Cue the Galactic Empire theme song.
Anyway, quite sick of the Bose bashing that takes place because of their overpriced surround sound systems and shady marketing; so I decided to make a review of Bose's best hidden-gem. No, not the huge, gigantic Over-Ear flimsy TriPort, but the small, low-profile, comfortable On-Ear TriPort.
The TriPorts in their case, as you can see they fold up very nicely.
After the complaints Bose received regarding their expandable headband, they put a black piece to keep the metal from breaking.
My favorite part since the cord is small and flimsy, you can easily replace the cord with a new one if it breaks.
Build Quality & Aesthetics
Like all Bose headphones, the TriPorts are plastic. Unfortunately, Bose didn't feel the $180 price tag warranted some nicer materials, which is ridiculous, but whatever. The cord is also pretty cheap, however, you can easily change cords. The only really good part of the build quality is the new improved headband, in which Bose put a large piece of thick black plastic on the metal expander to keep it from breaking. There is a nice piece of suede to keep them comfortable on the head.
Overall, they look pretty nice even if they are cheaply made. They look fine around my neck and look fine on my head. They are much lower profile than my Grados, or the other super-commercial headphones Skullcandy, which is a great positive. And since Bose knows how to make things look modern without looking stupid, I don't look like someone from 2081 when wearing them.
Comfort
Here's where the Bose really shine. The material is an extremely soft pleather covering with a small hole in the middle covered with permeable plastic to let the music flow. By design, the pleather fits right up on your ears, giving the trademark bass response of the headphones. I wore these on a lengthy flight from Houston to Cleveland with about a bajillion stops in between, and pretty much never took them off. They are excellent for long trips. The cool pleather keeps your ears from overheating, and since they are on-ear and not over-ear, you wouldn't have that problem anyway.
Sound Quality
The sound quality on the Bose is actually quite intriguing-the bass is extremely heavy and the highs are extremely clear. Straying away from Bose's normally thick and heavy mid-range, they seem to focus more in on the punch of the low-end, which is amazing, mind you. When you have a bass-heavy song, it seems as if the headphones are vibrating off your head, but you still feel the kick of the drum pedal or the grunge of a bass guitar. The lows are, by far, the best I've heard for a sub-$300 headphone.
Usual to Bose, you can pretty much blast these at any level from any source with little or no distortion at all. That always has impressed me about Bose, and these are no different. At all levels, they seem nice to listen to and never fatiguing or shrill. I enjoy that aspect, which is why I listen to them for extended-period listening.
It's quite hard to differentiate instruments on a loud passage with the Bose as they tend to be quite compact and close-range. There isn't much of a soundstage, as you pretty much seem thrown right in the middle of the front row at a rock concert with these headphones. So, it all comes as a thick wash of sound when listening...not as thick or crisp as my Grados, but loud and truly enjoyable.
I think the sound on these is an excellent alternative to my Grado and MartinLogan electrostat in my room. These are more fun and pure, not obsessing over every detail. These are amazing when I want to listen to some of my more mindless rock music, and while they still sound good, my Grados out-duel the Bose in my more experimental and dark ambient choices.
Conclusion
Overall, the Bose feel a little cheap and are a little on the pricey side. ($125 or $150 is more appropriate) However, the sound is unusual and fun. It's a thick wash of sound perfect for your more simplistic rock music and for just enjoying music without any 'in-depth' listening. They are just my 'fun headphones'. The comfort is unparalled, however. They also do an alright job of sound isolating because the pads are so close to your ears.
Overall, these are a 7/10.
Overall, the sound quality is a little uneven and a little muddy (more than likely because of the On-Ear design)
Anyway, quite sick of the Bose bashing that takes place because of their overpriced surround sound systems and shady marketing; so I decided to make a review of Bose's best hidden-gem. No, not the huge, gigantic Over-Ear flimsy TriPort, but the small, low-profile, comfortable On-Ear TriPort.
The TriPorts in their case, as you can see they fold up very nicely.
After the complaints Bose received regarding their expandable headband, they put a black piece to keep the metal from breaking.
My favorite part since the cord is small and flimsy, you can easily replace the cord with a new one if it breaks.
Build Quality & Aesthetics
Like all Bose headphones, the TriPorts are plastic. Unfortunately, Bose didn't feel the $180 price tag warranted some nicer materials, which is ridiculous, but whatever. The cord is also pretty cheap, however, you can easily change cords. The only really good part of the build quality is the new improved headband, in which Bose put a large piece of thick black plastic on the metal expander to keep it from breaking. There is a nice piece of suede to keep them comfortable on the head.
Overall, they look pretty nice even if they are cheaply made. They look fine around my neck and look fine on my head. They are much lower profile than my Grados, or the other super-commercial headphones Skullcandy, which is a great positive. And since Bose knows how to make things look modern without looking stupid, I don't look like someone from 2081 when wearing them.
Comfort
Here's where the Bose really shine. The material is an extremely soft pleather covering with a small hole in the middle covered with permeable plastic to let the music flow. By design, the pleather fits right up on your ears, giving the trademark bass response of the headphones. I wore these on a lengthy flight from Houston to Cleveland with about a bajillion stops in between, and pretty much never took them off. They are excellent for long trips. The cool pleather keeps your ears from overheating, and since they are on-ear and not over-ear, you wouldn't have that problem anyway.
Sound Quality
The sound quality on the Bose is actually quite intriguing-the bass is extremely heavy and the highs are extremely clear. Straying away from Bose's normally thick and heavy mid-range, they seem to focus more in on the punch of the low-end, which is amazing, mind you. When you have a bass-heavy song, it seems as if the headphones are vibrating off your head, but you still feel the kick of the drum pedal or the grunge of a bass guitar. The lows are, by far, the best I've heard for a sub-$300 headphone.
Usual to Bose, you can pretty much blast these at any level from any source with little or no distortion at all. That always has impressed me about Bose, and these are no different. At all levels, they seem nice to listen to and never fatiguing or shrill. I enjoy that aspect, which is why I listen to them for extended-period listening.
It's quite hard to differentiate instruments on a loud passage with the Bose as they tend to be quite compact and close-range. There isn't much of a soundstage, as you pretty much seem thrown right in the middle of the front row at a rock concert with these headphones. So, it all comes as a thick wash of sound when listening...not as thick or crisp as my Grados, but loud and truly enjoyable.
I think the sound on these is an excellent alternative to my Grado and MartinLogan electrostat in my room. These are more fun and pure, not obsessing over every detail. These are amazing when I want to listen to some of my more mindless rock music, and while they still sound good, my Grados out-duel the Bose in my more experimental and dark ambient choices.
Conclusion
Overall, the Bose feel a little cheap and are a little on the pricey side. ($125 or $150 is more appropriate) However, the sound is unusual and fun. It's a thick wash of sound perfect for your more simplistic rock music and for just enjoying music without any 'in-depth' listening. They are just my 'fun headphones'. The comfort is unparalled, however. They also do an alright job of sound isolating because the pads are so close to your ears.
Overall, these are a 7/10.
Overall, the sound quality is a little uneven and a little muddy (more than likely because of the On-Ear design)
