Cool Yule rating: 3 stars $99.99
Price:
Description: Freestyle Audio clearly sees a market to those Mountain Dew-drinking, thrill-seeking dudes out there who have to keep jamming to their tunes while snowboarding, jet-skiing or surfing. While this product isn’t for me per se, it could be a perfect stocking stuffer for a special outgoing, outdoorsy someone.
While I couldn’t catch any waves in Cape Cod during October, I did test the MP3 player in the New England rain. The sound quality was good and enjoyed the fact that I didn’t have to worry about my iPod getting wet. It performed as promised, as I could easily “take my music there” without care.
Freestyle Audio says its rugged and durable MP3 player “redefines portable music.” That’s a bit much as one could easily use any number of audio players (CD, MP3, radio) that are durable and built for exercising. They also say their MP3 player is the world’s only “waterproof and shockproof MP3 player.” This may be the case, but it’s not like my iPod skips when I am biking or running. I personally prefer the iPod and its exercise accessories over this model, but if you are more active than running on the treadmill and out in the elements, then this device is an excellent backup.
The earbuds that come with the MP3 player worked well, but for me the size wasn’t perfect. They are also waterproof (a big plus), and superior in sound quality and comfort than iPod’s earbuds.
The player is durable and lightweight (you can’t notice it’s there). The armband worked great and never fell off. But my favorite feature is the rechargeable batteries. Simply plug in the USB cord and let it charge.
I may be getting old, but the basic notion of tuning out to your favorite tunes while surfing, snowboarding, biking, seems a bit reckless and dangerous. But the product delivered its basic promise of being a lightweight, shockproof and waterproof player.
