For cycling enthusiasts, this MP3 player from Korean manufacturers, Soap, is one of the most versatile we’ve seen. It weighs just 30g, has 2GB of memory, clips into a Soap beanie (with built-in headphones) for personal listening or via ear-buds under a helmet. It even attaches to a Soap bike headlight/speaker box for sharing your tunes (even though it’s directed at the rider). At only 1cm wide and 5cm in diameter, it doesn’t take up much space either.
Download your music onto it via USB 2.0 and you’ll see why we were impressed by this clever Soap music player when we spotted it at iRex in Japan recently. There’s even a Bluetooth module that lets you listen wirelessly through your preferred headphones and the Li-ion battery provides around eight hours of listening pleasure.
The Sports Bike Audio unit attaches to the handle bars and has two 20W speakers that should be loud enough to drown out your grunts and groans as you power along under your own steam and is also probably a safer option than headphones for city cycling. The built-in headlight is no under-performer either, with two 1W LED beams making sure you don’t get lost in the dark.
Pricing and availability still to be confirmed on this model.
