Customer Reviews

Bose® Around-Ear Headphones for Personal and Portable Listening

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(29)
2 star:		(18)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

The Bose® around-ear headphone set is the base model in their line-up, but is in the middle price range of such sets from most other brands. Some would say you are paying a premium for the brand name here, and they would be right. The sound is good, though not great. This unit is cheaply constructed and has some qualities of low end headsets. Because of the questionable durability, these will definitely be good enough for personal use but may not be durable enough for true portable listening over time.

PRICING, QUALITY, PERFORMANCE

Only Bose could produce an entry level set of headphones in the $140 price range. The average sound quality means that demanding and experienced users will most likely find the sound to be mediocre. Those who are not audiophiles will find little to complain about in the sound quality without points of comparison given the brand name. And these will certainly sound better than your average entry level set. Then again, your average entry level set will cost one fifth of the price of these. So it's still not a fair comparison.

Still, the main knock on this set is the durability and build quality which leave much to be desired. Good thing Bose has a great warrantee and reputation because there is a pretty good chance you are going to have to make use of it.

This unit is not terrible by any means. Some people may rail against this unit more than it deserves because of the high price and Bose name. That's understandable.

But to be fair this set will meet the needs of some. Those who are super brand conscious, or are purchasing these as a gift for such a person, are highly attracted to the Bose brand. That's how these came into my life originally. Somebody I knew just could not live with any set other than Bose.

It should be noted that I've performed testing over a 7 month period before posting my thoughts here. The first set I tested is still functional, but the wear and tear is obvious even after that short a time. I've tested 2 other sets since then and they all have similar qualities. The sound improves slightly over time, but the body of the unit suffers wear and tear easily. These are good enough for a home set but for travel or portable use I would not even consider them.

Once again, if you must have Bose paying the premium for these won't be the worst you've ever done. You just have to know what you plan on using these for.

THE ALTERNATIVES

The list of sets you should consider instead of these is long and varied. Several of the sets that have to be considered are also made by Bose. That is more than a little ironic. Specifically, the "Quiet Comfort" series, such as the Bose® QuietComfort® 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones or Bose® QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones have active noise cancelling features. They are about twice the cost of these but at least offer more performance for your money. After all, if you're going to pay a premium it may be better to pay it for better quality as opposed to brand alone.

The Audio Technicas, particularly the Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Active Noise-Cancelling Headphones, also deserve to be considered. The performance with noise cancelling enabled is very good. For less than these over-the-ear passive headphones, you get an active noise cancelling set that is more durable and with better sound. Similarly, the Sennheiser PXC 250 Active Noise Canceling Headphones, Sennheiser PXC 450 NoiseGard Active Noise-Canceling Headphones, Sony MDR-NC50 Noise Canceling Headphones and Sony MDR-NC60 Noise Canceling Headphone all offer more features and quality in a very wide price range depending on your budget and needs. Any of these certainly stack up well against the QC2 and QC3 and would far surpass the Bose around the ear headphones. So they definitely should be considered here.

But for those who don't want the additional noise cancelling and think the quality of these is good enough, there are countless models by Sony, Panasonic and others that should be considered. Even the very low end Sennheiser HD201 Headphones deserve to be considered for less demanding users, especially since you could buy and replace 7 sets of them for the same price as these.


PROS
+ Good gift for basic headset for those that must have Bose brand name
+ Earphone is decent quality for a basic headset
+ Comfort of design is good; pinches less than others
+ Extra long cord is convenient for home computer use
+ Sound quality is still generally *good* if not great
+ Sound leakage is bearable, allowing you to not disturb those around you as much
+ Some internal components (drivers, magnets, etc) are better quality, unlike the casing
+ Each ear canister easily swivels for comfort and versatility
+ The Bose warrantee is very good, but you will likely need it
+ The company track record of honoring the warrantee is great

CONS
- The pricing is high, mostly due to the Bose brand name rather than quality
- The headphones are made from low grade plastic and not very durable
- The hard wired cable doesn't provide the option for some devices that require an integrated microphone (3 channel audio) such as the iPhone
- These sometimes sell for less than the list price of $140 in local stores
- The sound sensitivity and range are only average and wont satisfy audiophiles
- Durability is questionable; the wires and connectors are your basic cheap grade and won't last heavy abuse
- The plastic head strap and can hinges are cheap and
- Fabric over the ear cushions is cheaper *pleather* type material that will wear away with time
- Many other design flaws add up to make these sub-par overall

CONCLUSION

If you or your loved ones do not have audiophile needs and simply must own the Bose name, you may be satisfied with these. If don't mind the wired connection, this set is worth a look.

If you are willing to expand your search, you may find much higher quality alternatives at better prices. An inexpensive set for infrequent use or a noise cancelling set for more heavy travel use can easily be had for less. If you plan on using your headphones often and don't mind spending a little more, look into the Audio Technica set or other alternatives.

For my money, the build quality is simply too low to justify this price. I will update this shortly with more detailed testing information and alternatives.

Enjoy!

Original review:

As I've posted elsewhere, these are my favorite choice for quality listening. They don't tire your ears out (like plugs) and they isolate you from all but the most intrusive environmental distractions. Superb bass response.

2009 update:

In 2006 I was sent a replacement for a broken model that had faulty headband design. So far's I know, the current model has the redesigned, sturdier component.

2010 update:

After regular use in the office, the ear pads of one of my pairs has begun to wear. Replacement earcups should be cheap, right? THINK AGAIN. Bose wants $35 for a set of these simple, cheap earcups. Combine that with the superior sound that you can get for equivalently priced 'phones (start with Grado), and the high price that Bose commands begins to pale by comparison. At one time, the Bose Triport (now called "around-ear") headphones were a very light and crisp sounding value proposition, but in this day of excellent on-ear or around-ear phones, as well as terrific in-ear monitors (IEMs), $149 for these is just too much money. Same with the Bose Triport IEMs (which I also own), for their MSRP, you can buy Shure SE110s or Etymotic Research HF5s, or (a spiffy newcomer) Thinksound TS01s or the more balanced Thinksound Rains for half the price.

Whether you want over the ear escape, or in-ear convenience, you can do better for less money.

These headphones are light and comfortable. Sound reproduction is outstanding. You will hear instruments and supporting vocals you did not know were on your CD or iPod. The around-the-ear design filters out all but the loudest background noise enhancing your listening enjoyment. But, you have probably heard all that. Try these out at a local Best Buy or Target. You will not be disappointed. Cost? You get what you pay for.

You'll hear things in your music that you didn't even know were there before. The only down side is that modern compression of music can distort it, and the headphones are so good that you hear it. That's the music's problem though, not the headphones. Just great! Worth every penny.

I have owned many different headphones over the years, but nothing beats this set of Bose. Besides being lightweight and a perfect fit over the ears, the reproduction of highs and lows are unparalleled with anything else on the market. And as a side benefit, even though this item wasn't advertised as one which deadens outside sound, it definitely does. Even at this price, this is a great value. I recommend it to anyone in the market.

I just recently decided to spend the extra money and get around the ear headphones. I have been let down every time with every earbud that I could find. None would ever fit in my ear and the ones I managed to squeeze in would start to hurt after a few minutes. This set of headphones has fantastic sound quality. I can hear light background sounds that I never heard before. Another big quality they have is comfort. They are so soft and light, I forget I am wearing them. I recommend these to anyone who doesnt mind spending $140.

These are great, padding is nice and soft, headband is sturdy and very comfortable. They are as close to being perfect to an over-theear headphone can be except for one thing, my ears end up getting hot after a while. Granted, that is just me not everyone will experience this. Cord is nice and long too......

I have owned two of these headphones (got one as a present) and they both broke on me. They also broke at the same place, the plastic that keeps the ear cup attached just snaps in half. I take GREAT care of my expensive stuff and still had both of them fall apart on me.

Stay away. They sound good but the build quality needs a lot of improvement.

I have a pair of Sony MDR-V6 phones that sound incredible. I'm talking Superb sound. They are only about $65, too. However, I had to sacrifice sound for comfort. The Sony's are way too heavy and pinch my ears if I use them longer than 20 minutes. I'm constantly pulling them away from my ears for relief. I tried for a few weeks to tolerate them because of the exceptional sound, but I had to return and get the Triports for comfort. I have tested these Bose side by side with my Sony's, and the bass on these is way less than the rich sound of my Sony's. I'm disappointed that I paid more than double for these. And....I'm afraid the Bose are going to break if I don't be super careful. Definitely won't let my kids use these. But the comfort is 100x better than my Sony's. I do like the Bose, just not worth $140 after i've already heard the sound out of the $65 Sony's.

The sound is great, the construction is poor. The plastic head piece broke within a very short period of time where the metal slides in from the ear cover. This is the exact location it has broken for everyone I know who owns this headphone. I find it hard to believe that Bose doesn't know about this and has chosen to ignore the problem.