I spend most of my winter weekends in Colorado snowboarding at resorts across the state. The perfect half for me is the social side—there isn’t a tea hotter than that spilled on the chairlift. However in the event you’ve ever been snowboarding or snowboarding, you already know that typically communication is restricted, like after they’re zooming forward of me. (It’s cool, it’s solely my second season!) If I’m practising by myself, it’s additionally good to have some leisure.
I’ve used Bluetooth earbuds to take heed to podcasts and music once I experience, and I’ve examined some helmet audio programs, however the sound is usually meh. I’ve by no means actually gotten into recurrently listening to something on the slopes. Not too long ago, I had the prospect to attempt the POC Obex Join headset, a helmet audio and communication system the model just lately launched with Harman Kardon. The audio high quality of this factor blew my thoughts and formally turned me into somebody who at all times wants just a few soundtracked runs each time they snowboard.
Go With the Circulate
The Obex Join headset might be paired with any of the helmets in POC’s Obex line, or you may get it included with the Obex Join backcountry helmet. I attempted it with the Obex MIPS, and it was simple and intuitive to put in. I pulled the common ear pads out of the helmet and snapped the Obex Join ones in, then tucked the connecting cable behind the adjustment dial behind the helmet. The audio ear pads felt simply as delicate, well-cushioned, and heat as those that got here with the helmet.
{Photograph}: Kristin Canning
In addition they embody simply as a lot house to your ears—I by no means felt just like the pads have been urgent towards my head. As a substitute, they cradled my ears. When you’ve got earrings that you just don’t take out, you know the way essential that is!
The Obex MIPS helmet itself is a stable piece of substances. It has a snug, light-weight really feel, with an inside dimension adjustment dial, adjustable overhead vents, a goggle clip, an adjustable plastic clip chin strap, and entrance air flow over the goggles to assist stop fogging. As indicated within the identify, the helmet contains a multidirectional impression safety system (MIPS), the gold normal in helmet building that permits your head to maneuver relative to the helmet throughout impression and restrict rotational power.
As soon as I had the system put in in my helmet, I downloaded the POC Join app (iOS, Android), and tried to pair my cellphone with the headset through Bluetooth. I couldn’t do that instantly from the app—I had to enter my iPhone’s Bluetooth settings and choose the headset, but it surely was seen there and paired instantly. The method was fast and simple, even on a windy mountain highway on the way in which to a ski resort. After that, I might management my music, calls, and voice assistant from the helmet itself.
Screenshots courtesy of Kristin Canning