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Waterproof, Rugged, Wireless, Ready To Go: My Ecoxgear Ecoxbt review

Posted on February 7, 2014 By admin

I wake up to music, listen to it as I get ready for work, drive there, and then all day at my desk, too. I started this site to share my experience finding waterproof bluetooth headphones, so would you be surprised if I said I like to rock out in the shower, too? LOL! I was using the Ivation IVA-400 Waterproof Speakers during my morning bathroom ritual, but recently I upgraded to a louder, more rugged bluetooth speaker system. Read on and I'll tell you all about it in this Ecoxgear Ecoxbt review.

Pros

Seriously rugged and fully waterproof- even submerisible!
Wireless bluetooth connectivity, pairs easily with phones and tablets
Good range, about 30 feet
Aux-in for non-wireless devices
Loud, clear sound
Speakerphone functionality
10 hour battery life

Cons

No play controls on the unit itself (the Ecorox model has them, though)
Floats face down with speakers in water
Uses mini-usb instead of micro-usb

Click here to read many more Ecoxgear Ecoxbt reviews or check the current price!

The Ecoxgear Ecoxbt vs Ecorox – What's The Difference?

Before I made my purchase, I wasn't sure if I should go with the Ecoxbt or newer Ecorox. The designs are very similar, both of them are ruggedized and fully waterproof and have a ton of positive reviews on Amazon. The Ecorox comes with a camera-style screw mount for mounting it somewhere, while the Ecoxbt comes with a caribiner and has handles built into the sides. The Ecoxbt has a line-in for non-bluetooth devices, while the Ecorox is strictly wireless only.

The biggest difference, though, seems to be that the Ecorox has built-in play, forward and back buttons, while Ecoxbt users will have to control these functions on their phone.

Ultimately, I decided to save a few bucks and go with the Ecoxbt. In retrospect, it may have been worth the extra few bucks to have the play buttons to make it a little more convenient to switch tracks in the shower, but it's definitely not a dealbreaker.

This Thing Is Built Like A Brick… With Nice Speakers Inside

The very first thing I noticed about this when I took it out of the box is that it looks and feels rugged as hell. The outer casing is super hard polycarbonate, which is covered largely by a layer of rubber. It's about brick size, and it certainly gives the impression that if you drop kicked it, the only damage would be to your foot.

It's called the Ecoxgear Ecoxbt rugged and waterproof wireless bluetooth speaker, which is kind of misleading because it's got two. So don't be confused- The Ecoxbt is actually stereo speakers, rather than a mono speaker. (I really think this should be more clear; I almost passed on these thinking they just had one speaker. I'm not paying to listen to half of my music!)

Ecoxgear makes a big deal about just how waterproof the Ecoxbt system is. Unlike the aforementioned Ivation speaker, these are fully waterproof to the point where they can be submerged under water. The Ivation is good for a shower, but they give specific instructions not to let it fall into puddles of any size.

During the summer I brought this out to the lake. I wanted to have it float in the water with the music blaring while we floated around it, but it turns out if you just set it in the water it has a tendency to turn over so the speakers are in the water. This seems like a design flaw, honestly, and next summer I'm going to experiment with taping some rocks to the backside so it floats like I want. In the meantime we just ended up setting it on an inner tube.

More recently, I jammed the Ecoxger Ecoxbt into a pile of snow so my friend and I could listen to music while we shoveled. I've never had any issues with it reacting negatively with any kind of moisture.

That's Great, But How Does It Actually Sound?

When I did my initial sound test, I was able to bluetooth pair it with my phone in just a few seconds and get my tunes coming out. At first I was very disappointed with the lack of volume, until I figured out I needed to turn the volume up on my phone. Then it got LOUD!

Sound is pretty damn good for speakers this size. Highs and mids are loud and crisp. Obviously, bass tends to be lacking in small speakers, but was better than I expected, and certainly better than most mobile gadgets. Bass notes rang out clearly, which is a huge upgrade from my laptop's tinny speakers that just seem to ommit these notes entirely. It also paired easily with my tablet, which made for another nice sound upgrade.

If you're using these in the shower, they sound exceptionally good, which is probably related to the acoustic properties of your shower. In other words, it sounds extra great for the same reason your singing in there sounds so good 😉

The wireless range is really nice, too, I can consistantly carry it 20-30 feet away from whatever gadget is playing the music and the Ecoxbt is able to keep going without any break ups in the sound.

I don't use it much, but the speakerphone is definitely passable, with solid clarity on both ends.

My Friends Love This Thing, Too

The Ecoxgear Ecoxbt wireless speaker is awesome when you're out with friends. It's loud enough for a bunch of people to listen to, even while everyone's talking, and since it's bluetooth anybody with a smartphone can pair it up in a few seconds and play their own music with it. Everybody's got a pocket full of music these days, so this makes a nice mobile jukebox.

One Very Minor Gripe, Though

I sort of wish this thing used micro-usb instead of mini-usb. It comes with the AC adapter you need to charge it, but so many devices use the micro these days it just seems like it'd be a little more convenient if the Ecoxbt did, too. That's one more charger I have to carry when I travel.

It may have to do with the charge, time, though. The Ecoxbt wireless speakers only take a couple hours to charge and then play for 10 hours, which seems like a significantly stronger charge than my micro-usb devices get in that amount of time. If this is the reason for using the mini, I'm definitely fine with it.

If you're in the market for a portable, wireless speaker system in a very rugged, waterproof one-piece package, the Ecoxgear Ecoxbt is a very good option. It can handle the elements better than any other bluetooth device I've encountered, and puts out a damn fine sound for something in such a small package. Overall, I'd rate this as a top-notch product, worth every penny.

Don't take my word for it- Amazon has over 500 user reviews!

Hands On With The Jabra Sport+ Bluetooth Headset

Posted on February 4, 2014 By admin

(The following is a guest post by my brother, Eric Cunningham.)

I admit: I wanted to like the original Jabra Sport Bluetooth Headset. It had military grade protection against water, and had exactly the behind-the-ear design I was looking for in a pair of headphones I intended to jog with. Sadly, they weren't very comfortable, the sound was lacking, and the battery life was abysmal. When I heard they had released a new Sport+ model of these headphones I really hoped they had addressed these issues and turned them into the headset I was looking for. Did they suceed? Well, they kind of did, but kind of didn't, read the rest of my review to find out how…

Pros

Nice behind-the-ear design
Improved fit over previous model
Military grade water resistance is legit
Stand up to the impact of exercising
Good bass

Cons

Awful battery life
Wireless connectivity can be spotty sometimes
While bass is good, treble is tinny and annoying unless EQ'd
FM radio is really weak

Click here to see what other customers are saying, and find out what they're choosing instead!

What I Love About These

As I mentioned above, I really like headsets with this design. You have an earpiece on each ear, connected by a wire. To me, this is ideal because I don't have to worry about a headband squeezing my head, fighting with a hat for head space, or messing up my hair. The Jabra Sport+ Bluetooth Headphones are nice and light, so you can sort of forget it's there even while you enjoy your music, which is a feature bigger headphones don't have.

This headset comes with 7 pairs of gel earbuds over the original's 3, which I think goes a long way in making the fit better. With the old ones I couldn't make them fit right, so not only were they uncomfortable, but the sound was lousy.

With earbud-style headsets, where the speakers are tiny and sit right inside your ear, you need a nice fit to hear the bass, otherwise all the air it should press into your eardrum to make the sound just leaks out. Since you have more sizing options with this set, it's easier to get the right fit. When you do, they have surprisingly nice bass for earbuds.

Stereo seperation is good. I've had issues with older bluetooth headphones bleeding the left and right channels together, but the Jabra's don't seem to have that issue.

I also didn't have any issues with the headphones slipping or sound cutting out while I jog, which has been an issue for me with non-sport type bluetooth headsets. I even did some jumping jacks and they worked fine. Using them in the hot tub wasn't an issue either, and I was able to watch Netflix comfortably without them crapping out if they got splashed.

What's Pretty Good About These

The Jabra has some features that are pretty standard with these types of sweatproof bluetooth headsets, and which they pull off adequately. Pairing is easy enough, it only took a minute or two to pair with either my iPhone or my older Android phone. There are also buttons to control volume, take calls, and pause and skip tracks. The buttons are the perfect size for comfortably controlling these functions.

Serious Disadvantages To The Jabra Sport+ Wireless

Okay, if you buy these things, make sure you turn them off when you're not using them. If you leave them in standby mode, on but even playing, you'll drain the battery in 4 or 5 hours, which is pretty lousy. And you will probably need to charge them everyday if you use them, anyway, because play time is only a few hours.

While the Jabra Sport+ headphones live up to their "sport" title by being able to handle a ton of sweat, even rain, and the shock of exercise like jogging and jumping jacks, they still sometimes cut out simply because the Bluetooth signal isn't as strong as I think it should be.

For example, I was wearing these on a crowded bus, and as more and more people got on, it started cutting out more and more. I couldn't believe somebody standing next to me would be enough to cut the wireless out!

I also had issue with the overall sound. The bass is pretty nice, but I thought the highs sounded like a mosquito buzzing in my ear. Adjusting the EQ on my phone made a big difference, but the sound straight out of the box is kind of bad.

Finally, there is a built in FM radio, but if you buy it for that you're wasting your money unless you live right next to the broadcast tower for whatever station you're listening to. I think it's because they're overall small headphones, there's not much room for a powerful enough FM receiver. Only the strongest stations come in enough to listen to, and where I live the strongest stations aren't the ones I like to listen to 🙁

Like the original Jabra Sport headset, I really really wanted to like the Sport+ model. The design is perfect, and the construction rugged enough for the conditions I throw at it. Sadly, the weak battery life, wireless signal, and overall lacking sound make these a bad deal for me. As an alternative, I'd probably go with the sweat-proof JayBird BlueBuds X.

For the official specs, user ratings and current prices, check out Amazon.com.

How Good Is The New Sony Waterproof Walkman? My NWZ-W273 Review

Posted on January 31, 2014 By admin

(The following is a guest post from my beautiful wife, Jessica. These aren't bluetooth headphones, but I figured this review would be a good piece for the site, since we get a fair number of viewers looking for info on headphones they can swim with.)

As an avid swimmer and music lover, I love to hear my jams while I'm in the pool. I'm sure many of you know just what kind of positive effect music can have on a workout- it pumps us up, keeps us moving, and gives us a rhythm to work with. For a while I'd been doing laps while wearing my Go Waterproof MP3 Headphones, so I was pretty bummed when they finally crapped out on me. Thankfully, my husband bought me the new Sony NWZ-W273 Waterproof Walkman MP3 player for Christmas. How did it stand up? Well, here's my review.

Pros

Truly waterproof and submersible up to 6.5 feet
Fast charge and long battery life
Sleek one-piece design
4 gigs of music strapped to your head

Cons

Uncomfortable
Lackluster sound
Controls are difficult to use under a swimcap

These are typically in the $100 range, but CLICK HERE to find out what Amazon is charging or to read what other users have to say!

A New Walkman For A New Day… In The Pool

Sony, and specifically Walkman, are names I've trusted since I was a kid. The big difference is now they're much smaller, play MP3s instead of cassettes, and in this case, perform even in the pool. I was thrilled when I opened a box on Christmas to discover my husband had bought me this as a replacement for my busted Go headphones.

The NWZW273 has a one piece design- it's two earpieces with built-in controls connected by a pretty short cord. Sleek, simple, and stylish. It holds 4 gigs of music, and though I only used it for MP3s, it also supports WMA, AAC, and L-PCM formats. Out of the box it comes with a usb dock, different sizes of earbuds, and a rubber adjustment band, all of which I will address shortly.

Taking It For A Test Swim

When I first put it on, I immediately noticed how tight the fit is. Part of the reason is the very short cord, which makes sense since it's aimed at swimmers, joggers, and other active exercisers. The medium sized earbuds were perfect for me, though not terrible comfortable. When you add a swimcap, or the rubber adjustment device though, they can be painfully snug. I found it was slightly easier on the ears to have the cord coming around the sides of your ears rather than over them, but this is not always practical.

One of the things I've learned from my husband is that for these types of headphones to work right and sound good, you need to have a nice, tight fit. This not only keeps water out, but keeps sound in. If there are leaks, your bass will be very weak and the music will sound like it's coming from a distant old-timey radio. With a decent fit, I thought these sounded alright outside of the water, though nothing to write home about.

Underwater, the sound was surprisingly good, though still nothing to write home about. The bass is solid, but the treble is a little high for my taste. The volume isn't great, but it was definitely enough. I like to zone almost everything out, lock in with the rhythm of the music and swim laps, and this device was good enough to help me do that without any hiccups. It was loud enough to tune out the rhythmic swishing in-and-out of my head as I did each stroke, and didn't crap out even when I swam under the water. (It should be noted, however, that users are specifically warned against using it in salt water, which will corrode it.)

A Couple Technical Considerations

The Sony Waterproof Walkman has an amazingly fast charge time. They claim a 3 minute charge will keep it going for an hour, and I believe that. I usually leave it plugged in for an hour or so (if I don't forget about it), and I've never ever had it die on me. To test the life I used it all day at work, and it kept going until I got back home.

On the other hand, that charge requires the special USB dock instead of a micro-usb or anything else I can share with other gadgets. This is no big deal if I'm going straight from home to the pool, but it means I can't charge it or change the songs unless I bring my laptop with me.

The controls are well designed and fairly intuitive. Because there's limited space, buttons have dual uses. For example, you can tap a button to move to the next song, or hold it down to move to the next folder, which is super convenient if you have each album in a folder like I do. It's iTunes and Windows Media Player compatible, though I usually just drag and drop from Windows Explorer. It's pretty much plug and play, too, so you don't have to mess around trying to install and wrangle a bunch of software to get it working.

On the other hand, if you're planning on putting a swimcap over these, I advise you to set your playlist in advance. The buttons are just too small to consistantly control the device if they're under a layer of rubber.

So, Worth It Or Not So Much?

If you're looking for an underwater MP3 player to use specifically in the pool, the Sony NWZW273 Waterproof Walkman is a decent option. They sound alright and they work underwater, which is all many people are looking for. However, there are better options if those aren't your precise criteria.

For those of you after headphones you're only going to use for exercise outside of the water, I like the Motorola S10-HD (read my husband's review of those here). They won't work in the pool, but they stand up to heavy sweat and even rain, they sound good, fit comfortably and they're bluetooth so they're cordless and will work with your phone. They're also a little bit cheaper than the NWZ-W273.

If you're looking for an MP3 player you can use anywhere, including in the water, I actually recommend what my husband has been using, which is a waterproofed Apple iPod Shuffle. Since you have a choice of headphones, it's easier get a more comfortable fit and better sound than what the Waterproof Walkman has to offer, whether it's in the pool with swimming headphones or on the street with big over-the-ear style cans.

But you don't have to take my word for it- See what other reviewers are saying or check it out for yourself over at amazon.com!