Bose In-Ear Headphones. Reviews

• Useless outside

  
  By A1T8VDOFXITEI8 on 2006-12-18
  The reason to not buy these headphones is that you can't hear anything if there's more than a slight breeze or any sound above a whisper. I rode my bike with these and could barely hear my iPod and then took the subway and I may as well have not had any music on. There's no reason to buy these: Bose's larger Triport headphones are good if you're not leaving the house, and if you are, well, you need another pair of headphones 'cause these are worthless. VERY disappointed.
  
  

• Excellent Sound, but not isolating

  
  By A1CPRP3VFJRS1R on 2006-12-11
  These headphones produce excellent sound, including very strong bass, but unlike many "in ear" headphones, these headphones DO NOT form a seal around your ear and thus do not create any noise isolation like some other in ear solutions.
  
  

• Great sound but too many bugs

  
  By A3BXDHBAKLA5Y6 on 2006-12-13
  Despite superb audio quality, I would not recommend the Bose in-ear headphone to anyone who exercises and has an active lifestyle. First, the cord that Bose has chosen to use with this headphone is plastic-coated and fairly stiff, a significant departure from the supple cords used on other Bose headphones. As a result, the cord for the in-ear headphone tends to tangle and kink easily. Second, the cord is about six inches shorter the similar headphone cords. That presents a real problem if you are working out in a gym and use the Bose in-ear with your iPod or MP3 player. Third, the soft plastic earpieces -- Bose provides three pairs - small, medium and large -- tend to fall off a little too easily. A snap-over ridge doesn't do a very good job of holding the earpieces to the headphone unit. Consequently, they come off, and Bose charges for replacements. Bottomline is ... great sound but too many aggravating little problems associated with this headphone.
  
  

• TERRIBLE - What a ripoff

  
  By A1L44UBLX2NO87 on 2007-02-17
  I have owned tons of headphones of many different types, and never have I felt as though I truly got ripped off, until now.
  
  1. The gel earpieces are terrible. These come off the phones VERY easily, and you WILL lose them. The force of simply taking the headphones out of your pocket is enough to pull them off, and indeed, two weeks after I bought these, despite being very careful, I lost one. I then called Bose, and they sent me 3 pairs of replacements, for, I believe 21 dollars plus shipping. Yes, you get to pay to compensate for their poor design. It has been two months and I am down to 3 gels, that's 5 lost gels in 2 months. I have since superglued two on, hoping to at least have one good pair, but since the gels are, of course, flexible and non-porous, the glue didn't even stick. One thing a pair of earbud headphones should not be is HIGH MAINTENENCE, for which, I think having parts constantly falling off them qualifies.
  
  2. The cord is made of some annoying springy plastic and is thin and cheap and will FAIL very quickly. These headphones lasted me all of TWO MONTHS before developing a short in the cord near the plug. Now they are just infuriating to wear, as the right phone constantly cuts out when I move or breathe. They are now garbage. I wear my headphones to and from work on the subway. That is all. Twice a day for 45 minutes each way. That's roughly 40 work days. So, about 60 hours of use. At the cost of 109 dollars spent on these headphones, plus the 21 dollars for extra gel pieces, that comes out to about $2.17 per hour of functionality. I don't know about you, but to me that's kinda steep for some headphones that do not sound at all special.
  
  3. They sound about as good, if not worse than headphones costing half as much. As difficult as it is for me to take Apple seriously, but I had some of their inner ear headphones for my iPod and they sounded great compared to these things. I also had some 50-dollar-ish Sony in-ear headphones that sounded about as good. Both had much better isolation and reproduction of bass tones. Sure, the Bose headphones get loud, but that doesn't really matter because of the next point...
  
  4. They do not isolate at all. Maybe the gel earpieces might fit your ear well and seal off your ear canal if you have perfectly circular ears, but I do not. As such, I could hear everything going on around me, even with my iPod at full volume. Yes, you can expect to hear every idiot on a cell phone, every car that drives by, and every subway commuter coughing and snoring. I could even hear the treble pop-tish of other people's headphones over the sound of my own. The only way these provide isolation, and the ONLY way you will hear any decent bass is if you stand with both hands constantly jamming the earphones into your ear canals with your fingers. This, is not particularly practical. Otherwise, you will hear everything going on around you and the bass tones will sound like garbage.
  
  5. The lovely little impractical case that they give you to protect your investment is held shut with a MAGNET. This, of course, is perfect to stick in your pocket next to your iPod, your digital camera or your wallet full of credit/atm/ID cards.
  
  6. More on the gel earpads. They include three sizes: Too small so they're falling out and you can hear the outside world, Medium - aka a little too big for average ears, and Extra hilariously huge. I wore the smallest size because anything bigger HURT. Don't let the gel fool you. They are squishy, but not squishy enough to actually conform to your ear. Instead, you stuff one in your ear that might seem large enough to stay put, and it tries to pry your head apart. Regardless of what size you pick, you can be assured that they will try to come out of your ears constantly. You will find yourself repeatedly stuffing them back in, and whether I was wearing the small or medium, they always lacked the ability to isolate. I never tried the large size because I am not a sasquatch.
  
  To sum up, Bose has made some quality products in the past, but the past is the past and I was ripped off by buying these pieces of garbage. Save your money and buy any other inner ear headphones you want, because these are probably not even as good as most of them out there. In any case, if you buy something cheaper, at least you didn't flush 130 bucks down the drain for a cheap pair of headphones that dies after 60 hours of use.
  
  

• A pain, i would like my money back PLEASE

  
  By A3DJWUZYMNX38J on 2006-12-16
  loved it at first. It seamed to be very comfy.. here's the bad thing about this product.
  The rubber caps on the ear piece keeps falling off just like the foam from the ipod headphones although it came with three different sets. large, midum, and small,.
  only the small could fit for me. and then.. to make a long story short one fell off.. and on like the ipod headphones you can getaway without the foam you cant with the bose
  
  so bottom line iwould love to get my money back
  
  maybe i should have glued them on
  
  
• Please don't waste your money
  By A2XC4W3IMIJ0ZC on 2006-12-28
  I've never written a review before but my dissapointment in these headphones compells me to. The sound quality IMO is marginally better than the cheap Apple ear buds, the silicon inserts for the tri-ports are comfortable but routinely fall off especially when working out. But my biggest pet peeve is when walking or running I get this bizarre popping sound constantly every couple of seconds out of the ear buds even when the IPOD is turned off so I know it is the bud themselves, it makes listening to music impossible. I don't have the original packaging so I will see if Bose will take these things back and I'll spend half the money on the Sure E2C buds. This really shocked me to get such a piece of trash from Bose, but I do own their computer speakers too so I guess I shouldn't be shocked. If you buy these you are paying for the name and that is it.
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  Alright I just got back from the Bose store and the customer service is great, they replaced the headphones no questions asked, unfortunately they are just as bad. The clicking I heard is actually static electricity that is traveling through the headphones and ending by zapping me in my ear (another guy at the Bose store had the same complaint when he used them at the gym plugged into the T.V.s at the gym he was getting zapped). This has happened with both sets I've gotten. It happens when I keep the IPOD in my coat pocket, it's wool so maybe that creates a lot of static, if I carry the IPOD it seems to go away. So basically I have $100 headphones that you can't use in a city environment because it's too loud, and they don't sound any better than $20 headphones, and they electricute me unless I hold my IPOD. Since the packaging is gone I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and toss these in the trash can.
  
  
• Excellent phones, with one caveat...
  By A1GOKUUDRB63FQ on 2006-12-31
  These are excellent sounding ear buds that far surpass the sound quality of the OEM buds that shipped with my 8gig 2nd generation iPod Nano (and an order of magnitude better than even older stock Ipod earbuds). They have excellent bass for a pair of earbuds, and they avoid the icepick midrange of the stock Nano buds that can make those buds painful to listen through at times.
  
  The caveat is that the fit of these phones depends on whether one of the three supplied pairs of silicone ear molds works for your ears. By default they're fitted with the "medium" molds, which I couldn't get to stay in, though I'm a pretty big guy and have always thought of my ears as being on the large side. When I switched to the "small" molds, the problem was solved (can't imagine who is going to use the medium and large molds). They quickly orient properly in my ears and stay put snugly, even while I'm exercising. The snug fit blocks out more extraneous sound than the stock buds. The stock buds tend to have more of a universal fit, if it can be called that, but that's just because they tend to barely hang on the ledge of your ear. They are constantly shifting, and the shifting causes dramatic variations of the quality of the sound you hear at any given point. Not so with these, again, assuming you can get a good fit with one of the molds. Nice product.
  
  
• great sound if you're home
  By A3SWEV18Z92ITW on 2006-12-23
  Sound is terrific but only in the quiet of your home. Any, and I mean any outside noise and forget it, even at high volume you can't hear the music. Forget about using them on a jet, all you hear is the engine. Plus the ear pieces are constantly falling off no matter what size, any ear bud that goes into the ear canal work much much better to isolate outside noises. Too bad, in the quiet of your room the sound is great, but that's about it.
  
  
• Crazy Overpriced Junk
  By A10T1OIEMJ3MCL on 2007-01-26
  Brand freaks buy Bose. I bought these at a Bose "outlet" store (like you're ever going to save money there.) for $99.00 and within two days lost the crappy little silicone earbud thing. They do NOT stay in much better than anything else and most critically they do not sound any better than cheap headphones. As a matter of fact, they allow in a lot more background noise. I am furious with myself for spending a hundred bucks on these and I am avowed to never give Bose another red cent of mine ever again. Overpriced junk the lot of it.
  
  
• NO THANKS...
  By A2RUUTTFJQ7CBH on 2007-03-07
  Thank goodness for the local department store's return policy. After using these earbuds for just one day I returned them. I don't think I even have to mention what was wrong with them...there are plenty other reviews that do that.
  
  One thing that I will mention is the earphone jack's plastic housing unit. What a horrible bulky design. Was it really necassary for Bose to create such an annoying feature just so they could fit their brand name on it?
  
  These went back to the store within 24 hours and I have since moved on to the V-Moda line of earphones.
  
  
• Read the Reviews Before You Buy!
  By AC0VWDL8PEKCS on 2007-05-30
  I have numerous BOSE products and have been extremely satisfied with all of them - until now. I research my purchases thoroughly - before I make them - and am rarely dissatisfied. Unfortunately, I let the BOSE "brand" and my previous positive experience with BOSE products overrule the "reviews" on the Bose In-Ear headphones. A true mistake! The sound is very good - but you can hear background noise "through" the music (good or bad depending on your perspective - but different from my previous ear buds by Sony). The soft ear molds are comfortable, but fall off constantly - and cannot be glued or secured easily. The cord/wire is stiff and gets in your way a lot. The connector jack block/handle sticks out some distance, and makes it hard to place the ipod in a pocket. All of these "design defects" were noted in reviews I ignored. So, I'm looking for a replacement - after 3 months of dissatisfied use. An expensive lesson. Please read the reviews. Determine what is important to you! Be careful. See if you can play with them/try them out - perhaps at a BOSE store. If they do the trick for you - go ahead, but don't let the brand sway you on this one! Wisdom is learning from other's mistakes. Be wise!
  
  
• Great sound but...
  By A17SEU37IANK2 on 2006-12-27
  I would actually give these 3 1/2 stars. I've tried just about every in-ear headphone and these are by far the best sounding for the price. Great bass for such a little phone. The problem with them is the overall design. First off, they're just plain ugly. Second: cheap cord that tangles. Next: the stand-out design catches wind noise when running. These are not for exercising and will fall out with movement. I've remedied that by reversing L & R buds, placing them upside-down with the cord wrapping over and behind the ear and down the front, tightening the synch. Around the house: yes. Activity: no.
  
  
• Great sound... Disappointing construction
  By A3O5KH5XYYH14B on 2007-01-25
  I have to say, I love these earphones. The sound is great the bass is 10x what my little white $40 Sony's could produce.
  I work in my shop all day, and really do not have any problem with them falling out, or the ear pads falling off.
  
  I do have to say... What the hell where they thinking when they chose the wire (stiff as and 110v extension cord), and
  who the hell picked the "ghetto" jack?? the thing sticks out about 2" from my 1" MP3 player.
  Can't wait till Sony comes out with a $100 set of earphones... they will be perfect.
  Thinking about ripping my Sony's apart, and swapping the Sony wire onto the Bose earphones.
  That would make them a 9/10 for me.
  The case sucks too... open on the ends and the wire keeps the shape when wrapping it around a square shaped case... (dumb design)
  
  Pros: Great sound / Awesome bass / Comfortable over LONG periods of time (6-8 hours) no soreness in ears at all
  
  Cons: Poor outside noise blocking / Poor wire and jack design / Kinda crappy case as well.
  
  Overall, I give the earphone sound quality... 8 out of 10 (only an 8 because of the amount of outside noise I can hear)
  The total package (case included) gets a... 7 out of 10
  
  Step it up Bose !! The millions of hours and dollars you claim to put into R&D...
  I would expect something better than a 1960's ghetto headphone sized jack.
  
  
• Not that great
  By A2LWN9JS5SL5XN on 2006-12-26
  These headphones do have good bass, but are lacking in treble and sound muffled. I think the factory Apple headphones that come with the iPods now have a much clearer and better overall sound. And Bose wants $100 for these...not worth it.
  
  
• Great with small but overlookable flaws
  By A1CEQNL8MNZUV6 on 2007-01-30
  First off, let me say that these headphones DO sound better. I did a little unscientific experiment with people and had people listen to my old headphones (a pair of sony earbuds) and then these in sequence. Almost everyone just started laughing in amazement the moment I started playing sound through the Bose headphones (I did too the first time I heard them). They really are excellent and have good enough balance that you can turn off any equalizer settings on your music device.
  
  In addition, I have found that they stay in my ears quite well (better than any other earbuds I've owned), and are comfortable the whole time (in contrast to other headphones which make my head or ears hurt). I have not exercised with them in yet, but could imagine that they might slip out a little more if your ears began sweating.
  
  Lastly, the volume goes up plenty loud, but due to the nature of the headphones, it does not leak and people around you cannot hear (informal survey).
  
  That said, I will address the criticisms I have seen in other reviews. There are a few valid and a few invalid. Some people have said they fall out of your ears too much. This has not been my experience, but it depends upon your usage patterns, I guess. Others have said they don't block sound well enough - but who has owned a pair of earbuds that have. These are not noise cancelling headphones, but do a good enough job of overriding background noise for normal use.
  
  Valid criticisms are that the headphone jack does stick out too far - it is not angled as others are. Another is that the cable holds it's shape a little too well, so while the case would be designed nicely otherwise, it has issues because of how the cable behaves in response.
  
  Overall, these are an excellent pair of headphones, and while expensive, are worth the money. Their sound quality is on par with much larger pairs of headphones at similar prices, but they lack the bulk and are much more comfortable. They may not be right for people who wish to be active with them, but for sitting and studying, they are excellent. Enjoy
  
  
• Good sound meets bad design
  By A4C5RFIYX87QQ on 2007-02-09
  I think the sound is good but not superb as the other Bose products, at least much better than Sony MDR-EX71.
  Though some complain the bass is a bit too strong, it can be adjusted by the equalizer of the player while the other counterparts with weak bass cannot get better in the same manner.
  
  The real problem is not about the sound, but about the design.
  It's not like the Sony's, this ear phone doesn't shut the noise from outside at all.
  Sometimes it makes the sound much worse than it really is.
  If you want to get the real performance of this, you have to sit in the quiet room.
  So this is definitely not for runners.
  
  Making things even worse, the ear buds are attached to the ear piece so loosely that if you put the earphone off and hang it from your shoulder for, say, 10 minutes, the chances are really high that you lose one or both of them.
  I bought this a month ago, but already lost two of them.
  I called 1-800-644-BOSE to get a new pair for $10 for each.
  It's interesting but when I make a call, the large ear buds are out of stock.
  I think there must be many who suffer the same design problem.
  
  
• Returned the next day.....
  By ANMA1H8LGEVBF on 2007-02-22
  I'll try to be brief....I agree with most of the other negative reviews..here's why:
  
  1. Right off the bat, none of the three sizes fit snugly or securely in my ear....they kept slipping around every time I moved. Needless to say, they really didn't keep out even the smallest noises outside. No matter how I positioned the plugs, they never felt comfortable. When I called Bose, they said sorry, but they only provided three sizes of plugs.
  
  2. The sound volume itself was very low compared to all my other headphones. Maybe it's because the power is used to provide extra clarity etc......I have no idea, but again, I could hear everything (including normal conversations) going on around me even at the loudest volume.
  
  3. For $100 a pair, I really expected more. I returned these after three days of trying to use them.
  
  
• Wish I had read the reviews...
  By A13CHJ4ZAB443J on 2007-03-01
  I was excited when I saw this Bose product and asked my boyfriend for it as a Christmas gift. Now I feel terrible, because they were so expensive and I know he wasted his money. Everything that others have said is true: They do not stay in the ear, the sound is faint, they don't close out sound, there are annoying cracks in the sound, and the plastic covers fall out constantly, even when I've glued them on. I've lost one right now, and am furious at the thought of spending more money to replace it. It is shocking what a bad product this is.
  
  
• Cool idea, poor execution
  By A1VB6XCG143YW9 on 2007-03-08
  I got these headphones at half off when I was working a second job at the Geek Squad in Best Buy. I normally love Bose electronics, but even at my discounted employee rate, I can't recommend these to anyone. I've lost all the plastic ear buds except for the large ones which don't fit my ears. They fall off at least 3-4 times a day. I like the idea of multiple ear sizing, as normal earbuds don't usually fit me, and when I had the right size the sound was fine and I finally had earbuds that didn't hurt or fall out of my ears. But with the loss of my last fitting earbud, and after seeing that you can't buy replacement ones at the Bose website, I feel ripped off and would never buy them again.
  
  
• I wish I would have read the Amazon reviews.
  By A352N4A5AZS9C5 on 2007-03-09
  This was a [...] dollar rip off. First of all, note the covers on the earbuds. Take a good long look at them: because they will be gone. They do not stay attached: when you take the buds OUT of your ear, and when you set them down. Bose was "generous" enough to provide 1 (one) extra pair. When they are gone, its like putting a stick in your ear. Painful.
  If you've got a small ear canal, your gonna have to tape the earbuds to make them stay. Inconvenient.
  After all of that work, the quality is nothing spectacular. I noticed no significant difference between these and IPOD's factory earbuds.
  I cannot believe I was fooled into believing Bose wouldnt put their reputation online by selling crap. Folks, BOSE earbuds = CRAP. Save your money. Hopefully, Bose will see these reviews and act rationally by selling them for what they are worth: about 20 bucks and nothing more.
  
  
• FREE Replacement earbuds available from BOSE
  By A28WMWID9X7IYR on 2007-03-29
  I bought these earbuds from Circuit City about a month ago. I do think the sounds is better than the iPod stock earphones, but I managed to lose all six (eight?) earbud covers in less then three weeks. I called Bose yesterday and, not surprisingly, they've heard ALOT about this problem. They've apparently redesigned the covers and promised to send me a new set, at no charge, and I will receive them in two days! Granted it's not the best prodcut Bose has created, but at least they're making good on some obvious design defects. There's something to be said for that.
  
  
• Comfort and Clarity
  By A22TZDHY4ZM9DG on 2007-01-02
  These are by far, the most comfortable ear bud headphones I have ever used. I have small ears so it's hard to find ear buds that are comfortable and stay in my ears. The super-soft gel tips make it so comfortable.
  
  The sound quality is amazing. Hard to believe these are earbuds. Great bass. Great range. SOOOO crisp and clear.
  
  
• The best sound...so far.
  By A36PMF4UX3DRJ8 on 2007-01-12
  I received the Bose In-Ear Headphones for Christmas (which I asked for) without even trying them beforehand. This is not like me. But knowing what a great company Bose is I decided it would be a safe shot. When I first tried them I was surprised by the lack of exterior noise reduction. There really isn't any. But, when I shut off the TV and just listened to the new Beatles "Love" CD on my iPod, I was blown away. I have 3 other pairs of earphones I bought for my iPOD over the last 2 years, including one pair I was extremely fond of with noise reduction, and none of them even compared to the Bose for a balanced rich sound. I A-B'd all of the other earphones and was ultra pleased with the balanced sound coming from the Bose. They do have a great tight bass response, which I was happy about. That was the thing lacking with all the other phones with the iPod. If it's too much you can easily try a different EQ on the iPod to reduce the bass. Even the flat EQ sounded great. The fit of the ear piece took a little getting use to being that they do not fit directly into the ear canal. They rest in the shell part of the outer ear area with the ear piece sticking into the ear canal. They give you 3 pairs of different size rubber ear pieces that do help make them feel more comfortable. I found the large ones were most comfortable and had a more solid fit. I also like the quality of the earphones and the look. So, to put it in a nutshell: these are wonderful sounding earphones with a very balanced sound, good bass response and a comfortable fit. But, they do lack noise reduction.
  
  
• Excellent Sound but the Buds Need Some Work
  By A221ZXPMLN7OLD on 2007-01-21
  I think that the sound generated by these little headphones is awesome (particularly the bass). I docked them a star for the following reasons, though:
  
  1. I have difficulty keeping these from falling out. I have friends who have them who say they don't have problems with this, so maybe my ears are just shaped funny.
  2. The little ear pieces fall off way too easily. I had my phones for less than a month before having to order a new set of ear pieces from Bose ($5.00). You have to be extra careful with these.
  
  
• Major disappointment - NO stars
  By A3QS4VQPONP1RZ on 2007-01-22
  Considering the price and the Bose name, I expected a major improvement in sound and comfort with these buds. I received them as a xmas present and don't have a receipt. The package was impossible to open without destroying, so I threw it away. Otherwise I would have returned these immediately. The sound isn't significantly better than the pods that come with the iPod, and I agree with other reviewers in terms of the bad fit and poor ergonomics. I was considering getting the Bose speakers for my iPod until I tried these. Now I don't think much of the Bose name.
  
  
• Great Bose Sound but hire a product manager that exercises!
  By A1T2KA8D9YCB0Z on 2007-01-24
  OK I bought these even though I read all the things that were good and bad about these. I agree with every bit of it. I don't know who the girl is on the commercial that says "and they really stay put when I am running" but obviously she is immune from SWEATING while running. They don't stay in. As soon as you start sweating, the water takes over and they slide right out. Maybe if the tips were made of rubber that became sticker when it got wet, they would but they don't (unless of course it's freezing cold and you wear a stocking cap over your ears!)
  
  I too had one of the little rubber tips fall off at the gym. Now that I've lost one of the medium tips, I guess I'll move to the large ones until I loose one of those.
  
  Sounds is great. In fact, there are those brief periods (like before you start sweating but have started running) where these are absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, that lasts about 4 minutes.
  
  I just reordered the Etymotic EC4's. Best earphones I have ever had for excercise (my son lost them at a rest stop on a trip last summer). I have tried about a 1/2 dozen pair and the Etymotics are the best. Just be careful running outside as they will lock out most external noises.
  
  
• Not ready for prime time
  By AZX5GYZESVLO8 on 2007-01-25
  I was given a set of these earphones. The earphones are NOT worth the price. They're OK, low volume, and way toooo expensive. Not a good value.
  
  
• Wish the blumin' ear buds would stay on!
  By A3M8F7KE8PF6QY on 2007-02-15
  Ok... I am a moderate fan of bose and was excited to see a friend had bought these and on his recommendation, I bought a pair. Then the tide changed:
  On the day mine arrives, my friend says the ear buds keep falling off. Not good. Oh well, maybe mine will be fine but having looked around on line, there seems to be a lot of buds for sale. Again, not a good sign.
  When mine arrived, it took me a while to choose the correct bud for my ears. After about 3 weeks, my first ear bud popped off (while my friends' buds now pop off all the time).
  I nearly lost a bud the other day on a flight. Luckily I found it. A potentially costly and annoying mistake.
  As for sound, pretty good. Both my friend and I have experienced a few "popping" sounds from them.
  Would I buy them for someone I liked... No. Bose, you need to test these products a little more thoroughly. Naughty naughty.
  
  
• ##@** !!!
  By A19M37GXJUSDIO on 2006-12-30
  1 star for sounding great...WHEN they stayed in my ear. They fall out just from normal movement, not to mention when jogging. Absolutely wothless, unless you are seated, relaxing, and listening to the music.
  
  
• quality sound
  By AYND66RUFELPH on 2007-01-01
  earbuds are all subject to ppl's individual tastes. i never liked the apple earbuds as I could never get them to stay in, not even their premium in ear models and i hated the fact that they did not provide much bass. these bose earbuds give me exactly what i asked for, earbuds that let me actually enjoy my music while exercising and that won't fall out. they gave me exactly what i asked of them and they did their job. now, don't try to use these on a plane, the changing air pressures at different altitudes, ever so slightly can cause severe discomfort if u have these plugged into ur ears, especially during takeoff and landing, though that is a problem that is out of bose's control. i have the bose QC2's and these and may add a pair of QC3's soon. I'm very satisfied and call it money well spent. not everyone may agree with me, but that's their right.
  
  

• BOSE (R) In-Ear Stereo Headphones
• Apple iPod nano 2 GB Silver (2nd Generation)
• Apple 80 GB iPod AAC/MP3 Video Player Black (5.5 Generation)
• Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones - Headphones ( ear-bud ) - black
• Apple iPod shuffle 1 GB Pink (2nd Generation)