Courtesy of On Course Strategies, Westport, Connecticut.
FX-Sport recently launched a pair of patented and innovative VRX Swimming Headphones.
The VRX are a lightweight, water resistant set of wireless headphones with a 8GB MP3 player and hundreds of workouts. Founder Duncan Walsh, a former professional squash player, explains, “Users can create their own workouts in their own words and race against a virtual athlete. All workout messages play automatically at designated times over the user’s own music.”
FX-Sport offers a waterproof Silicone Skin Accessory, sold separately, for swimmers. Walsh says, “A swimmer would then wear the supplied silicone putty earplugs underneath the headphones. These will block water from entering the ears, but will allow sound to come through. A custom swim cap is also supplied which keeps everything secure.”
In addition to the pre-loaded swimming workouts, a stroke rate pacemaker and a lap pacemaker, the VRX offers the following options:
1. Hear a voice coach continuously saying “stroke, stroke…” for your choice of stroke rate per minute ranging from 50 to 90 strokes per minute (without music).
2. 15 seconds of a stroke voice coach, followed by either 1 minute or 2 minutes worth of your music.
3. 30 seconds of a stroke voice coach, followed by 2 minutes worth of your music.
4. Option to have a voiced Lap Time Pacemaker for each length, ranging from 17 seconds to 35 seconds per length. Time notifications are cumulative and will count the lengths. So for example: “25 seconds, 1 length…50 seconds, 2 lengths…1 minute 15, 3 lengths…” etc. with your music between time notifications.
Walsh explains, “We use the silicone skin to provide the waterproofing because fully waterproofing the device itself always results in music quality compromises. Any audio device which is fully waterproof always compromises on music quality. The VRX itself is still water and sweat resistant, but will allow air to the speakers to produce great bass. The protective silicone case contains air, so a type of micro environment is created. The silicone putty earplugs then work to block water entering the ear canal, but will allow sound through.
We believe this is the most sophisticated methodology for listening to music while swimming and feedback from an increasing number of customers has reinforced this.”
The VRX retails for $159 here. The silicone skin swimming accessory retails for $25 here.
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