Freestyle Audio 512MB Sport Review

imgp0692.jpg

The Freestyle Audio Sport is the perfect solution for any athlete whose playing field is in or around water. The FA can be submerged up to 10 feet and still deliver a healthy dose of tunes for you to get jacked up on. Rather than shelling out a few hundred bucks for an iPod and then getting a waterproof case, which turns your arm into something out of a sci-fi flick, take a look at Freestyle Audio. If you’re still unsure then keep reading for a full on review.

The FA plays music that much is obvious, so let’s get away from that and focus on some other things. But before I do, I will humor you with some deets. My review unit is 512MB but a 1GB model is the standard now. Getting music on and off the FA is simple with drag and drop via USB. There’s even a playlist software kit for PC owners. Woohoo. I think.

The waterproof earplugs are what really make this particular MP3 player stand out from others. They’re not the most comfortable things I’ve put in my ears, but you get three different sizes to choose to ensure a good fit. The adjustable over-ear wraps were sufficient enough to keep the earplugs in when tumbling under water, which I did quite often. The sound quality is sub-par, so I wouldn’t expect to hear every note as crisp as you’d like. When you’re under water that’s the least of your worries anyways. Audiophiles can just suck it up and deal.

The actual unit is a bit larger than an iPod nano, but the neoprene armband keeps it in place and I never really noticed it was there until I wanted to switch songs. There are four rubber nipples that were easy to find and operate. The two nips on the right control the volume, while the two on the left play, stop, or skip your tracks. It’s also super lightweight and shockproof. The rechargeable battery held up well and pumped out about 38 hours of playback off a single charge. Niiiiice.

Overall, I wasn’t overly impressed by the sound quality or the comfort of the FA DMP, but it does exactly what it’s advertised to do. It plays my music when I’m in the water and doesn’t come ripping out of my ears when I take a tumble. It’s also a hell of a lot lighter than any other waterproof player I’ve encountered. Like I said before, it’s way cheaper to get this then spend money on an iPod and then getting it outfitted for the water. You can even use it on dry land and use a better set of ‘phones to put your audiophile at bay. It’s easy to use, versatile and fairly inexpensive.