Here’s something for all you sweaty joggers and gym regulars – a “wearable” Walkman MP3 player that is not just water-resistant and but also washable.
The latest Sony Walkman W, launched today, also comes without a long wire dangling down the side. The S$129 device appears like a one-piece construction that wraps around the back of your head and is secured onto the ears with ear buds that remind one of Bluetooth headsets.
This means no more getting tangled with an irritating wire either running to your iPod hooked up on your arm or stored in your shorts pocket.
For my evening jogs, I’m currently using the Sennheiser/adidas CX680, which has an excellent “ear fin” to keep the ear buds steady and not moving inside your ears. The earphones are solidly built too – the cable is Dupont-Kevlar reinforced, says Sennheiser, and feels solid.
But the biggest problem is the unwieldy extended cable for the CX680, which you have to use to hook up an MP3 player in your shorts pocket (the original cable length is for runners who place an MP3 player on the arm). Plus, my silver iPod is getting dirtier by the day, thanks to sweat and grime collected when I hold it after each run.
So, Sony’s new 43-gram Walkman W would seem to be the answer, since it’s washable and doesn’t have irritating cables. It’s also foldable, making it easy to carry around. The only downside is that it won’t support the Nike+ system I’m grown used to.
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