I was introduced to these headphones in June of 2008 while I was deployed to Afghanistan. On those days where all you want to do is sit back and relax, I often turned to my iPod. But I always had trouble finding earbuds or headphones that could produce the sound I was looking for. It seemed like nothing could accurately reproduce the sound of thundering double bass without sounding muddy. That was until a friend of mine had me listen to a new Cradle of Filth song. And while I actually hate Cradle of Filth, I was blown away at how crisp and heavy everything sounded. I pulled the headphones off and immediately took myself down to the MWR, hopped on a computer and ordered this very set of headphones from Amazon. A few weeks later, the headphones had arrived (shipping to APOs can take a while). I've been using the same pair ever since, no exaggeration.
The AE1's made it back from that deployment in one piece and saw regular use during my time off from work. A year after returning, the AE1's and I were heading back to Afghanistan again. This time, they didn't get as much use as before but they still saw use at least a few times per week for more than an hour at a time and they never missed a beat (no pun intended). Even with constant packing and unpacking of rucksacks and duffel bags, these headphones miraculously survived it all and kept me entertained during my down time.
Fast forward to now... I am now learning a language at the Army's Defense Language Institute and I use these AE1's everyday for audio exercises during school hours and for music when I'm unwinding at the end of each day. They still sound just as good as they did the day I bought them but their age is showing. The ear cushions are flaking and it leaves black dandruff-looking sprinkles all over the place. The cushions are also almost completely compressed and there's not as much cushion as there once was. Obviously, a simple cushion replacement is in order but other than that, these AE1's have impressed me.
I'm no audiophile by any means, but prior to joining the military, I played guitar in a couple bands and regularly played shows. I know what live music is supposed to sound like and I know what kind of sound I'm looking for.
Pros:
- Crisp, deep bass (without being overbearing)
- Nice mids, and decent highs
- Comfort and lightweight
Cons:
- No case for proper storage
- Flakey ear cushions
- The ridiculously long cable is kind of awkward for portable use
- Sometimes, I want more bass
Overall, I'm impressed with how these things have held up over the years. I definitely expected these to fall apart at some point. I don't doubt the reviews that cite poor quality, but my experience is very different. These things have been a godsend. I'll be purchasing some new ear cushions in the near future and hope to get another 4+ years out of these things.
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Customer reviews
Cheap plastic ear piece breaks every time, no good!
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2010
I bought my bose headphones and after about 6 months of owning them with very light use the black part on the earpiece that says Bose broke off just like my fathers did and my father in laws.This is a huge manufacturers defect and Bose is very aware of it if you google it. Trouble is after a year they want you to pay 60$ to send you a new pair even though it is a factory defect and a very cheap little piece of plastic that holds the heavy earpieces on the head band. This break renders the headphones useless unless you gorilla glue them back on. I will never buy bose headphones again.I called bose support and gave them the information from the inside of the headphone and let them know that the same break happened to 2 of my family members and they said they were 1.5 years old and I could send them back with a 60$ check and they would replace. This is not what I wanted to hear after dropping well over 100$ for these. I enjoyed them while they were working but i was simply putting them on my head when the plastic piece broke sending black fragments all over my desk. My father said his broke after a light twist when pulling out of his luggage and my father in laws broke also putting them on his head.
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2010
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