Originally began looking for a fully water_proof_ MP3 player to use for running in less-than terrific weather and obstacle course competitions. Truth-be-told there weren't and still aren't a lot of great options that come in at a reasonable price. Diver's product options are some of the few, and after some comparative shopping around, and even considering the waterproof "case" options for pre-existing MP3 players, went with the 4GB player.
The specific model I got was the "Everything I Need" edition - it was waterproof and played music. 4GB gets you between 800-1000 songs roughly, depending on song length and bitrate which should be more than enough for doing any activity the player is designed for. A huge worthy note here is that the player works as a simple removable hard drive - same as a USB thumbdrive or similar - and all you do is plug it in to the computer you want to transfer songs from and it comes up as an accessible drive. From there its all a matter of copy/pasting any songs you want on to the player - so good Lord yes that means no bloat-a-riffic software or hard to find drivers or anything of that sort - the thing is plug-n-play all the way. For the tech-heads, it is of course formatted FAT, but given that it functions as removable storage NTFS is an option.
The earbuds come with interchangeable "buds" that are likely intended to keep out water depending on the type of activity the user is doing - more shallow buds for using in rain, to longer deeper buds for swimming - but double more aptly so to help the user find the most comfortable to their ear shape. As can be seen from the pics, the earbud cable is coiled and stretches as required to keep annoying cable tentacled attacks at an absolute minimum (which might be worth getting the unit in and of itself). Mids and highs sound great with lows/bass taking a backseat but no more than would be expected for buds or in this pricing range. Lastly, as far as the earbuds, the around-the-ear pieces that come with the unit are adjustable/extendable to help with varying ear sizes and the whole mystery of connected/unconnected lobes.
I have used the player while swimming and horseplay-diving in a normal 3-6ft pool and had zero problems whatsoever with anything of note. The unit, as expected, is unaffected by shakes, slams, jolts, dives, rolls, barrel-rolls more than likely, fire-walking most definitely, etc. I realize there's varying comments in the reviews but in my use the earbuds stayed in place and sound was not altered going underwater. Similarly, in my case, I tend to be particularly sensitive to water and air pressure, and both having whats basically earplugs in as well as sound vibrating in my ear, seemed to help tremendously. The only downside to the player that I've experienced so far is the same one that is reiterated in many of the reviews here, that being the lack of some sort of simple shuffle. It's exceptionally minor and I was well aware of it when I purchased the product so no subbing stars for it, but when used for extended periods it would be so so terrifically nice to have. Definitely something I hope gets added to future models.
The real test for me will be next year as these were purchased to be used primarily in Reebok Spartan obstacle course races. My team and I have completed dozens of obstacle course competitions, multiples of the varying Spartan challenges, and are multi-Trifecta completionists. Anyone who's done one can tell you that "lengthy" and "grueling" sometimes dont even begin to cover. In doing one last year, I came close to getting hypothermia from the weather. My significant other started playing music on the phone and I instantly felt so much better - music has that kinda magic to it as we all know. Hence my search for a player that was lite, simple, could hold a few hours of music, and especially _waterproof_ was begun. I settled on Diver's because it served every one of those purposes plus a few I didnt think about until I got and tried the product. So far its only been a few months, and I've yet to take this bad girl to the depths of Hades like I plan to next year but so far I couldn't be happier with it!
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Reviews with images
Nice little gadget!
I have had it about a month now and use it twice a week for about 3 hours per use.At first glance it looks too small to be durable but yet it feels solid and seems like it could survive many drops from about 5 ft (I wear it clipped to a neck strap). The instructions were brief and felt more like a "Quick Start Guide" but this devise does not have many functions and so was adequate.Now about the functions. In an effort to be easily waterproofed it has very few buttons, switches, ports, etc. This player does not have all the bells and whistles like a FM radio or voice recorder as that would necessitate more buttons or a display with a menu to toggle through. The rechargeable battery is internal and not user replaceable. The 4 GB memory is internal and not expandable. The dongle for USB charging and loading music on the player gets plugged into the 3.5 mm headphone jack so, yes, there is only one hole on this thing. I guess it could function as a waterproof flash drive.Again with the minimalistic, the buttons they do have, have multiple uses each that can take a couple of uses to commit to memory. Remember this tiny devise is clipped to your strap, lapel, goggles, ball cap or sunglasses so pushing a button is done by feel alone. I started feeling for which side the cord came out for general orientation.This player has no shuffle or mix option. The order music is put on the devise is the order it will play in. My computer organizes lists in a 'My Music' file folder alphabetically by default so music is put on the player in that order. I suppose I could take the time to rename songs with numbers at the beginning but... its not that big of a deal for me. I have had other players that when turned back on the next day it starts at the beginning again but this one is not like that. When I turn it back on it starts where I left off. Definitely a plus for audiobook use.The headphones sound decent enough for a set that came with something and are nothing special. I do not think they will last long but I have never had any that I would rate well. The way they go around the ear is mildly painful after about 2 hours of wear as I wear them with sunglasses. The cord is short so you can be active and not snag on things and is even coiled in some of the length.The battery is definitely not an area that they skimped on and holds a charge well as I still have not had to charge it since initial set up.Pros:small sizelightweightlong batteryCons:no shuffletypical mediocre "supplied headphones"multifunction buttons can be confusingI use mostly for yard work and only mildly get wet so I can not speak for the underwater sound. I also have not tried to use on a Mac or with LinuxOverall I feel this lacks flair but as long as you are not a techie it is still a good buy for the price and I would recommend it to others as I have seen waterproof players going for a lot more.I received a product in advance for an unbiased review.
