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This article was taken from the August 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Our team of synchronised swimmers assessed the MP3 players for comfort, ease of use and sound quality, while wearing the devices during a routine performed at the University of Surrey's swimming pool.
This player can be adjusted to the size of your head, and the earphones also come with a choice of plug size. That said, the playback controls, above and beneath each earpiece, are tiny and it can be hard to avoid pressing the wrong button. The sound also seemed a little bassy, but overall, this fared well. £74.95
Storage: 8GB
Battery life: 8hrs
Weight: 29g
Depth: 2m
Display: No
7/10
Chilli's device claims to do the same job as the Walkman for nearly half the price. These aren't as comfortable, and you need to press the earpieces deep into the ear to get them to stay put, plus you can't adjust the frame. The controls are hard to get your fingers around in the water, and the sound tended towards the tinny. It also gave up the ghost after just a few minutes underwater. £40 "I found them difficult to keep in my ears. And then they stopped working altogether."
Storage: 4GB
Battery life: 10hrs
Weight: 20g
Depth: 3m
Display: No
3/10
You'll need to use the Finis with a swim hat or goggles to clip the earpieces on to, so they fit against your cheekbones. These then use bone conduction to transmit the soundinto your inner ear.
The control panel clips on behind your head, but its big buttons are easy to hit. It's loud too, no matter how hard you're thrashing around. £138 "It's comfy, but the screen is on the back of your head; I had to get a friend to change tracks."
Storage: 4GB
Battery life: 8hrs
Weight: 70g
Depth: 3m
Display: Yes
8/10
The Aquabeat is based around a rubbery box that can clip to your costume or an armband, from which runs a cord connecting standard-looking earphones. The simple controls are easy to use, but the earpieces must be screwed disagreeably deeply into your ears.The cord brushes against you as you move, and it doesn't feel as comfortable as its wireless equivalents, but we can't fault the sound. £59 "I don't like the wire -- it always seemed to get in the way while I was swimming."
Storage: 4GB
Battery life: 9hrs
Weight: 40g
Depth: 3m
Display: No
5/10
A smart-looking, sleek metallic tube, the TOUCH PRO uses specialised clips for attaching to your swimsuit or goggles.
Although these work well, they don't feel very robust. The touch-sensitive controls weren't always very responsive, and the FM radio reception soon cut out deeper down. The sound quality was good overall, however. £93
Storage: 4GB
Battery life: 2hrs
Weight: 45g
Depth: 5m
Display: Yes
6/10
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
