Home > Consumer Reviews > Bose® In-Ear Headphones

There is much outdated information about these headphones, so here's the straight poop, 2007 style. Notice that the cable is black and white - that's how you know you're looking at the redesigned version of Bose's In-Ear headphone. The silicon tips have been fixed, so they don't have the falling-off problem which many experienced with the old ones. This is the single biggest complaint people had about the old ones. In fact there are probably hundreds of negative reviews to be found online where the reviewers gave these cans an abysmal score for that flaw alone. They stay on tight now. Other improvements: a lanyard/clothing clip for the chord and an angled plug.

Other things you should know:

1. You don't stick them into your ear canals like with other in-ear buds. These sit just shy of the ear canal. So they block less noise, but create more of a sense of space or soundstage than I've experienced with true in-ear phones. I also get a sense that this might be a little more safe for your long-term hearing than true in-ear buds.

2. They sound very rich and lovely. Lots of low-end, though the low-end probably isn't as clean as on some more expensive cans. Nice highs and mids.

3. The most comfortable phones I've ever worn, although we're all shaped differently, so that may be meaningless to you. That said, part of the reason they are more comfortable to me is because they're not really IN my ears.

Altogether, I consider these headphones to be a really good value for this price range and a nice alternative to sticking something into your ears. I actually like their sound better than both Bose's on-ear and over-the-ear headsets.

I was on the fence for buying these for almost a year, and finally took the plunge. Let me start by mentioning that I've had and absolutely adored a pair of Bose over-the-ear TriPorts for many years now, so the bar was already high. But walking around the office with the 'big blues' on was getting a little embarrasing ...

Out of the box, quite bluntly, these buds stunk. I was extremely upset. I got the new Zebra-striped model, so I didn't have the problem with them falling apart, but the sound quality was just horrid. They had almost NO bass (keep reading, please) and you had to absolutely crank the player due to what I assumed was an inefficient set of cans. After searching around a bit, many people mentioned that you really need to burn these in, which I always thought was a silly myth. It's not! After a few days of use, they REALLY came into their own for me. The EQ settings I had set on day one were so far off by day five, I'm still stunned. After a proper burn-in period, the bass comes out full-force, the sensitivity improves significantly, you get used to the feel of the gels, and you find yourself wondering .. I was really going to RETURN these?

Don't get me wrong, they do not and will never compare to set of full headphones (especially not Bose phones), but that's not really the point is it? I completely agree that the only problem (*AFTER* burn-in) they have is a lack of treble response. I've had to bump up the treble a smidge on my player to account for that. I don't find the bass to be 'muddy' at all when using these exclusively, however if you compare them to full 'phones like the Bose TriPorts I can see, er hear, what people are talking about.

Bottom line: 5/5, but only after burn-in. Treble response is a bit weak without help from an Equalizer. Bass is strong yet 'muddy' compared with higher end equipment. Take the time to burn them in and adjust your player a little and you will not be disappointed. Best feature: Bose listens to customer feedback, be sure to let them know what YOU think.

The moment I put on this pair of earphones, I knew this is exactly what I've been looking for. It delivers rich, yet not overpowering bass with the right amount of midtone and treble. I hear more details in the music than ever. The sound quality is so good I can't help going through all my music collections again. This pair of earphones is very addictive but fortunately it is also very comfortable to wear for a long time.

If you think you're getting actual new Bose ear buds for under $50 here on Amazon or anywhere else, think again. Check the prices and you'll see that Bose Tri-port ear buds sell for around $100, give or take a couple bucks. Any seller outside of Amazon selling them brand new here for the outrageous price of $35 is selling you an obvious fake. The unfortunate thing here is these fake ear buds are giving some people the wrong idea on what the Bose sound is.

I bought these Bose ear buds here on Amazon last year for $99. I couldn't be happier with the sound quality and the bass response, which is substantial for ear buds and give me that full-rich sound I would expect from Bose.

My friend was excited a couple weeks ago when he found the same ones I have here on Amazon (sold from another seller) for under $50. I couldn't believe he was able to find these, brand new, for this price.

Well, when they arrived it seemed this price was too good to be true after all. They sound just a little better than the ipod ear buds. Tinny, no bass, loud, and scratchy. A fake. The plug is completely different on these. The actual Bose version of these works with the iPhone. These fakes don't. The real Bose version now comes with a leather zipper case that will also fit your iPod or iPhone. The fakes my friend bought came with the old magnetic leather case that only holds the ear buds alone.

If you really are looking for these ear buds, buy them for their suggested retail price from Amazon itself. It's only $99! A small price to pay for not only the confidence that what you're buying is legitimate, but that you'll be enjoying true Bose sound for years to come. You'll be happy you didn't get duped, trust me.

I wanted to replace the headphones on my Ipod for some time as they were cheap $10.00 ones and I kept having to turn the sound up all the way to hear my music with them. I had heard Bose was a good brand and from other reviews I read on various websites I found that there were some problems with these headphones. The two main complaints were that for the price the sound was not all that great and that the headphones slip out of people's ears. First of all I believe you get what you pay for. These headphones are expensive, but for the price they deliver high quality sound. Case in point: I exercise at a gym and constantly have to turn my music volume up all the way so I can hear it. Not so with these headphones. While they don't drowned out all the sound they do a good job of letting the music come through over the other noises. That was the same way on the bus as well. Many people complain that with the ear buds that they fall out of their ears. That was one of my biggest concerns in purchasing this product. People also complained that because you can use removable ear tips that these tips fall off easily. I have had no problems with either of these issues. I use the small size ear buds and they work perfectly. There is a little slipping, but they do not completely fall out of my ear even when I run. So overall I think this is a great set of headphones and nicely accompanies my Ipod.