Oakley Thump?

[roxics]

Sorry if this is off topic, but I know Jim reads this forum from time to time and this one has had me curious for a long time now. The Red is an extrememly cool idea, most Oakley sunglasses are incredibly cool designs. I want to get that out of the way so you know I'm typically an Oakley/Red fanboy. But I've been curious what the deal is with the Oakley Thump ever since they first appeared.

As wonderful as it might be technologically to fit the MP3 player into the frame, the idea is not so hot. The fact that you have to wear your sungleasses to hear your music. How did this slip past anybody at Oakley as being a good idea? It reminds me of that song with the lyrics "I wear my sunglasses at night..." as well as the Saturday Night Live skit for that song where the guy gets into a car accident and everything as a result of it. I could just see an added excuse now "I wanted to hear my music".

The reason I even bring it up is because I recently saw this article
http://www.engadget.com/2006/06/23/oakley-thump-pro-in-the-works/#comments

It wasn't until I saw that article that I realized others are thinking the same way, but yet the Thump are still on the market... and you're making more of them. So they must be selling.

So how successful is the Thump?

[Greg Lowry]

This is one of silliest posts I have ever read. The Thump allows one to wear sunglasses and listen to music at the same time. That's what it's designed to do. Some people want to do that. Maybe not YOU, but OTHER people. If one doesn't want to listen to music while wearing sunglasses, don't turn the music on. If one wants an MP3 player separate from one's sunglasses, buy separate products. You don't want the product, so it's almost inconceivable to you that other people might have a different opinion? What a complicated world it is, huh? The mind boggles sometimes.

[The Sarlacc]

Dog the Bounty Hunter seems to love wearing his 24/7

[roxics]

Greg there are people who buy pet rocks. It doesn't make it a good idea though.
I understand there is a market for everything. I just never thought the Thump would go past version 1.
Obviously I'm wrong though.

[Greg Lowry]

roxics: So why weren't pet rocks a good idea? I heard the "inventor" made a million bucks. We should all be so lucky to have similar bad ideas.

The world is a diverse place. Aren't we lucky?

[joelnet]

If Red owners got a special edition of Oakley's that you could only get by buying a Red Camera that would be pretty cool.

[Jannard]

Some people (a lot) buy fashion glasses with terrible optics. I think that is a terrible idea. People who run, cycle, train or use an iPod hate the wires. THUMP is a solution. I'm not sure why someone thinks it is a bad idea. They may not like it for themselves, but fortunately we all live by separate rules. If it was a failure, we wouldn't be continuing the line. In fact, we are expanding it. And audio is not the only thing in the lines future.

Jim

[Fred Lumiere]

I absolutely LOVE my Thumps.

First because of the superior optics

Second because of convenience (I run with them daily)

Third because of the style (I happen to think they look pretty dam cool)

[Larry Rutledge]

If Jim wanted to pass a pair along my direction, I'd more than willing to give them a long term test :grin: I'd even write up a fancy review and everything!

[Chris Stout]

>>And audio is not the only thing in the lines future.

Jim would have had video glasses out ages ago, but he won't settle for less than 4k resolution:)

[The Sarlacc]

Here is my problem with the Thumps.

They block your ears with the ear buds. So people who use these to drive, or bike, or snowboard, bascially situations where one probably shouldnt have music blasting their ears can't hear anything and pay less attention then usual.

My suggestion is to make the earbuds more like the survailence buds most of us use on set. This way you can listen to your music clearly, but you wont have an earbud lodged completely blocking your hearing.

[Jannard]

You must not own a pair. They can be pulled away from your ears (and stay in place) any distance you choose for any combination of ambient sound and music you desire. This is one thing you CANNOT do with an iPod and wires. They are either in or out of your ears.

Jim

[The Sarlacc]

You must not own a pair. They can be pulled away from your ears (and stay in place) any distance you choose for any combination of ambient sound and music you desire. This is one thing you CANNOT do with an iPod and wires. They are either in or out of your ears.

Jim

I do not own a pair. Either or ipods suit me just fine because I only them at the gym or during travel.

But thanks for the info. Good to know.

The surveilance design is nice because it can just stay in your ear.

http://www.locationsound.com/ls/images/items/otto_earmold.jpg

[Jarred Land]

You must not own a pair. They can be pulled away from your ears (and stay in place) any distance you choose for any combination of ambient sound and music you desire. This is one thing you CANNOT do with an iPod and wires. They are either in or out of your ears.

Jim
this is something very important.. the only other earphones i ever seen do this was the original Bang and Olufsen earbuds..

Ive seen a few people that dig the whole thump ergonomics that they were the glasses indoors backwards on their head so they can still use them.. you guys do realize they do bluetooth from your phone now was well right?

[Spartacus]

New models to come?
I always wanted glasses with a build in video camera (SD@25p should be enough hehehe)...
Almost everytime I go by subway sth happens I want to record...
Wait, forget about it, the "private/voyeur" adult movies would become overhand and I would have to beat up everyone staring at my wife longer than 10 sec while at the beach...

[Fred Lumiere]

Here is my problem with the Thumps.

They block your ears with the ear buds. So people who use these to drive, or bike, or snowboard, bascially situations where one probably shouldnt have music blasting their ears can't hear anything and pay less attention then usual.

My suggestion is to make the earbuds more like the survailence buds most of us use on set. This way you can listen to your music clearly, but you wont have an earbud lodged completely blocking your hearing.
The quality of the audio from my Thumps is so good that I never have the earpeices touch my ear. They just hover over my ear so I can hear the music and the sourrounding perfectly.

The problem with an ipod is that the way your ear holds the earpeice isn't the otimum way of listening to audio because all ears are different and the 'angle of listening' isn't perfect.

Not the case with the Thumps, you place the ear buds perfectly for a direct line to your ear.

As far as the future of wearable electronics, the future is limitless. If a cell phone can have a camera, why not a pair of sunglasses?

[The Sarlacc]

Well, I'll definately have to check out the thumps now just to see these earbuds.

[Jdaniels]

pretty nifty, if they could fit that system in my half jacket frames instead of the "not so sure that I would wear that" frames then ok yeah I could deal.

JD

[Jarred Land]

ha ha Jdaniels.. thats exactly what they just announced with the upcoming Thump Pros.. putting the thumps in the bottlecaps.

http://www.edgewear.com/Merchant2/edge-s/Oakley/12-854.jpg

[Larry Rutledge]

I think the whole thing is a great idea...and actually until this thread I had been unaware of these. But I am definitely planning to buy some in the near future...I just used an ipod the other day while working in the backyard and was constantly frustrated by the wires hanging everywhere, continually getting in my way. I was thinking there had to be a better way, then I remembered these and WANT A PAIR IMMEDIATELY!!!

Jarred, you need to hook up a DVXUser discount with Oakley :)

[The Sarlacc]

Geez you ipod people never heard of running the wire down the inside of the back of your shirt???

I do it at the gym, works just fine, no ordeal.

[therock]

If Red owners got a special edition of Oakley's that you could only get by buying a Red Camera that would be pretty cool.

I must admit, thats a totally correct idea.

Btw if we are here .. my main problem, even as a wireless fan is: Do I want my sunglasses having to be charged ? Or my earbuds ?
No, thats one reason for wires... less devices to charge.

[omen]

Thump started the revolution...I can't wait to see the next step.
Just be sure Jim, that the video ones have the "automatic in-car turn off" function...:)

[acoreasc]

I gotta second Joelnet's idea for a special edition of "RED" Oakleys.