, dance, float on my friends. This product is GREAT!

Addition 11/11/09: I have now owned this for 2 months and continue to be greatly satisified with the product - really enhances my swim workout.

FYI: I just learned this product now has a new version for the 3rd generation shuffle which I saw at [...].

12/1/2010: GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I had a couple issues over the past few months with clasp breaking and later one ear speaker not working. In both cases, company was VERY RESPONSIVE in sending out new parts/replacements so my audio was up and running again soon. They really stand behind their product!

I am a lap swimmer and I was so excited to get this product. But I was disappointed after I used the the first time. The earplug kept coming off and the water came into my ears. I had to stop many times to fix it and the fun turned into annoying since it interrupted my swimming. After a few times of gently use the one side of the earphone stopped working now matter how many days I tried to let it dry. I called up the H20 AUDIO and they said that I did not buy it though them given that it is under their name they would not do anything for me. It was frustrating, I bought it brand new sealed on ebay. So I ended up swimming without it after investing that much money for product

Wow! I must admit I bought this as an impulse buy because I was looking for something to listen to while lap swimming and this looked like it would be great. Then I started to read the reviews and got a little concerned...would it work the way it was meant to? Would I ruin my daily workouts with constant adjusting of headphones/volume/headgear or would I have to "hold back" in my swimming to avoid headphones popping out, etc? I've been lap swimming 5 days a week for 30 minutes for just over a year now as part of my new workout routine and I've missed the tunes while I'm working out.

Well so far I've been swimming with this thing daily for the last 7-10 days and it's been fantastic. I took the time when I received it in the mail to attach it to my goggles, try headphone sizes, etc. The next day it worked on my very first swim. I switched to the smaller headphone sizes to get a sligtly more snug fit, and have not had to mess with it since. I get a nice seal (better than my pillowsoft earplugs) and the sound quality and volume is awesome no matter the music type.

Anyway I must admit I was a skeptic but have been quite pleased, and the price is right, too. This really helps the laps go quickly, I just used ITunes smart playlists set to 33 minutes and I don't even have to keep track of the time...when the music stops, I'm done (=

Have a blessed day!