H2O Audio H3 Waterproof Headphones Reviews

• Great Product!

  
  By A256UVCBDRY3LE on 2007-12-04
  I was a little concerned after reading the reviews for the other H2O Audio headphones. People said the sound got muffled when water got in your ears. I have not found that at all with these. The sound is great. They help keep water out of my ears and are very comfortable. I recommend these for sure. I use them with the Otterbox waterproof iPod case and I love that too.
  
  

• Very happy with these

  
  By A3QYIBMXQVLVE7 on 2008-01-27
  I am very happy with these. I have re-started swimming for triathlon training (after almost a 20-year layoff), and these have made the workouts tolerable. (I love biking and running - just not swimming.)
  The sound is nothing to rave about, but it's certainly enough as your head is in and out of the water. Sometimes the sound is tinny. Sometimes you get enough water in your ear to completely block it out; then you just clear your ear and the sound comes back.
  I highly recommend these for water sports if you must have tunes. Don't expect high-dollar, high-quality sound; that doesn't exist in the water, unless you're a humpback whale. You can expect to enjoy your tunes in an environment for which they were never created, and I applaud that.
  
  
  

• works just fine

  
  By A34JLBI10BJ86L on 2008-02-13
  They work as advertised, couple with my Otterbox for iPod Nano. Would give five stars except the headphone speakers tend to pivot just a bit while swimming, requiring an occasional readjustment. The harness stays secure on my ears while I am doing freestyle laps and they are in no danger at all of coming off. I clip the Otterbox onto the back of my shorts, and the coiled wire from the headphones trails down my back to the Nano. Wires are out of the way and won't get tangled at all. The seal seems to work for me, though sometimes it works a little loose--a small amount of water can get in the ear, but not very much. Again, a readustment seems to do the trick. Above water sound quality is tinny; when in the water, the water seems to make a seal on your ear and the quality is quite good, plenty enough to enjoy your music. I recommend this product.
  
  

• very uncomfortable

  
  By A3P0JZAXS0ZPTH on 2008-02-10
  I was very excited to get my waterproof headphones and Otterbox case for my iPod to make my long swims a little more entertaining. I was very disappointed at the fit and comfort of these headphones, however. I have smaller than average ears, and quickly became very frustrated with trying to fit these headphones. I tried them several times, several ways (with the silicon attachments and without, attached to the head band and unattached) and I finally gave up. They kept falling out and they were so uncomfortable. I even tried to tuck them in my swimming cap, but that did not help at all. I plan to return them and try a different brand. If you have small ears, I would pass on these headphones.
  
  

• H3 Headset

  
  By A1445PFFYWAVGU on 2008-01-02
  I bought this as an upgrade from the H2 headsets (the white ones) - just as the previous generation these work well and appear solid (I use these kitesurfing and they stay firmly in place). The headset is comfortable overall.
  
  The sound quality is better than the H2 (more depth), but it is still not comparable to the Apple headphones. There is a somewhat hall-like effect in it, that depending on your activity changes (sounds very different submerged).
  Overall a good product that does the job.
  
  
  
  
• Too Big for small ears.
  By A245MPSSIGWT68 on 2008-01-12
  These seem like a good headphone if you have bigger than normal ears. The ear bud and silicon attachment are larger than normal earbud headphones like the ones that you got with your ipod. and the silicone earplug attachments that come with it are bigger than regular swimming earplugs. Above water they sounded great and below water if I got a good seal it sounded good but as soon as I got moving the would pop out of my ears. The cord is a bit short if you want to attach it at waist level I am a normal 5'6" female so you would think this would fit. But not quite.
  
  
• Great product - But be patient
  By A11Z3SOORK9CBK on 2008-03-06
  First, a quick description of how I use the product: I swim every morning for about 30 minutes (at an average pace) with 10 minutes of sprint intervals at the conclusion of my workout. I also do some training using a kickboard.
  
  The initial problem you will find with the headphones is getting a snug/waterproof fit. The first couple days I was somewhat frustrated until I figured out a way that worked for me. I chose not to use the brace/headband that comes with it, I found it to move as my body moved, which pulled the earplugs out of my ears. Also, at first I tried ramming the plugs deep in my ear thinking this would create a better waterproof barrier. I was wrong. I then, stuck them lightly in my ears creating a slight suction, which worked well. Another thing I found helpful was to tuck the wire/clip from the headphones into the band of my goggles (on the backside of my head) so it wouldnt lay on my back/neck causing the wire to pull the headphones out when I turned my head. The bottom line, when fitting your headphones, is to remember that everyones head, ears, swimming style/stroke is different and it may take a little while to find what works for you. But, please take the time to figure it out, you will be glad you did.
  
  Once you get the fitting figured out, you must be reasonable in your expectations of the product. The sound is suprisingly good, but dont try to compare it with top of the line Bose headphones. Also, I found that on average I adjust/re-fit my headphones about 1-2 times during my workout. This might sound like a pain, but its really not. It only takes seconds to get it done.
  
  In the end, I am so glad I decided to purchase these headphones. We all know how boring swimming can be, and to finally be able to listen to music while your swimming is the best thing since.....
  
  
• You need to wear them upside down, then they are very nice.
  By A13JYKLWCR2ZZ2 on 2008-02-11
  In order to get them to create the needed seal, be comfortable with your goggles on, and get good uninterrupted sound, you want to wear them under the ear instead of over it. They are ten times better this way, and they actually feel much more natural and less awkward. It is almost as if this is what the engineers had in mind, but someone in marketing must have nixed it. The sound is decent. I don't know if anything better exists. I use it with the Otterbox for Nano 3G. I thought it would be too bulky using the arm strap and swimming, but when you attach it to the the back of your arm, it really doesn't get in the way at all or create any noticeable drag for the average swimmer.
  
  
• Close, but early failure
  By A2QEM4C1OKE1H8 on 2008-10-01
  This is the third set of waterproof headphones I have used for my exercise lap swimming. I thought these were the ones that would work. They were much improved over the H2 earphones I had used earlier. The H3 earphones fit, I could hear the music while swimming, the coiled cord reached my iPod on my waistband but did not move around while swimming. However, after about six months of use the left ear began cutting out, a few weeks later the right ear also failed. The warranty is 3 months. This was the same type of failure I have with a set of H2O audio h2 headphones a year ago.
  
  Being curious I dissected the headphones. The wires are very thin and have lacquer type insulation. The motion of my head while swimming wore through the insulation shorting out the earphone. This was the same failure as I had with the H2 earphones.
  
  One other item, when the H2 earphones failed I sent emails to H20 Audio to tell about the insulation problem. I never received a reply from H20 Audio.
  
  Based on two failed products the next set of swimming earphone I purchase will not be from H20 audio.
  
  
• H3 too small for my head!
  By A6YOL987QXWBQ on 2008-02-26
  I'm a 6'2'' adult male, and by no means of giant proportions. Yet the H3 headphones kept slipping out of one ear or the other (or both), as the headset is clearly meant for smaller heads. The ear pieces made a decent seal over my ears when they were in, but the size problem kept breaking the seal, flooding my ear canal with water, and eliminating sound from that ear. I am thus far not at all pleased with my experience with them. Can't the H20 Audio folks make the earpiece extensions a little longer?
  
  I am going to try removing the ear pieces from the plastic mantle, plugging them in my ears, and trying to hold them in place with a neoprene headband I just ordered -- this arrangement seems to work with the waterproof earbud design. If that works, great. Otherwise, these are going back. Hopefully, the headband will also help with the enormous noise problem caused when rhythmically lifting and submerging my head during any stroke but backstroke (and kickboarding). I listen to podcasts, and even for the few seconds in which both ear pieces stayed in before popping out from the size issue, it is extremely difficult to hear during these strokes.
  
  
• Poor fit
  By A1VZF7D08V2LDM on 2008-07-17
  The effectiveness of the unit totally depends on your head shape/size. I could individually get each earpiece to seal in my ear canal, but as soon as I let go the configuration of the device would break the seal. It is hard to explain, but in order for the earpiece to be deeply sealed in the ear, the top of the connector has to be angled out, away from the head. This is not possible whether attached to the supplied headband or attached to your goggles. Without being able to seal the earpieces, the device is worthless. Other than that, the idea and the case are great for Ipod Shuffle. Unfortunately, the earpieces are the most critical element and were poorly designed.
  
  
• Works well for running, biking, less well for swimming
  By A3SM5U91NHSKWI on 2008-03-26
  I bought these headphones to swim laps with. A little over four months in and the left ear is shorting out. The warranty is 90 days on the headphones vs. 1 year on all other H20 Audio products. I found these headphones uncomfortable to wear given that you have to tuck them into your swim cap/under goggle band to keep them pressed in to actually hear things. On my third gen iPod I had to have the volume at max while swimming to be able to hear anything at all most of the time. The buds with rubber plugs are always coming in and out of the ear so water gets in and then you can't hear. It's fine if you just want a little background noise but don't expect to listen to your favorite podcast while doing anything but the gentlest of strokes. They suggest adding wax to the rubber cones to improve the performance in water. I haven't been able to test that, but it'd be nice if this system was configurable to work under a swimcap & goggle band to hold things together. The current system creates a lot of pressure that in hour plus events is painful. I guess when they were working I was using them as pretty much my only headphones while working out so that's worth two starts. At 50$ new I expect more durability and a company willing to help me out.
  
  
• Poorly engineered
  By AH4M00M0PAKO on 2008-03-28
  I read the reviews and rolled the dice - I'm 5'8", so I figured that I was probably normal-sized enough for these to fit ... nope.
  
  I've tried them for about a week now, the result is always the same; I follow all the requisite instructions, I spend a few minutes in front of a mirror making sure the fit is good, I feel the "slight suction" which the directions mention, and I pray that maybe THIS TIME! they will work ... but they never do.
  
  Within a few laps (if I'm lucky), water seeps in and the sound goes from great to barely audible. It's quite disappointing, because for those few laps it's a real treat.
  
  The engineer in me is baffled by why H2O decided to manufacture the headphones and then provide these cheap little rubber fittings that basically just attempt to convert the headphones to earbuds ... ? I wish I could give points for effort, but there is very little in this product to reward.
  
  
• good product, takes practice
  By AFE2J4WFJZQSR on 2008-04-21
  Bought these last week as part of a product not yet offered on amazon, the ISH-2, a H3 headphone coupled to a case for the shuffle. While the setup is slightly different (the ipod case attached to the back of the headband, very short headphone wires, etc), I read at least one review here that complained about their small ears not fitting the little rubber dohickey's on the ear buds. It does take practice. I've only used mine twice. The first time was a pain in the 'r'ear (ha), the second time they worked great. I took the ear bud off of the detachable headband (I'm assuming this is the same on the standard H3's, like the written description here) and attached them to the upper strap of my googles. I put the lower google strap OVER the little stem that comes off of the to hold them lightly in place in my ears. That works better for me than to keep shoving the water-sealing plugs. A little water will flow into my ear sometimes on a flipturn, but it will generally flow right back out after several strokes, and the sound returns to normal quality. Overall, I don't have to mess with them very much, you can easily wait to adjust or mess with them until you're done with a particular set.
  If these standard H3's don't have a google clip in the package (hard to tell in the product description) then I think you could still use the bottom google strap across the earbud stem when attached to the headband to hold them in place better. Overall-a definite recommendation here. SO, SO nice to have tunes when swimming. Sound quality is almost normal (although I have to crank the volume), and the 'aquatic silencer' dohicky sometimes comes off when you're shoving it around in your ear. Would buy them again, easily.
  
  
• does the work
  By A12MY0NCIG847D on 2008-04-25
  I don't use this product for any exercise related activities, I used it only to watch movies while I'm relaxing in a bubble bath.
  The ear piece was too big and it it becomes uncomfortable after wearing it for a long period of time. The detachable sport band helps but still not the best fit.
  However, it does the job as required and I'm happy with that.
  
  
• Not just for underwater!
  By ALOOPT6GRSX78 on 2007-12-17
  Since I havent tried these in wet environment yet, I cannot write review of thier waterproof properties. Instead I'll review its indoor use.
  
  I tried these as an alternative to the expensive in-ear isolation earphones.
  
  Using the earphones with the silicone tips blocked most of the noise, and with music playing background noiSe practically disappeared -- even blaring TV surround sound speakers in the next room.
  
  I found a better fit by turning the headband upside down so the frame is below the ears instead of over the ears. Also push the headphones in the ears so they make a nice seal and adjusting the graphic equalizer on my PC sound settings made a diference in the tone qualities of the music.
  
  The coiled wire is was way too short and I used a basic 6 foot headphone extention wire to use on the computer.
  
  
• They work
  By AGUH7IFHKNM69 on 2008-02-08
  I use these headphones with an Otterbox case -- for swimming and water aerobics. They work :)
  
  
• H3 Headphones
  By A1FO5V0NZY5R99 on 2008-02-08
  I have the previous version of these head phones. The sound quality is better on the older headphones, but the comfort is much better on these. The strap is still uncomfortable. I use both sets without the neck strap. I do wish these had the "ear wraps" that the other ones had, to hold them a little better. There are days that they work well and sit well and there are other days that they drive me crazy. I love the concept, and when the work well, I can swim twice as long. I definitely LOVE having them for swimming.
  
  
• Unfortunate...
  By A1906H5CZNU4PW on 2008-02-08
  I purchased these headphones as a Christmas gift to complete the H20 Audio set for the 2nd generation shuffle for my boyfriend. The headphones only had sound coming out of one side so he had to exchange them locally. It wasnt a big deal. Just embarassing for me... lost a little faith.
  
  
• I love this waterproof headphones!!!
  By A23YH4CV68R3X6 on 2008-02-22
  They are great, a good inversion that I can not regret. You can buy this with your eyes close. Thanks to the creators of H2O audio I can enjoy a lot better my swim sections.
  
  
• love them
  By AI3F464R324P7 on 2008-03-20
  Work great they come with two pair of bud covers. Careful when placing the covers on the bud, because they can easily tear. The sound is great, so long as you don't try to push the ear piece deep down into the ear. I use them with H2O for the shuffler.
  
  
• Solid Underwater Headphones
  By A1WFZWD4X0LP4J on 2008-04-07
  Headphones work pretty well. They sound better underwater than out of the water. My exhale bubbles drown out the sound of audiobooks playing at comfortable volumes, but it may get better as I become a better lap swimmer. I haven't quite perfected getting them to seal to my ears correctly. It is tricky enough that in the two attempts I have tried, I have had to fiddle with them both times. Construction seems good, although the rubber headphone seals will probably fall of and get lost at some point, so I will probably be looking for replacements before that happens. Overall, they make swimming enjoyable and allow me to get more done, which is exactly why I purchased them.
  
  
• Waterproof Headphones!
  By A3VEFS03AROVG9 on 2008-04-28
  Someday I hope the sound quality improves with waterproof headphones. In the meantime these are better than not having any at all! They don't fit snugly into the ear and I need to adjust them frequently. At least I can hear my music! These are not for an audiofile!
  
  
  
• good for average head
  By A2ANY7M4EXDPW4 on 2008-05-03
  these were bought to go with the waterproof case and after reviewing the previous model i decided these were a better bet.... i found that if your head is slightly larger (7 3/4) they fit really snuggly..... they sound great and work well it just takes some getting used to.....
  
  
• Low Quality Sound
  By A37HKD1XH9LVOU on 2008-05-05
  Although these are water proof which is why I bought them. The sound quality is about half of the Oringinal IPOD head phones
  
  
• These are OK....
  By A2W4I43U08X31E on 2008-05-15
  I have both these and the Aquapac headphones for swimming. I rated the Aquapacs 4 stars because the sound is great, even though they pop out of your ears if you don't wear a cap to help keep them in place. These H3 headphones stay in your ears, but they don't keep the water out that well, so sound is not that great. The volume changes as the water moves in and out of your ear. The earpiece itself is comfortable to stuff in your ear canal, but on my head the plastic headpiece that holds the phones pinches on my ear after a while. Maybe its just too small for my fat head. And, as other reviews have mentioned, you have to wear the headpiece upside down, or it likely won't fit at all. Still, these things work underwater so you can swim with music, and thats what matters.
  
  
• great for lap swimming
  By A47M933C4TNS5 on 2008-05-27
  these work great for lap swimming. problem is the ear pieces easily fall out when i put my gear away. i suggest a portable storage container for the headphones to protect them, but it would need to be able to air out. also a good place to store back up ear pieces
  
  
• Low quality waterproof headphones
  By A3D5M8PRRTCMBR on 2008-06-07
  If you have ever owned a decent pair of headphones, you'll be very dissappointed with the quality of these 'phones. The sound is rather canny and the provided neckband displaces the 'phones out of your ear. They perform better without the neckband.
  
  Given there're not many options in terms of waterproof 'phones, this is the one to get. Just don't expect it to perform at a level of Sony or Koss in ear 'phones.
  
  However, they should not be priced at $45, they're only worth $25 in my opinion.
  
  
• H20Audio Waterproof Headphones H3
  By A29QDSSHC7X467 on 2008-06-10
  A little uncomfortable at first, difficult to get used to. . .
  But the best feature, is they stay in your ears no matter what.
  And the sound is pretty good, too!
  
  
• Waterproof Headphones
  By AX8R1NC2IIS7U on 2008-07-03
  They do take some getting used to. Not the most comfortable headphones. But, they do get the job done.
  
  

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