A very late Bose AE2 review
Nov 12, 2012 at 4:04 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 8

haslaughz

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Conventional wisdom states that Bose is overpriced and terrible. And for years, I believed this without having actually tried any of their products. Then this weekend, I folded and finally bought a pair of AE2's. And I love them!
 
Once upon a time, $150 for a pair of headphones was considered expensive. But given the not-so-recent explosion in premium headphones, $150 has become relatively inexpensive. For that price point, you could do much worse than a pair of AE2s, and I'd argue it's better overall than the ATH-M50s, which I find uncomfortable to wear and muddled-sounding despite its universal acclaim from the audiophile community.
 
That said, the AE2s aren't stellar but sound good enough. The bass isn't as boomy as others have claimed, and the highs aren't overly harsh either. I've noticed it performs better for certain genres, like metal and live music. For the same price, you could certainly buy better sounding cans, but good luck finding one as lightweight, sturdy, and comfortable as the AE2s. These are great for commuters and people who walk around the city. They don't actively cancel ambient noise, but the ear-cups block out enough unwanted sound so that you don't need to blast the volume. Overall, the AE2 is a very solid pair of cans.
 
I guess bashing on Bose is similar to beer snobs who hate on Budweiser. It's the popular thing to do and kinda fun. But sometimes, nothing hits the spot like a can of Bud.
 
Dec 10, 2012 at 1:37 AM Post #2 of 8
the more headphones i try (especially for portable use) the more i come to the conclusion, that i should give the boses a try. but i am still afraid off.
 
Dec 10, 2012 at 3:03 AM Post #3 of 8
Quote:
the more headphones i try (especially for portable use) the more i come to the conclusion, that i should give the boses a try. but i am still afraid off.

 
They're not that bad. People cry about them because of their high price. Yet now they're OK with every single $300 fashion headphone that isn't from Bose or Monster. Funny how that is.
I have the AE1 sitting right here. It seems to be best from a warm sounding source. If anything, there's actually too much treble.
 
The AE2 doesn't sound as good IMO, but still not bad. I got my AE1 for $40 on here, but I had a pair years and years ago and always liked it.
 
It's amusing when people say both have bloated bass. Very far from that...I have to wonder if they heard them.
 
Dec 10, 2012 at 4:30 AM Post #4 of 8
i wonder if the will give me enough isolation. i listen at low volume settings and only the dt1350 (besides iems) could give me the isolation i am looking for.
 
May 24, 2013 at 1:24 AM Post #6 of 8
I bought my pair of AE2s about a year ago, and they have about 200 hours or so of use, and I'm ecstatic with them. I very much enjoy the treble, but a little tuning of the EQ on my Xonar DS and they really start to shine. I'm in the market for a high impedance set to use at work with a headphone amplifier, but it's challenging to find something as comfortable as the AE2, as I wear them for 6-8 Hours a day. I found a set of Koss HV1s in my Dad's attic a couple of weeks ago that look promising, and after I get the dry-rotted foam ear cushions replaced, I'll look into purchasing my first headphone amplifier. I'm starting to enjoy having this become another hobby.
 
Oct 14, 2013 at 3:34 PM Post #7 of 8
I got a those too... in a moment of weakness, I got ones... If u listen to them WITHOUT comparing... well, they sound good enough... But, the moment you make a review with other ones (like Phillips HP890), they are muddy!... lack of definition on mids and highs...

But, if u go to do your usual stuff on the city with a big pair of cans like Grado 80i, or things like that, is even dangerous... too visible... this ones are discrete, sound is just not bad, so, they are usable... they are good designed, good materials, easy to fold... so, for that kind of use, are fair enough...
 
Feb 12, 2014 at 7:13 PM Post #8 of 8
Tried these today, but with iPhone 5S they were too quiet. Didn't have another DAP with me
 

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