Bose Triport In-ear Headphones - Headphones ( Ear-bud ) - Black Reviews

• Get the RIGHT ones, and you'll LOVE them....

  
  By A22V28FOW0KJW on 2008-02-21
  There are so many different listings here for what look like the same product. I was almost scared away from purchasing these by all the reports of the tips falling off. As the top review of another version of these earphones notes, THE KEY to getting the new (updated) "version" is getting the black-and-white cord, lanyard/clothing clip, and angled plug. It is this "version" that has fixed all the problems mentioned here and elsewhere. The only ADDITIONAL HINT I might offer for making sure you're securing the right ones is that my box is labeled, "Bose in-ear headphones". I see no mention on the box or in the manual of "Tri-port". The Bose product code on the box is listed as "044435". I just got mine, and, well,.....THEY ARE FANTASTIC! The sound is amazing. The fidelity and sound quality from highs to lows are just exquisite. They are incredibly comfortable and probably safer for your ears due to their innovative ear-cup-placement. Using the lanyard, there is NO problem with them falling out when you're working out--and, frankly, they stay in fine without it for the most part. Get the RIGHT ones, and I promise you won't be disappointed!
  
  

• Love these earbuds

  
  By AWL74CXR8XXJE on 2007-08-17
  I understand the previous reviewers low ratings based on the initial release of these earbuds. I have recently purchased the current version (black and white cords) and I am delighted with the performance of these little gems. I have no problem with the tips falling off as Bose has modified the way that the tips attach to the buds. They are super-comfortable, and stay in place perfectly (for me using large tips). And the sound quality? Absolutely stellar across entire spectrum. I must note that the bass response is the best I've ever heard with earbuds. I am using these with a Sandisk e200 series MP3 (e280 8GB) player with equalizer setting on normal (flat) settings. BOSE will also send free replacement tips through their website. Price is a little high, but you get what you pay for (sound quality makes up for this). I can't rate durabilty yet as I've only had for a few days. Only complaint...volume a little low...but I don't wish to destroy my hearing anyway. Great job BOSE.
  
  

• Close enough to perfection for the Avg. music Consumer

  
  By AWTOK5EK2M1BF on 2007-09-15
  My review could be 5 stars, but give it 5 when there is better out there, just not for the money. That depends on your taste.
  
  The comfort level of these earphones about equals the sound quality. The IPOD earphones are not comfortable in my ears after 15 minutes compared to these..I can almost sleep with these in my ears.
  
  The sounds is nice, and the base is plentiful. There is a few songs out there with HIGH treble that don't song that good in these, but who cares.
  
  If you want the best, buy the professional ones for 250 dollars or buy the big earphone types.
  
  If your looking for Perfection, don't buy small. These are close enough to perfect for the average music consumer in my opinion.
  
  The buds will fall off, even the newer types that "click" in, so make sure you take the time to buy some extra ear buds. Try EBAY, some ebay sellers sell them with multiple pairs for under 10 dollars.
  
  

• Poorly designed earphones

  
  By AUB14GF10V1YO on 2007-08-03
  Comfortable? Yes. Worth the money? NO!!! Seems like every other time I use these headphones, I lose the stupid one of the stupid tips. I have never owned any pair of headphone that were such complete "high maintenance." I would never buy another pair. As a point of fact, after the free tip replacement offer expires, I doubt I will continue using them.
  
  

• New Buds. I really really dislike them.

  
  By AS28WVBBZ3G99 on 2008-04-15
  I really really dislike these headphones. I can't wait to replace them. These are the "NEW" ones with the black and white cable.
  
  I use them mostly when I am flying with minimal head movement. Yet, they ae constantly falling out of my ears. I spend more time positioning and re-positioning these obnoxious little buds, I could just spit.
  
  I don't have huge ears like, say, Barack Obama. They are pretty normal. But these little devils spill out with every turn of my head. I hate them.
  
  The sound is okay: not "WOW!" like you expect from Bose. Maybe it's because these buggers sit outside the ear canal cradled in the outer ear. I hate them.
  
  
• Bose in-ear headphones - good sound, poor design
  By AAA1O7JEI9G4C on 2007-08-08
  The sound quality of the Bose in-ear headphones (earbuds, actually) is excellent. I use these earbuds with my iPod and find the audio quality far superior to all other earbuds and portable digital media ear/headphones ever owned. That said, I am disappointed with these "headphones" for the following reasons: 1) the tips are removable and they come off too easily if caught on anything in your backpack, car, etc., and 2) the cord is very long, which may be good for home audiophiles, but it's excessive for something like an iPod that you may carry in your pocket or backpack. The previous comment about these earbuds being "high maintenance" is unfortunately true. Try spending 10 minutes looking on the floor or between the seats in your car for one of these errant tips and you'll get the picture.
  
  At close to $100 a pair, it's a lot to pay for good sound wrapped in a flawed package.
  
  
• Different to the run-of-the-mill IE headphones
  By AW42YZUAWD06O on 2007-09-16
  Just bought these (black & white cord) and am very happy. Bose can sound quite 'basey' and - to some- supressed but the trick is turning off your equalizer and other sound enhancing software then adjust up to suit. I find that, on the iPod (5th gen 30GB but I suspect the EQ logarithm's the same on all iPods) Acoustic setting as this seems to balance out the base with the treble while emphasasing the vocals. Once you've found your preference you won't turn back - cuts out all the tinny crap and you'll hear stuff you never heard before - deeper, richer quality sound. The difference is similar to a track being played without Dolby (with standard earphones) then with Dolby (with Bose) - but better. Just expect to play around with your EQ first.
  An update (22/9/07) - been listening to Pink Floyd (Dark Side) and let me say - it's amazing how much you miss with cheaper audio. These have brought a new fascination to old favorites. If you have equipment with SRS Wow - even better but you can download that for iTunes now - great combo.
  
  
• Only good for sound
  By A27I1KZ1QEGW5U on 2007-11-16
  Yes the TIPS again for a product made by Bose you would think the tips will not fall off so easy and once they fall off it's inpossible to find then.Second they do not cancel out any noise and I live NYC I take the subway everyday. The sound is the best but not loud. If you like bose buy them but ready to spent money buying the tips more then once
  
  
• Excellent Sound -- Poor Fit
  By A38TUSUPRJKL2H on 2007-12-26
  The audio quality is second to none with these Bose in-ear headphones. Unfortunately for me, the silicone ear pieces didn't fit well. The small silicone ear piece was too small and the medium too big. I can't use the ear buds that came with my iPod or anything designed like them due to the discomfort I experience after having them in for a short time. I recommend Skullcandy or V-moda for a more comfortable fit. The silicone ear piece is a very flexible flap rather than a solid chunk of silicone. They flex better to fit the ear canal and I can keep either of those in my ears all day and not have any problems.
  
  
• Re-Designed to Perfection
  By AI30O7KAQZ1RM on 2008-04-11
  This is the second pair of Bose in-ear headphones I've owned. The only good things about the first pair was the sound quality and comfort in my ears. The silicone tips did come off way too easily, the plug was straight so the cord was always bent and had a tendancy to break (like mine did)if your active while enjoying your music. And the carrying case didnt help b/c it was tiny and you had to coil the headphones to put them in the case, further stressing the straight plug. Sadly, looking at some of the other reviews it seems that people are rating the version of these earbuds I just described and not the ones being shown on the page (the black and white cord is the new and improved earbuds). Bose has fully addressed all the shortcomings of the first version of these earbuds. The silicone tips and the earbuds now fit together like a lock. The tips now have a "canal or hole" in them and the earbuds have a "tang or tooth" on them that fits into the silicone tip. Imagine a fish hook (the earbud tang)sunk into something, the only way to seperate the two is to grab hold of both of them together and take the hook out the way it came. That is how well the silicone tips stay on the earbuds. The plug now comes out at an angle so it isn't always bent and over stressed from the weight of the cord dangling. There are two new accessories that help control the cord and its weight pulling on the earbuds while your listening to them. The first is a lanyard that goes around you neck and keeps slack in the cord near your ears so the rest of the cord's weight isn't pulling down on your earbuds. The second is a simple clip that can be used to clip the cord to you clothing to keep it out of your way. The carrying case is now huge compared to the last one, I can put the earbuds, the lanyard & clip, as well as my iPod inside and zip it up with ease and go. When my first pair broke on me I was disappointed with Bose b/c of their reputation in the audio world. So I was mulling whether to pay $100 and buy another pair of Bose and be gentle the second time around, or go with another brand of high quality earbuds. When I saw that Bose had re-designed their earbuds I decided to take a chance on them again. I have no regrets buying Bose again; these ear buds are durable, they improved the design while keeping the price the same, and you can't argue with Bose sound quality. I use these earbuds everyday all day long, I recommend them to anybody looking for a high quality set of earbuds at a reasonable price.
  
  
  
• They work well for me
  By A2HIQDQLAYN5H4 on 2008-03-07
  I'm not sure about all the commotion regarding losing the tips, but I can hardly get the tips off of mine when I try. I apparently have the newer ones, black and white stripe cord, angled plug, lanyard. I have been using them for over a month and have never had a tip fall off. The sound is great, but I haven't tried them on a plane yet. I will next week. So far they are great!!!!
  
  
• Bose pretty good, but not as good as UE
  By AFHJOPE69CO48 on 2008-03-21
  Tried the new updated bose in ear plugs at the Bose store and did a side by side comparison with my ipod with Ultimate ears (5 pro and 3 superfi). The bose in ears are comfortable-relatively, and the sound is definately better than the ear buds that come with apple ipods. BUT, for the money, the Ultimate Ears are WAY WAY better.
  
  Here are the couple things I noticed:
  1.) Bose had decent bass and highs, mids were a little lacking
  2.) You need a lot more volume on the bose to hear the music. Compared to Ultimate ears, you needed a lot more.
  3.) Clarity, fullness, and richness were definate much better on the ultimate ears.
  
  The Bose fit was ok and was much easier to put in your ears than the Ultimate Ears products. But it felt like it was loose or was going to fall out.
  
  For the money, I recommend the Ultimate Ears Super Fi 3, and if you got 50 more bucks the Super Fi 5 are a VERY good upgrade.
  
  The BOSE did sound better than the 4i Eytomoic though and were more comfortable.
  
  By the way if you are looking for over the ear cans instead of in ear I also have the Bose Triports and have found that they are ok, but I believe the Grados SR60s or SR80s sound better (though not as clean in look or cord).
  
  Even the Bose rep was amazed at the Ultimate ears compared to his product. He thought his were the best. One caveot wth the ultimate ears, if you don't like the ear fit it could ruin it for you.
  
  My 2 cents.
  
  
• Good mid end in-ear headphone
  By A2JMJVNTBL7K7E on 2008-06-04
  I've had it for about 3 months now.
  It works great with my iPhone.
  The fit is good, at least for me. Maybe everyone has a different ear structure.
  Pro:
  1. can fit losely just outside ear pathway by using smaller size tip so you can still hear outside sound (for safety reasons) or you can opt to use the snug fit tip and block out 95% of the outside noise and focus on your music or whatever.
  2. Unlike the factor headphones that come with iPhone, with this Bose in-ear, your ears don't hurt after wearing them for 5 hours.
  
  Con:
  1. The sound is not as crisp or clear as other high end in-ear headphones. (Shure, etc.)
  2. the neck hanging system is quite trouble some (should give them credit for trying very hard). These extra cables tangle up everytime, it takes 1 min to detangle them to be able to use them. If they had tried hard enough, they should attach a free cable management system with the headset for easy storage.
  
  I don't think Bose calls them Triport anymore. The new box just shows Bose In-Ear Headphones. Overall, I give it 4 stars and still highly recommend it.
  
  
• nuisance
  By A3S4RGV6MGG51 on 2008-02-12
  As other users note, the rubbery ear-pieces come off the earphones far too easily, almost impossible to take the things out of your ears without one or both of these popping off and bouncing away. When they come off in your ear they are difficult to get out because the rubber is so soft and slippery they are hard to get a grip on. I have had to resort to sticking a pencil in my ear. The sound quality is very good but this is outweighed by the poor design. I would not buy them again, and won't use them at all after I lose the rubber parts, which is inevitable.
  
  
• Poor Quality and Durability
  By A616741HF6L1K on 2008-02-18
  I purchased these earbuds about two months ago, thinking that the Bose name would carry with it quality and durability. I was wrong. First, the sound quality, for the price, is nothing special (not very good bass response, and an almost 'tinny' sound). I own a pair of Sony in-ear buds that have better sound quality (they produce a much richer and life-like sound) and bass reflex and were only about 40 dollars. Secondly, after only two months of light use, one earphone just stopped working all together. Now I am stuck with a broken pair of expensive earbuds. Not recommended. Take some time to find a better pair than this for the price.
  
  
• ANNOYING SILICONE TIPS
  By A3EMSIDX6FJJ5C on 2008-02-29
  Well if it wasn't for the sound quality I would to tally love this but I have lost two tips in a period of 5 weeks, yes Bose do replace them and send you a new set, but it upsets me to see how easy it is to loose this tips and without them it is so uncomfortable to use them, I'm going to try to glue them or something
  
  
• Great Sound
  By A3LSS31R087TXX on 2008-05-26
  These little Bose earphones are a marvel. They are the first earphones that comfortably and securely fit in my ears. And believe me, I've tried many fits. The sound from the phones took me a bit of time to get use to from my previous earphones. The bass is much clearer and stronger resulting in a deeper, less treble sound that I was not accustomed to. But I quickly understood and appreciated the difference. I now hear parts of the music that I had not previously heard. Particularly in the softer sounds of background voices or slow, soft starting classical music. All in all a really satifying buy from a good seller.
  
  
• Worth the Money? Probably Not
  By A19MNLXNDBHI54 on 2008-06-17
  Update: If I could go back I would change my star rating to 3 stars (***). Why? That's because I listened to the Shure SE530PTH Sound Isolating Earphones with Push-To-Hear Control. The Shure is almost 5 times as much, but is it worth it? Yes, if you consider you have the best earphones made. Consider the Shure SE530 as the Lexus of earphones. The Bose would be the Camry, and the phones that come with some of the MP3 players are the Ford Taurus.
  
  My advice: Give up whatever you have to for a few weeks or months and get the Shure SE530 earphones. You won't regret it, and you will hear the music they way it was supposed to be heard.
  
  Here is my revised review for the Bose earphones:
  
  If you are going to spend $100 you expect great sound. Well, you get good, but not great, sound with these.
  
  These are the first good earphones I've owned. Some reviews say the bass is too much. Based on some of the reviews, I was expecting it to be overwhelming, but to me it isn't. The earphones are very comfortable. I have a SanDisk Sansa e250 2 GB MP3 Player with microSD Expansion Slot (Black) and I found the earphones that came with it hurt my ears after 30 minutes or so. With these earphones you won't have that problem. However, it seems that with the good bass it affects the treble somehow, kind of muffles it. I'm no expert, but after listening to the Shure SE530, you will realize the astounding difference.
  
  The product code for these Bose earphones is 044435; they have black and white cables, and come with a carrying case. Apparently, the old ones are all black. The fit with the medium silicon tips was just right for me, and if you get them inserted correctly they won't fall out. Some reviews say the tip doesn't go in the ear canal, but in my case it does, and if it didn't I think they would fall out easily. If they fall out, then you need to change the silicon tip (they come with extras) until you get the right fit.
  
  
  
  
• Fakes Are Out There even BOSE
  By A13RMGW8RDP4EC on 2008-08-21
  *****WARNING**** If you purchase this product (Bose Tri Port) make sure you purchase this product from a KNOWN SOURCE because if not, you will be buying a Knock Off (Fake) version of this product. Also ***WARNING*** If you buy any headphone set for 49.99 or 45.99 or even 63.99 (and there worth $250 or $150) They will be FAKE!!! like the Bang & Olufsen for 49.99 ***WARNING*** ANY Headphone/Earphone set that is %80 Less than the Original price New, Refurbished or Open Box, they will be fake UNLESS there backed by a Real Manufacturer Warranty or Of course %100 money back guarantee! **** WARNING**** DONT BE FOOLED There are some FAKE BOSE TRI PORTS out there GOOD LUCK!
  
  
• Not what I hoped for from BOSE?
  By A1SU8VWFAHBSQK on 2008-09-05
  Pros: Bass response, Fit & Comfort
  Cons: High and Mid Range Response.
  
  They have descent bass and a comfortable fit. The sound if full and wide. But the highs & mids are fairly flat & kind of muddy sounding? You have various size silicone earpieces to help you get the best fit. These do not go inside your ear canal the silicone tips just rest on the rim of the canal. So if you don't want that ear plug feeling of a pure sound isolation set of phones these are pretty comfortable. So with that they are a noise reducing option phone not a isolation one. They do reduce outside noise allot more than the standard earbuds though. If you are very active (ie: you want to use these for running or jogging) they maynot offer you a secure enough fit. For me they're fine. They sound better than the standard buds but with less highs & mids (a little muffled). I think I'm going to have to spend more $$$ to get something GOOD! :(
  
  
  
• Poor product design
  By AM5HTZXIWIYFC on 2007-08-29
  After losing the tips repeatedly and untangling the cord each time I use these headphones, I was only pacified by the excellent sound. However they broke after 10 months of regular use last week. Way too much money and hassle. I wouldn't buy them again.
  
  
• NOT designed for gym use or running!
  By A1O50IGEFKFDBU on 2008-01-07
  Love Bose products and really like the customer service. However these earphones are horrible to use for exercising! Once you start sweating, the earphones just come right off! YES, I did try all the pads they send. Unfortunately, there is no way you can wear them and exercise. I would suck it up and buy the Bang and Olufsen earphones (expensive!) or be economical and buy the Vmoda. They both work great.
  
  
• Muddy, Expensive.... please educate yourself before buying
  By A1OQ5YU9CA5WZO on 2008-03-30
  Firstly I want to start off by saying that I am not one of those people who hate on Bose no matter what they make, even if they are good. I love Bose products; the QC is a great line of active noise canceling headphones, but these IE headphones....??? they cant compare to the shine that their other headphones illuminate. I don't think these headphones are terrible, I just think they are WAY overpriced. I think it should have fallen below $60, but I know, they might run out of ad $$$.
  
  Now to begin the review, what you see is NOT what you get. The design is top notch, and looks crazy cool. Although they are not the first ones to come up with that type of design, Samsung came up with one of these designs around 2001, but these look much slicker than the Samsung ones. The build of the IE is nothing less than great.
  
  Just because they are In Ear, does not mean they block noise as most in ear monitors do. They fall right in between in ear canals like the Etymotics ER6i and the Sennheiser CX 300. They feel very insecure on your ear; it feels like its going to fall off. Since they are just hanging there in your ears, there is a lot of open space which allow you to engage in conversations without having pull out your headphones.
  
  The silicone tips get lost very easily, that's why they provide you with the leather case, so USE IT!! The silicone tips also get dirty very easily if not put in the case while not in use. You don't have to worry too much about your ear wax getting stuck to it because it doesn't really go real deep inside you ear. Other accessories include the cable winder and different sizes of the silicone tips.
  
  I am used to getting a complete seal to enjoy bass response; these headphones surprised me with producing excellent bass response without the full seal. The bass is good but it empowers over the mids and highs. If you really love bass driven music but also want to enjoy the mids and the highs, Sennheiser's CX 300 is the way to go. The IE's reproduction accuracy of music is very poor, it exaggerates the bass and seems blurs out the other frequency ranges.
  
  I am used to having my volume on 30%, but these headphones require 53% to enjoy the full sound. The CX 300 works smarter and is very power efficient compared to the IE, which eats up your battery life faster.
  
  Overall they are better than the iPod stock buds (not to hate on them but their last revision was pretty impressive), but any headphones above $20 should be better than the stock (duh). Many people seem to worship these headphones, but I just hope the nominating reader has tested better cans than these.
  
  Let me propose my listmania of best value IEMs for under $100 bucks!
  
  
• Decent sound, but not the best
  By A2H5YV3L760BF5 on 2008-03-31
  These are decent headphones for $100 bucks. The sound is a little bass-heavy and a some of the highs and little details are missing. The phones fit a little awkward and don't actually go into the ear canal. The cord is designed well and the gel earpieces feel good once the headphones are in. Considering the popular alternatives like Sony, Shure, and J-Moda, these are a good buy. If you're looking for amazing sound like some of my fellow reviewers claim, better step up to Etymotics, Weston, UE or higher end Shures.
  
  Personally, I expected more from Bose and realized that I just bought into the marketing. I returned these headphones and bought UE triple.fi 10, which would not be fair to compare here since 1) They're $400 and 2) They're magnitudes better than Bose headphones in every respect.
  
  
• Good Sound Quality but Delicate
  By AQYFD3L4Y9HDC on 2008-04-30
  After owning these for three months, the right bud stopped working, which was incredibly frustrating given the cost. This is the 2nd pair in just over a year - the sound is good but they need to make the cords more durable. The problem area in both cases was the part of the cord near the part that connects to the headphone jack (look at a complete picture and you'll see what I'm talking about). The cord is longer than some headphones so they can easily get hung on things. Because of the cost, I would consider a sturdier pair, even if you are active or not.
  
  
• overprice for fair sound quality.
  By A3PCQ4BB9H65T2 on 2008-05-02
  i thought bose products are good but i was disappointed with this one.this sounds just the same as compared to cheaper earphones so i just wasted a hundred bucks and regret why i fell on this earphone. just save your money believe me.
  
  
• Amazing sound!
  By AXLRBD9NUE6BV on 2008-05-05
  Since I already had the Bose SoundDock, I had high expectations for these earbuds. They have terrific sound! Previously, I had used the included earbuds with my iPod Classic and iPod Shuffle. Those did not stay in my ears and sounded "fuzzy".
  
  The Bose earbuds come with a nice leather case, three sizes of silicone tips (medium installed), a lanyard, and clothes clip (a nifty plastic clip to keep the cord in place). The case is large enough to also hold my iPod Shuffle (new generation).
  
  I have small ears and often find it difficult for earphones to stay in place. With these earbuds, the silicone form fits for great fit. They are very lightweight (more so then Apple's) and comfortable. They are not sound-proof. You can still here a phone ringing or someone speaking to you (assuming the volume isn't too high).
  
  If you are military, I would suggest purchasing them from AAFES (BX/PX). They are $89, tax-free, and have free shipping.
  
  
• Bringing dimensionality to MP3s
  By A2UXFLTPCA55BU on 2008-05-06
  I am not usually a fan of Bose products, but I bought these headphones because I'd heard positive buzz about them and because I had a gift card that covered the cost. I was and continue to be pleasantly surprised. I use the earbuds exclusively for my iPod Touch and I enjoy music ranging in genre from contemporary jazz to gospel, neo-soul and hip-hop. Sonically, these headphones reveal details and nuances that my old Apple earbuds (obviously) and Sennheiser earbuds (surprisingly) did not reveal. I have found that with most music, the Bose earbuds not only deliver crisp, pointed bass and a clear, open midrange, but also open up a soundstage and give dimensionality to music that was heretofore lacking. I think one of the greatest triumphs of these earbuds - besides the fact that they appear to grasp every ounce of detail from a highly compressed digital format - is their ability to avoid the trap of "localizing" sound to the speakers. Simply put, these are very musical headphones and are great for critical listening.
  
  Why then, did I not give a five-star review? The supplied gel caps that cover the earbuds so they can fit your ear are not a perfect fit to my ear shape. The small one is too small and the medium is too large. Thus, even with the lanyard attached, the earbuds will sometimes wiggle loose from one of my ears. I can always tweak the positioning of the earbuds so that they do not wiggle loose, but it gets annoying sometimes. Will this be a problem for you? I have no idea; it depends on the shape of your ear. You should at least try the Bose earbuds (at a store with a good return policy) to see if they are a good fit. As for me, to get the tremendous sonic benefits of these earbuds, I'm willing to put up with a not-always-snug fit. Make sure to get the earbuds with the black and white cord, not the Tri-port earbuds.
  
  
• Awesome sound - comfortable for long periods
  By A27R1GTG9L16K3 on 2008-05-28
  This is the fifth set of earphones I have bought in the last three months. Included in those purchases is a set of Harmon Kardon EP710s and Sony MDR-EX90LPs -- both were good but ultimately I found both lacking. I read numerous web reviews from a variety of sources in search for a great set of headphones - the problem is there is no way to try them before you buy and too many websites just don't do a good job of rating earphones.
  
  Ironically this is the one set of earphones I didn't actually buy but received them with my new Bose sounddock in a packaged deal. I know there are Bose'ys - you know, the folks who think all bose products walk on water. Well I am not one of them. I have several bad bose experiences so I am not easily taken in by their products(I have a pair of the original bose computer speakers and they suck).
  
  THE GOOD
  
  1. The earphones sound great, strike that, they sound awesome with my ipod. I mean really great - natural and with great bass response. In a side by side comparison - no other headphones even came close to the full range of sound that these phones offer.
  
  2. They are really comfortable to wear for long periods. I own several pairs of in-ear phones (you know the "noise isolating" earplugs) and my ears ache after I pull them out--especially after flying with the pressure changes. These phones sit in the ear with the sound port angled into the ear channel. They direct the full range sound down the ear canal without plugging it. My ears can adjust naturally to outside pressure changes. They are the only earphones that offer great sound without being plugged into the ear like a wax plug.
  
  I have the latest version so I cannot relate to the difficulties of them falling out or the silicone caps falling off. They are snug, durable and easy to set in the ear and I don't have to fiddle with them to get them to sound right (you know, like the earphones that need to be set just right to maximize sound response and forget it if you accidentially tug on a cord and upset the perfect positioning - the sony MDR-EX90LPs were especially sensitive to this).
  
  THE BAD
  
  1. Wow - they are really obvious. The silver grills facing outside of the ear remind me of that hard of hearing kid in grade school who had the black box and plastic earplugs to hear (okay I admit I went to grade school in the '60s...)
  
  2. They are not the most compact things to tote around. They came with a case large enough for my ipod and the phones but they are quite large.
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  
  I love the bose earphones for their full sound range and great bass - better than every other earphone I tried. They are also the only earphones that give you the in ear experience without fully plugging the ear. They are not cool like skull candy or petite like some earplugs but I don't wear earphones for looks, I wear them to hear great music.
  
  
• Bose in-ear headphones are FANTASTIC!
  By A3C45LI1KE70SQ on 2008-05-31
  I am extremely pleased with these Bose in-ear headphones. They deliver clear, crisp sound with excellent highs and warm lows. What really did it for me was the fit; my ear canals have a large diamter, but a shallow depth and this makes finding good fiting earphones challenging. I tried the more expensive Klipsch Custom-2 earphones but despite trying all the fittings and re-working the over ear holders I just couldn't get them to stay in. I must admit I like the iPod ear phones, they fit well, but my ears ache after a few hours with them in. These Bose fit perfectly with the large ear tips and I can go several hours without any discomfot. So, if you have a similar fit issue like mine, I highly recommend these earphones, I am sure you will be glad you tried them.
  
  

• Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones - Headphones ( ear-bud ) - black
• Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones - Headphones ( ear-bud ) - black
• Apple iPod classic 80 GB Black (6th Generation)
• Apple iPod touch 16 GB (1st Generation)
• iKross Premium Reusable LCD Screen Protector with Lint Cleaning Cloth for iPod touch (Clear)