Customer Reviews

Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones - Headphones ( ear-bud ) - black

5 star:		(147)
4 star:		(67)
3 star:		(55)
2 star:		(59)
1 star:		(85)

 

 

There is much outdated information about these headphones, so here's the straight poop, 2007 style. Notice that the cable is black and white - that's how you know you're looking at the redesigned version of Bose's In-Ear headphone. The silicon tips have been fixed, so they don't have the falling-off problem which many experienced with the old ones. This is the single biggest complaint people had about the old ones. In fact there are probably hundreds of negative reviews to be found online where the reviewers gave these cans an abysmal score for that flaw alone. They stay on tight now. Other improvements: a lanyard/clothing clip for the chord and an angled plug.

Other things you should know:

1. You don't stick them into your ear canals like with other in-ear buds. These sit just shy of the ear canal. So they block less noise, but create more of a sense of space or soundstage than I've experienced with true in-ear phones. I also get a sense that this might be a little more safe for your long-term hearing than true in-ear buds.

2. They sound very rich and lovely. Lots of low-end, though the low-end probably isn't as clean as on some more expensive cans. Nice highs and mids.

3. The most comfortable phones I've ever worn, although we're all shaped differently, so that may be meaningless to you. That said, part of the reason they are more comfortable to me is because they're not really IN my ears.

Altogether, I consider these headphones to be a really good value for this price range and a nice alternative to sticking something into your ears. I actually like their sound better than both Bose's on-ear and over-the-ear headsets.

I was on the fence for buying these for almost a year, and finally took the plunge. Let me start by mentioning that I've had and absolutely adored a pair of Bose over-the-ear TriPorts for many years now, so the bar was already high. But walking around the office with the 'big blues' on was getting a little embarrasing ...

Out of the box, quite bluntly, these buds stunk. I was extremely upset. I got the new Zebra-striped model, so I didn't have the problem with them falling apart, but the sound quality was just horrid. They had almost NO bass (keep reading, please) and you had to absolutely crank the player due to what I assumed was an inefficient set of cans. After searching around a bit, many people mentioned that you really need to burn these in, which I always thought was a silly myth. It's not! After a few days of use, they REALLY came into their own for me. The EQ settings I had set on day one were so far off by day five, I'm still stunned. After a proper burn-in period, the bass comes out full-force, the sensitivity improves significantly, you get used to the feel of the gels, and you find yourself wondering .. I was really going to RETURN these?

Don't get me wrong, they do not and will never compare to set of full headphones (especially not Bose phones), but that's not really the point is it? I completely agree that the only problem (*AFTER* burn-in) they have is a lack of treble response. I've had to bump up the treble a smidge on my player to account for that. I don't find the bass to be 'muddy' at all when using these exclusively, however if you compare them to full 'phones like the Bose TriPorts I can see, er hear, what people are talking about.

Bottom line: 5/5, but only after burn-in. Treble response is a bit weak without help from an Equalizer. Bass is strong yet 'muddy' compared with higher end equipment. Take the time to burn them in and adjust your player a little and you will not be disappointed. Best feature: Bose listens to customer feedback, be sure to let them know what YOU think.

The moment I put on this pair of earphones, I knew this is exactly what I've been looking for. It delivers rich, yet not overpowering bass with the right amount of midtone and treble. I hear more details in the music than ever. The sound quality is so good I can't help going through all my music collections again. This pair of earphones is very addictive but fortunately it is also very comfortable to wear for a long time.

I received my first pair of these headphones as a gift, because my normal iPod headphones hurt my ears. I've never had a problem with the Bose headphones falling out (you can choose from 3 pairs of gel-like bud attachments and pick the best fit), and as far as comfort goes, these are some of the best I've tried. I was happy with the sound quality as well, so when my first pair stopped working after about three months, I ordered a replacement.

Unfortunately, five months later, my replacement pair has died as well. Now, I'm not your average headphone user: my iPod is practically an extension of myself; it's in my pocket during my commute, when I'm walking around school, riding my bike, at the gym, etc.. The problem I had with the first pair was due to the horrible wiring joint, which offers no extra insulation where the cord moves the most. First, I noticed a little bubble, and then had to push or move that area in order to hear out of both buds, until I eventually couldn't hear anything at all. I liked the headphones, and figured the damage was to my rugged abuse, so I ordered a replacement. But again, I'm having the same issue. I think the only reason I've managed to almost double the life-span of my most recently deceased pair is due to the electrical tape I wrapped around the joint.

Overall, $90 headphones that don't offer as much wiring protection around the joint as the $9 ear-buds are not worth it. That said, if you aren't constantly connected at the ears to your mp3 player, they might work for you.

If you think you're getting actual new Bose ear buds for under $50 here on Amazon or anywhere else, think again. Check the prices and you'll see that Bose Tri-port ear buds sell for around $100, give or take a couple bucks. Any seller outside of Amazon selling them brand new here for the outrageous price of $35 is selling you an obvious fake. The unfortunate thing here is these fake ear buds are giving some people the wrong idea on what the Bose sound is.

I bought these Bose ear buds here on Amazon last year for $99. I couldn't be happier with the sound quality and the bass response, which is substantial for ear buds and give me that full-rich sound I would expect from Bose.

My friend was excited a couple weeks ago when he found the same ones I have here on Amazon (sold from another seller) for under $50. I couldn't believe he was able to find these, brand new, for this price.

Well, when they arrived it seemed this price was too good to be true after all. They sound just a little better than the ipod ear buds. Tinny, no bass, loud, and scratchy. A fake. The plug is completely different on these. The actual Bose version of these works with the iPhone. These fakes don't. The real Bose version now comes with a leather zipper case that will also fit your iPod or iPhone. The fakes my friend bought came with the old magnetic leather case that only holds the ear buds alone.

If you really are looking for these ear buds, buy them for their suggested retail price from Amazon itself. It's only $99! A small price to pay for not only the confidence that what you're buying is legitimate, but that you'll be enjoying true Bose sound for years to come. You'll be happy you didn't get duped, trust me.

I wanted to replace the headphones on my Ipod for some time as they were cheap $10.00 ones and I kept having to turn the sound up all the way to hear my music with them. I had heard Bose was a good brand and from other reviews I read on various websites I found that there were some problems with these headphones. The two main complaints were that for the price the sound was not all that great and that the headphones slip out of people's ears. First of all I believe you get what you pay for. These headphones are expensive, but for the price they deliver high quality sound. Case in point: I exercise at a gym and constantly have to turn my music volume up all the way so I can hear it. Not so with these headphones. While they don't drowned out all the sound they do a good job of letting the music come through over the other noises. That was the same way on the bus as well. Many people complain that with the ear buds that they fall out of their ears. That was one of my biggest concerns in purchasing this product. People also complained that because you can use removable ear tips that these tips fall off easily. I have had no problems with either of these issues. I use the small size ear buds and they work perfectly. There is a little slipping, but they do not completely fall out of my ear even when I run. So overall I think this is a great set of headphones and nicely accompanies my Ipod.

I am sure that these will work well for someone, but not me. They did not fit comfortably in my ears and have a tendency to fall out. I strongly suggest trying them out BEFORE you spend $100.00 on earbuds.

These headphones are amazing, i give them five stars but for this review they get one. I'm on my second pair and for the second time the wire around the headphone jack has deteriorated inside and i have no sound in the right ear unless i wiggle and pinch the wire. BOSE, redesign the headphone jack, this is the Achilles heel of your in ear headphones. It's outrageous to charge $99 for a pair of phones that have a clunky 1970's style headphone jack that deteriorates with normal everyday use.

As a service to the wider community, I've decided to write a review for these earphones after having owned them for one year. Most of the reviews that I have read are several months old and were written by people only a short time after buying them. Truly, though, you can only get a good idea of a product after you have lived with a product through the ups and downs and after it has started to get worn. So here is a semi-long term review of the Bose TriPort IE's.

I bought the IE's to replace my Sony MDR-V300 monitors which were starting to get bent and worn after 3-4 years of fairly constant use. I liked the sound out of my monitors, but the over the ear design was not very comfortable (if you have large ears, you know what I'm talking about). I would use some earbuds for greater convenience when traveling, but I never found a pair that provided as good of sound as the monitors. When I saw the Bose earphones at Best Buy I thought I would give them a try, but I wanted to make sure. I did some product research and found that, as is often the case with these products, there are people who are in the Shure camp, and people who are in the Bose camp. The conclusion that I could ultimately draw from this brief research was that I would have to draw my own. If I liked them, great; if not, I would return them.

I would not consider myself an audio-snob; though yes, I do like Bose. I own a Wave Music System and I also had Bose component speakers in my dorm room at school. I was not disappointed with either of those products, so I expected to be pleased with the earphones as well. I decided to buy the IE's and give them a shot, though the price of entry was a tad high and is ultimately why I gave them 4 out of 5 stars. $99 is a lot for earphones, no matter how life-changing they may claim to be.

I started off listening to them on my 17" MacBook Pro which has a phenomenal audio port. The sound quality was miles away from the MDRs that I had been using previously. I was really impressed by how much bass that these little earphones could produce. I am a fan of BT and Tiesto and the sound reproduction for electronic music is fantastic. Many people online have talked about "burn-in" and I can confirm that experience, as well. These headphones do get better with time. I found that, as per the instructions manual, these headphones are best used with no EQ. The sound is balanced enough for my taste, though personal tastes do vary. I have found that using supplemental equalization tends to distort the sound unnecessarily.

Although I have never owned earphones that situate in the ear canal, I like the IEs because they do not. Some out there may know what I am talking about when I say "earphone itch." I found that my ears would become irritated with long use with standard Apple earbuds or similarly styled earphones. While the light resting design of the Bose is a nagging point for many, they perform exactly as expected for me. I use them for several hours a day at work with absolutely zero discomfort. I started using them with the "Medium" silicone tip but have since switched to the "Large" as I have found that it affords a snugger fit.

I never grow tired of hearing new things with these ear buds. Listening to acoustic or classical music is always a joy. Bose started off as a company by trying to accurately reproduce the "live music experience" in the home and that attention to detail is born out by these earphones. You can hear the hammers striking the piano strings, or the guitarist plucking the strings. The psychoacoustics--a Bose-ism, if you will--are just spectacular. As I said earlier, these earphones are probably among the best for listening to trance and electronic music.

I've read several reviews where people gripe about the IEs being unsuitable for gym use. Frankly speaking, I don't see the point of using $100 earphones at the gym. Why spend so much money on quality audio equipment only to get it gunked and sweaty? I will admit that on the rare occasions that I have flown while owning these headphones, I have needed to turn the volume up a tad more than I would like. They do not provide any sound isolation. If you spend most of your time in airports or on airplanes, these may not be the earphones for you.If, however, you spend most of your day at a desk or are looking for a quality alternative to bulky studio monitors for home listening, these earphones are well worth a look.

One year on, I am just as satisfied with these earphones as I was the day that I bought them. I look forward to taking them out of the case everyday; it's like having a home theater in my pocket. I have suffered no sort of adverse wear or tearing of the silicone tips and the cord has never once gotten a knot. The price is high, yes, but I believe that I have gotten exactly what I paid for.

I bought these directly from the Bose store in Jan 2008 - so they are the "new" version. I use them almost exclusively in the gym (running, bending, lying exercises).
Firstly I tried all the plastic connections and found them all uncomfortable. They also would continuously fall out (every 30 seconds on a treadmill). Using the clip (provided) improves this but the problem remains.
I tend to listen to lectures/books from my ipod - the sound was adequate but no better than ear-phones costing half the price. With music the difference was more favourable but a long way from what I usually associate with Bose quality.