[swaffleman]

First off, I did a search and didn't see any threads about this, so don't skewer me if this has been talked about before...
 
Anyway, I noticed that there is yet another version of the Bose on ears out. I did some listening and bought them, since I was rather surprised at their sound in the store. I am aware that they manage to usually make them sound better at the display than at home, but I took the risk on impulse.
 
I've owned older Bose stuff. I had a pair of the old tri-port on ears. They were my first "expensive" pair of headphones. Looking back, and after having owned lots of reputable headsets from Sony, Sennheiser, and Koss, I came to realize that the old tri-ports had a really unbalanced sound. It was a good, robust and exciting sound, but the bass overwhelmed everything to the point where you often missed out on the mid range details.
 
I also owned the old around ears as well. They were surprisingly clear-much more balanced than the on ears. However, they suffered from being both difficult to drive well and just having an overall flat and uninspiring sound. They sounded "hallow," lacking any real sound stage or depth to speak off. It was a nice warm sound, but it just didn't cut it.
 
I have, as well, owned the around ears that came out after that, but are the generation before the current ones. All I can say is that they were pretty close to the old around ears sound wise. But, they somehow managed to have even weaker bass and have an even more hallow sound. I once described them as sounding "papery," which probably doesn't make sense, but does to me.
 
Now, the current on ear headphones are a marvelous improvement over ALL of the old Bose headphones I've owned. They actually sound close to the old on ear tri-ports, but are much more balanced. The bass no longer bleeds into other ranges, nor does it overwhelm.
 
I'll keep it no-nonsense by saying that they still have the signature Bose sound- very warm and airy without being too dense or, on the flip side, too analytical. This signature sound is most evident in the older floor model speakers they once put out, which I still have and think very highly of. These blows the other headphones out of the water though, since they are very balanced. As I said, I can hear quite a bit of detail. In fact, I've heard some mid range detail with these that I don't think I've heard as well before. Some things just pop out.
 
Everything has a warm and natural sound, so ironically, they aren't very neutral. The biggest improvement over all of the older sets is that there is actually sound stage, which is impressive given both their small size and that they are closed. I hear a very clear directional sound from different instruments in the mix, and there is palpable depth. The depth isn't as much as a more expensive set of open Sennheisers (or maybe not quite as good as the PX 100s even), but it's much better and adequate when compared to the first on ear Bose phones.
 
The one beef I have with the sound is that the Bass register can lack detail. You hear the bass lines well, but it's a somewhat bloated sound. However, I firmly believe that this more ambiguous bass sound contributes to the overall feeling of "warmth." For instance, the PX 200s have VERY well defined and tight bass, but can sometimes sound more mechanical and dry.
 
To top it all off, they are easy to drive. They get more than loud enough, which is another problem Bose headphones have had.
 
Other issues-
 
They isolate very, very well. They have a lot of passive noise cancellation. Not sure why, but it's nice and makes it so that I don't have to have the volume up as much.
 
They are very comfortable. No problem wearing them nearly all day.
 
As for build quality, they seem to be pretty sturdy, but only time will tell.
 
They also have a detachable chord, so when this cable shorts out, I can just order a new one. This is a great feature and ensures longevity.
 
-Steve

 

[swaffleman]

I am honestly kind of dumbfounded that no one seems to care about these. They really are rather great. I know it's Bose and there's a mountain of negative stipulation that comes with that, but these are fantastic headphones.

 

[ahunatu]

There's a good reason they're overlooked. These flimsy on ears cost almost the same as new M50X's. Bose is overpriced. That doesn't mean it's a bad sound. It's just you can get better at that price. They need to cut their price about 50% imo.

 

[swaffleman]

I actually have to disagree for once.
 
I think they are actually quite good for the price. Don't mistake lightweight for being flimsy. They are very flexible and I've been using them all over the place since I got them, they are still in new condition. Combine that with an easily replaceable cord, great comfort, and a sleek minimalist design (as well as the vastly improved sound), and they are easily worth the money.

 

[ahunatu]

I haven't heard those specifically(just speaking from reviews) so you may be right but it's hard to think they're worth the $150 price tag when you can get Senn Momentum, V-Moda M80, Onky FC300, Beats Solo 2, Sennheiser Urbanite, all of which can be gotten on sale around that price or much lower. All on a certain wall of fame...
 
but I'll concede that it's minimalism and comfort likely trump all those other headphones but my argument was mainly doubting it's sound quality at that price point.

 

[localredhead]

Bose is not over priced and they are not cheaply made.  You may think they feel cheap - but you would have to say the exact same about every Sennheiser model out there because theirs are produced of nearly the same type of plastic.  They have the same cheap feeling.
 
What does Bose have that everyone overlooks?  HUGE amounts of R&D - which most Audio companies could only dream of.  With Bose you are not only getting something that has been sonically engineered, but also the form factor, comfort, ergonomics, the cabeling, etc.  They think of it all.  Many audio companies only sound good with everything else being overlooked.  
 
This R&D are why they are so comfortable and do their job extremely well.  The only gap a Bose headphone may have is the EQ - and that is preference.
 
I can testify that Bose headphones are FAR stronger than you think.  I have taken them and bent them completely backwards so the ear cups touch eachother, and they spring right back into place.
 
I'm convinced that most negative comments on Bose are by those who have never owned any.

 

[ahunatu]

  Bose is not over priced and they are not cheaply made.  You may think they feel cheap - but you would have to say the exact same about every Sennheiser model out there because theirs are produced of nearly the same type of plastic.  They have the same cheap feeling.
 
What does Bose have that everyone overlooks?  HUGE amounts of R&D - which most Audio companies could only dream of.  With Bose you are not only getting something that has been sonically engineered, but also the form factor, comfort, ergonomics, the cabeling, etc.  They think of it all.  Many audio companies only sound good with everything else being overlooked.  
 
I can testify that Bose headphones are FAR stronger than you think.  I have taken them and bent them completely backwards so the ear cups touch eachother, and they spring right back into place.
 
I'm convinced that most negative comments on Bose are by those who have never owned any.

 
Lol sorry "flimsy" was a bad word to use. All I meant were they look tiny and inconsiderable. I don't doubt that Bose spends a lot of time in R&D in terms of design and comfort. I shouldn't have commented on this headphone since I have not heard it but I was responding to it's sound quality historically not being on par with it's price. 

 

[swaffleman]

I agree that that the older Bose headphones aren't as good, but the newest version of the on ears have improved a ton sound wise. I mention that in my review up above. That's probably where the R and D is helping.