H2O Audio IE2-BK Surge 2G Waterproof Earbuds - Black/Blue

 (63 customer reviews)

I have the previous edition Surge and these. There are several improvements, one of which is that these have a nominal 8 ohm impedance, whereas the earlier ones were 16 ohms. What that means, with an iPod at least, is that they will play a bit louder.

NO LEAKS folks!* Many size cushions included... try the size that fits the tightest first. And don't assume your ears are the same size! I use a L in my right and an XL in my left.

Make sure you ears are squeaky clean before sticking these in. Common sense.*(see edit below)

Nifty thing to note, and this is true of other brands I have tried, they get get louder and have more bass reponse the deeper you go. Not that that matters for swimming laps, and you shouldn't go more than a few feet deep with any earphone, but it is a neat effect.

* EDIT: 12/2011: OK, I have since the first review (9 months, about 150 workouts) had a few (very few) leaks. If you do get water in these, you will...Read more

After doing a little research on waterproof headphones I was very skeptical because of the varied results from users. However, as with anything, I decided to pick the item I thought to be the best and go with it to see for myself. The H2O Audio Surge 2 headphones worked as advertised and did not disappoint. It took me no longer to get setup than it did putting on my goggles. I wound the excess cord around my goggle band and clipped my waterproof iPod shuffle (another outstanding purchase!) to the band as well and off I went. The clarity was perfect for about 35 minutes when I got a little water in my left ear and the sound went out on that side, but the sound and clarity were still there in my right ear (which is the reason I gave only 4 stars). I did stop to clear the water from my left ear and the sound came back. I don't know if that is typical of all waterproof headphones, but I was happy just to hear music while I was submersed! It made my workout ten times more enjoyable than...Read more

I had the original over-ear H20 headphones, and hated them - they slipped off my ears and I had to re-set them every few laps. I'm happy to report that these are super comfortable, fit nicely in-ear (I used the small size buds) without leakage, and even with a 45-minute swim, I never had to re-adjust. I would buy these again in a heartbeat. Oh yeah, and the sound was very nice: no ambient noise got in.