Sony has plenty to show at this year's CES, from cameras to cell phones and more, but one item that stands out is the Walkman Sports MP3 Player. The new waterproof music player combines a pair of earbuds with an MP3 player in a single unit, with no external device required to play tunes.
At a glance, the new MP3 player looks like a pair of large earbuds, but the two boxes on the sides actually house the entire player itself. The device has been designed with fitness in mind, making it much more comfortable to work out, jog, or swim while wearing it. With its waterproof construction, swimmers can take the MP3 player in the pool, and other users won't have to worry about it being damaged from heavy sweat. The two earbuds are also held together with a tension band that wraps around the back of the wearer's head.
Controls on the bottom of each side adjust the volume, skip through tracks, and pause/play songs. Users can load up to 4GB of music with a PC or Mac and get eight hours of playtime on a full charge. If needed, the Walkman can even play one hour of audio on just three minutes of charging. Sony also promises the earbuds will produce exceptional audio, even while underwater.
If you've ever tried swimming with a waterproof MP3 player before, you know how difficult it can be to keep it fastened to your body as the water rushes past. Sony's new MP3 player appears to strip out all the excess cables and devices to leave a much more streamlined player that won't restrict your movement when you need it most.
Sony's Walkman Sports MP3 Player will be available in blue, pink, white, and black and is set to be released in March at a price of US$99.99.
Check out the video below to see how the MP3 player holds in place during even the most intense workouts.
Source: Sony
The best, much more advanced product I have seen for top audio whilst training is the FX-Sport VR1 model which has also has a customisable personal trainer facility and race a virtual athlete functionality as well as better music navigation and 8GB. The Sony is a music player whereas the VR1 is a training device as well. For me, a level above.