H2O Audio
H2O Audio designs and sells waterproof bone-conduction sport headphones, MP3 players, and sweatproof gym headphones for swimmers, triathletes, runners, cyclists, and water-sports athletes, distributed direct-to-consumer, on Amazon, and via dealer channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSolana Beach, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What H2O Audio does
H2O Audio is a privately held American consumer audio company founded in 2001 and led by Kristian Rauhala, headquartered in Solana Beach, California. The company designs, manufactures, and sells waterproof and sweatproof sport headphones, bone-conduction headsets, and waterproof MP3 players targeting swimmers, triathletes, runners, cyclists, gym-goers, and water-sports athletes. Its core technology platforms are bone-conduction audio tuned for underwater use, IPX8-rated sealing for submersion up to 12 feet, and the patent-pending PLAYLIST+ feature, which records Bluetooth streaming audio to onboard storage for offline playback without a phone.
The product portfolio is organized around the TRI 2 Series (multi-sport bone conduction, $149.99-$219.99), SONAR 2 PRO and STREAM 3 PRO (swim-focused goggle-clipped and MP3-player formats, $99.99-$149.99), the RIPT Series (sweatproof over-ear and true-wireless gym headphones with active noise cancellation, $79.99-$249.99), and a SURGE accessory line. Distribution runs primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce on h2oaudio.com, with Amazon marketplace and a dealer/wholesale program as secondary channels. The revenue model is one-time hardware sales; no subscription or recurring component is disclosed.
Commercial positioning is built on athlete co-development and endorsements (IRONMAN World Champion Lucy Charles-Barclay, Mathieu van der Poel/Alpecin-Deceuninck pro cycling team, Lionel Sanders), lifestyle collaborations (Florence, Betty Design, Zwift), and earned-media placements in Wall Street Journal, Triathlete, Outside, Runner's World, Cycling Weekly, and Wirecutter. The company operates founder-owned and bootstrapped with no disclosed venture funding or institutional ownership.
H2O Audio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- H2O Audio
- Legal name
- H2O Audio
- Website
- https://h2oaudio.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- H2O Audio designs and sells waterproof bone-conduction sport headphones, MP3 players, and sweatproof gym headphones for swimmers, triathletes, runners, cyclists, and water-sports athletes, distributed direct-to-consumer, on Amazon, and via dealer channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
H2O Audio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Waterproof Sport Audio Equipment
- NAICS
- Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing (334310)
- SIC
- Household Audio & Video Equipment (3651)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports & Fitness Audio (Open‑Ear, Bone Conduction, Neckband) (CRACANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Audio Accessories (Ear Tips, Cables, Stands, Cases, Transmitters) (CRACANAM), Hearables (True Wireless Earbuds & Smart Headphones) (CRACAIAD), Wireless Headphones (Over‑Ear & On‑Ear) (CRACANAB)
Keywords
Where H2O Audio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solana Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
H2O Audio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales: Primary revenue stream from selling waterproof sport headphones, bone conduction headsets, MP3 players, and accessories. Products include TRI 2 PRO ($219.99), TRI 2 ($149.99), TRI RUN ($99.99), RIPT ULTRA ($249.99), RIPT LITE ($79.99), SONAR 2 PRO ($149.99), and STREAM 3 PRO (from $99.99). Revenue is one-time hardware purchase model with no recurring subscription required.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TRI 2 PRO - Premium multi-sport flagship model |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TRI 2 - Mid-range multi-sport model |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TRI RUN - Entry-level running/cycling model |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | RIPT ULTRA - Premium over-ear gym headphones |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | RIPT LITE - Entry-level gym earbuds |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | SONAR 2 PRO - Swimming-optimized headphones |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | STREAM 3 PRO - Waterproof MP3 player for swimming |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
H2O Audio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
H2O Audio designs, manufactures, and sells waterproof and sweatproof audio equipment including bone conduction headphones, in-ear/over-ear sport headphones, and waterproof MP3 players built primarily for swimmers, triathletes, runners, cyclists, and gym enthusiasts. The portfolio centers on IPX8-rated submersible products, the patent-pending PLAYLIST+ feature that records and stores Bluetooth streaming audio for offline/underwater playback, and 8GB on-board storage. Products are sold directly to consumers via the company's e-commerce site, Amazon, and authorized dealers worldwide.
Product overview
H2O Audio offers a comprehensive portfolio of waterproof and sweatproof audio products designed for athletes across multiple sports including swimming, triathlon, cycling, running, and water sports. The product lineup centers on two main technology platforms: bone conduction headphones (TRI 2 series, SONAR 2 series, TRI RUN) and traditional in-ear/over-ear headphones (RIPT series). Key differentiating technologies include the patent-pending PLAYLIST+ feature for offline streaming music recording, IPX8 waterproof ratings for submersion up to 12ft/3.6m, and smartwatch integrations for Apple Watch, Garmin, and Fitbit devices. The portfolio includes collaboration products with professional athletes (Lucy Charles-Barclay) and lifestyle brands (Florence, Betty Design, Zwift), as well as standalone MP3 players (STREAM series) and swimming-specific INTERVAL headphones. The H2O Audio PRO mobile app enables music management and software updates across compatible products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PLAYLIST+: Proprietary patent-pending technology that allows users to record/load audio from Bluetooth connection and store it into headphone memory for offline playback. Available on TRI 2 PRO, SONAR 2 PRO, and STREAM 3 PRO.
- RIPT (Real Isolation Performance Tech)
- SURGE
- INTERVAL
Companies that use H2O Audio
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
H2O Audio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
H2O Audio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FlorencecoreLimited-edition collaboration celebrating the 2025 Moloka'i 2 O'ahu Paddleboard World Championships. Merges Florence's signature yellow aesthetic with H2O Audio's waterproof bone conduction technology featuring IPX8 rating and 8 hours battery life. Florence athlete Toa Pere secured second place in his division at the race wearing the headphones.
- Lucy Charles-BarclaycoreWorld champion triathlete (IRONMAN World Champion, 2x 70.3 World Champion, World Triathlon Long Distance Champion) collaborated on LCB x TRI 2 PRO product development. Her elite multi-sport insight integrated into award-winning performance headphones with 100% waterproof protection and PLAYLIST+.
- ZwiftcoreCollaboration between H2O Audio and Zwift for Zwift X RIPT Ultra headphones. Merges H2O Audio's sound technology with Zwift's immersive training world for distraction-free focus, deep sound, and athlete-approved comfort. Includes Zwift branding and integrated Zwift training experience.
- Betty DesignminorCollaboration bringing H2O Audio's headphone engineering with Betty Designs' fearless design aesthetic. Products include Betty x TRI 2 Multi-Sport and Betty x RIPT ULTRA headphones with unique colorways.
- Alpecin-DeceuninckminorPro cycling team partnership. Cycling Weekly featured what Mathieu van der Poel and Alpecin-Deceuninck team listen to on the Team bus en route to Tour de France using H2O Audio products.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
H2O Audio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
H2O Audio social profiles
Digital presenceH2O Audio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
H2O Audio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
H2O Audio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
H2O Audio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about H2O Audio
What does H2O Audio do?
H2O Audio designs, manufactures, and sells waterproof and sweatproof audio equipment including bone conduction headphones, in-ear/over-ear sport headphones, and waterproof MP3 players built primarily for swimmers, triathletes, runners, cyclists, and gym enthusiasts. The portfolio centers on IPX8-rated submersible products, the patent-pending PLAYLIST+ feature that records and stores Bluetooth streaming audio for offline/underwater playback, and 8GB on-board storage. Products are sold directly to consumers via the company's e-commerce site, Amazon, and authorized dealers worldwide.
Is H2O Audio a public or private company?
H2O Audio is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was H2O Audio founded?
H2O Audio was founded in 2001.
Where is H2O Audio based?
H2O Audio is headquartered in Solana Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does H2O Audio make money?
One revenue line is on record: hardware Sales.
Does H2O Audio have an API?
No public API is recorded for H2O Audio.
What industry is H2O Audio in?
H2O Audio's product category is Waterproof Sport Audio Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRACANAD, Sports & Fitness Audio (Open‑Ear, Bone Conduction, Neckband), with a secondary code of CRACANAM, Audio Accessories (Ear Tips, Cables, Stands, Cases, Transmitters). Its NAICS code is 334310 and its SIC code is 3651.