Music Band-It Retractable Stereo Earphone
GRANDMAX mobile solutions
Price: $29.95 w/ band $19.95 retractable earphones (no band)
www.grandmax.com
While at the Mac show earlier this year I came into contact with Grandmax Mobile Solutions in a booth in the North Hall. They were touting a couple of products, one of which interested me right away.
I spoke with Carl Kozub at the booth who was only too happy to tell me about their new Music Band-It, a deceptively simple, yet very practical solution to carrying around an iPod, while listening, without taking up any pocket room or the need of a belt to clip onto. And no long cables to tangle.
This means that even while jogging wearing only shorts and a tank top you can listen to your tunes while your iPod is out of the way, and not clipped onto light running shorts, which can be discomforting.
I saw something even different. I happen to be a drummer, and I do practice from time to time. If I want to play drums to recordings on my iPod I’ve had to crank in the song, guess at the volume I needed, and then put it in a pocket so i could play,while the earphone wire is running up my back and sometimes in the way. If the sound was too loud or soft I had to remove it from said pocket, tweak, and try it again.
The beauty of the Music Band-It is that it’s right there, on your arm, out in the open. I can change the volume or song almost without stopping my playing. This is a big plus for me. The iPod can be controlled right through the clear plastic covering.
The other thing I like so much is the retractable ear phones. Spring loaded and affixed to the band itself is a small round retractable device which allows the ear phones to reach the ears, and has enough length, four feet, if you need it, for me to even play around a set of drums without the slightest hint of pull or discomfort. Pull out the length you need, it stops. Give a little tug, it retracts. And believe it or not, these things sound pretty darned good. WAY better then iPods stock earphones.
I also tried running around the yard, chasing my dog, JJ, to see if the Band-It would come loose. Everything remained where it was supposed to and the iPod played on. There was plenty of room for any kind of arm motion with no tugging from the ear phones.
I think this product would be excellent for runners, rowers, bicyclists, mountain climbers, back-packers, and yes, even practicing drummers. Do I dare even think of the possibility of a water-resistant model for swimmers? I doubt it. But I could see that future models might have another little pocket for money, license, etc.
The armband itself is very comfortable, made from the same stuff wet suits are made from a Nanoprene material which is very flexible and strong. The band is also perforated to keep bare arms from sweating too much. It is adjustable, and stretchy ( a little bit ) to fit just about any size arm. It’s also washable, but make sure you take off the removable headset before you do. When removed, the headset can be clipped to a belt or anything else. I removed the headset to check it out, then tried to put it back together. NOT an easy task, but doable. Silicone in-ear adapters are also included with the set.
If you like your music on the run, or if you need hands free while digging your tunes this is a very viable and affordable product. Check it out. It could be just what you’re looking for.
MyMac.com Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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