I reviewed the Oakley Thump when the first model hit a couple of years back. I had a litany of complaints about the device--chiefly that, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out the advantage of combining an MP3 player with a pair of (hideous) sunglasses, especially given the ridiculous premium one had to pay for the relatively minute capacity of the player.

I wasn't alone in my complaints. At the time, very few people were getting on the Thump train. Oakley, however, was convinced that it was just ahead of the curve, waiting for the rest of the industry to catch up. Since then the company has refused to back down, releasing refresh after refresh to the line.

To its credit, the Thump has seen some noticeable improvements. Most obvious: They now actually look like a reasonable pair of sunglasses, rather than the weird, spiky, post-apocalyptic aesthetic the company was shooting for the first time around.

With the latest addition to the line, the unfortunately named Split Thump, Oakley has addressed two more of my major complaints: The controls no longer jut out but are integrated into the O logo. And more important, the headphones detach from the frame, so you no longer have them dangling from your ears every time you wear your sunglasses.

However, every time you want to listen to music, you still have to wear sunglasses. Perhaps the next refresh will incorporate the innovative concept of a standalone MP3 player. In the meantime, might I suggest some White Stripes-branded Icky Thumps?