If you're looking for noise-isolating earbuds, the Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones are not for you. Although they have silicone tips that protrude slightly into your ear canal, they are not meant to protect your ears from screaming children on airplanes -- nor from the drone of the engine. They provide far better bass than your MP3 player's stock headphones, but the overall sound isn't a match for similarly priced in-ear 'phones. If you have a tough time sticking things deep into your ear canal or are paranoid about walking around without hearing much of what's going on around you, these are worth a listen, despite some physical design flaws.
The Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones have an unusual if not unique design. They resemble the earbuds that come with the Samsung YP-K5; they look like regular earbuds but with silicone tips that funnel the sound directly into your ear canals. The symmetrical cables have an antitangle slider and terminate in a 3.55mm gold-plated straight plug. The plastic plug housing is oddly bulky and rectangular -- seemingly just so the company could fit its logo on it.
You'll want to keep the Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones' included case on hand to avoid cable tangles and keep the eartips clean.
Bose's tips are very soft and comfortable with no rough edges. They snap onto small tubes that protrude from the earphones, but they don't stay on very tightly -- you're virtually guaranteed to lose them, and you only get one set each of small, medium, and large tips. Of course, as one user recommended, you can always superglue the tips to the earphones. Bose also includes a padded leather case that has an integrated cable winder and magnetic flaps. It's a must if you want to avoid having to wash the silicone tips constantly, since they pick up every last bit of lint and dirt in your pocket.
Compared with canalphones, the Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones feel very unstable -- they won't fall out easily (provided you've got the correct size tips on), but they feel as if they might. On the other hand, they feel significantly more secure than most stock earbuds, such as those that come with the iPod. Since they don't form a true seal with your ear, they don't block out enough noise to make a noticeable difference. And although they're better for running than stock 'buds, they tend to slip part-way out, reducing sound quality.
In the company's ads, Bose calls the sound "lifelike," but that's a bit misleading, since it implies sonic accuracy. The headphones are very heavy on the bass -- comparable to the Sennheiser CX-300 -- which some listeners will like. But the bass tends to overwhelm the midrange, creating a somewhat boomy overall sound on first listen. After spending some time with them, you can hear that the highs extend nicely, despite taking a backseat to the bottom end. Since there's no seal in your ear, the bass actually needs to be quite powerful, but Bose overdid it a little in that regard. You also have to turn your portable player up quite far to get decent volume, which will drain your player's battery faster than with more efficient models.
At AU$149, the Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones cater to a very niche market. If you're a die-hard Bose fan, you've probably already bought them, but if you're looking for something in between canalphones and standard earbuds, these are a viable option. With a few design tweaks like more secure attachment for the tips and perhaps extralarge tips for listeners who actually do want to block out some noise, these could be even better. The overall sound quality is good but not as well balanced as that of similarly priced in-ear 'phones, such as the Creative Zen Aurvana.
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Travis
22/07/2008, 07:53 PM
rating
6/10
Very comfortable for very extended periods. I often have them in my ears for 4 hours with no discomfort whatsoever
Pros: Comfort. Solid B****
Cons: A bit quite, stiff cables make them easily fall out with exertion. Probably the worst earphone to go to the gym with. Silicone Bits dissapear. I've ended up supergluing mine on. A good general earphone but not worth the $160 price is Australia. Much cheaper online but a inner ear would do a lot better at noise isolation. For wearing these for most of the day walking around (I often do with my job) these can't be beat for comfort
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lukeylukey
19/07/2008, 10:07 PM
rating
10/10
Bose's in-ear headphones are simply awesome
Pros: Base is incredible!!!
Mid and High Range are also fantastic
Very comfortable fit in ear
Leather Case
Cons: I have lost 2 sets of earbuds although i have gotten my replacements from a friend who got his earbuds for free!!!
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esteban
04/07/2008, 03:35 AM
rating
7/10
sound is really good but with time the cord starts to rip off, I had to oppen the the phones to put the cord in place aggain
Pros: good sound quality and great b****
Cons: ear tips fall easily, i lost 3 ear tips.
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eshy118
14/04/2008, 09:48 AM
rating
9/10
Just bought these ear phones last week and they are great. Agree with the review that the midrange is abit ‘muffled’ at times. But I found selecting the ‘treble booster’ on my iPod EQ greatly enhanced the treble and clarity. I disagree with the complaints with the rubber tips, I found them to fit great, and you can always change the sizes
Pros: Excellent bass levels for such small earphones. Overall crisp and clear sound
Cons: Some songs the bass seems like overkill. Again, found switching to ‘bass reducer’ on the EQ helped. Price
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Lucy
26/02/2008, 08:32 AM
rating
10/10
Absolutely love them. Would recommended them to anybody after a good pair of earphones.
Pros: Everything about them
Cons: Nothing at the moment
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mohil
04/02/2008, 07:27 AM
rating
10/10
guys these earphones r the very best!!!! just adjust the tone levels, lower the bass and extend the treble.... u wil find yourself at the end of all sound.... the peak
Pros: utmost comfortable fit!
pumping bass-serene mids-glimmering highs!
looks awesome!
Cons: just keep them in the case 2 avoid dirt build-up and loss of earbuds.
i recommend super-glueing them.
btw its an awesome case! pure leather.....need i say more lol
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sophiak
26/01/2008, 12:34 PM
rating
3/10
does not deliver as advertised
Cons: Severe static electricity shocks to the ear
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Hockley
30/11/2007, 01:26 PM
rating
10/10
I've had these headphones for over a week now and think they are fantastic. At first the bass did sound a bit too heavy, but now I don't feel that way. I think the low sounds have mellowed out now they have been worn in. Or perhaps I'm just used to it. They sound better then the Sennhieser CX 300 I had which were also great. Also have had no problem with the plastic inner ear pieces falling off. I put them back in their leather case each time though.
Pros: Nice warm, live sound.
Cons: ear piece can fall out if exercising.
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Anon.
24/10/2007, 09:03 PM
rating
2/10
Completely terrible
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Paul Mooney
28/09/2007, 05:58 PM
rating
9/10
I bought these to listen to music with my Treo 650. Previously using a pair of Sennheiser CX300 ear-canal headphones. Firstly, these are in-ear headphones, not ear canal headphones. Therefore, for people uncomfortable with sticking things into their ear-canal, these are good alternative. However, they will not therefore provide as good a seal to external sounds. I never had a problem with my Sennheiser CX-300's being uncomfortable; and these Bose headphones are also very comfortable. Personally I don't like over-the ear headphones because the pressure on my ears with many of these is extremely uncomfortable after more than an hour, sometimes less.
So what do they sound like? Well these are awesome. Like most other reviews, the bass is excellent. Good mid and nice high-range. That's my personal opinion and I'm more than happy with the quality of sound from these. In comparison to the CX-300's, the Bose have better bass and slightly better high-range. The CX-300's have better sound isolation, so if you need a pair of headphones to block out noise on your commute, then the CX-300's would be better suited. I've been using my CX-300's when I fly as they block out a lot of aircraft engine noise; and therefore make watching movies/listening to music more enjoyable. I don't think the Bose's will be as effective at this because as I said before, they don't sit in your ear canal. The Bose sit in your ear. I actually prefer this design because I am more aware of what's going on around me with the Bose. Also, in ear phones like the Bose don't transmit sound along the cord; like ear canal headphones tend to do.
The Bose also come with a neat leather pouch for keeping the cord neatly packed away; plus three sizes of ear-tips. I have had no problem with the ear-tips falling off, so maybe I have a later pair that had this problem fixed. Anyway I'm very pleased so far and would recommend them. Check eBay for better prices, you should get a pair for AUD$100.
Pros: Great sound, good deep tight bass.
Good mid and very nice high range.
Convenient and smart looking leather travel case.
Cons: None significant.
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