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There's nothing like maxing out poolside on a hot summer's afternoon. And no pool party would be complete without good music. Wireless, Bluetooth speakers are obviously the way to go, but there are obviously some important considerations in choosing the right device.

Think about it: What is usually happening at the typical pool party? Cold beers, sangria and other summer tipples are being slurped, while everyone is is enjoying themselves, jumping in and out of the pool and splashing around. It's a a great vibe but also a potential disaster in the offing when it comes to looking after your electronic equipment.

As the party bounces into full effect, a portable speaker is inevitably going to gets moved and bumped around. It doesn't take much to guess what could happen – someone bombs the pool and a mini tsunami engulfs the speaker. Worse yet, a merrymaker reaches for his bottle and knocks the speaker straight into the watery depths. Suddenly the sounds splutter out, the beat that underscored the party collapses, the mood is dampened.

But fear not, party people! Always thinking of the customer's specific needs, Soul is unveiling the Storm Weatherproof Wireless Speaker. This palm-sized piece of audio art combines portability, the signature sound you've come to expect from Soul products, and – best of all – a partyproof design that allows it to withstand the inevitable pitfalls and mishaps that are part and parcel of outdoor summer madness.

Not only does the Storm stand up to rain, snow and a host of other harsh and inclement weather conditions, it can be dropped into water with no ill effects. In tests, the Soul has survived intact and continued to pump tunes even when fully submerged in water as demonstrated in this video here.



The speaker adheres to the IP67 protections standard. In layman's terms, that means it is dust proof – making it the ideal sound solution for the hot, dry, sandy conditions on beach – and capable of withstanding water immersion to a depth of up to one meter for 30 minutes.

One supercool feature is the way the Storm sprays out the water from the speaker grill once it has been retrieved from under the water. To be honest, though, you don't even need to worry about the speaker going under, for one simple reason: the Storm is buoyant. Yup, that's right. This speaker floats on the surface of the water, so you can chuck it straight in the pool and have it sitting there on the surface with you as you engage in all kinds of aquatic antics.

Now how about some of the specs and standout features? Small in size, but big on sound, this compact speaker delivers a 5-watt output that combines a full, in-depth range with a genuinely lifelike sound. It features a smooth, non-slip silicone sleeve that makes it comfortable to hold and ensures that is less likely to get knocked off tables and what-not. Even if does hit the deck, the sleeve provides ample protection against any serious damage.

Another great element of the Storm is its carabiner loop. The speaker comes with a separate carabiner – a little metal shackle – which can be attached to small opening at the top of the speaker. This allows you to hang the speaker wherever you like, including – if you feel like getting '80s hip-hop with it – around your neck, Flavor Flav clock style.

On the playtime front, the Storm has eight hours of life, which will keep it going for much of your party, before you need to give it some more juice. The speaker's compactness, lightweight build (162g) and portability – particularly the carabiner function – make recharging super convenient as it can be placed or dangled almost anywhere. The speaker also has a range of 10 meters (33 feet) from the device it is paired with.

Finally, with guests coming and going at your pool party, you might need to make and take calls. With its hand free function, you won't have to worry about fiddling with your phone or a separate device. The Storm has you covered.

Now available in a limited edition Storm Camo model, which includes Green Stealth, Blue Force and Red Desert colors, the Storm Weatherproof Wireless Speaker is the perfect party companion and a speaker for all seasons.

X-TRA - Performance Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones for Sports

Working Up a Sweat

If you're working out or engaging in any kind of strenuous outdoor activity especially during these summer months, there's a good chance you'll be working up a sweat. That might cause you to favor lightweight and sweatproof earphones such as the SOUL Run Free Pro HD, balanced armature earphones, designed to stay on with minimum intrusion.

But what if you could get your hands on a pair of over-ear or circumaural headphones, specially designed with athletes and outdoor explorers in mind? That's what the SOUL XTRA Wireless offers. This is a lightweight, ergonomically designed pair of phones designed to fit snugly around the head in the most unobtrusive manner imaginable. Their full earcup articulation ensures unparalleled levels of comfort, and guarantees these phones will stay on during even the most hardcore of workouts. X-TRA also enabled with the Bluetooth v4.0 system, which gives you faster transmission speeds using lower power consumption, for a perfect wireless experience. Moreover, as we'll see later, the pads on these phones are designed with those sweaty activities in mind.

Naturally, there's also the signature sound quality you've come to expect from SOUL. Using advanced HD drivers and sophisticated circuitry design, the SOUL XTRA Wireless offer balanced bass with clear mids and highs. All of this makes for the ultimate user experience.

Play Hard, Play Long

Without doubt, one of the standout selling-points of the XTRA Wireless is its incredible Up to 24 hours of play time. No, you didn't read that wrong! These headphones can keep your favorite jams on rotate for an entire day. And, it gets better. You're probably getting accustomed to the fast charge facility that is part and parcel of SOUL products. The XTRA Wireless is no exception. By plugging these phones in for just 15 minutes, you're assured an extra 150 minutes of power. You really can't ask for much more than that: 2 hours on the fly. Finally, if push comes to shove and you completely run out of juice, there's a line-in option to save your bacon! Whether you're working out or just bowling through your neighborhood, you'll never need to worry about flatlining.

Trust me when I say this play time claim is legit. I've been using the XTRA Wireless for well over a month doing my usual interval-sprint workouts down at my local track and they're still going strong. If further proof were needed, I recently took the headphones on a four-day hiking trip where we were walking at least five hours each day and they showed no signs of giving up the ghost. Exemplary stuff!

Live in the Light

Now this next feature might not look like much at first, but it's actually a really kick-ass element of the SOUL XTRA Wireless experience. You might remember from our previous unboxing blog that the SOUL Run Free Pro HD incorporated those neat reflective cables to make sure you're more visible after dark. With the SOUL XTRA Wireless, we take things a stage further by including dual mode LED lights along the band of the headphones. These give you a greater degree of visibility than ever before, to guard against any nocturnal mishaps while you're enjoying your night time workout or stroll. Comprising a dual setting of still and flashing modes, they can thus be adjusted to fit particular weather and climate conditions or personal requirements. With this feature, you'll no longer have to worry about being visible to vehicles, cyclists or like-minded night time ramblers.

A Legend Unfolds

One of the biggest issues with over-ear headphones is that they can be clunky, unwieldy affairs. Not so, the XTRA Wireless. With their foldable design, the phones can be folded flat, rendering them perfectly compact for easy and convenient storage and transport. While there are other foldable headphones on the market, few can be reduced in size so efficiently as the SOUL XTRA Wireless. This compactness not only saves space in your napsack, it protects the phones from the wear and tear that they are often subjected to as the bump around while you're on the move.

I'm a big traveler – I'll be approaching 50 countries this summer – and this a big deal for me. I'm someone who likes to be on and off flights – or any type of TRAnsportation for that matter – at breakneck speed. For this reason, I haven't checked luggage onto a flight in over a decade. With a trip to Spain, Romania and the UK coming up in a couple of months, I'm not about to change my light-and-mobile habits. The design of the XTRA Wireless means I won't have to worry about clogging up my backpack.

Welcome to the Pads

I mentioned the pads in passing near the beginning of this article. Along with the LED lights and foldable design, this feature really sets the XTRA Wireless out from other headphone. There's nothing worse than the sticky feel of a pair of pads that has accumulated months of workout sweat. Well, maybe one thing: the unholy stench that the pads are inevitably going to give off after prolonged usage.

With the SOUL XTRA Wireless, there's literally no sweat when it comes to these twin perspiration-related issues. Firstly, the pads have been fashioned from a breathable sports material that allows for maximum moisture wicking. If you don't know about this cutting-edge fabric technology, it's basically a kind of polyster woven in such a way as to force moisture up through the gaps of the weave so it can find the outer shell of the material. This ensures the fabric itself does not act like a sponge, soaking up and retaining all that excess sweat.

For some of you sticklers for cleanliness and hygiene out there, that might not be quite enough. No matter how good that moisture wicking material is, there's always going to be a certain amount of stickiness and odor, right? Well, we've thought about that, too, and come up with the perfect solution. Wouldn't it be great if you could just pull the pads off and wash them? Well, that's exactly what you can do. The SOUL XTRA Wireless comes with removable and washable pads that can be taken off and cleaned up as often as you like. The breathable headband is also one of most special feature of XTRA. Unlike other headphones, XTRA headband is made from rubber materials with breathable designed for maximum coolness during workout or running.

With all of the above features taken into account, we're pretty certain you won't find a better pair of over-ear headphones catering to the hands-on, outdoor adventurer. In combination with the SOUL Run Free Pro HD, the SOUL XTRA Wireless has just about everything you need for an active lifestyle.

Know More Product Detail :X-TRA - Performance Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones for Sports

Run Free Pro HD – Balanced Armature Sports Earphones with Bluetooth

Boxing Clever

The packaging itself consists of a sturdy box with magnetic folding doors and a plastic window that let you preview the earbuds. As you can see, these ones are an electric blue with the SOUL logo emblazoned in silver. The front and the back of the box detail the Run Free Pro HD's many features – notably the use of a balanced armature driver. Provided by Knowles, the leader in the field, these tiny, ultra-light drivers provide a level of fidelity and realistic sound that is a cut above what standard traditional drivers can offer.

Typically just 1/3 the size of regular audio drivers, they free up space for extra components, including sensors and batteries. For in-ear fitness wearables such as the Run Free Pro HD, this is invaluable. Not only does it allow for more flexibility in creating a more comfortable, ergonomic design that factors in aesthetic considerations, it means a lot more bang for the buck when it comes to play time. This is because balanced armature drivers consume less energy, giving the same output using less power.

That leads us nicely to the another stand-out feature of the Run Free Pro HD that you can see marked out on the box. In addition to making the earphones lightweight and super comfy, the Knowles balanced armature technology helps boost the battery life of the Run Free Pro HD. While there are circumaural headphones on the market that offer up to 24 hours of uninterrupted play time, including SOUL's own X-TRA Wireless, few earbud models offer anything close to the Run Free Pro's whopping 12-hour battery life. There's also a quick charge option that gives you a whole 90 minutes of power for just 15 minutes on the charger. That's a genuine advantage if, as so many of us are these days, you're rushed off your feet and have forgotten to power up.

On the sound front, the Run Free Pro HD has even more tricks up its sleeve. If you take a look at the top right-hand corner, under the Bluetooth logo, you'll notice a little symbol highlighting the use of aptX technology. This bit of wizardry uses what's known as flat frequency response to help faithfully recreate the full audio bandwidth, making the sound indistinguishable from even the best wired technology. In conjunction with the balanced armature driver, this furnishes users with a sound experience that separates the highs, mids and lows with perfect crispness and clarity. Your favorite tracks will sound exactly how the artists intended when they were laying them down in the studio.

Finally, check out the little rain drop symbol here. Outside of sound quality, this is just about the most important consideration for consumers who are in the market for a top-notch set of training earphones. Yep, you guessed it: The Run Free Pro HD is weatherproof. The earpieces use advanced nano-coating technology to guard against excess moisture – and that, of course, includes the copious amounts of sweat that you'll be producing during a workout.

Casing the Joint

Flipping open those magnetic doors and taking a look inside, we get a closer view of the earphones themselves. You'll probably notice the eye-catching coloring of the flat, tangle-free cables. As cool as the design might look, that shiny silver band down both of the lateral sides of the cables isn't just there for decoration.

Let's say you're doing some road work at night or just walking home from the subway after dark. You're doing your thing, so intensely focused on your activity that you might not even be fully cognizant of the world around you. More importantly, the world might not be aware of you. Well, it wouldn't if you were wearing an average pair of earphones. But with its reflective cables, the Run Free Pro HD ensures that you are as visible as possible to vehicles, cyclists and your fellow night-time athletes. The chances of after-hours mishaps are thus reduced to a minimum.

Fixing those reflective cables in place, we've got the SOUL carry case, which fits snugly into the belly of box. Even the rubber zipper pull? has its own small niche, cleverly allowing the black and white SOUL logo to be showcased. The case itself comprises a hard outer shell to keep the earphone tips, locks and USB charger safe, and the smooth synthetic leather finish makes it easy to wipe down and keep clean. Complete with a net storage pocket, which lines the inside of one half of the shell, it's a compact little carry case – the perfect protection for your accessories when you're out and about.

Speaking of the accessories, in addition to the ear locks – we'll get to those in a second! – there are two sets of foam ear tips for a different, spongier feel and an incredible four-size range of exchangeable silicon options.

Locking Things Down

And now we come to the piece de resistance: the first-to-market proprietary ear locks. Made from a flexible but firm rubber material, these customizable locks come in a regular and expanded option that have all ear sizes covered. These babies are genuinely a step ahead of the game when it comes to providing the stability you want when engaging in strenuous physical activity.

Fans of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) will really be in their element with the Run Free Pro HD . Here at SOUL, we stand by our claim that these earphones are “guaranteed to stay on,” whether you choose the conventional wearing method or the over-ear option. Another great accessory that adds to the tangle-free, unobtrusive aspect of the Run Free Pro HD is the handy clip for tying up any loose cable slack.

Last, but certainly not least, there's the remote mic control, which comprises multifunctionality with an intuitive user-friendly interface. Skip back and forth through your playlist, pick up and reject calls or pair with multiple devices using the unique multipoint function. It's all there at your fingertips with this slender, feather-light remote control.

Now you've unpacked and checked out every inch of the Run Free Pro HD. It's time to get busy with these killer earphones. On the track, in the gym or enjoying your latest adventure in the rugged.