RCA Jet Stream Jams at the Gym, Wirelessly

Using Kleer wireless audio transmission technology, the Jet Stream cuts headphone cords without resorting to Bluetooth.

Making a pitch to athletic iPod Shuffle users sick of fighting with tangled headphone cables, RCA on Friday released its new S2501 Jet Stream portable media player. The smallish PMP discards both wires and Bluetooth for proprietary Kleer wireless audio transmission technology, which RCA claims offers better battery life and audio quality.

The thin, 3.63-inch tall player offers a 1-inch color LCD for browsing music, viewing photos and playing video, a splash-proof body with a clip, and 1GB of flash memory. It also has a variety of exercise-centric software features built in, like an integrated stop watch, pedometer, calorie counter and body mass index calculator.

Since Kleer-capable headphones aren’t as common as their more popular Bluetooth brothers, RCA includes a pair of wireless Kleer earbuds with each player. The company claims they last for about 10 hours on a single charge, close to the 14-hour maximum play time estimated for the player itself.

The accessory pack for the player includes both an armband and wristband for exercise, and an extra set of wired headphones to supplement the wireless pair. RCA will release the S2501 in October with a suggested retail price of $139.