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The H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones are a unique pair of bone-conduction headphones designed specifically for winter sports enthusiasts. As the name suggests, they are completely waterproof and can be fully submerged, making them ideal for activities like skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and more. The open-ear bone conduction design allows you to listen to music and podcasts while still being able to hear your surroundings for safety. What makes these headphones truly special is the built-in MP3 player, which lets you load up to 1000 songs directly onto the headphones so you can listen without a phone. The Snowpro aims to provide audio entertainment during outdoor winter adventures, without compromising situational awareness.
About H20 Audio
H20 Audio is a company that specialises in waterproof audio products, from waterproof cases to fully waterproof headphones. Founded in 2003 in San Diego, California, H20 Audio caters to active lifestyles and water sports. Their focus is on developing innovative products that allow people to listen to music anywhere, even underwater. H20 Audio was one of the first companies to popularise waterproof MP3 players with the H20 iPod Shuffle back in 2006. Since then, they have continued to create rugged, high-quality audio gear built to withstand water, snow, mud and more. Their products have been proven over years of use by athletes, adventurers, and water sports enthusiasts around the world.
Specifications / Features
It is worth noting that the H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones are essentially the same as the H20 Audio Tri Pro with Playlist+but a different colour.
- Open Ear Experience: Open ear bone conduction speakers keep your ears open to your surroundings while you listen to your tunes.
- 100% Waterproof: Snow, Sleet, slush, and hot tubs- No problem. The SnowPRO headphones use H2O Audio waterproof technology. These headphones can withstand submersed to 12’/3.6m underwater for an unlimited amount of time. Waterproof Rating: IPX8.
- MP3 Player: Built in MP3 player with 8GB of memory will hold several thousands of songs and accepts most music formats- including the iTunes .M4A.
- Bluetooth: Connect your iPhone, Android or any music enabled smart watch- and enjoy the slopes and mountains with streaming music. Note Bluetooth range under water is only a few inches.
- Battery Life: 5 Hours of play time should cover most ski days. Battery life will vary based on use. Charging time ~2h.
- Secure Fit: The neck band provides a secure and comfortable fit with all day comfort. Compatible with helmets and hats too.
Design
The H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones feature a sleek and ergonomic design that prioritises comfort and functionality. The bone conduction technology employed by these headphones allows for an open-ear experience, keeping users aware of their surroundings while enjoying their favourite tunes. This is particularly important for outdoor activities where situational awareness is crucial for safety.
The headphones are lightweight, weighing in at just 30 grams (1 oz), ensuring a comfortable fit during extended periods of use. The secure fit provided by the neckband design ensures that the headphones stay in place, even during intense physical activities. The Snowpro headphones are also compatible with helmets and hats, making them versatile for various sports and outdoor adventures.
As far as the fit goes, I have a relatively large hard, but I found the fit quite loose. You obviously don’t have to worry about these falling off, but the placement of the transducers will affect the overall sound quality.
Controls – Switching between MP3 and Bluetooth
Controlling the H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones is straightforward and intuitive. The headphones feature three buttons located on the right-hand side for power, playback, volume control, and switching between the MP3 and Bluetooth modes.
Switching between the MP3 player and Bluetooth mode is as simple as pressing the play button twice. This allows users to seamlessly transition from listening to their stored music to streaming music from their smartphones or other Bluetooth-enabled devices. The convenience of this feature ensures that users have the flexibility to choose their preferred music source without any hassle.
The MP3 functionality is also essential for swimming.
H2O Audio app
To enhance the user experience and provide additional functionality, H20 Audio offers a dedicated app that complements the Snowpro headphones. The H20 Audio app allows users to manage their music library, create playlists, and adjust settings for an optimal listening experience.
Loading MP3 Files onto the Headphones
Loading MP3 files onto the H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones is a straightforward process. Users have multiple options for transferring their music onto the headphones, depending on their preferences and available resources.
One unique option is the Playlist+ function. This basically records music that you play on your phone and, therefore, allows you to record content from streaming services. It is a bit of a time-consuming and convoluted process as you have to play a playlist to load the music onto your headphones. You will then have to edit the recorded track to name it appropriately, and each recording is one MP3 rather than broken down into individual music files. This will work with any streaming app such as Spotify, YouTube Music and Tidal.
While this is not an ideal solution, it allows you to load music without the expense of buying digital copies, ripping CDs or acquiring them illegally.
Alternatively, if you have the physical files, the magnetic USB charging cable works as a data cable and the headphones can mount as USB storage for you to drag and drop. Transfer speed is very slow, but faster than the previous method.
In Use – Outdoor Fitness Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality, the H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones delivers a good audio experience, both on dry land and in water.
The bone conduction technology used in these headphones ensures that users can enjoy their music without blocking their ears, allowing them to maintain situational awareness during outdoor activities.
As previously mentioned, the placement of the transduces will affect the sound quality. I found that the neckband needs to sit horizontally to put them in the best position for sound quality, but the relatively loose fit makes it easy to knock them out of place. This issue is true for all bone conduction headphones, but competing options have a slightly tighter fit, and the Creative Outlier Free Pro Plus has a hinged transducer, allowing you to customise the fit.
If you are wearing a ski/snowboard helmet and goggles, the fit shouldn’t be an issue as these will likely hold the headphones in place against your head. Similarly, with swimming, your goggles should also do the trick.
As always with bone conduction, the sound quality is never as good as in-ear earphones, but as far as bone conduction goes, these sound good.
The sound profile of the Snowpro headphones offers a balanced mix of treble, mids, and bass. The bass is particularly punchy, adding depth and richness to the music. The mids and vocals come through clearly, ensuring that every note and lyric is crisp and well-defined. The treble is well-balanced, adding brightness to the overall sound without overpowering the other frequencies.
In Use – Swimming / Underwater Sound Quality
The main selling point of the H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones is the IPX8 rating, allowing them to be used under water.
The built-in MP3 player is essential for streaming Bluetooth underwater is not practical. As far as I am aware, it is only the H20 Audio Snowpro/Tri and Creative Outlier Free Pro/Pro Plus that have both Bluetooth and MP3, giving you the flexibility to use them as normal Bluetooth headphones or the MP3 player for swimming. The Shokz Openwim are limited to MP3 only (and costs significantly more).
The bone conduction technology allows for clear and audible sound even while submerged in water. Whether you’re swimming laps in the pool or enjoying a session of water aerobics, these headphones provide a reliable and immersive audio experience.
It’s worth noting that the sound quality does slightly diminish when underwater, as the water acts as a medium for sound transmission. However, the Snowpro headphones still deliver decent sound quality, ensuring that users can enjoy their music while staying active in the water.
Battery Life
The battery life of the H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones is adequate for most workout sessions with up to 5 hours playtime, but I’d regard it as quite poor overall.
In comparison, the Creative Outlier Free Pro/Pro Plus lasts up to 10 hours. Most of the Shokz headphones last 8 hours.
While 5 hours will be fine for most scenarios, these are advertised for snow sports, where you may be on the slopes for a full day. Similarly, the Tri-Multisport model is only going to last long enough for sprint and Olympic triathlon distances. The average Half Ironman finish time is about 6 hours.
Charging the headphones is a relatively quick process, taking approximately 2 hours for a full recharge.
Price and Alternative Options
The H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ have an RRP of £144 but was discounted to £128 at the time of writing and is available directly from H20 Audio. The Tri Pro Multi-Sport with Playlist+ were also the same price (because they are the same headphones).
The Tri Pro model is also available from Amazon for £130.
There is a more affordable H2O Audio TRI Multi-Sport model which lacks the Playlist+ which also has some differences with the speaker/transducer design. These are available for just £80.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H2O Audio TRI PRO Multi-Sport Headphones - Offline &... |
£129.99 | Buy on Amazon | |
| H2O Audio TRI Multi-Sport Waterproof Bone Conduction... |
£84.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The biggest problem H20 Audio have is the existence of the Creative Outlier Free Pro/Pro Plus.
Creative lacks Playlist+, so it will be harder/impossible to get music from Spotify to the headphones. There are tools to rip Spotify, but these will have questionable legality and will require an upfront payment. For example, TuneFab Spotify Music Converter costs $15 and requires you to run it on a Windows PC or Mac.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creative - Outlier Free Pro Plus Bone Conductor Headphones |
£119.99 | Buy on Amazon |
The Creative Outlier Free Pro+ have an RRP of £120 but, at the time of writing, were just £90 directly from Creative. The hinged transducer gives you greater control of the fit and sound quality and significantly better battery.
The Creative Outlier Free Pro have an RRP of just £90 and, at the time of writing, were £70.
Overall
The H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones are a good pair of bone-conduction headphones.
With the correct placement, the sound quality is good, and the IPX8 rating plus MP3 player make these a highly versatile pair of sports headphones.
The Playlist+ function is unique and provides you with a relatively easy way to get Spotify tracks saved onto the headphones for offline use.
It is unfortunate for H20 Audio that Creative launched the Outlier Free Pro models this year, as I would have said these are the best bone-conduction headphones suitable for swimming and water sports.
However, it is hard to ignore the price disparity between these and the Outlier Free Pro models. In my opinion, the Creative Outlier Free Pro+ with the adjustable fit end up being a better choice.
H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ Headphones Review
Summary
The H20 Audio Snowpro with Playlist+ headphones are a good pair of bone-conduction headphones. With the correct placement, the sound quality is good, and the IPX8 rating plus MP3 player make these a highly versatile pair of sports headphones. However, competing options from Creative are better value for money.
Overall
72%-
Features - 80%80%
-
Sound Quality / Fit - 75%75%
-
Price - 60%60%
Pros
- IPX8 rating and MP3 player make these one of the few headphones you can use for swimming
- Bluetooth makes the useful for sports on dry land
- Good sound (when fitted properly)
- Playlist+ function is a handy unique function to record Spotify playlists to the headphones
Cons
- High price vs Creative Outlier Free Pro/Pro Plus
- Fit is a bit loose
- Poor battery
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
