In addition to being an app fanatic and technology blogger, I also work as restaurant critic; on a busy week, I’ll eat three or four-course meals four times a week, all in the name of professionalism (honestly). To avoid becoming the size of a house, I also go running at least three times a week; the idea of doing this monotonous activity without music is too much to bear, so I jumped at the chance of testing out the new Rio sports headphones from Urbanista.I received a bright yellow set of headphones and immediately limbered up for a run, discarding my current set that a friend had given me (he’d pocketed them after they’d been handed to him on a long flight, so you can just imagine the quality…). The sound quality is impressive, with a decent amount of bass audible amidst the treble and middle; as I like to play the Top Gun soundtrack whenever I do any form of exercise, I had Kenny Loggins squealing and screeching in my ears as I padded along the, “Highway to the danger zone, danger zone…”
What I was most intrigued about, however, is how they were going to stay stuck in my ears as I sprinted along the parkway; the earbuds boast a fairly unique design in that their silicone-moulded hoops slot into your ear and stay rigid even as you bounce on the spot. The sound is channelled through a small auditory canal that goes straight into the earhole, as opposed to dispersing it through a large bud, so there’s minimal sound leakage.
Running was all very well, but what about a sport with more stop and start actions? I took my headphones down to the local basketball court and started playing a little one on one with myself, Berlin blazing in my ear. The ear phones stay in place and there is no problem with them falling out; the long lead was initially an issue as I kept accidentally swiping it out of the iPod socket with my flailing hands. However, there is a miniature clip that you can use to fasten the wire to your pocket or shorts, which gets rid of this problem.
I haven’t been running in the rain yet, but the earphones are water-resistant, so bad weather isn’t going to stand in the way of my anti-fat regime.
Considering the affordable price, I’d say that these earphones are an absolute bargain; they’ve certainly allowed me to keep pigging out all week and still win in the battle against the bulge…
Price: €39.00
Link: Urbanista Rio Sports Headphones
