I’ve been using the Sony NW-WS410 underwater headphones for about a year now, mostly for swimming laps. While they have some good features, they ultimately fall short in a crucial area: volume.
Pros
MP3 Storage: Since Bluetooth doesn’t work well underwater, the built-in storage is a useful feature. No need to worry about connectivity issues.
Decent Battery Life: It’s not outstanding, but it lasts long enough for my workouts.
Waterproof & Secure Fit: They stay in place well, even during freestyle, and hold up to regular exposure to water.
Cons
Disappointing Volume Level: Even at max volume, I can barely hear anything while swimming. It makes the experience frustrating, especially in a noisy pool.
Lackluster Sound Quality: Even when I can hear it, the audio isn’t great. It sounds muffled compared to regular headphones.
Limited Use Outside the Pool: Since it’s MP3-only, you can’t stream music or use them easily for other activities.
Overall, while they’re better than nothing, they don’t make swimming as enjoyable as I’d hoped. If Sony could increase the volume, they’d be much more useful. As they are now, I wouldn’t recommend them, especially for serious swimmers who need music to stay engaged during long workouts.
@Zenith
Wait, do you loop them over your ears then? I have the shokz but my ears are under my cap so I kind of shove the strap up and inside so to speak. It’s uncomfortable and at times painful but I deal with it since I am only doing 30-minute swims right now.
@Firth
I put the shokz on, over my ears as normal, then I put my cap on which covers the tips of my ears. Sometimes it’s a little annoying but maybe it’s better with the cap less far down the ears?
Conley said:
For anyone who’s used Shokz, can you use them outside the water as well, for runs?
Mine have become my default headphones. I wear them for nearly everything. When I want more isolation, I wear my Shokz with loop ear plugs and it’s great!
Conley said:
For anyone who’s used Shokz, can you use them outside the water as well, for runs?
Absolutely you can. I love the bone conduction technology. I use mine for all workouts since they are waterproof so I don’t worry about sweat, and they hook over the ear so they stay in place very well.
Conley said:
For anyone who’s used Shokz, can you use them outside the water as well, for runs?
I’m wearing Open Swim Pros right now listening to a boom while my daughter is sleeping on my chest. They’re my default because I still have external perception that buds or normal headphones don’t give.
Conley said:
For anyone who’s used Shokz, can you use them outside the water as well, for runs?
Yes, I have the OpenSwim Pro and it comes with two modes: Standard and swimming. Standard mode works well outside of water (of course swimming mode excels underwater).
Did you use earplugs with the headphones when in the water? I know the Shokz tell you to use them and it helps a ton. When I pull the ear plugs out, I cannot hear anything usually.
