Bose On-Ear Stereo Headphones
by BOSE
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List Price: Our Price: $79.99 You Save: $120.00 (60%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Bose On-Ear Stereo Headphones
Customer Review: These are okay...
Summary: 3 Stars
returned my bose triport around the ear headphones 10 days after I bought them because the store just started stocking these and I assumed that this is the improvement over the AE triports (but not replacement according to Bose). Beware, I am no headphone audiophile and I haven't tried all the other high end headphones so my review is based on how it sounds for the price and compared to my previous experiences to other ones i
Ok I think i was in the minority when I say I loved the AE triports, It was extremely comfortable great sounding, but fragile (I researched on the net where it says bose fixed the fragility of triports but they are still fragile for active use) and still used the 2 cord coming out of earcup design. These ones your ear presses up against but it doesn't feel bad at all, but i preferred the around the ear. The cord is very rugged and comes out of the left ear only which is great. And the another great feature is that it comes with a nice case and folds up for on the go use.....
Ok now for the sound. Everything is nice, crisp and clear. It's not as immersive and crisp as the bose AE but i think that's because the ae covered your whole ear. The tradeoff for these ones is that people who buy these probably want to use them for multiple activities other than sitting on a pc and using it like working out, digital music player and more, without worrying about this thing snapping in half. I wish I could compare these to the seinhessier hd 555 headphones but i've only used them once at tweeters on a 1200 watt reciever (the default plug is one of those big ones and only the big reciever accepted it). Plus I would probably need to be at home to get a more authentic experience.
My assumption is that these aren't as good as the higher end headphones because it didn't make me go "wow these sound amazing!" and i'm using these on a pc with soundblaster xi-fi soundcard. I went through a lot of trouble getting these and i'm not returing them even though I don't think it's worth the price considering other options out there.
I'm having a really hard time reccomending these because this thing seems to be designed with durablity first, sound second which is the opposite of the Bose AE....
Ok i just compared these to my sony streetstyle headphones and i've come to the conclusion that these don't sound much better than cheap headphones unless your listening to high end music (not sure if this applys to every expensive headphone) It doesn't sound much better on the ipod compared to regular headphones.
Overall i'm giving these headphones 3 stars because it's very comfortable for long sessions, folds up neatly into a case, durablity and great for using it on the go. Only 3 stars because the sound is average doesn't sound as good as triport AE imo and probably is not worth buying considering the compeition out there. I heard Bose has great customer service so take that into consideration too.
Customer Review: for IPod: Bose On-Ear Headphones -vs- Sennheiser HD555
Summary: 4 Stars
I had been searching for the right pair of headphones for my Ipod Touch for weeks on end, reading the reviews and published opinions in all the audio/video forums. I already own the UE Super.fi 5 Pro canal phones and they are great indeed, but I was wanting a set of headphones for both work and home that were easier to put on and take off. You have to fidget with canal phones to get the seal right. I decided based on reviews to buy the Sennheiser HD555. I was interested in the various Bose headphones, but they just seemed way overpriced. In the end, however, I was very disappointed in the HD555's - so much so that I went right out and purchased the Bose On-Ear headphones. The Bose On-Ear headphones are very similar to the Quiet Comfort 3's, but without the noise canceling feature and are about half the price. In comparing the Bose to the Sennheiser, I played an orchestra/vocal mp3, "Gollum's Song", with Emiliana Torrini, recorded at 320 sampling rate, and the HD555 sounded better than the Bose, richer midrange, more clearly defined...But. The Bose did quite well with this and other orchestra pieces too and just gave such a more well-rounded performance on all different types of music than the HD555 did. Amongst many other songs, I listened to the Beatles' "Come Together" and the HD555's disappointed badly there, and I had to turn the EQ bass booster on to get any satisfaction at all from it. The Bose were very nice with no EQ, just the right amount of bass, both felt and heard. Not muddy at all, but deliciously warm. You know, I think that the Bose On-Ears have more weaknesses than the Sennheiser HD555's, but it is sometimes more helpful to describe the way a headphone's sound makes you feel rather than a technical breakdown of the strengths and weaknesses of a particular set, and in that way I would say that the Bose On-Ear's are a kind of comfy chair that satisfies emotionally; and even if the chair is not perfect you are feeling very good in it, and you lounge and sigh with contentment. In comparison along the same emotional lines, the Sennheiser HD555 is an evenly padded chair, firm and not uncomfortable and no doubt has all the things in it that should make it a better chair than the Bose. But somehow it doesn't. If you are using an IPod, I think you'll be happier with the Bose On-Ear headphones than most other phones. They are good for the office too because they are small, they only leak a little sound and they block outside sounds quite well. And yes, they seem very comfortable too. I found the right ones for me.Customer Review: Bose On-Ear Triport vs. Shure E3c
Summary: 5 Stars
I just got the on-ear triport headphones. I've owned the Shure E3c ear buds for about a year and a half. They're both expensive and they're both great prodcuts with certain situations in which they're ideal.
The Shure's provide "noise blocking" in that they form-fit to the inside of your ear canal which virtually eliminates any sound entering your ear except sounds produced by the buds. The clarity of the E3c's is superior to that of any product I've sampled. The mid and high frequency sounds are near perfect. Shure provides 7 differnet size ear bud covers to guarantee the perfect fit for any user. (personal note: I have odd ears; one canal is larger than the other. Not a problem with the Shures since you're free to mix and match the covers). The only problem with the E3c is that there is virtually zero low end response.
The Bose, on the other hand, provide a great mix of sound at all frequencies. While the top end frequencies don't rival that of the E3c, they are more than capable of handling any reasonable amount of bass. (note: I don't listen to any rap, so don't get angry at me if you buy these and they don't thump enough for you). But, from heavy metal to jazz I find the Bose is able to handle the low end.
Both headphones immerse the listerner in the music. I give the bose the edge in the comfort department. Lets face it, having padded leather ON your ear is more comfy than having rubber jammed IN your ear.
Convenience? The E3c would have to get the edge. They're small and can be easily wrapped around an iPod or shoved in a pocket. I'd also be more likely to use them during a workout. If I'm sitting around the house relaxing I'll alwayse use the Bose.
So, consider your personal preferences. If you want comfort, bass, and relaxing listening sessions get the Bose. If you want noise reduction without batteries, crystal clear sound and don't mind sacrificing low end for portability go with the E3c.
One last note: I'd say I'll use the Bose for more than 75% of my listening. Either way you'll be making a solid purchase. Look at it this way: $300.00 for an iPod. Hundreds if not thousands on music. You've spent all that money on your music collection. What could be more imporatnt than having a high quality product to deliver that music to your ears? The only tough choice is picking the Shure or Bose. I'll leave that up to you.
Customer Review: Great sound. Bad price.
Summary: 4 Stars
I love these headphones. I don't, however, believe that they are worth $150+, but I snagged them for $140 off of retailslashers, so I guess I caught a break. The sound of these headphones are phenomenal (at least in my limited experience). They have great potential for all sorts of music of different varieties, which is perfect for me because I listen to a lot of classical music, as well as heavy bass hip-hop and rap, and they sound great for metal or rock too!
The mid range of these headphones are GREAT, reproducing subtle sounds and nuances that increase the quality of the sound a lot compared to cheaper headphones. The high range is pretty good, and the bass thumps pretty nicely on hip hop and adds depth to classical and rock. I also have about a $40-$50 pair of "AKG K 26 P" which I am comparing to these headphones. The main different between these great portable headphones is the strength and quality of materials, because they sound pretty good too. There are definitely differences in the mid and high ranges, but the bass is very good on the AKG's. I guess if you're willing to dish out an extra $100 for brand, materials, and better mid and high range, then these headphones are for you.
The best feature, in my opinion, is the comfortableness of the padded ear cups. Not only do they create a GREAT seal which blocks out a lot of ambient noise, but they can rest on my ears for hours without me feeling to least bit uncomfortable. I usually use them on my computer at night, and sometimes I forget I have them on and think my speakers are playing. They do tend to get a bit warm, but that's a small price to pay for the great comfort these headphones provide. The AKG's I have are painful to wear sometimes, because they are very tight and have hard foam ear cups.
In conclusion, I would say that this was a good purchase because I find myself constantly using them, even when not necessary, and they look and feel like they'll last me a long time. I did not test any headphones in this price range, so as far as I know there could be much better headphones for $150, but these ones sound great to me.
Customer Review: WARNING: Listen to these on your Discman before you buy them.
Summary: 3 Stars
I originally owned a pair of the over the ear triports which I bought back in late 2003. I like those a lot and I got a good deal on them. The only thing I didn't like about them was that they were too big to bring to the gym or to wear with my mp3 player while walking down the street. Soundwise, those were quite good, bass was excellent (would not distort), and they sounded even when played softly and when played really loud.
I went to my local audio store (6th Avenue Electronics here in NJ) and they had a display with the over the ear design and the new on ear design. I don't know how they rigged that setup but somehow they got the on ear design to sound amazing. I mean the bass was deeper than the over the ear design, and the music felt "tight." I immediately went home and put my over the ear headphones on eBay and when those sold, I bought these new on ear headphones.
I was stunned when I started to listen to them and noticed that these headphones did not live up to the store demonstration (personally I use a Sony D-E307CK discman which is quite good). The bass distorts (mega bass off) when you push them, they sound amazingly bright (not good), and because of this I could not justify the $179 price tag. I kept telling myself I had to break them in or something but even after a month of listening I had no luck. On top of all that, they are real delicate. If you don't know how to fold them up or for that matter unfold them from storage, you could snap them very easily. I would stick with the over the ear design and skip these as the over the ear design sounds better, is stronger (ever so slightly), and most importantly is cheaper. Soundwise, to sum up the difference when you listen to the on-ear's after listening to the over-the-ear's, you'll notice that "something just seems missing."
Luckily I sold these on ear headphones on eBay last week to an uninformed buyer in Europe. Right now I am headphoneless and I will be looking to see some offering from Sennheiser. If they have nothing good, I'll just go back to the Bose over-the-ear's as I was happy with those to begin with.