Bose On-Ear Stereo Headphones

by Bose

Product Details

• Item Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• ASIN: B000HWRBG2
• Item model number: ON-EAR
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Bose on-ear headphones deliver clean, rich sound in a small, light, on-ear design. Just slip them on and enjoy high-performance audio_engineered exclusively by Bose. You'll hear deep lows. Clear mids. Sweet highs. Distinct separation of instruments. Try them with your favorite tracks and you just may find nuances you never heard before. You may also find yourself forgetting you have them on. Bose on-ear headphones weigh less than five ounces. Their earcups are softly padded with memory foam that gently conforms to the shape of your ears. And they're designed to rotate from front-to-back and top-to-bottom-for enhanced fit that reduces pressure points. You can wear them comfortably for hours on end. Bose on-ear headphones feature proprietary Bose technologies that produce high-quality audio in this compact on-ear design. The unique TriPort(R) acoustic headphone structure provides excellent low-frequency output and helps create a wide range of audio from such small, lightweight earcups. There's no need to push buttons or adjust knobs, and no batteries are required. You just plug in and experience full-bodied, well-balanced audio that brings out the details in your music. These headphones make great commuting partners. They include two detachable audio cables of different lengths. Use the shorter 16" cable with armband or shirt-pocket connections, or link it to the standard 43" cable when you need added reach. Both cables attach to just one earcup, so there's less tangling than with conventional Y-cables. Bose on-ear headphones also feature a collapsible headband and fold-flat earcups. To pack them away, simply fold the cups flat, pivot them into the center of the headband and tuck them into their compact carrying case. Whatever your listening pleasure, we think Bose on-ear headphones will make it even more pleasurable. Use them with portable media players, at the office and at home. One listen is all it takes to hear the difference Bose technologies make.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but the headband seems a bit fragile, October 27, 2006

By 

D. Bezboruah (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bose On-Ear Stereo Headphones (Electronics)

I wanted to get the Bose QC3s for sometime now,[...] I just liked the supra-aural style better than the original Triport headphones. I was hoping that Bose would come out with a non-noise cancelling version of the QC3, and these are it! As soon as I learned that Bose had released these headphones, I quickly placed the order for them.

I got these last week and have been listening to music like crazy with them, both on my computer and on my iPod. These phones are not noise-cancelling models, but they still block out a noticeable amount of noise. You can wear these in a room and block out the noise of cars outside, the A/C, etc, while still being able to hear someone speak to you. I think these would work ok on a flight, but definitely not the best; that's what the QCs are designed for. I'm no audiophile and the only time I've ever tried Bose headphones before these were the demo Triports and QC2s at the Apple Store, so I can't say anymore about the sound than that it is terrific. It definitely is a balanced sound, with the bass at a perfect level and not too-overpowering. The trebles also come out pretty clear too. I was pleased with the sound over my old Sony EX-81 earbuds, which have a muddy and hissy sound compared to these. The bad thing about the sound quality is it really emphasizes how badly compressed some of my mp3s have become, which may not be a good thing if you don't have the original CDs for some of your music. I would give the sound quality five stars, but I warn you again that I'm no audiophile.

The fit of the headphones takes some getting used to, as Bose's design is quite unique. These phones are on-ear being that they are designed to be worn like those cheap headphones that you would get with your walkmans and portable CD players back in the days before mp3 players. However, Bose put cushioned leatherette pads which conform to the shape of your ear; when you put them on, you need to allow several seconds for the pads to adjust and form the perfect fit for you. Once this is done, you are all set to go. The phones do not press on you ears hard; I think they are very gentle and should be good for prolonged use without having to take them off once in awhile. I also wear eyeglasses, and the cups definitely don't press down hard on my glasses. I would give fit 4 1/2 stars.

These headphones come with a semi-hard zipper case similar to what is included with the QC models. The case is nicely padded on the inside and is custom-designed to hold the headphones when folded. There is a little mesh like pocket on the back of the case which can probably hold an iPod nano comfortably, though not a video iPod. Two cords are included: a short cord if you are plugging the phones into a wired remote control, like the iPod radio remote or similar; as well as a long standard sized cord. The cord attaches to only one cup and is detachable, so you don't have to worry about tangles. I would give the features and extras 5 stars.

And now the big con: build quality. I've read the reviews about other Bose headphones having poor-quality headbands which snapped after several months of use. Having tried the original Triports and the QC2s, I don't think Bose made much of an adjustment on strengthening the band of this model. Well, the band is definitely much stronger than the Triport, which has a thin, flimsly and skinny metal band wrapped in cloth, similar again to the cheap walkman headphones of the 90s. The on-ear's headband is very much like the QC3s: thicker than the original Triport, slightly more durable and covered in both leather and cloth. However, I still feel like after a few months these could break easily, just like people have experienced with the QC3s (and even QC2s). They do feel kind of stiff and I'm afraid already that if I pull the cups too far apart that the band would snap instantly and without warning. Therefore, I have to give the build quality 2 1/2 stars.

So my final verdict: I think these are a great design. They fit very well without any alterations or "custom fit kits" like those needed on premium earbuds. They have great sound, which I would expect for a pair of Bose phones. However, I'm not pleased with the build quality. I feel like I have to be patient and move slowly when handling the phones for fear of breaking them; not how I would act for the average pair of headphones. I am only in the 2nd week of my 30-day trial, so I'm going to see how this works out. But I am fearful of breaking a wonderful yet expensive and fragile piece. I'll update this review if I do decide to return this at the end of the 30 day trial. Overall, I'll give these headphones 4 stars. The sound and fit quality are impressive, and the bundled extras plentiful.[...]

---EDIT: 12/29/06---
Ok, so I am updating this much later than I should have. After testing the phones for the full 30-day period, I did indeed return these and ended up getting a pair QC2s on eBay. I was still uncomfortable with the fragility of the band, but that wasn't the only reason for the return. As I said, I wear glasses and discovered that after a few hours with these phones on, I did feel some discomfort in regards to my ear being pressed down on my glasses. I should say that I haven't gotten such discomfort with the QC2s, but that's my judgement; each person will have their own opinion on this matter. However, do not let me dissuade you from purchasing these. These definitely have amazing sound quality (again, from a non-audiophile's perspective) which improved as I broke-in the pair I used. I would not hesitate purchasing this as a gift.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great balance, great sound, and comfy but pricey, December 26, 2006

By 

T. Boland (Southern California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bose On-Ear Stereo Headphones (Electronics)

I just got these very recently after trying for 2 years to find the headphones of my dreams for both my audio system at home and my iPod.

These allow you to take off any bass booster eq and really hear what's going on. My previous headphones were pretty good, but just missed the range around female voices. These have NO such problems.

I am an audiophile and these would be considered on the "bright" rather than rich side, but it does very well in that. Hey, it's from Bose, so that's what you would expect, to some degree.

The sound is very accurate in that I could tell (for the first time) that a drummer was using a set of nylon brushes rather than metal. That's a bit esoteric, but it does give a description of how accurate these headphones are in that range.

I can not comment on durability yet as these are new to me. Bose does provide a semi-rigid case for them, so if you are good at putting things in their cases, it should be OK. If you just like to take your headphones off and let them drop, these are probably not your best choice.

For me, it was between the Triport AE (around the ear) and this one. To my ears, these OE's are clearly less muddy, especially in the mid to high freq range. They are occlusive enough so that I could go around vacuuming with my iPod without being at full volume. That's pretty not bad, especially for non-noise cancelling headphones.

If you realy can't tell the difference, I wouldn't spend the $180. If you can, these are certainly worth a listen.

The biggest problem now is that I might have to go back and re-rip my CD collection using a lossless format versus MP3. That's not a bad problem to have.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing, July 16, 2008

By 

Bloodpool11 (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bose On-Ear Stereo Headphones (Electronics)

damn this things are amazing, i put off buying these for a while because YES, They are very expensive, however i decided to buy them about 2 weeks ago and they are amazing, i dont even miss the money!!!! everything sounds absolutely fantastic with these, bass is superb and so are the mids and highs, crystal clear sound. they seem sturdy enough to carry around but the carry case is portable enough if you wish to carry them in your backpack to skool or work or watever. You will not regret buying these babies they are fantastic. it is also worth mentioning that they are not noise cancelling but because of the super-confortable memory foam cushion material that adapt to the shape of your ears, THEY DO BLOCK OUT ALOT OF OUTSIDE NOISE, i live in NY so blocking out traffic,horns,and people screaming on the streets is essential, and these sets brings all of those obsructions down to super minimum volume. 100% RECOMMENDED.

p.s: if you are upgrading from those terrible ipod headphones you are in for one BIG improvement here, you will not believe the sound!!!

_________EDIT___________

i forgot to mention something really nice about these headphones, the CORD is perfect length and it comes off right at the top of the headphones' left earcup meaning that if you accidentally pull it (and it takes force to pull it off) it will disconnect and not break the actual cord which means that if you were to BREAK the chord you can simply REPLACE it with a new one without compromising the headphones!!!! i accidentally SAT on the plug and it broke off at the tip where it connects to my mp3, with any other headphone the whole thing would have been ruined but with THESE BOSE i just replaced the cord with a new one!......and good as new!!!! im on my 9th month with these babies and i havent had any problems, they are still sturdy as the first day i bought them and i take them with me everywhere, they have survived rain, snow, heat and super cold weather and still function fantastic and ear-cushions are still in excellent condition. HOPE THIS HELPS! BYE

-------EDIT2--------------

year 1 1/2, still sound amazing, the cushions are showing a bit of tear around the middle, but this is expected because of EXTREME heavy use, i take these EVERYWHERE and use them EVERYDAY, this hasn't compromised any part of the sound. I AM STILL EXTREMELY HAPPY WIHT THESE HEADPHONES. still recommended, i would buy them again.

------EDIT3---------------

2 years, more tear on the cushions no need to have them replaced yet though they still sound amazing!, top head band is also losing some of its nice cushion material because of heavy use and i rarely use the carrying case. these things still sound amazing, survived the winter storms and snow, had to replace the cable again, so $5 more dollars, i ordered 2 just in case. its to be noted that i use these things ALOT! everyday ! and still sound as good as new, they look worn but its not a problem for me, i might get the cushions replaced next year but i see no need for that yet. STILL AMAZING !!! would STILL buy them again.