Having the best accessories to listen to music has become just as important for workouts as a sturdy pair of sneakers.
When you're crushing it in the weight room, the last thing you want to worry about is how good your pump-up playlist sounds in less-than-stellar headphones.
Having the best accessories to listen to music has become just as important for workouts as a sturdy pair of sneakers - which is why one of the most famous gym rats in the world.
Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), has teamed up with Under Armour to release his own wireless over-the-ear headphones as part of his Project Rock signature line.
If you follow The Rock on Instagram you've already seen the headphones in action. The actor has been helping Under Armour and JBL perfect the design through rigorous field testing, even taking the prototype to China during the Rampage press tour and pairing it with his favorite weight room accessory, chains.
Audio specialists JBL provided the technical know-how to hone performance, since Under Armour's focus is typically on athletic apparel, not killer bass. The Project Rock Edition includes JBL Charged Sound, which the company says is tuned specifically for the bass heavy jams associated with training and sports.
I had a chance to log a few workouts with the headphones ahead of launch, so I put them through the ringer to see just how tough they are.
The rugged design holds up well to hard work - and even though I'm more partial to fully wireless buds, I felt comfortable rocking the over-the-ear design. The material is sturdy without feeling harsh, and sweat isn't a problem. I was even caught in a surprise rain shower on a run while I was testing the headphones, and the moisture did nothing to dampen the sound or the wear.
Unlike some other Bluetooth connected gadgets, there's no app needed on your phone to use the headphones. Just sync them with your phone, and boom, your music is ready to be played. For old school wire-lovers out there, the sturdy carrying case includes an additional cable to connect directly via headphone jack.
Controlling the volume and changing tracks is simple with the oversized buttons on the right ear cup, and the sound is excellent. I admit that bigger headphone units like the Project Rock Edition can definitely be superior to wireless buds in the audio department - I could hear every single layer of guitar in rock songs like Manchester Orchestra's "The Gold" and felt the full scope of the bass in rap tracks like Kendrick Lamer's "DNA" during the test, when those details are usually lose in the background of smaller setups.
If your gym is crowded and you need to stop to talk, Under Armour and JBL have a novel solution: The Rock's signature Brahma Bull logo doubles as a button to tone down the volume so you can catch what the other person is saying without stopping the track. It's a cool feature, but you can also just press pause.
Under Armour claims the headphone's battery can last for up to 16 hours per power up, and just five minutes of charging can give you a full hour of playback. I didn't get enough time in to validate these claims, but I still haven't seen the power levels dip after four workouts.
The Project Rock Edition headphones drop today for $250, making them slightly less costly than the comparable Beats Solo3, but not cheap by any means.
To commemorate the launch, Johnson curated a Spotify playlist, “Iron Paradise Airwaves,” so everyone can train to his beat. Under Armour is also releasing more pairs of the previously sold-out PR1 training shoe and his second Chasing Greatness collection, which Johnson told fans is inspired by the humble beginnings of his wrestling and showbiz career.
There's only one Dwayne Johnson - but you can train like him by following his workoutsand now, you can wear even more of his gear while you do it.