Nu Dolphin Touch Pro

Much like Simon Cowell’s black loo roll, underwater MP3 players beg the question: are they really necessary?

This MP3 from NU Dolphin itself is small, slick and stylish but just the wrong side of fiddly for this tester’s larger fingers. The music download was fast and easy once you’ve converted iTunes to MP3 files.

So down to the pool; strap it on, earphones in and push off listening to ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’. An ironic song choice given both earphones were trailing behind after five metres. Keeping the earphones in properly (swim hat or not) while swimming is the biggest problem but, once they’re in your ear, the sound quality is adequate with limited bass, and fades in and out when breathing.

This sound quality seems inferior to the Speedo Aquabeat 2.0 but where the Nu Dolphin has the advantage over its market contenders is the FM radio, which is an excellent addition that worked well, was clear and easy-to-use. Another nice touch is the quick-charge feature that’ll allow provide two hours of playback with just 5mins of charging (when fully charged the player will provide 13hrs of charging).

£99.99 is a lot to pay for a swim and run device when there are cheaper MP3s on the market to use for running. So is it a bit of kit I personally can do without? Yes, a bit like that music mogul’s black loo roll. But, if you’re in the market for a swim MP3, this is a stylish gizmo for those who can’t do without music.

Author: Alan Rapley

This is an extended review of the one that featured in issue 274 of 220 Triathlon

Contact : www.3wisemonkeys.co.uk