BOSE (R) In-Ear Stereo Headphones Reviews

• Better than the Shure E3c and I don't work for Bose

  
  By A20W2NNKTMUR4J on 2006-11-20
  I'm tired of posting reviews on here for headphones, mainly because if I like something I get people calling me "deaf" or that I work for Bose. I'm sure the dozens of people who gave these 5/5 work for Bose. Uh-huh.
  
  I'm one of those people who pretty much will try any new headphone there is. My limit is three hundred and I refuse to pay any more in most cases.
  
  My first pair was a cheap Philips over the ear kind for $20. They worked just fine and sounded ok. I upgraded to a pair of the in-ear fontopia from Sony and loved them. Upgraded yet again to the Bose Triports and those sounded even better. Yet people insult me for liking the original Triports!
  
  BTW i'm not a Bose "fanboy". I own their Sound Dock (which is great) and personally think their PC speakers are terrible, yet some love them. No problem there. I also had a Bose home theater system, which wasn't bad.
  
  I noticed that Bose had some new headphones available so I gave them a try. I upgraded my Triports to some Sennheiser HD-555 headphones and for the record, they sound better, but when I bought them they cost $50 more than the triports. Of course they're going to sound better.
  
  I went with these and previously had a bad experience with the Shure E3c. They are painfully uncomfortable and never seem to stay in your ear. I even went as far as special ordering a special ear piece from their webpage. One of the few times i've hated an earbud from day one.
  
  These are extremely comfortable. They mostly sit just outside of your ear. You can shake your head if you wanted and they would not fall out. Unlike the Shure e3c you can put these in your ear in a second and don't have to worry about getting the perfect fit.
  
  The reviews on here are quite funny. Someone said they have no bass. That was the case with the Shure E3c. Those had absolutely no bass at all and these have almost way too much. That's the biggest negative about them. Only on bass heavy sounds that is. On regular music it's not so bad. Then someone says you can't hear the instruments! Huh?! I'm listening to all my favorite songs and they sound perfect. There is absolutely nothing missing! NOTHING. Every single thing is there.
  
  I compared three different pairs of headphones for hours and hours. I did my best to try and hate these, but I just honestly can not. I compared the same tracks over and over with these and the Sennheiser HD-555's and those are just slighly better.
  
  I put in the Shure E3c and it honestly sounds way too harsh, too tinny and just plain hurts my ears. There is NO bass at all! If you love them, then that's perfectly fine. The sound from those felt just so artificial.
  
  I'd also like to point out that the Audio-Technica ATH-EC7 Inner Ear Headphones are great. The have really light bass, but they have more detail and clarity than the Bose In-Ear headphones. They blow away the Shure E3c headphones by far in terms of sound quality, but they're somewhat expensive and hard to find. I just felt that after an hour they started to give me a headache. They sound a little too bright, but not nearly as much as the E3cs. Everything on the Bose headphones just seemed more balanced out and more "pleasing to the ear" (do I sound like I work for bose yet?).
  
  Anyway, I think it's safe to say I was impressed with these from the day I got them. I've been using them for hours and hours and they're almost as good as my main headphones (Hd-555). I might end up switching to these full time.
  
  Please, no negative comments! If you don't like them, then just post a review.
  
  

• These blew me away and put a smile on my face!

  
  By A1BPPZINVQ2CE6 on 2006-10-13
  I have been looking for a great pair of in ear headphones for 2 years to use with my iPod and all of them have disappointed. I have purchased pairs for up to $250 that were not even worth half of that! This Bose pair changes all of that in a hurry. These babies are wonderful. The bass is amazing and the treble is excellent. The mid-range is a bit muted out, but the overall depth of sound is extremely impressive.
  
  Adding to that is that this pair comes with 3 different sizes of "in ear rubber" so that they fit perfectly into your ear for optimum sound and comfort. I bought these on impulse at the Bose store because they had just come out that day and Bose has a 30 day return guarantee...and I can tell you that I will NOT be returning them. These are WELL worth the money and possibly...dare I say...underpriced compared to the competition? Bose has a real winner here. I doubt you will be disappointed.
  ****************
  As a follow-up to my above review and after having listened to these ear buds for about 10 days, I must say that I love them even more. Until reading several of the reviews below, I had no idea that the iPod even had an EQ! The EQ is the key to getting these to sound exactly as you like. True the bass response can be very heavy, but once you adjust the EQ to your listening desires, my bet is that you will be wonderfully pleased!
  
  

• Lost earpiece on day three

  
  By A18WQ5R2UYU1CO on 2006-12-10
  Sound quality. I'd expected a big improvement over my old, middle-of-the line Sony earbuds, but the improvement was marginal. The sound is fine but not worth the $99 price tag. In addition, the Sony earbuds do a much better job of blocking out external noise because they fit in the ear canal.
  
  Design. The Bose Triports rest loosely in the ear and are comfortable, but do come out more easily than other earbuds. My biggest complaint is the rubber earpieces, which come off way too easily. Check every time you pull them out of your pocket, because there's a good chance you've lost one. I lost an earpiece on day three and had to order new ones at $5.
  
  Conclusion. Decent sound, comfortable but loose in the ear, very easy to lose the rubber earbuds. Not worth the price.
  
  

• Bose triport IE review, and an aside on the shure e2c

  
  By A1FA1HA45BARA4 on 2006-11-16
  As a musician and audiophile, I feel that I know what I'm listening for when assessing sound quality. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who was torn between buying the Bose in-ear and the Shure e2c, so I bought both of them.
  
  Bose Triport IE
  
  The bose earbuds are simply put, remarkable. The drivers pump a healthy range of tone without distortion. The bass is especially good. By good bass I mean that low frequencies such as cellos in classical music crawl on you during crescendos. I Played at least 6 different genres of music through these. The buds definitely bring the concert to your head with pure warm tone.
  
  A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: you might find that you have to change the eq on your device to match the bose circuitry. My personal preference on the ipod is an eq set to acoustic. Others recommend disabling the eq.
  
  For those considering the Shure E2c:
  
  - The shures are very good! They're not great but when fitted properly in your ear (i used the foam tips) they too pump a nice range of tone. However, I found that the shure sound felt "artificial;" it lacked the warmth and pureness that the bose had. I didn't find a bass deficiency as some other reviewers mentioned although the bass frequencies were nothing special. The shures have that great noise isolating design that blocks out external sound, a big plus if a majority of your listening is spent in very noisy areas.
  
  The bottom line:
  You can't go wrong with either bud.
  If you want the best audio experience, go with the bose.
  If you're willing to sacrifice some sound quality for isolation, the shures might be for you.
  
  

• My experience after reading all Reviews

  
  By A3KEXD48RH38H1 on 2006-12-06
  After reading all the reviews on Amazon, I decided on balance to give them a try. Below is my summary of the reviews followed by my experience of them.
  
  To summarise all the reviews:
  Pros
  - Comfortable fit from silicon type ear moldings
  - Clean, clear sound
  - Good to strong base response
  - Dynamic response rates and finer detail
  
  Cons
  - Not fully in-ear so no noise-cancelling (no seal on ear canal)
  - Large plug at connector - making Nano not so Nano.
  - Ear moldings come off easily
  - Too much bass response
  
  In my experience I found the Bose inear headphones largely disappointing. The reason for this is that I like to walk around London without outside sounds infiltrating my world. My high levels of expectation were dashed by the simple fact that when walking down the sidewalk of a busy road, Razorlight although faithfully reproduced was underscored by a constant heave of traffic. Again on the Tube, conversations and the sound of the underground could be heard. At first I thought it might be the fit so I changed the moldings and again no luck. I had to turn the volume up pretty high to try and block out external sounds. This didn't work even at the highest level and further - while I am a bass fiend, I found at high levels the bass was too dominant. In terms of the quality of the base - well it really is tight. I'd compare it to Rockford Fosgate 7 by 10s in a car audio type environment. Tight, clean, solid.
  Later I listened to them in a less noisey environment and I must say I warmed to them a lot. It really is noticeably Bose sound. And the ear mouldings are very comfortable.
  Later that night I went out reached into my jacket pocket and both of the ear moldings had fallen off - one apparently at my apartment. This was super annnoying as it meant that I wouldn't have music for the next 24 hours simply because the ear moldings don't attach securely enough.
  
  So in my final analysis, I say that Bose did a great job on the sound quality if a little heavy handed on the bass, but the overall design sucks - a half in/half out the ear design cannot compete with a fully inear design as the seal effectively makes the entire ear canal an instrument or bass bin if you like. And to have such a fragile system for connecting the ear mouldings is simply irresponsible on the designers part. If is clearly not designed for city living. While I am loathe to do away with the beautiful (if a little muddied) sound, the design and day-to-day liveability of the product is ultra low-end - even my Apple In-Ear's are more durable. I'm sending them back after 1 day's use and I'm now going straight for the Entomytics.
  
  Sorry Bose, but I expected more from such talented designers! The sound is great though but you should have put more work into it.
  
  
• Bose TriPort IEs come to the rescue of the bass impaired!
  By A2ULU4L4GOSXLH on 2006-11-03
  
  Let me start off by saying that I have NEVER in my life paid $100 for a pair of earbuds! In fact, I've never paid more than $50, and on that occasion, I had to utilize a crowbar to pry my wallet open. However, I am quite familiar with the quality of Bose products, since I currently own an ancient pair of Bose floor speakers (circa mid 1980s ... and still going strong), and a pair of Bose MediaMates for my laptop computer. So, when I came across these little gems at a local Bose Outlet Store, I gave them a serious look-over.
  
  My first concern was that these earbuds were "refurbished" and not new. The salesman assured me that they were indeed new and were covered by Bose's standard new product warranty (The fact that all other refurbished items in the store were tagged as such seemed to confirm his claim).
  
  My next concern was "sound quality." Would these perform to the high quality standards that I have come to expect from Bose products? How could they? Earbud type headsets are notorious for poor sound reproduction in the lower end of the sound spectrum. After all, these are not the big "ported" speakers that Bose has pioneered and perfected over the years. These are tiny little buds that fit inside the ear!
  
  I was especially apprehensive about buying them, since earbud type headphones are not the type you can "try before buying." Due to the fact that they go inside the ear canal, public health regulations prohibit this practice ... Personally, I wouldn't want to stick anything in my ear that has already been I someone else's ear anyway (Yuck!). So, I would have to buy them "sight unseen" or should I say "sight unheard."
  
  At any rate, I decided to take a chance ... After all, it's ONLY $100. Boy, am I glad I did! These are undoubtedly the BEST pair of earbud headphones I've ever owned ... and I've owned dozens! Here are my initial observations:
  
  
  SOUND QUALITY
  
  No worries here, Mate! After all, they're BOSE!
  
  The high-end response, as expected, is exceptionally clear and crisp. However, these buds WILL also produce the deep bass response that we've come to expect from a Bose product. How they did it in such a small package ... I'll never know! I'm talking massive low end response right out of the box, folks. Absolutely no "sonic break-in" period required to enjoy deep rich bass.
  
  Having said this, let me present this "caveat" ... The bass response you experience may be TOO extreme. Especially if you are an older "seasoned" male listener like myself (I'm 48). It is reported that most males start experiencing a decrease in the higher frequency ranges as they get older, whereas, women generally experience a loss in the low end frequencies ... At least that's what the audiologist told me on my last visit. Therefore, these earbuds may produce much more bass than you prefer.
  
  The bottom-line here is, use these earbuds on devices that have a built-in equalizer, programmed audio frequency presets (i.e. Rock, Jazz, Pop, Vocal, etc), or at the very least, a bass/treble adjustment. That way, you can tweak the bass response to suit your listening preference. You prefer a light "tight" bass response? You got it! You want deep thumping bass? Badda-bing ... You got that too!
  
  
  DESIGN
  
  Let me say that I can overlook just about any design issue, so long as the sound quality is excellent. Such is the case with the TriPort IEs.
  
  They are described as an "in-ear" design (Hence the IE designation). However, it is my practical experience that they are more of an "on-ear" design that actually hangs from just outside the ear canal. Yes, there is a small tip that goes into the ear canal, but in my case, the mass of the earbud, and thus it's weight, is totally supported outside the canal. However, this is not a detriment to the overall functioning of the design. I'm just pointing out that the major part of the rubber insert will sit outside your ear canal, as opposed to inside it.
  
  Speaking of inserts, other in-ear designs require a tight fit in the ear canal to provide, at best, mediocre sound quality. This tight fit has been a problem for me when exercising, as they tend to slip at the slightest presence of sweat or skin oil. Also, the depth of insertion of the earbud, to get a tight fit, produces an excessive amount of pressure on my eardrum, which quickly becomes uncomfortable. Not so with the TriPort IEs. The soft replaceable rubber inserts (Small - Medium - Large) provide a "sure-grip" outside the canal. Believe me, a tight seal is not necessary with the TriPort IEs to experience deep rich bass. Therefore, there is no pressure on your eardrum.
  
  The only qualms I have about the TriPort IEs (Though many folks may consider them nit-picky) are the mini stereo plug, the gauge of the wire, and the design of the carry-case. The stereo plug is a "straight-in" design, as opposed to a "right-angle" low-profile design. This is obviously a matter of preference issue, since the angle of the plug has no effect on sound quality.
  
  The gauge of the wire cord causes it to not be as flexible as others I've seen. Therefore, when unwound from the carry-case, the wires remain quite gnarly and kinked, and look more like a piece of barbed-wire dangling from your ears. This is purely aesthetic in nature and is another matter of preference issue.
  
  The tri-fold case looks quite nice, and is made of rigid ABS plastic covered with a leather-looking material. A magnetic-type hasp, concealed under the leather, keeps the case securely fastened. However, the case is a squared-off, four-cornered design, as opposed to a smooth round shape. The earbuds fit into a recess in the plastic, and the wire cord is then wrapped around the perimeter of the case. A slot in the plastic is provided to secure the stereo plug end of the headset, so that the whole thing doesn't unwind when you let go. In practice, I am finding that I have to wind the cord rather tightly, so that the plug ends up in the right location to snap into the slot. Wrap it too loose, and the plug may end up nowhere near the slot. I fear that the constant winding of the cord around the squared-off edges may cause excessive strain to the wire cord, and may snap a wire somewhere down the line.
  
  I have since retired the Bose case to my cassette & 8-track drawer, and am instead using a case that I find works quite well for all earbud types ... And is quite delicious! Delicious you say? Well, it has also been described as "curiously strong" ... if not delicious. That's right, I have found that an empty Altoids tin makes a fine "armored" earbud case. I use the round tins that the "Sours" come in, as opposed to the rectangular "Mint" tins. I simply wrap the cord loosely around the width of three extended fingers, and it all fits nicely into the tin. An added benefit of the Altoids tin is that it conceals it's true contents. I figure people are less likely to pilfer an Altoids tin, than a fine looking Bose leather case. Armored and clandestine ... That's double security!
  
  
  
• Simply.... in a class by itself
  By AB28LGDYPCQM1 on 2007-01-04
  I have the Bose in-ear headphones for 2 weeks, and I had read all the positive and negative reviews. I can understand the love/hate relationship because they sound so different from all other earphones, and I've tried them all, namely, the Sennheiser CX300, Shure E2c, E3c, Sony MDR-EX71 and 90LP. I am a long time audiophile and I do not like Bose in general. My reference is live music/instruments and my high definition home audio system. In this case, I have to admit that the Bose is the most accurate (with some adjustments) earphones I've heard to date. Let's go into detail....
  
  Bass - They have the best bass I've heard from any earphones, period. They go quite low, and have definition. For the other earphones I mentioned above, some of them do have acceptable bass but all of them give one-note basses. That is, nothing follows after the initial note, no decays at all. And none of them go as low as the Bose. They really sound like a subwoofer in a home audio system.
  
  Highs - This is the area they got heavily criticized. Yes, the high frequencies (>10KHz) are significantly rolled off, no doubt about it. In order to compensate, you need to bring them up using the eq settings. Otherwise they sound like dead tweeters. If you correctly boosted the highs, you'll find them sweet and crisp, without exaggeration. Now, here is the problem, most people like and used to listening to exaggerated highs. This is what they referred to as clarity. So, accurate reproduced high frequencies to them are dull and lack clarity. If you're one of those who prefer extra sparkles, you need to look elsewhere. If you're an audiophile, you should know what I mean. The easiest way to check if the highs are exaggerated is to listen to a violin or a female vocal with lots of sibilance (words beginning with "s"). If they don't sound natural, the highs are exaggerated.
  
  Every one of the above mentioned earphones exaggerate the highs and the upper midrange, except the Bose, hence giving them a false sense of clarity.
  
  Lower Midrange - This lies the magic of the Bose. They reproduce the most accurate lower midrange to capture the realism of music and human voice. Listen to Jennifer Warnes' "Famous Blue Raincoat" CD, the Bose is the only one in the group that can accurately reproduce Jennifer's voice. All the others make her sound like 20 years younger. Listen to a well recorded grand piano, the Bose will give you all the foundation and authorities of the lower keys while others make them sound like an upright Yamaha.
  
  Sound Space - Due to their open-air design as opposed to others' air-tight isolation, the Bose also recreates the most natural and convincing sound field compared to the others. All the noise-isolation type earphones give a feeling of jamming the whole soundstage in your head but the Bose positions the images beyond and outside of your head. They sound more like headphones than earphones.
  
  Comfort - Because they don't sit inside of the ears, they're easily the most comfortable earphones I've tried. Sometimes I don't even feel I'm wearing earphones. And they can be used many many hours without hurting your ears. No, they do not isolate noise. So if you're always riding a train or in other noisy environment, they are not for you.
  
  Fitness - This is another area where most people have disagreement. Since everyone has different ears, it's hard to fit everyone perfectly. For me, I at first thought I have small ears and need the small caps. But in fact, the medium caps fit me perfectly. Don't try to push them all the way in because they won't. I don't find them loose either, even shaking my head or jumping up and down. Another benefit is that their sound do not rely on perfect fit to your ears, so you can wear them in 2 secs while others are struggling for a tight and perfect seal to get decent sound.
  
  In conclusion, if you do not like the idea of, or used to pushing plugs deep in your ears, and you seek accurate audio reproduction rather than exaggerated highs, I doubt you can find better earphones for the money.
  
  
  
  
• TERRIBLE. What a ripoff. Earpads fall off, no isolation, and cord is cheap.
  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.
  
  
  
• Ahh, what could have been...
  By A1GOKUUDRB63FQ on 2007-09-20
  These headphones have great promise but are ultimately frustrating.
  
  The good:
  
  - They sound GREAT! Balanced response with good but not overpowering bass, clear mids and trebles: very musical sounding.
  
  The bad:
  
  - Terrible ergonomics, starting with the silicone ear inserts. The design of these makes them extremely prone to slipping from your ears. They're just awful.
  
  - Again, the silicone ear inserts are a problem: they refuse to stay attached to the buds, slipping off with even the slightest tug. Expect to lose at least one within just a day or two.
  
  - The cord is a constant tangled mess. Sure, Bose provides a case you can use to wind up the cord and store the set, but it's a pain to use. I like to be able to gently wind up a set of buds and stuff them in my pocket so they're ready for use at an instant. Do that with these and you're guaranteed to have a tangled mess, and in in addition expect to find the silicone inserts floating around somewhere in your pocket as you extract the set, that is if you're fortunate enough that they don't fall off and roll/bounce away never to be seen again.
  
  I would have rated these a 5 if only the inserts didn't fall off so easily (I can deal with the flimsy, easily tangled cord). I'm thinking of trying a set of Shures or Etymotics for my next pair. I want something that sounds as good as these, but with a better ergonomic design.
  
  
• Best in Ear Headphones Out There
  By A32MNM5PXTSCLP on 2006-10-13
  I have been searching for an in ear replacement for my apple headphones since my first IPod. I purchased some Shure headphones from an Apple store and was sadly disappointed. They had many different attachments to fit the ear, but none of them fit comfortably. The Bose in-ear headphones have a nicer style for the rubber piece that is on more of a slant than an entire big piece of rubber in your ear. I liked the fact that when I was listening to these at nice volume levels people around me couldn't here any sound coming from them. The headphones also have very rich sound at lower volume levels. The highest volume is probably too loud for the average user. I have been a happy customer of the noise cancelling headphones that Bose has sold for years, but haven't liked having such a bulky set to carry with me on planes and around town. The in ear set sufficiently cancel outside noise and provide incredible sound. Most earbud type headphones are useless on planes because of all of the cabin noise. If you want great sound, privacy (nobody else hearing everything you're listening to), and a comfortable smart design, these are for you. No buyers remorse here.
  
  
• BOSE in-ear headphones ~ The Definitive Guide
  By A3OJ5BF4JWB4YX on 2006-11-17
  Well.. I just got ahold of BOSE TriPort IE In-Ear Headphones about 30 minutes ago and I thought i'd shoot my feedback to this forum, since I did review the comments herein before purchase.
  
  I bought these babies to use with my iPod Mini. I've gone through a few headphones in search for the ultimate iPod headphones (in ear) - the "Apple Bass Booster" headphones, high end (not cheap) Sony Headfhones, and.. finally I have found the perfect headphones to compliment my iPod.
  
  Forget about the negative posts, they don't do justice to these headphones. These headphones are ideal for the iPod. The Bass, I have only heard Bass like this from my $320AUD Sennheisher DJ Headphones (literally).
  
  From what experienced thus far, disabling the EQ within the iPod gives perfect sound quality.. The Bass DOES NOT distort at full volume with Bass Booster enabled, however the treble seems to lack a little while using this EQ configuration. Without Bass Booster, the Bass and Treble are perfectly balanced and the headphones can hit really low frequencies to give that "hidden Bass" you can only hear with quality speakers.
  
  Bose, you have held your reputation IMHO.
  
  Thumbs up from me, forget about the other posts and get yourself one if you are considering it. You won't be disappointed..
  
  
• Good Sound, NOT for the City
  By A10N1XWJ3GQKKQ on 2006-11-21
  I am an audiophile. I spend a good amount of money on my home/car stereo, rip my music in a lossless format (FLAC), owned a pair of Shure E2c which produced great sound isolation and good sound re-production at a reasonable price.
  
  I broke my Shure's due to my own stupidity of dropping my laptop on them while traveling on business. I needed a new pair of good headphones in the $100 price range and gave these a shot. Normally I am not a fan of Bose, however the reviews were excellent here so I gave them a shot.
  
  Some notes:
  1. The bass reproduction is very good, much better than the Shure E2c
  2. Mid range is good, treble is average (E2c excel here)
  3. Comfort is fantastic
  4. No sound isolation
  
  I found 4 to be the point which will make me return these. I travel on the subway every day. I need to turn up the volume on my ipod to 90% to overcome the background noise. Even then I still could here background noise. As well, walking on around in my city, I still had to have my ipod at 75% to barely overcome traffic noise. This is a major issue in my opinion...You cannot listen to music if you cannot hear it.
  
  If you live in a major city, I would not purchase these. If you are going to use these for the office or any quiet environment, they should do you well.
  
  3 stars for the excellent bass and comfort.
  
  
  
  
• Excellent when used in low ambient noise environment
  By A1095R70WHDXM4 on 2006-12-13
  I like to listen to relaxing music while I sleep, so I needed headphones that 1) Would be comfortable to wear for 8 hours at a time, 2) Be good enough to let me hear the subtle sounds (water, rain, birds etc.) of some of my tracks, and 3) Let me hear the sound of the alarm clock or my spouse calling to me.
  I found the Bose In-Ear phones fit the bill on all three accounts.
  I use the large size of the tips, and I rarely know I'm wearing them. I am impressed at how well they stay in, even with the tossing and turning of sleep. I have woken a couple of times with a sore ear, but that was simply the result of scruntching of ear/pillow/earbud- nothing to blame on the phones.
  As for the sound quality- I won't say I was blown away, but then when I'm awake I normally listen with Bose over-the-ear tri-ports, Sony Fontopia EX71, or Sennheiser PCX250 phones, so I wouldn't expect a drastic change.
  When I first started using the Bose In-ear I was disappointed because I couldn't hear some of the sounds that I could hear with the Fontopias, but then I took the advice of some other reviewers and played with the Ipod settings. I changed the EQ from Bass Boost to Acoustic, and turned off Sound Check. After that I was very pleased with the sound.
  As others have said, these are not designed to isolate sound. I tried them at my local Starbucks with the background music and customer chatter and found them useless. If I turned the volume up enough to hear, it hurt my ears. In the quiet of the bedroom or living room, they are a delight.
  Other reviewers have talked about a breaking in period. I was skeptical at first, but after a week's use, I really do believe they sound better now.
  BTW- I also used them to listen to a DVD on my portable DVD player, and heard background noises in the movie I'd never heard before.
  Because these are not sound isolating, I never worry about not hearing the alarm clock. And there is the added bonus that I can easily hear my wife when she wants to talk to me.
  Other reviewers have commented on the ease of the silicon tips coming off. The only time I have had a problem with that is when I pulled on the hard plastic or cord to remove the plug from my ear. As long as I pull on the silicon itself, there is no problem. Howerver, I do see how there could be a problem pulling them from a pocket or purse. Now that I know what size plug I use, and have decided to keep them, I am going to order a pair of replacement plugs - just in case.
  I give the Bose In-Ear phones 5 stars because I believe they live up to their advertising, and because they fulfill my needs so perfectly.
  
  
• I'm really impressed!
  By A3CDH8P0C126U3 on 2006-10-17
  First, I want to say that I strongly disagree with B.J. below about the sound quality. They might not fit in everyones ear, but that's why you try them on before buying. This is my first Bose product. I just picked these up at the Bose store at the Block, where I wanted to make sure they fit securely and the sound was up to my expectations for dropping a hundred bucks. Since then I have been using them nonstop. I'm listening with them right now as I write this and I'm just amazed by the wide range of clarity. Rap, hip-hop, rock, alternative, jazz and classical, all sound amazing. I can pick up minor details I couldn't hear before. It produces deep, clean and smooth bass and midrange that is not muttled. Before these I was using the Sony MDR-EX71SL for ear buds and Grado SR80 as my head set. The less than 100 dollar range. After buying this, I'm going to ebay the Grado's and trash the Sony's. The Bose blow both of them away, even the Grado's clarity and the EX71's bass. The Bose literally make my Ipod 10 times more enjoyable. These ear buds don't isolate sound from ambient noise as well as the MDR-EX71SL's because they don't really cause a suction effect in your ear. They simply sit in my ear comfortably where I can run and do jump rope without them falling out, although they might loosen a bit from my ear. The weight is not heavy in my ears. The cable is even on both ends and don't tug on one end more than the other like the lame Sony's. The cable isn't heavy or too short, but they're about 8 inches too long for my 5'9" frame from my ears to attaching it to my Ipod where I place in my front pant pocket. But that's a minor nuisance that I can fix with a tiny zip tie. I'm just amazed, the clarity is awesome and vibrant. I guess that's what you can expect from Bose. I've tried the similar priced and more expensive Sure, Etymotic, and Ultimate Ears. I returned all of them b/c I wasn't satisfied with the sound or they didn't fit in my ears with all the optional ear pieces it came with. But these Bose are a keeper. I totally agree with one of the other reviewers that said these are under priced compared to other more expensive models. For $100, these are a steal. I'm going to try to make these last forever.
  
  
• Where is the detail? Save your money, you'll need it
  By A181AQY2QZZEE on 2006-10-30
  Having listened to many headphones in my pro sound career, on and off stage, including many offerings from Sony, Sennheiser, Beyer Dynamic, and the entire range of Shure products. I would like to believe I have an idea of what sounds good. First off, let me say these earphones have bass. Alot of bass. Bass is a good thing, and I know there are many people out there who only want TONS of bass. These deliver. However, there is more to the music you are listening to, regardless of genre, than just low frequency. These lack ALL other frequencies to an overwhelming fault. I couldn't believe that Bose would produce something with sound quality this poor, after having heard their somewhat decent line of way overpriced for the quality QC2 and QC3 headphones. I tried finding optimum isolation with these Bose in ears, and that doesn't change much except the bass. You can barely hear the instruments. I have owned 15 dollar sony "sport style" headphones with better overall sound. Here is the catch. I had been listening to these straight thru an iPod (other sources might sound better). When coupled with a higher end headphone amp ( I used a Ray Samuels amp that cost about 320) using a line out from the iPod, these things suddenly come alive. There is actually some high end and mid detail, but would only then justify their 99 price. However, headphone amps like that can easily cost well over 200 or even 300 dollars for the basic stuff that will do you justice. say at least $299 for an amp and these earphones. For that price you could buy a fantastic set of In ears from a company that specializes in in ear design that will sounds 3 times better than these Bose even with an amp. On a note other than sound, these will not stay in your ears if you plan on doing anything other than sitting. Similar concept to regular iPod earbuds. I don't want to insult the others here who made such great reviews, but they sound like Bose employees. I can't believe anyone with a musical background or a decent set of ears on them could find these acceptable for the price. These seem better geared toward young kids who don't know any better and labeled as "ear Subs" or "head thumpers" and priced in the 15-20 dollar range. Gimmicky at best. If you want to find a something that will really sound good in this price range, please do your research before you buy and don't just buy because you recognize the name. There are many audiophile websites out there where they would be happy to recommend something to fit your budget that will sound terrific. Do a google search or check out head-fi.org which I have found helpful.
  
  
• Delivers as Promised
  By A9QZGSWH9MW0W on 2006-11-19
  Do you ever get the feeling that everyone is in on the iPod accessory business? You give the product a try and your disappointed? Well, this is not the case with these earphones! I was unhappy with the factory issued Apple ear buds and decided to give these a try because they were made by "Bose" despite the $100 price tag. Just to be fair, I also tried the in ear phones made by Sony. Within the first 10 seconds of play, I realized that I made the right decision to by the Bose IEs.
  
  The bass is real bass. Its a thump. The treble is real treble. You can hear the artist taking in breaths while rapping. You can hear the subtle sounds that you normally miss with the Apple earbuds and usually realize once you play your music on a Bose home stereo.
  
  Not to mention, they actually stay in your ear if you properly use one of the three extension buds given. I walked around the house cleaning up and the only time they fell out was when I accidentally pulled on the wire connecting it to the iPod.
  
  I wish I could write a better description of the crisp and lifelike sound, so I'll just say that its well worth the $100 dollars and it exceeded my expectations for sound quality.
  
  
• Excellent headphones for the price
  By A3HMSRC36QB8KP on 2006-10-20
  I received my new Bose in-ear headphones yesterday and have been playing with them all night and this morning. My previous in-ear headphones had been the Sony MDR-EX71SL's, which for the price and 3 years ago, were wonderful. Lately though, my Sony's have been starting to fail and being the long-time fan of Bose QuiteComfort series it was a natural choice to try these out. I will admit some of the higher price Shure in-ears were on my list, but I couldn't make the leap to spend the couple hundred for the pair I wanted (besides, I have my QC2's for true isolation). Right off the bat the Bose in-ears were very bass and mid heavy. I was getting very nervous. I quickly figured out that the rubber ear adapters make a HUGE difference in the bass & mid performance. The tighter the fit in your ear will also mean that the bass and mids will be extremely boosted. I installed the large rubber fittings first since I like isolation from the outside world.... and of course the bass and mids greatly overpowered the highs. I then installed the medium size rubber fittings and the sound was becoming more natural, but a little heavy on the bass and mids. Next step was to use the EQ on the iPod to match the headphones to my listening preference. Bingo!!! Perhaps it would have been nice to have the sound I wanted right out of the box without adjustments but then again it may not be realistic with in-ears due to the wide variations in fitments in the ear. If you really enjoy bass and clear mids, these ARE for you (which is quite opposite of my old Sony's unless I shoved the headphones DEEP into my ear). The included case for storing the headphones is top-notch too. The cables are indeed a little beefier than the Sony's, which is good and bad.. Slightly heavier and less flexible, but the will more than like NOT break over time.
  
  
• Comfort and quality achieved
  By A35U8BAK1HT8ZR on 2006-11-13
  I purchased these for use with my iPod on a daily basis (commuting on noisy trains and for jogging outdoors). I had previously used the freebie iPod earphones until the cord failed after a year of daily use. I then sampled several different types of in-ear buds (Phillips, Sony, Sennheiser) which all claimed to provide good bass response and a secure fit. None of them met the claims they made. I returned the Phillips days after purchasing them because their feeble attempt at a secure fit was not adjustable and was incredibly insecure if moving (walking or chewing gum would easily dislodge the buds). I went back to Apple and purchased the Sennheiser MX-70 Sport buds.
  
  The needs I was attempting to meet were these: Secure fit for use during average daily movement (walking and eating) as well as a comfortable secure fit for active movement (jogging or running), adequate cord length to extend to my waist line (where i carry my iPod on a belt clip) (note: I'm only 5'4" so an adequate cord length from my ears to my waist is not exceptionally demanding), sound quality that allows me to hear moderate quality base and treble without having the volume so high that it damages my hearing.
  
  My direct comparison was between these Bose triport IEs and the Sennheiser MX70 Sport buds. I put the Sennheiser buds in my ears and the fit was loose at best, which was only slightly improved through swapping out the included ear pads. The "sport" cord was very short and required an extension to comfortably reach my waistline - however with the extension, there was an over abundance of cord just hanging there. It was prone to getting snagged on things, as well as being visually unattractive since the sport buds are neon green. The sound quality was flat and provided no noticeable bass response, with the treble causing my eardrums to hurt if I turned up the volume.
  
  I plugged in the Bose IEs and used the medium plastic ear pieces which come on the buds initially. They fit comfortably in my ears without applying pressure to get them in further. I was initially curious about how the fit was because the plastic portion fits inside the ear, and the black portion sits outside the ear- but the design is such that the weight of the ear-bud is entirely supported and snug in the ear. The cord has more girth than other ear-buds, yet isn't heavy enough to pull or add weight to dislodge the buds. As soon as I turned on the song (Justin Timberlake's most recent "My Love" which is base heavy) - I could hear the base coming through crisp and clear, even heavy if I weren't seeking base. The highs were of good quality - amply sufficient for the MP3 quality from an iPod. The clarity was obvious and the flatness was completely eliminated.
  
  Overall, the BOSE IEs are great earbuds. The price for Bose products is always steep, but the quality of the sound is typically far better than comparable products. I felt justified in my purchase after 10 seconds of listening to the Bose IEs. I had spent roughly the equivalent of $100 in time/travel/testing on other buds to no avail. These were simple to wear and use, and provided the best quality sound I've experienced from in-ear buds so far. I absolutely recommend them if you're in a similar situation as me. I commute on a train everyday and walk whenever I'm listening to my iPod. The Bose IEs met all of my needs and I'm satisfied with the price I paid. The carrying case is snappy but doesn't seem necessary - if you take care of your things, you'll want to keep these buds in good repair. Using the carrying case makes that a bit easier, but you could also keep them in a pocket or otherwise sealed enclosure (to keep dust from collecting in the "in-ear" plastic).
  
  I am not am employee of BOSE - if I were, I might have gotten a better deal on these! I am a regular user who needed better comfort and quality for my daily music listening - and I found it with the Triport IEs.
  
  Cheers!
  
  
• Took awhile...but I finally found them!
  By A2NIH7P1XDBQ6K on 2006-12-05
  Here is a list of headphones I went through before trying these out:
  
  Shure E3c - Really nice sound. Bass was not to strong. However inserted in the ear canal properly, bass was a little more pronounced. Problem was that the comfort level for my ears was unbearable. Everytime I walked, the seal broke between the headset and my ear canal. I had to constantly re-adjust the E3c's to make sure I had a good seal, and good bass response.
  
  Etymotic ER6i - These were my favorite. Sound was excellent. Better bass response. The comfort level was better even though I had to cut the first piece of the phalange ear piece so it could have proper fit in my ear canal. The seal stayed during movement with no problems. I could have these on a lot longer than the Shure's
  
  Koss PortaPro Headphones - These were great as well. Really nice sound, cheap price, but they were over the ear headphones. I have short hair. Every once in awhile, they would rip the hair out of my head when I adjusted them or took them off. Super comfortable, but I decided that I did not want to have an over the head headphones.
  
  So I came across the Bose In Ear Headphones. I actually read through every single review here. I must admit, I do have some other Bose Products that I enjoy. I am not a slave to one Company as you can tell from my other headset selections. The reviews here were mixed. The way a headset sounds to a person is very subjective. So the best way for me to test these things out, is to buy it and try it out. I can always return it.
  
  I listened to The Who Eminence Front song. WOW..it sounded great! The bass was great. Even better than the Koss Porta Pros. It was not over powering to me as well. Just perfect! The sound was not as clear as the Shure's and the Etys, but there really was not that much difference. The big thing I was happy with was the comfort level. When I first put them in my ear, I tried sticking them in my ear canal like I did with the Shures ad the Etys. I couldn't do it, so I got kind of nervous. However..once the music started, I was kind of amazed at the bass response and the clarity of the headset. All this without jamming it in my ear canal. I wore these for three hours with no discomfort or adjusting at all. There is no seal that takes place between the headset and the ear canal. So there is no seal issues at all. I don't think I would take these to the gym however. They are just to expensive. However...I have been moving around all day at the office, and I walk through the city as well. The Bose In Ear's stayed on with no problems.
  
  So in summary:
  In my opinion, if you buy these, you will get a head set that has really clear sound with great bass response. The just right bass response beats all 3 of my prior headsets hands down. While not as clear as the Shure's and the Etys, they are really close. The comfort level of the Bose In Ears well make up for this short coming. These are by the far the most comfortable ear buds I have owned. Really great sound without the jamming down the ear canal and the constant adjusting to keep the seal. Again..this is strictly my opinion. I am keeping these for sure. Try them out. If you do not like them, then just return them!
  
  
  
• BEST PURCHASE I'VE MADE IN YEARS
  By A2PH3973VQF61P on 2006-10-24
  These earbuds are the BEST. Believe me, I have tried them all. I am an audiophile kind of guy who expects nothing but the best in sound quality. I have tried out the Shure's earbud model. Great in highs but very uncomfortable to use. You really have to stick it inside your ear which hurts after a few minutes. I tried the Sony's earbuds which have absolutely no bass response, harmon kardon...good sound quality but not the best and again missing some of that full sound. Very rich, maybe too rich in sound and expensive too. I tried the apple earbuds that are for $30 dollars and let me tell you, they lack in sound clarity. Bass response is there but very muddy sound. It seemed that everywhere I looked for earbuds, they were either too rich with hardly any bass response or very bassy with muffled clarity. That is up until the wonderful guys at Bose came out with these IN-Ear headphones. The first thing that I said when I tried them on was WOW! The sit comfortably on the ear and not nudged inside the ear. They don't fall off easily like other earbuds and all of this before I even had a chance to hear some music through them. Once I heard the sound quality I was even more amazed. True, the bass response on these earphones are incredible where they are not muffled but I thought some fullness in sound could be improved. Little did I know that I had to play around with the EQ on my I-pod and Eureka, great filling sound with breath taking bass response. I have not been able to break apart from these headphones and I assure you that I will never return to all the other headphones out there. The sales clerk even forcasts that these earphones will be the thing to get for Christmas. I wouldn't be surprised since they are only $99. That is a pretty good price considering that other headphones go for the same if not more. Some up to $300 and they still can't beat the performance of these new headphones. Still don't believe me? Try them out for yourself. In fact they encourage you to do so and if the headphones don't meet your expectations they will allow you to return them in 30 days. Trust me, you will be pleased with this purchase. I know I was.
  
  
• Disappointing
  By A3677LG5GGVRQ1 on 2006-11-10
  I really wanted to like these IEs. My QC3s have saved my sanity on many a long flight and I was pleased to see that Bose had come out with an earbud model. I found the fit a bit awkward at first, but quickly got used to the smallest earcups. What I didn't get used to was the feeling that they weren't sitting securely in my ears. Nor did I get used to the feeling that I had to push them further into my ears to get the best sound.
  
  After swapping back and forth between my iPod freebies, a pair of Sony EX71s, and these Bose buds, I can't honestly say the Bose offer much of an improvement -- certainly not what I was expecting from Bose. The sound is muddy and lacks brightness. Thank heavens for the 30-day trial. Mine are going back.
  
  
• sound is OK, but phones are very comfortable
  By A10EKWCLJOJY84 on 2007-09-28
  A couple of years ago, I purchased a pair of expensive Shure earphones that are designed to be inserted into the ear canal. The sound on the Shures phones is GREAT (much better than the Bose phones) and, because these phones create a tight seal in your ear canal, the Shures block out a lot of external noise. Unfortunately, I discovered that I can't stand to use phones that sit in my ear canal--the feeling of having something inserted into my ear canal is, for me, very uncomfortable. And, to gross you out, having to deal with ear wax build-up on the Shures was somewhat messy.
  
  So I gave my Shures to my sister and began looking for ear bud replacements that don't have to be inserted into the ear canal. Enter the Bose TriPort IE Headphones, which sit just outside the ear canal. I've found these phone to be extremely comfortable. And, while the sound isn't close to the standard set by the Shures, the sound of the Bose phones is much better than the standard ear buds that come with most MP3 players; the Bose sound is certainly good enough for airplane flights, working out and my daily commute, which is what I use them for. I also like the fact that I don't have to remove the phones in order to hear what a flight attendant or someone else is saying to me--having to remove and reinsert the Shures was a major pain.
  
  Bose also appears to have addressed the problem of the ear pieces falling off, which so many posters here have reported. A few weeks ago, I got a new free package of ear pieces from Bose that fit more securely on the phones.
  
  The bottom line is that if you're looking for really great sound and if you find phones that fit into your ear canal to be comfortable, then it is probably worth paying more for a pair of Shures. But if (like me) you can't tolerate ear canal phones, then the Bose phones are an acceptable compromise--they're very comfortable and the sound is more than adequate.
  
  
  
• These are good, but not BOSE great
  By AOR7K5TCYY420 on 2006-11-03
  I hope this review helps. These in ear headphones deliver very good sound. Although it is not the great sound that you would expect from Bose. I have had the Triport headphones for a year and let me tell you, those are phenomenal. So I picked these up. Being prepared to pay the price for Bose headphones, these IE Triports are good at best. They do deliver good bass and if you don't like too much bass and you own an ipod, you can adjust the EQ to acheive the sound balance you desire. Here is my bottom line:
  
  PROS-1)I actually compared these to my Triports and the main difference was that these did not deliver the subtle lows and highs that you get from Bose. 2) The fit is great!!! 3)Bass is excellent if you're a bass junkie like myself. 4) If you buy from Bose, there is a 30 day return.
  
  CONS-2)Ultimately, these are not worth the $100. 2)The RCA plug is unusually big, so you have a big obtrusion sticking out of your MP3/CD player when you wind these around them. 3)They are only $40 less than the Triports
  
  Now, I have tried the Shure E2C which are the comparable in ear headphones to the Triport IE. The Shures will give you the lows and the highs without the bass. So I recommend that if you are willing to pay $40 more, get the Triport over ear headphones. If you need in ear headphones, you can get the same type of quality sound from some $40 Sony in ear headphones which is what I owned previously to these. I am not going to return these because if I had to put a dollar value on these, I would say these are worth about $70, but these are $100. So I am willing to take that loss. I think that if price is not an issue, pick these up. Otherwise, look into other brands for around $50 and you'll be more satisfied with the price and quality.
  
  
• Don't be fooled by phony advertisement "reviews"
  By A2L2MMB9H0ZL6J on 2006-11-06
  I just don't understand how anyone could like these headphones. I tried these headphones for the 30 day trial period that Bose gives, and they were awful. The bass was way too heavy, and there was no clarity whatsoever in any of the music I listened to through them - and yes, I did try adjusting the equalizer. I much prefer my iPod headphones over these ones. The fact that Bose is trying to sell these guys for $100 would have been more than enough reason for me to write a dissatisfied review, but I'm also very disturbed by the positive reviews that have appeared on this site. If you're thinking about buying these headphones, look carefully at the reviews here. Notice how phony some of the 5 star reviews sound. And notice the suspicious abundance of poor reviews. If this product were actually so great, why would so many people be dissatisfied with it? PLEASE DON'T BE FOOLED.
  
  
• Nice upgrade to the standard iPod Ear Phones
  By A1QJ10LEINDRWW on 2006-11-30
  I've owned many in ear headphones over the years including Shure e2, e3, Koss The Plug, and various Sony in ear headphones. These are probably the best all around headphones that I have used with an iPod. They probably aren't the most accurate but overall I like them.
  
  The e2's or e3's are the most accurate but honestly with the ipod, their bass is lacking on many tracks. The louder you turn the Shure's up, the better and tighter the bass gets. On some tracks the Shure's distort pretty badly.
  
  I've been able to play songs using the Bose In Ears that had distorted the bass on EVERY other in ear headphone that I tried including the stock Apple earbuds. This problem is because of the way the source material was recorded but the Bose in ear's could handle it.
  
  So how do they sound? The bass is VERY strong and tight. With maybe just a little too much punch. It seems like the high end is a little rolled off but not as much as the Koss Plugs. It's not bad, but using the ipod EQ in the Treble Boost mode helps quite nicely. They sound quite open and not fatiguing at all.
  
  These are not sound isolating like the Shure, Koss or Sony's. The up side is that you do not need a real tight fit to get adequate sound quality like you do with the above headphones.
  
  These aren't the best choice for listening in a noisy environment due to their lack of sound isolation, but I will be using these headphones more than my E3's due to their nice sound reproduction and tight bass.
  
  
• Good sound, BAD for exercise
  By A1ID2SWMWUMY4B on 2006-12-01
  I got a $60 Best Buy giftcard from the soccer team I coached, so I thought I'd try these headphones out for a 60 percent discount, as it were. I was hoping they would do the Bose name proud, but I'm afraid they don't.
  
  In a quiet environment, they sound simply fantastic. The bass is just right (for me, anyway) and it sounds as though I'm in a symphony hall. Unfortunately, life in the big city is not a quiet environment (and neither is an airplane). With ambient noise, these headphones are not up to par, partly because they are not loud enough (in my opinion).
  
  If you try to work out with these, forget it. The little plastic earpieces get sweaty and slowly work their way out of your ear. You will spend most of your workout trying to keep them in - very distracting. Also, after I had worked out for awhile, they started skipping, like a dirty CD. At first I thought it might be my mp3, but when I used other headphones, it didn't happen.
  
  I'm sorry that I'll have to return them - I was really hoping I'd love them.
  
  
• SHURE E2c VS BOSE In-Ear
  By A2GEN4HRI5EYVI on 2006-12-16
  I purchased the Shure E2c headphones for $99 2 weeks ago and tried them out for a week. I have average size ears and the fit right off the bat of the E2c's were terrible. I figured the reason why the fit was so rough on my ears was because I have never worn ear plugs and after reading reviews that's what these are suppose to feel like. After a week and swapping through all sizes I gave up on them. As far a sound goes, I listen to all hip-hop and R&B and I was not impressed with the e2c. Yes they were noise canceling, but nothing amazing about the sound.
  
  So after sending the E2c back, I purchased the BOSE In-ear set. Right away, the fit was 1000% better than the E2c. I didn't bother trying another size b/c the medium ones that are already on it fit GREAT. They sat very comfortable in my ear, and NOT jammed in like the E2c. The sound is very impressive and the BASS is unbelievable! I even think these are noise canceling as well. I am happy with these Bose headphones that I had to write this review.
  
  If you are like me and unsure about whether to buy the Shure E2c's or the Bose In-Ear then don't waste your time with Shure. I'm SHOCKED that the BOSE brand is only $99, b/c they are worth a lot more.
  
  
• A mediocre product with an expensive brand name
  By A1W7SHTNVGBXYS on 2007-03-03
  Anything Bose has to be great right? Wrong.
  
  We've all been waiting for years for Bose to come out with a set of In-Ear Headphones that would steal the market. The first time I saw them, I was so excited, I figured these things would be worth ANY price. After all, it's Bose! You can't go wrong with Bose right? I even read the reviews on Amazon.com and disregarded any/all warnings that this product wasn't actually all it was made out to be. I figured anybody who didn't like Bose was being ridiculous. ...and now that I own these headphones, I can say in all honesty that I deeply regret paying this much money for such a lousy excuse for a set of headphones.
  
  If these headphones came for free with your iPod, that would be a good deal. Even if they sold for $20, that might even be a reasonable investment. But for a whopping $100?? You've got to be kidding me! Have a listen and you'll understand immediately what I mean when I say they are NOT worth such a ludicrous price.
  
  First off, the bass is so overpowering, you won't be able to hear half of the music you're listeing too. I don't even enjoy listing to my iPod with these things anymore because the sound quality has been cut in half. And yea, I've tried every EQ setting there is and it still doesn't even come close to saving these headphones.
  
  Second, these are absolutely impossible to exercise with. I was always under the impression that people used In-Ear Headphones BECAUSE they could use them while they ran, worked out, or even walked. But these things will fall out of your ear if you so much as turn your head!
  
  Some people are bass-a-holics, and I understand that. If you just want to listen to Hip Hop, then these are probably for you. But if you want to hear any kind of quality music in it's full capacity, then I wouldn't even give these a second thought. In my humble opinion, the earphones that the iPod comes stocked with sound much better than these do. I would choose the iPod earphones over Bose any day of the week. At least they stay in your ear and sound halfway decent.
  
  Bose will probably keep pushing this product, charging this price, and with any luck, keep selling a lot them. Why? Because they are capitalizing on a widely accepted brand name which has been perfected through years of excellent audio products. Why they chose to go to market with such an inferior, pathetic excuse for a set of earphones is a mystery to me, but I can only imagine it will hurt their company's reputation in the future.
  
  Do yourself a favor, save your money and get something much better.
  
  
• Great Sound w/out Blocking Out the Rest of the World
  By A1DHACBUYMOM3A on 2007-06-24
  I've read quite a few reviews on these headphones and frankly, I think the detractors miss the point.
  
  Many criticize the fact that they don't fit "snuggly" in the ear canal. "Hello", they are not supposed to. Instead, they rest comfortably in the ear. Immediately after buying them, I went on a 15 mile bike ride with my sons. They did not come loose a single time, yet alone fall out. More importantly, they stayed extremely comfortable the entire time. I think they are the first ear buds (or headsets for that matter) that I have worn for hours on end without discomfort. Interesting to me that so many people can't stand the fact that they don't get to experience the sensation of having something jammed deep into their ear canal (which always becomes uncomfortable after prolonged wear).
  
  I also have several sound isolating ear buds. In particular, the Etymotic ER6i's are great when I'm sitting on a loud airplane. They sound excellent and block out the majority of the outside noise. I also use the ER6i's sometimes to fall asleep to the sound of music when I have to crash earlier than the rest of my family and don't wish to be awoken by their activities.
  
  On the flip side, There are many times that I can't and/or don't want to be oblivious to what is going around me. The Bose IE headphones provide an incredibly rich deep sound, yet at the same time, I'm still tuned in to my surrounding environment. That is specifically why I purchased them in the first place. It is important when I'm listening to music at my desk at work and need to be alert to my co-workers. It is also great when I'm riding my bike and need to be aware of other riders coming up from behind (I am also able to converse with my sons and hear them when they speak in a normal voice). Finally, and probably most important, it is nice to be able to listen to some tunes and still be attentive to my wife when she says something to me :-)
  
  Suffice it to say that the Bose IE headphones sound spectacular. It is hard to believe just how good they sound, given the small size and the fact that I forget I'm wearing them because they are so light and comfortable. It is a full sound, from the base, to the midrange, to the highs. In my opinion, they sound much more like large over the ear headphones than ear buds.
  
  I purchased mine post April '07, so I have not experienced the issue of the silicone earpieces falling off (since Bose redesigned them in light of all the early complaints). I suppose my only criticism of these would be that they do require you to turn up the volume higher that you do with sound isolating ear buds. This drains the batteries on my mp3 player faster, but I expected this out the gate and it has not been a problem for me.
  
  If you are in the market for extraordinarily comfortable headsets that provide incredible sound, while at the same time allowing you to hear the sounds going on around you, these are hard to beat. On the other hand, if you are looking for something to block out ambient noise, these are definitely not for you. There are much better options out there for less money (the Etymotic ER6i's and V-Moda Vibes are just a couple examples).
  
  
  
• Finally!!
  By A3TUIYA7K0SMD5 on 2006-11-01
  First.. Let me say I give these a 5 star rating relative to other headphones in the same class. They will not compare to a $500 pair of Sennheisers. Having said that, I must say that these headphones are AWESOME! The perfect all around headphones for everyday use.
  
  When I first put them on they sounded very muddy. The bass was way too heavy and drowned out the mids and highs. However, when I put in the right earpieces and adjusted the equalizer they sounded beautiful. These headphones have a very rich, full and dynamic sound. It should be noted that these do not fit like typical in ear headphones that form a seal. These sit lightly yet securely in your ear. If you try to jam them in your ear like you have to do with UE's or Shures, they will sound muffled and bad. The equalizer setting is also key to achieve finely tuned and detailed sound. Flatten out the bass a little and kick up the mids and especially the hi's. While I don't believe these have quite as accurate of a sound reproduction as the UE's or Shure's (they are very slightly warm), their sound is wonderfully rich, balanced and very pleasant.. typical of Bose.
  
  What makes these headphones truly unique is how comfortable they are too wear. As compared to the Shure or UE headphones, which are both excellent for accurate sound reproduction but not very practical or comfortable. These do not need a seal in your ear which means you don't get that uncomfortable pressure build up or that "stethoscope" effect. This is a huge advantage and makes them wearable for very long periods without ear fatigue. You can also eat, chew gum, drink, walk, run, talk etc without any of the very loud and unpleasant sound disturbances typical of in-ear phones. Also, you do not need to take them out to have a comfortable conversation... just turn them down or off. For all these reasons, these are much more suitable to wear for normal active living conditions as there is no disconnect with your surrounding environment. To me this is far and away worth the VERY slightly less accurate sound reproduction.
  
  So when I am laying at home all by my lonesome for intense blissfull listening, I will use my Sennheisers HD650's. For everything else, these are perfect, my new babies. My Shure and UE's have officially been retired.
  
  

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