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H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional: Two-minute evaluate
The H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional are presumably the very best headphones for severe swimmers. They safe onto a scarf as an alternative of getting their very own (and are very secure when in place), making them distinctive amongst H2O Audio’s choices in addition to setting them other than the remainder of our greatest swimming headphones. Since Bluetooth connectivity has hassle in water, H2O has added some options to get round that.
Pretty much as good because the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional are for swimmers, they’re most likely among the many least fascinating headphones for another objective. They solely sound good underwater – that is by design, in fact – and it’s nonetheless not fairly an audiophile expertise. And that kind issue may be very limiting. Whereas a few of our greatest working headphones record use bone conduction know-how and can be utilized in water and on land, there are different choices, even from H2O Audio, that I favor for that objective, such because the H20 Audio Tri 2 Professional, rated our greatest bone conduction headphones general.
However for his or her supposed objective, you’ll be hard-pressed to do higher than the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional. With that in thoughts, let’s dive a bit of deeper on why that’s.
Whereas I already had an thought of what to anticipate after I acquired these headphones, I used to be stunned by how small the field was – it’s not a lot greater than the field AirPods are available in – nor how small the soft-shell case inside was, which was principally the identical dimension because the field.
The precise headphones got here contained in the case together with the folded up charging cable and a pair of waterproof earplugs. The headphones themselves, moreover being pretty small, are distinctive wanting as a result of they haven’t any headband of their very own, only a thick, blue cable that goes behind one’s head connecting the drivers to one another.
The bone conduction drivers are every in black housing with a clip on the surface and three management buttons – the left has the Mode (switches between Bluetooth Mode and utilizing inner storage in Reminiscence Mode), ahead and again, whereas the precise has Play / Pause / Energy, and Quantity Up / Down.
(Picture credit score: Future / James Holland)
Since these are made for swimming, they’ve an IPX8 ranking – about pretty much as good because it will get in any shopper product not meant for the Mariana Trench – so it may be underwater “as much as 12ft/3.6m” with none restriction. When you’re contemplating these for severe diving, be warned the stress in deeper waters might have an effect on these headphones.
Additionally, for the reason that H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional are made for swimming, they arrive with a pair options meant to avoid one of many greatest hurdles for utilizing headphones whereas swimming. Bluetooth connectivity tends to turn into extra intermittent the extra water is between the supply like a wise cellphone and headphones, so these headphones include a built-in MP3 participant with 8GB of storage.
Loading music onto these headphones then is paying homage to loading music onto a cellphone as one might need carried out ten years in the past, which isn’t probably the most handy, utilizing the included charging cable and connecting the headphones to a pc. That additionally signifies that you need to have the music you need saved in playable kind like MP3 in your pc.
The H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional do have a further function to make this extra manageable that the non-Professional model doesn’t have, and that’s the Playlist+ function. This function lets the person load music onto the headphones wirelessly. Now, H2O Audio advertises this function as a option to switch a playlist, however that overcomplicates what this function truly does.
Consider the Playlist+ function like a tape recorder. Whether or not you do it via the headphones (you press the Quantity Up button twice to start out and cease recording) or the app, you principally begin the recording course of, press play on no matter music or podcast you need, after which cease it when the track is completed. It gained’t cease by itself, so you would doubtlessly have a number of songs on one monitor. One factor that I do admire is that it’ll learn the identify and track title from the supply and routinely identify the file after it. It’s a pleasant work-around, if a bit of inelegant. It’s actually a digital model of urgent ‘report’ on a boombox to make a mixtape.
No matter whether or not you’re streaming via Bluetooth or listening to an MP3 in Reminiscence Mode (aka the built-in MP3 participant), the sound high quality is similar. And it’s a bit unusual. The best way bone conduction headphones work impacts the sound high quality a bit of, since what you’re listening to is vibrating via your cheekbones into the internal ear as an alternative of really passing via your ear. So, every part sounds extra intelligible when additionally sporting the included earplugs.
(Picture credit score: Future / James Holland)
It additionally sounds clearer when underwater. The listening expertise just isn’t fairly HiFi, nonetheless. I’ve listened to H2O Audio merchandise underwater earlier than and I don’t bear in mind them being as bass-heavy. Possibly it’s intentional to make the music sound extra motivating however the low-end appears to be entrance and heart to the purpose the place a track like “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” appears like a bass solo and songs with 808 drums like hip-hop and EDM are considerably overpowered by the kick drum.
What’s unusual is that there’s no actual option to EQ the headphones in a option to offset it, particularly in the event you’re utilizing Reminiscence Mode (you’ll be able to all the time use an EQ on the cellphone for Bluetooth audio). That stated, the mids and highs are pretty clear when underwater, so if H2O Audio adjusted their app to have some form of EQ changes, I believe these headphones could be even simpler to suggest.
They’re nonetheless simple to suggest, regardless of that situation with the low-end. I haven’t actually mentioned match but, and when you’re considerably on the mercy of no matter headband you utilize, when these slip on they’re extremely secure. They don’t transfer. They don’t jiggle. I realized by struggling or thrashing my method via a pair laps in an Olympic pool to see what would occur. It is a large motive why they’re among the many greatest swimming headphones.
There’s not else to put in writing residence about relating to the H20 companion app, apart from to say that it provides you with a readout of battery life and allow you to navigate the songs saved on the gadget when in reminiscence mode. You can even begin the Playlist+ function right here.
Lastly, the 10-hour battery life doesn’t appear spectacular in comparison with what we see on the perfect wi-fi earbuds, particularly while you embody the additional costs of their carrying case – one thing you don’t get with the mushy shell case because it’s not an influence supply. However I believe it’s truly a good quantity of juice for a swimmer.
H20 Audio Sonar 2 Professional: Specs
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Part
H20 Audio Sonar 2 Professional
Drivers
Bone conduction
Energetic noise cancellation
No
Battery life
As much as 9 hours
Weight
1.0 oz (29 grams)
Connectivity
Bluetooth 5.3
Frequency vary
30Hz – 18kHz
Waterproofing
IPX8
Different options
8GB storage and MP3 participant, Playlist+, App assist
H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional: Value and availability
(Picture credit score: Future / James Holland)
- How a lot does it price? $149.99 / £117.00 / AU$234.00
- When is it obtainable? Out there now
- The place are you able to get it? Out there within the US, UK, and Australia
The H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional aren’t low-cost, however the value may be very respectable at $149.99 / £117.00 / AU$234.00. Contemplating the function set and area of interest use, I might see a better value (although I’d hope H2O Audio would give extra management over the EQ earlier than that occurs).
Lots of the swimming headphones and bone conduction headphones find yourself going for a minimum of the identical value if no more. The Shokz OpenSwim Professional, for instance, go for a barely larger $179.95 / £169 / AU$299. In addition they have a built-in MP3 participant however don’t have something just like the Playlist+ function (which is a proprietary H2O function). In addition they have the extra typical kind issue of a pair of bone conduction headphones with a sturdy however bendable headband.
Even the corporate’s personal H2O Audio Tri 2 Professional Multi-Sport has a better MSRP $199.99 / £155.68 (about AU$310). After all, these are meant for a unique objective. They’re sturdy and regular sufficient to swim in, however don’t clip in, as they’re meant simply as a lot to run in. They do include the Playlist+ function as nicely.
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Attributes
Notes
Ranking
Worth
The value tag for these headphones are fairly cheap as one might undoubtedly pay extra for swimming headphones.
4 / 5
Design
Although a distinct segment design, the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional are perfect for swimmers because of how safe they’re.
4.5 / 5
Efficiency
The sound high quality, although a bit bass-heavy, is obvious underwater. Plus, the battery life is greater than sufficient.
4 / 5
Common ranking
It might be area of interest, however swimmers needing headphones that clip in will likely be thrilled with these.
4 / 5
Ought to I purchase the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional?
(Picture credit score: Future / James Holland)
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally contemplate
How I examined
- Examined over a pair weeks
- Listened to totally different genres of music
- Examined all of the totally different options
I spent a few weeks testing the H2O Audio Sonar 2 Professional together with a pair laps in an Olympic dimension pool in addition to simply hanging out underwater to take heed to them. Whereas utilizing them, I listened to all kinds of genres from digital and hip-hop to rock and acoustic music to get an thought of how they sound. I additionally examined the assorted options, most notably the Playlist+ function.
After testing, it’s clear that these are perfect for severe swimmers, not solely from the bone conduction however the kind issue, which signifies that they’re as safe as a pair of headphones may be throughout a swim. Try our information to how bone conduction headphones work for extra particulars on how headphones like these work.
I’ve spent the previous couple of years reviewing audio tools and have spent even longer utilizing my essential ear as a listener and musician to grasp what does and doesn’t sound good.
- First reviewed November 2025
