Back in July, the Zwifty social blew up when Mathieu van der Poel donned Zwift-branded headphones for his TdF TT warmup. The headphones basically match the in-game headphones originally available via the Big Spin 2024 prize spinner, and Zwift sleuths soon figured out they were a collab between Zwift and H2O Audio, who are headquartered in San Diego, California, just a bit south of Zwift’s Long Beach headquarters.
Opinion was immediately split: were these the coolest Zwift accessory yet, or a terribly sweaty idea? Was Zwift wasting time making headphones when they should be laying more virtual tarmac?
In my post announcing the headphones, I promised to thoroughly test their “100% sweatproof design”… for science. And that’s exactly what I’ve done for the past ~7 weeks. Here’s my full review.
First, the Basics
These headphones are a co-branded version of H2O Audio’s flagship “RIPT ULTRA” headphones. So for anyone concerned that Zwift is diverting much-needed resources into headphone development… well, these are more of a small marketing team project than anything else.
A few key specs:
- Wireless
- Bluetooth
- Active noise cancellation of 30dB and transparency mode
- Built-in microphone for seamless calls (and Discord!)
- “100% sweatproof design” with patent-pending removable and washable silicone ear cushions
- Black leather ear cushions also included, and a carrying case
- Charge via USB
- Powered by custom-developed 45mm drivers
- 50-hour battery life
- Price: $249.99 Buy Now > (see below for coupon code)
Sound Quality
First, I’m no audiophile. So if you’re expecting that sort of review, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
I am a musician, though. So I care a lot about sound quality, and I notice things others may not. (Then again, I play the banjo, so can I really be trusted with anything?)
After hours of listening, I found these headphones to be on par with others I’ve used in a similar budget range, including Beats Studio3. Sure, they won’t be as pristine as audiophile-level $2000 headphones, but they sound good, with clear articulation and an even frequency response that isn’t too bass-heavy.
Over-the-ear (OTE) headphones typically deliver a rounder, fuller bass response than earbuds because their larger size can support much larger drivers. Noise cancelling is often better too, since the over-the-ear nature of the headphones keeps out more sound than an earbud. Both of these expectations were met with the H2O headphones. I’d describe the active noise cancelling (ANC) of the H2O headphones as not quite as good as the Beats Studio3, but close, and noticeably better than my Apple Airpods Pro. I kept it engaged for most of my Zwift sessions, and it nicely muted the noise of my fan and drivetrain.
A few more sound-tech details, if you’re interested:
- Audio codec: APTX (Qualcomm aptX Audio, Qualcomm aptX HD)
- Audio Sampling frequency: 48KHz
- Speaker Frequency: 20Hz~15KHz
- Sound pressure level 114±3dB
- Impedance 32Ωohm
- Diameter Φ45 mm
- Bluetooth chipset Qualcomm QCC3034
- Includes AUX audio jack (3.5mm) and wire for external audio source
Let’s Talk About Sweat
Like many of you, I’ve never worn OTE headphones while Zwifting. (The only headphones I owned had nice leather or cloth ear cushions, and I didn’t want to find out what would happen after those got repeatedly sweat-soaked.) But I have spent hundreds of hours wearing earbuds while riding. In recent years it’s been my trusty Apple Airpods Pro, but I’ve spent many Zwifty hours wearing buds from JBL, Sennheiser, and others.
So I was curious how comfortable full OTE headphones would be while riding. Apart from the sound quality differences (discussed above), how would they actually feel? Here’s what I noticed:
- They felt surprisingly non-sweaty, even after very sweaty heat training sessions. I suppose my ears and a small part of the side of my head were a bit more sweaty than usual, being nearly sealed inside the rubber ear cushion. But it wasn’t particularly noticeable or irritating to me.
- They stayed put, even when I moved my head around quickly while racing or doing intense workouts.
- I did notice the headphones when I needed to adjust or swap out my head sweatband. Being bald, a sweatband is a must, and on long rides, I often bring two! Swapping a sweatband while wearing these headphones, though, requires removing the headphones, putting on the new band, then placing the headphones back on. A minor inconvenience, but one nonetheless. (Rotating the headband, which I sometimes do mid-ride, is also a bit of a faff.)
- If you wear glasses while Zwifting (I do not), these could prove problematic. The arms on your glasses will break the seal of the ear cushions, which will probably allow more sweat inside, which may pool. And the cushions will push your glasses’ arms against your head, which will probably be uncomfortable.
I wore these for multiple ~3-hour sessions (Thursday 100km Pizza Burner, anyone?), as well as super sweaty heat training sessions that lasted an hour or more. Here’s what they look like after one such heat training:
In these pics, a bit of sweat is pooled inside the ear cup, but nothing significant. The cool thing about H2O’s design is that these silicone ear cups can be easily removed from the headset, rinsed, and dried. The headphones also include nice black leather cushions, if you’d rather use those for non-sweaty listening.
Wrapping this section up: for me, a bald guy with a sweaty head doing very sweaty Zwift sessions, I found these headphones surprisingly comfortable. (There was one issue I experienced, which may or may not have been sweat-related, which I explain below.)
What Makes Them Special
Apart from their sweatproof/washable nature (which is no small thing), there are a few nice extras on these headphones that are worth mentioning:
- They’re Zwifty in color, and even have “Ride On” printed inside the headband
- When you power them on and off, Matt Stephen’s cheerful voice is the first thing you’ll hear. What a way to start and end a ride! “Power off. Catch you next time.”
- That battery life! 50 hours of battery life is impressive, and around double what many headphones in this range claim. It’s not just marketing, either – I have yet to charge mine, and they still say “Battery level high” when I power them on after using them for at least 30 hours of Zwifting.
Just One Issue
There’s just one problem I’ve had with these headphones, though. And it’s not a minor thing.
Three different times, when I was 90 minutes or more into a Zwift session, one or both sides of the headphones began to crackle intermittently. It was very noticeable and loud, but it was also unpredictable and far from constant. I soon discovered that tapping the left ear button to swap to “noise cancelling off” mode made the crackling disappear, while setting them to “noise cancelling on” or “transparency mode” would bring the crackling back.
I reported this to H2O Audio, and they said it wasn’t a known issue. They asked me to send the first pair back for investigation, and sent a replacement set. But that replacement set did the same thing the first time I used it for a long ride.
Trying to figure out the root cause, I wore the headphones while working at my desk (not sweating), but could never get them to crackle. It does seem to happen quite regularly when riding over 90 minutes, though, so my hunch is it has to do with moisture getting into the electronics. The headphones feature a special hydrophobic mesh on the inside (not attached to the removable ear cushion) to prevent water from entering the speaker assembly. However, I wonder if the humid air that builds up over long sessions inside the sealed ear cup is somehow affecting the internals.
Most Zwift sessions are an hour or less, and if the crackling begins, it’s really easy to tap the button on the left ear cup to turn off active noise canceling and thus any crackling. So I don’t consider this a deal breaker, but it certainly seems like something H2O will want to get fixed.
Buy Now
Interested in purchasing the Zwift + H2O Audio headphones? Shop through this link and use the coupon code ZWIFTINSIDER for 20% off! Your purchase helps support this site.
Questions or Comments
Did you purchase the Zwift x H2O Audio headphones? Any particular features you like, or issues you’ve had? Post your comments below!
Considering a purchase and have further questions? Share those below too, and I’m happy to answer any I can.
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