Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones for Apple Devices - Charcoal Black

I read a lot of reviews prior to purchase, but I rarely write one. This one is an exception and I hope it helps you decide whether to buy these headphones or not. I own many headphones for separate purposes, but neither of them ever satisfied me fully when it comes to "cycling or exercise at the gym". Since my first priority when I exercise is sound isolation/noise cancellation, the only headphone that does the job 100% is my trustee pair of Bose ® QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones which is by far the best in the field when it comes to cut off almost everything from outside, sometimes to a dangerous degree :-) But the problem is they're almost impossible to use for cycling considering the helmet and they also give me some fatigue after a good 90 minutes in the gym. I did buy the Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones and used them for a couple of days, but not only the overall sound wasn't so great, perhaps because I'm so used to my QuietComfort 25s, but also because the noise cancelling unit is rather annoying anywhere around my hip considering mobility and lightness are also a priority during exercise. So, that one was returned soon after. These arrived today and first thing I did before giving them a spin, I changed the ear tips to the Bose ® StayHear+ ® which I bought from Amazon at the same time for about 8 quid. This actually was a kind tip from the sales guy in Bose shop near by when I did my preliminary quality test on these headphones, I also saw the same tip from a review on YouTube. I think I got ahead of myself, yes I had tried the SoundSport headphones already a few days ago before ordering at the Bose shop and I was convinced they're worth buying for the 30 day no questions asked return offered by Bose for a field test. The Bose ® StayHear+ ® tips completely change the sound quality of these headphones by a good 60-65% and I'm not kidding. With the standard tip, the base is rather soft and crisp, but it transforms to punchy (which might not be your cup of tea). The non existence original noise isolation (not to be confused with noise cancellation) changes to a good 60% which means a lot in a manic loud gym to some people including yours truly. And I never thought I would say this with any headphones in my lifetime, ever, but these are LOUD. And I mean LOUD which I personally love since I have absolutely no disregard for my ears when it comes to music . Bose doesn't keep the volume on a leash to protect your ears as they usually do and I haven't got the foggiest why they went to the other extreme with these headphones. IMPORTANT: I don't use my mobile phone (iPhone in my case) to play the music for two reasons. The quality sucks over all with every other phone and they're too big to carry. I use a good old Sansa Clip + which after all these years wins my heart every day and believe me, I used MANY MP3 players, but always went back to my Sansa, only for the quality. So, the phones don't have the customized equalizer settings as a proper MP3 Player does, unless you use a third party app. So I personally didn't like the headphones with my iPhone at all (I'm way too picky, I have to admit). I also had to completely change my equalizer settings on my sansa which was set for the QC25s to adapt to the new SoundSports, but the result is immensely good in my humble opinion. And then, it's the comfort and perfect fit. Although every ear shape is different, but these headphones nail it completely. And believe me, I tried. I ran, I jump, I headbanged and any other crazy move you can think of. They're still there. I left the gym, I did my shopping near by and I was cooking for another 2.5 hours. So a long 5 hours and I hardly noticed I have earphones in my ears. Conclusion, if you care about all the things I just explained as much as I do, buy these in a heartbeat. These are not an all purpose headphone, but does such a thing exist? Debatable at best! But for gym, running and cycling, nothing I ever tested in the price range doesn't even get close. But it was all my personal experience and don't blame me if you're not satisfied in case you buy them :-) Happy listening!

I do a lot of running and I am plagued by earphones, including my old Sennheisers, forcing their way out of my ears. The problem: you're running, you sweat, the headphones keep working their way out. That issue is gone with Bose SoundSport (Apple edition), which provide great sound quality for an in-ear device, and are up to the rigours of the treadmill/roads/lanes/fells. I recommend them to anyone who wants a decent set of runner's earphones. If you're an irregular runner, stick to the headphones you got with your iPhone. If not, go for these premium-priced in-ears instead. The volume control also works, like the Apple headphones, on the same option selector, so you can switch tracks, rewind or fast forward with the corresponding numbers of clicks on the selector switch. The cable also has a dog clip to fasten for extra stability and to prevent the cable moving around too much whilst you're on the move. The curved in-ear fitting work a treat. The box (see photo) also supplies three different sizes (small, medium, large) of easy-to-apply fittings - so if you're Big Ears from Noddy, you can still use these headphones. I bought the Frost Grey colour, which are smart looking and low-key (see pictures). If you get the SoundSport option, you get a small rubberised case with a clasp - which I found useful for the nappy bags I take along for my dogs, &/or you could stick a house key in there. But the fact the case bounces around on the clip while you're running may drive you up the wall.

Having used these now for several runs I feel I can review this purchase. Firstly usability...They stay in your ears almost perfectly once inserted. I wouldn't say absolutely perfectly because that isn't so as there has been a couple of times I have found myself pushing them in a bit but never ever have I had one actually fall out my ear during my runs. They are comfortable to run with no trailing wires the cord behind your neck hasn't needed the clip and the control to raise the volume change tracks etc works well enough when you get the hang of it. That said I always forget with these things which end is volume up and which is volume down. or is that just me and while running you can go to press the middle button to change tracks and inadvertently change the volume but you get used to it. All in all the unit is good and holds its charge well but then I charge after every run so it should. Sound.....They sound ok, that said I always read these so called experts going on about the lows are to lows or the highs too high, I never have a scooby doo what they are on about but it sounds ok to me, good and clear. The bad bit....The little flap to remove in the earpiece to fit the charging lead is the devils own job to get out. Both ends are flush both look the same and to confuse more their is a similar piece on the other side which is now clear is not for the power lead but fools you most times. A cheap almost as good pair of cordless headphones I bought at the same time lets you plug into the volume control and is much easier. So all in all a good piece of kit but in fairness overpriced when my cheap one does the job as well.

I don't know how anyone can fault these. They are Bose headphones for less than fifty quid. Ok, they aren;t noise cancelling (which is something i didn't want else I'd wear my QuietComfort35s) and they aren't wireless (else they'd have cost substantilally more money and would regularly need charging rather than grab-n-go)... I already have a collection of headphones that range from cheap throwaways to £300 Bose bluetooth QuietComfort. I have a set of Apple EarPods which are amazing for dog walking but they are slightly muffled - they block ambient noise rather than cleveryly cancel it like Bose QuietComforts do. QuietComforts are amazing but I like to hear ambient sounds when home alone (knock at the door for example) and I do like to wear something that you almost forget you're wearing... That's where these come in. I actually do forget I'm wearing them. The sound is not £300 Bose quality but the sound is accurate. There's no fake bass boosting but there's enough bass if the recording contains it. There's no unnatural EQing which some headphones have (hence the 'fake bass' that gives some headphones that kick in the lows). Listening to voice (audiobooks, workshop videos) these produce a natural sound. With well produced music they shine. There's a few Spotify playlists that contain hundreds of selected 'well produced' tracks and they show the quality of these headhones. These headphones won't blow your mind but they will satisfy, gently and naturally.

These are amazing earbuds. I do a lot of HIIT sessions, static weights and mountain biking, these are exactly what I want regarding being stable in ear & not needing to be pushed back in constantly, they allow just enough ambient noise in when out on my bike to be safe but also when in the gym they block out enough noise to be immersive. Weight of these in your ear is perfect, feel balanced & substantial but not too heavy and don't feel like they are going to fall out of your ear. Colour schemes are great too, now have energy green after losing my neon blue pair. Sound is perfectly good enough, bass is deep & rich, without drowning out mids & trebles. Sweat proof, waterproof & feel very rugged and tough. Not a massive fan of the very rubberised cable but I guess that's what's needed to make sure these will last as long as you want them to in tough environments. ***EDIT*** I have now removed the supplied ear tips and replaced them with a pair of stay hear ultra tips i bought off of the Bose website. The ultra tips fit perfectly well on the soundsports, and these are a massive step up in terms of noise isolation, they reduce ambient sound to nearly nothing, perfect for isolating yourself if in the gym. The fit and comfort of these tips & fins are awesome too. The best in-ear buds just got got better

I had looked at these for a good couple of months before I decided to purchase. I don't mind spending good money on decent quality products (I also own a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 25's), but my ears have never really seen eye to eye with ear phones. Going back a good few years to the plastic ones that just sit in your ear - they never did for longer than 15 seconds, to the ear phones a bit like these that have a rubber bud that you push into your ear canal. They were an improvement but still seemed to work their way out when I moved around. Now, on to the Bose SoundSport. I live in the Lake District, and have just been out on a 3 mile walk. They didn't move once. I kept checking, trying to push them in just in case and they wouldn't budge!!They have literally been out of the box around 4 hours and I can gladly say I think these are the best ear phones I have ever owned! Sound quality, as always with Bose is excellent. I had read a few reviews saying the noise isolation from the ear buds wasn't great and that you could combat this by buying different tips for them. All I would say is try them first before you buy new tips, because I think they are fine (also if you try first and decide you do want the new tips, you will know what size to buy). Update 3/6/16 - Still loving these SoundSport's, but decided to buy some of the StayHear+ tips because when out walking when it was a bit windy, the sound quality dipped a bit. Anyway, it's quiet amazing the difference that the StayHear+ tips make, so well worth the small £8 odd price for a couple of pairs.

These in-ear headphones are so comfortable. What I like about Bose in-ear headphones is that you don't need to shove them right into your ear canal. I hate that "bunged up" feeling in my ears that you get with some other earphones. These seem to sit just in your outer ear, kept in place with the sticking out bit at the top. I find that I hardly notice that I'm wearing them. They come with three sizes of silicone tips as well as a neat round carrying case with a carabiner. Most importantly, I really enjoy the sound quality with Bose products. It's warm but clear; you will notice details that you don't notice with cheaper products. There is no active noise cancelling here. If that's what you want, you need to go for the QC20s. However, for everyday use, when blocking out external noise isn't an issue, these are superb. At their current price, they are definitely worth buying, not just for use at the gym or running for general use. I love them!

Writing this review one year after the purchase, having used the headphones on the go, while running, training in a gym, and cross-country skiing in the North of Finland. Listening to a wide variety of music, from classical to heavy metal. The sound is very good, typical Bose. The ear tips are very comfortable and make the earpieces stay firmly in place. Many times I inadvertently pulled on the wire while running but didn't even have to readjust the earpieces. Fantastic. A great plus is the fact that the earpieces do not completely isolate the outside sounds - very useful while running as you can hear what is going on around. The middle button functionality is as it should be, and the internal microphone is good. Very easy to pick up calls, pause/play music, etc. Surprisingly, the wire did not go all stiff and brittle at low temperatures (-15-17C). But reliability is an issue. 13 months on, the cable developed an internal damage by the headphone jack due to flexion, and one earpiece cut out. You would have thought that Bose would've done a better job on the earpieces marketed for sport, as the one sure thing that happens to all sport headphones is constant wire flexion. Luckily Amazon exchanged them on warranty without any hassle - great customer service.