Headphones. By Adidas?
Yes, that’s right: headphones by Adidas. Recently Adidas joined Sennheiser in a collaborative effort to create sport-specific headphones. They are in no way the first to take this on, but in my eyes, they’re the first to get it right.
It makes sense as these are two of the best known companies in their field: Adidas — as a long standing name when it comes to sports, and Sennheiser — as a manufacturer with a great reputation for superior sound quality. Put the two together and you get a sweat proof, stay-in-your-ear, great-sounding sport headphone.
The line covers many different models, from in-ear, to behind the neck, and all come equipped with a sweat proof headphone and kevlar cabling to ensure they don’t tear under the stress of playing hard. Check out the complete line of Sennheiser products here.
Now all of the above looks great on paper, but what about the real world? What about mountain biking, running, hitting the gym, and all the other fun sports we partake in (except swimming — unfortunately, they’re not fully waterproof)? How do they work in these environments?
Recently I got the Sennheiser CX680i to see how they worked while mountain biking. They’re better than advertised and I was blown away by one feature in particular: fins.
Two versions include a new fin system that holds the headphone in your ear. I’ve used countless headphones while biking from $25 Skullcandy units to $200 Shure units and haven’t ever had something as comfortable as these. Bombing down the hill over roots, rock gardens, and off jumps they never came out. One thing I will add is that it’s worth taking the time to try the different size fins and ear pieces they include to get the right fit.
If you’re a discouraged athlete who has never found the right headphone, I believe you’ll be as impressed as I am.
Questions? Click here or on my name at the beginning of the article.
