The cassette player’s success was secured in large part by its focus on a very personal motif: freedom. It was a device of utility; athletes who used it found themselves taking their music to almost anywhere they would train. That may not sound like much today, but it was quite revolutionary at that time.
Since then, portable music players, whether in the form of smartphones or mp3 players, have become one of the most frequently used devices by athletes around the world. And that’s not surprising; although exercise is primarily a physical activity, one’s mind is also put to the test during training. It takes a lot of will to run through that last mile or lift that last dumbbell — and music helps.
Sony’s Smart B-Trainer is neither a descendant of the Walkman nor a revolutionary product. It also has its share of flaws. However, it manages to improve on the very motif that made the portable cassette player a hit over three decades ago. It’s a gadget that gives athletes even more freedom to take their music with them anywhere and anytime they want to train.
The device primarily functions as earphones — but to label it as such would be simplistic, given that Sony has loaded the device with a myriad of features. The company itself makes no mention of the moniker, and has opted to call it a “Sports Device” instead.
As is the case with other athletic earphones, the device works wirelessly through Bluetooth or NFC — I did not have to worry about my arms getting tangled with cords when training. However, the Smart B-Trainer stands out from its peers because it does not need to be connected to a smartphone to work. It functions as its own music player.
Music files are not streamed from the phone, but are stored directly in the device’s built-in 16GB memory. A wireless connection is only used to transfer data from the device to your smartphone. That’s a good thing — I did not have to worry about streaming quality or connectivity issues.
You can leave your smartphone at home or in your locker, go for a run, and sync it with the Smart B-Trainer with when you return. It was particularly useful for my training regimen, which included vigorous movement such as sprints and plyometrics. In such cases, having a phone in my pocket or strapped around my arm would have been too cumbersome.
Although it is not catered to audiophiles or musicians, the device’s audio profile is balanced. The low end is clear — I could distinguish the individual notes in the bass groove of The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face.” Unlike other athletic earphones, it is not biased towards lower frequencies. For example, the single repetitive bass note in Drake’s “0 to 100” did not over power the song’s higher frequency snare rolls.
At normal volume, the device does not block ambient sound. That’s good for safety reasons — when you go jogging on the street, you need to be aware of car horns and the sound of your surroundings.
The device is also a plus for athletes who train outdoors regardless of the weather. Sony designed it with an IPX5/IPX8 waterproof rating, which means that it can be used while jogging in the rain or while swimming in the pool. It also comes with different-sized sets of ear buds designed for swimming.
It remains waterproof even if the ear buds do not fit properly. I was able change tracks and adjust the volume while underwater. However, audio quality will suffer if you pick the wrong size ear bud size — water would get in your ear and wash out (pun intended) the music.
The smartphone still plays an integral role with the device. Through Sony’s free Smart B-Trainer for Running app, the phone analyzes data collected by the device’s six different sensors: a heart rate sensor, an accelerometer, GPS, a compass, a gyroscope, and a barometer.
On the push of a button, a voice narrates your metrics while you train. The device can also select songs based on your target heart rate. If your heart is not beating fast enough, it picks a song with a faster beat so you can pick up pace. It also comes with two theme-based training regimens, one for “Fat-Burning,” and one for “Endurance.”
Unfortunately, the heart sensor comes with a caveat — it will not work properly unless you pick the right ear bud cover size.
When synchronized with the device, your phone displays 11 kinds of running logs: heart rate, calories burned, distance, time, speed, pace, pitch, steps, strides, running route, and altitude. The logs take the form of either graphs, maps, or summarized data. The app stores the data so you can track your progress. You also have the option to delete the logs.
It took me about an hour and half to charge the device through my laptop’s USB port. With all functions on, the device lasted for about three hours. It’s a reasonable amount of time given its size and the amount of energy drawn by GPS, bluetooth, and other sensors. It will last longer if you switch off battery hogs
With the Smart B-Trainer, Sony gets right the fundamentals of an athletic device. However, its greatest weakness lies in its lack of polish. Every athlete knows that small details can make a big difference — a few milliseconds can separate gold from silver.
The device’s user experience needs improvement. Its software does not have an equalizer, and it does not allow you create your own playlist or play songs by album. Because the Smart B-Trainer hooks to your ears, it will not fit properly with a swim cap.
Sony did not package the device with a dedicated wall socket charger. Unless you have an adapter, you will have to charge it through your laptop or desktop. There is no other way to check the battery level other than by looking at your smartphone. However, the area around its power button blinks green and orange alternatively when the battery level is low.
At P12,999, the Smart B-Trainer is more expensive than other wireless athletic earphones. But the price is justifiable, given the sensors and the internal memory. Sony is off to a good start — the device is good, but not revolutionary.
The Smart B-Trainer manages to shift the attention away from the smartphone and back to the athlete. If Sony improves on user experience in future models, the device could gain a cult following just like the Walkman.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Sony’s debut of the Walkman during the late 1970s was revolutionary not just for consumer electronics, but for athletic training as well.
