Product Review - Dolphin waterproof MP3 player

I love Chinese electronics!  I buy a lot of things on eBay and get great deals most of the time. This is definitely an example of that. Last year we started swimming more, more laps. I’m used to listening to something when I run and bike, swimming laps with just the water and echoing kids gets boring. I started looking for a good waterproof MP3 player and wondering if I wanted to be that geeky. After almost a year, I said I must!  Most of the popular options are waterproof iPod Shuffles for $150!  Its not that important to me. 

Looking around more, I found the Dolphin IPX8 4GB waterproof MP3 player. With headphones, charge/data cable, silicon sleeve if you want to wear it on your arm (for surfing) for less than $20!  I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve had it for several months now, swim dozens of times and it keeps going. Loading songs is slow, but how much do you have to do that. Charging is fast, its supposed to operate for 5 hours. I’ve never been in the water for more than 2, so I’ve never run out. I usually boost it if I can before a swim, 30 minutes or so if I have time. Controls are simple, on/play/pause, skip forward/back combined with volume up or down. If you press forward/vol up quickly, it skips to the next song, if you hold it the volume goes up. Its also got an FM tuner but I haven’t played with that feature yet. Its described as a simple scan to the next station.  The headphones work well, being included and with three clips, they hold well to goggle straps. Two removable zip ties, attach the tube shape MP3 player to your goggle straps. As a double benefit, the headphones are also good ear plugs if you don’t like water in your ear given the flanges. They come with a couple sizes to fit your ears and are tapered. I’m not sure of the sound quality, but in the water, I’m not sure how picky you can be there. Your in the water, listening to music. The player shuffles songs, skipping is easy if you hear something come on that you don’t want to hear right now. Given your in the water, they don’t work two feet under, so if you’re a diver, these headphones won’t work. You need air to push the sound, its physics. But swimming laps and on the surface, they’re great! The big negative is cable management, keeping the headphone cables out of the way and in place on the goggles. Not a big deal to me, but might be for some.  I highly recommend this for swimmers who want some entertainment and can’t stand being unplugged!