Sony NW-WS413 Waterproof All-in-One MP3 Player, 4 GB - Black

Good product

I feel compelled to attempt to address what I've seen to be the biggest concerns/ misgivings about this product: the volume and what can be done about it.I've been after a waterproof MP3 player for some time, specifically for swimming, and after researching the competitors, I felt that this one provided the best all-round features. However, the mixed reviews on whether the volume is good enough seems to have been debated for some time so the purchase was a cautious one. There was also a lot of uncertainty/ lack of clarity on a number of different features and points, which again, I'll attempt to address below.Having run (and swum) it through its paces, I can confirm, in my opinion, that the volume CAN be really good, with the following understandings and potential, easy, tweaks:- Out of the box, the AVLS (Automatic Volume Limiter System) is disabled. If you're not sure if AVLS is on or not, turn the volume up as high as it can go. If you hear a series of beeps, it's off.I did not know this at the time, and so managed to turn AVLS on (more detail below) without realising. This resulted in a very underwhelming walk where the sound of my footsteps far exceeded playback at 'top' volume - at this stage, I figured the volume was as poor as some people have said and I was contemplating a return.- Turning AVLS on and off - the instructions advise that AVLS can be turned on and off by holding down the forward button and volume up button at the same time for around five seconds (whilst playback is paused). The battery indicator will then apparently flash a couple of times to confirm success. For the life of me, I could not get this to properly work. After attempting for a while, I apparently succeeded but then couldn't turn it off again.If this happens to you, reset the device to factory settings by holding the power button down for 17 seconds or so. You won't lose your music, and AVLS will be off once more.- With AVLS off, the volume at max is fair. However, to really get the most out of it, I would implore you to download any free program online that lets you increase the 'normal' dB of your track/ audio book/ podcast. It's incredibly easy to do and I did not notice any decline in quality after doing so.With AVLS off, and your track's dB slightly upped, the volume is absolutely fine - on the verge of being almost too loud on max, actually. Put it this way - when swimming lengths in a public pool (whilst a class did aqua-aerobics to the music of ABBA), I was able to listen to an audio book without the slightest hindrance.I won't go into much detail at all about other features as I feel they've been adequately covered already - in short, battery life seems fair, the product is light, fits very well and doesn't let any water in (providing you choose your buds carefully). All in all, a really good price for a really good waterproof MP3. Please do not be put off by negative comments on volume. If you're clued up and prepared to put in the slightest amount of work to get the most out of the system, you'll be happy.

I've had a pair of these headphones for many years as I swim every week. I used only had 2 pairs for about 6 years as each one needed to be replaced. I got a new for Christmas (2023) that lasted 1 month, returned it and got another one that lasted 2 weeks. I got a refund on that and both a 3rd one which lasted 3 months and then completely died. Unfortunately I've found it very difficult to return it and get a refund. I've purchased different headphones for swimming. :(

If you work in Bluetooth sensitive areas then these could be for you. I haven’t tried them swimming as I didn’t buy them for that purpose. Bear in mind that you will need a computer to put music onto them and because of that you will need a source of downloaded music. They lose a star for their comfort because after about 40 mins, the solid plastic design of the in ear part starts to hurt. You couldn’t wear these all day.

Good

I bought this now about a year ago and have been using it about 2 - 3 times a week since. It's still going strong! Love it.Initially, I was appalled by the sound quality and was to write a negative review to that respect, like some others did. But I figured that the earbuds are the problem so I swapped them for some other ones I had at home and ... BOOM!!! Problem solved!Also, there is virtually no bleed. So nobody will get disturbed by Till Lindemann and Rob Zombie screaming into my ear.

UPDATE: Increased my rating from 1 start to 2 (see comments in discussion below as to the why)Original Review:Like many others have said (and I am not sure why I missed these reviews BEFORE buying - hopefully you won't do the same), when it comes to swimming these headphones are basically a rather expensive set of earplugs.If you're listening to an audiobook or a podcast the speakers voice is virtually inaudible and all you will hear is the sound of your arms splashing in and out of the water. Between pauses you might catch a word but that's not really a great end user experience is it. Certainly not what you'd expect at that price point. For music I suppose it's fine as it is equivalent to hearing a song playing in the distance, but useless for spoken dialogue. Not tried them with running but I have another much cheaper set for that anyway which is Bluetooth and it means I can use my phone and avoid all this copying files to device malarkey. So the one thing I actually needed these for it turns out they can't do, yay. Others have mentioned using the non waterproof earbuds (which sounds risky to me) or manually increasing the audio gain of your files (which sounds like another hassle), but I am thinking I might just return them tbh... They do block the water from getting in your ears though! Well done Sony