Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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64 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad, but the headband seems a bit fragile, October 27, 2006
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.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great balance, great sound, and comfy but pricey, December 26, 2006
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.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Breakin time required! Don't return yet!, April 11, 2007
I was on a recent buisness trip and purchased the Bose OE Triports to use with a new Sansa MP3 player. I listen to more jazz than anything presently and wanted something that would give excellant performance as well as good isolation. I purchased these grudgingly because of the price and my dislike of Bose marketing and pricing. But I thought that I would give these a try. I too found that the bass is excellant, better than most that I have heard. The midrange and highs were buried beneath the bass!! I thought only the younger generation who crave bass heavy music would enjoy these. I planned to return them at the end of my trip. I even stopped at more stores along the way to compare them against the $499.00 Shure earbuds (I forget the model)as well as some others. The Shures sounded more open, as I perferred but were expensive. I arrived home and let others listen to them and they agreed that they were bass heavy (Still hadn't made the return because of time restraints).
It happens that I feel asleep with my player going. I awoke, removed the headphones, left the player going (by mistake) and went back to sleep. By some miracle, the next time that I put the headphones on, I couldn't believe the improvement in the sound quality, the openess, and the seperation!! I listened very intently over the next few days to countless tracks and tried to find something that I didn't like. The midrange, highs and bass response were all there. I think that the total listening time between the period that I really disliked the phones to the sweet spot was 15-20 hours. I don't know if headphones require breakin like speakers but I have no desire to make a return. I look forward to listening to my entire collection of music. The Bose are here to stay.
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