my Bose On-ear headphones review

hey guys i recently brought a pair of Bose on-ear headphones and thought id write up a review for you all.......

so Bose are a very well known audio company who have great products for all areas of ones needs, from stereo to home theater and everything in between.

i have gone through quite a number of headphones over the past couple of years and decided it was time to spend more on a quality pair that would last longer.....

i looked at a number of different brands from sennhieser, sony and Coby before really deciding on spending a lot more by going with Bose.

the two sets i was looking at where the over-ear set and the on-ear set.

i went to the factory outlet shop and tried both pairs on before deciding upon the on-ear set, which felt more comfortable, seemed to have a higher bass range and just sounded that little bit more clear and crisp.







the earpieces employ a cushy memory foam that conforms to your ears nicely, and they do a better job than you'd think of passively shutting out noise. The headphones are very comfortable, because of the amazingly soft leather pads which are pressed right up against your ears, the sound is true and i don't get any echoing that i have experienced with over the ear sets.

The On-Ears have virtually the same size earpieces as the QuietComfort 3s and offer a similar fit. Where the On-Ears have an advantage in my opinion due to the way they're able to fold up and flatten out into a more compact size, which can be stored in a travel case for added protection.

as well as that the on-ear set have this great feature where they come with two detachable headphone cables: one 43-incher and one 16-incher. (You can also daisy-chain them together if a long connection is needed.) as well as that you can buy a optional inline microphone mic/cable for making hands-free phone calls or your other mic needs....but this costs an extra $20.
as for sound, i like, i like them a lot.

the low range is great, with crisp and clear sounds, the bass is a little on the boomy side which is great for gaming and doesn't adversely affect music listening, the clarity that i was missing in my other headphones Sennheiser HD202 is very noticeable, and make the world of difference especially in games like FPS where clarity can give you the edge. (the below image is a comparison of size between the Bose and Sennheiser HD202 headphones)



the frames are light and well made, with a very comfortable padded headrest, they feel good on and after extensive use didn't get uncomfortable in the slightest............



so that's the pro's for the headset, the only real downside i have with these is the price...the retail at $170 and that is a very high price, but again they are Bose and add to that the 1 year no questions asked replacement warranty, ie any problems they will give you a new set on the spot, international warranty and lifetime support i was happy paying the price.

so in short while I can't call these Bose headphones a bargain, they're still expensive at $170, they're somewhat of a bargain for Bose headphones. They may not offer best in class performance, but their compact size, appealing design, comfortable fit, and full sound make them easy to recommend.

i personally give them a 9/10

so i hope this was helpful for you, any questions feel free to ask.

 

Nice review... I have the TriPort AE headphones and naysayers can talk all they want, but I LOVE them. Lightweight, comfortable cushions, and great sound. I looked at the OE but I couldn't justify the extra $$ for OE. I just prefer AE is all. Try watching a movie with any of the Bose headphones... it's as good or better than the dang theater!

 

I'd actually forgotten how much Bose headphones are. Thanks for reminding me. The fact that for just a little more you can purchase a DT880, HD600, or K701 makes me die a little inside.

I'm glad that you're happy with your purchase, and thanks for the review.

 

nice, i was this close to getting the over the ear headphones but when i tested i liked the sound variation the on-ear offered and was prepared to pay the extra......but you are right, i just watched a movie with these Bose and oh my, very impressed.........really happy.......

yeah and you are right, all those headphones you suggested are top sets, apart from all of them are over the ear and i was after on-ear headphones to reduce some of the echo i was having with my previous headphones.......and i travel a fair amount and don't want to have to carry a huge set of headphones with me...nice suggestions all the same.

 

BTW... Don't know if you know, but the TriPort AE and OE really like to be amp'd. I can tell a MAJOR difference in how much better they handle when the volume is turned up. With just my headphone out on my notebook, the bass will start to distort at higher volumes, but amp'd they will make my ears feel like they're shaking with absolutely no bass distortion. Try watching Clash of the Titans where the Cracken is unleashed. It blows me away. In fact, I actually do most of my movie watching now on my desktop with my Bose headphones, and my living room setup is an H/K system with Bose 901's and a Boston 250W sub.

 

I thought the On-Ear was awash with a torrent of fart-like bass which made quality evaluations kind of moot. Very comfy though especially for an on-ear set (it's almost impossible to find a pair of truly comfy ones, and I think the Bose is about the only one). I liked everything but the sound.

I'm not that enormously fond of the Around-Ears, but I think they're probably the best compromise for something comfortable, half-decent sounding-on-the-move, usably isolated, lightweight and not dorky looking if you're after headphones and not IEMs. I have a tendency to ditch phones I don't like quite quickly and since my Around-Ears are 3+ years old, I guess that says something about them. There are better sounding phones, there are more isolated phones, there are more lightweight phones... but none I've found which offers the relative balance of the Bose of comfort, sound, inoffensive looks, isolation and weight.

Buying an HD600, DT880, etc for the same use as a Bose's is like buying a Clevo monster when you're looking for an ultraportable. However I have actually seen idiots walking around with K701's - they *must* be Head-Fi members.

 

nice set-up mate, im sure you have the best of both worlds, and i have to agree with you, these Tri-port headphones don't distort at all when i have the volume up high, the clarity is still there and for once it doesn't feel uncomfortable on my hearing........

thanks for your thoughts, in my review i said " the base is a little boomy" which seems to be the opposite to what you are saying, its my understanding that the OE and AE are basically the same headphone with the only difference coming from one covering the ear and the other sitting on it......the base in my opinion is a real pleasure, my old headphones the Sennheiser HD202 had a flat sounding base that echoed and somewhat merged in a offensive manner with the other sounds, im not a audiophile but these Bose headphones are the best i have used, and the subtleties in range between the low and higher sounds are amazing to finally be able to pick up.

i have to agree with you about the use of some of those monsters like the HD600 compared to the Triport uses.