Oakley Split Thump

Storage Type: Flash memory
Capacity: 512MB; 1GB; 2GB
File Types Supported: AAC; Audible; MP3; WMA
Screen Size (Diagonal): No
FM Tuner: No
Video-Playback Support: No
Mfr. Rated Battery Life: 7 hours

The Oakley Split Thump sunglasses/MP3 player combo is a good idea in theory but not so great in reality. In this day and age, when everyone has an iPod and MP3 players come in supersmall sizes, sticking an MP3 player into a pair of sunglasses seems unnecessary. And given the price—$249 for the 512MB version, $299 to $359 for 1GB, and $399 for 2GB—we're not sure these will appeal to many buyers.

Not to say they don’t work well. The sound is impressive. Walking down a busy street, for instance, relatively little background noise filtered through. The earbuds are flexible, too, to ensure comfort while in use and optimal audio quality.

Controls are located discreetly on the sides of the sunglasses but are not exactly easy to use when they are on your head. We found ourselves fumbling a bit to try and change tracks or adjust the volume. You are basically left looking a bit foolish while groping with your sunglasses.

Once you find the button and determine exactly where you need to press, though, the Split Thump works quickly. Tracks change in less than a second, and volume control is satisfactory.

Designed for sports use, the Split Thump is sweat-resistant and stays put nicely. It only comes in one size, though, so make sure your head is big enough to support these shades. While the Split Thump fit one reviewer's face perfectly, it was too small for another. Battery life is rated for 7 hours, and we achieved close to 8.

Loading music onto the Split Thump is a snap. Just connect the shades to your Windows or Mac computer via USB (a cable is included), and it shows up on your computer as a flash drive. Drag and drop the music onto the drive, and you're ready to go.

You can easily convert the Split Thump into a normal pair of sunglasses by pulling the earbuds out of the frame's arms. Once these are out, there is no way to tell that it's anything more than a regular pair of sunglasses. As a pair of ordinary sunglasses, the Split Thump looks incredibly stylish.

We don’t have many complaints about the quality of the Oakley Split Thump. We are just left asking whether they are really necessary. If you are a workout fiend and this kind of technology will function for you, then the Oakley Thump is a great way to go. But for the price, we think they are a bit superfluous, considering that you can buy a 2GB iPod Shuffle and a nice pair of ordinary Oakley sunglasses for less than what Oakley is charging for the 512MB model.

Price (at time of review): $249 (512MB, direct price); $299 to $359 (1GB, direct price); $399 (2GB, direct price)

author : Jonathan Rougeot