Bose AE2 vs. Tri-Port/AE1, Comparison and Review - Page 2

I googled this because of my extreme disappointment in my AE2 headphones. I'm glad someone else feels my pain, because I'm honestly shocked at how terrible the AE2's are. The build quality of the AE2's seem to be the only real attraction to this set; the foldable sides are cool and they seem to be more comfortable. But all else sucks. I'm no audiophile, but I have a pair of Sennheiser HD280's and those absolutely rock. The AE1's are louder and cleaner than the 280's. I mean, at max volume even on my iPhone, they actually MOVE my ears and remain clean the entire time. The same cannot be said about the AE2's. They are weak, and despite being slightly more comfortable and better built, they cannot hold a candle to the audio quality of the older generation. I have a $4000 audio system in my car (self-built, those prices aren't MSRP - it's a REAL system), and these are the only 'phones that even come close to that system. That's saying a lot; I am used to quality subwoofer bass and this is really amazing in comparison. The AE2's are pitiful. I'm actually going to sell my NEW phones and try to get the old ones. I might even pay MORE because they are apparently no longer in production. Which is a shame because the newer ones really are terrible. 

OK, NOW I'm adding the Tri-Port/AE1's to the possible headphone upgrade candidate list, which now stands at..

01:) Sony MDR-7506.

02:) Bose AE2.

03:) Sennheiser HD 202-II.

04:) Sennheiser HD 203.

05:) Sony MDR-XD100.

06:) Bose Tri-Port/AE1.

07:) Sony MDR-XB500.

Could not agree with this more.

Couldn't agree more.

I've had the same pair of bose AE1s for about 4 years now. I absolutely love them. I now own a set of Audio Technica M50s. The M50s are better in most ways, but I'd like to say that the AE1s aren't too far off. I payed $130 for my bose and $169 for my M50s, and the price difference vs sound quality is reasonable to me. I just fixed my AE1s after several months of having a broken jack, and I've really missed the comfort they provide. The sound quality isn't far off from the M50s, so I don't mind the trade off for comfort during really long listening sessions.

I just want to support ONLY the bose AE1s as being a good headphone for the price. I'm sad to hear that they are no longer in production. What a shame. The AE2s and other bose headphones I've listened to just don't compare to the AE1s.

I'd love to re-cable these with a solid and durable cable, so I don't have to fix them all the time.

Original Tri-Ports (AE1) vs. AE2

Not sure I entirely agree.  The old AE1s do have better sound but they are less durable.  My three pairs of AE1s lasted 1-2 years each before developing a short in the cable.  One pair blew a speaker.  The biggest fatal flaw in the AE1s is a non-detachable cable; I'm surprised you didn't mention this in your long winded write up.

I use my headphones every day; sometimes in excess of 8hrs. While the AE2s don't sound quite as good as the AE1s they are still leaps and bounds ahead of any other brand I've listened to.  The AE2s are durable and when the cord develops a short it is easily fixed with a replacement cable.