[Scythels]

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/531501/earbuds-for-under-100
I posted An extensive response on the IE2s there. I've had them for roughly two weeks now, and they actually sound great.  Not going to write it all out again...but go read it if you're interested

 

[mironathetin]

I visited a Bose shop after Christmas and although I did not listen to the new in-ears, I got an interesting information.
The salesman said the new in-ears use the same cable as the old ones. 
 
This is bad news. We have the original Bose IE and the weakest thing is the cable. It is stiff, tends to twist and finally breaks much too soon. A common failure is a broken cable near the jack. It is not possible to replace the jack, because the original contains a set of resistors. I soldered a new connector onto my Bose IEs (without resistors of course) and this certainly influenced the sound.
 
Bose has no replacement cable. But the 3.5 inch jack of the new IE has a new design. Perhaps this time without resistors?
 
So apart from the sound, there may be build quality issues.
I'd appreciate, if an owner of the new and old Bose IE could confirm this.

 

[JayM]

Just got the MEI2i's ... they're a good compromise for a little bit better sound with a Microphone.
 
Super comfy for me with the medium winged tips that came on them!
 
They sound better than the Apple Earbuds, but the microphone has just a little bit of hiss, so that isn't quite as good. Overall the microphone sounded about the same if the hiss wasn't present.
 
They sound no where near as good as my Yuin Pk2's though. Wish I could get a set of Yuin Pk2's with the Apple Earbud's Microphone and in-line controls... then I'd be set!

 

[Jeeves441]

try this youtube review for the Bose IE2,
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81dwJlxpP28

 

[josef2982]

Quote:

try this youtube review for the Bose IE2,
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81dwJlxpP28

yeah i just wanted to add that i've been using these for about 4 months and they are Really comfortable.  I use them when surfing/studying at Starbucks and they are perfect for casual listening.  They sound pretty good, not great and are definitely sufficient for me for casual use.  They are a tad expensive but if you can find them on sale, I highly recommend them. 

 

[neejurulzheadfi]

Im having a dilemma between bose MIE2i or beyerdynamic mmx101ie or sennheiser So which ones would you recommend?

 

[dweaver]

It depends on your needs. The IE2 are comfortable but offer almost no isolation whereas the other IEM's will hav moderate to good isolation.

 

[tribo nt]

for all those who have bose ie2, don't use their silicone tips, use a pair of spare passive noise cancelling in-ear tips... that is if you feel the bass is lacking, keep it as is if want it balanced.

 

[Scythels]

Over 1 year IE2 update:
 
Cord is fraying where it connects to (FREAKING BOTH, ARGH!) housings. 
 
They stopped burning in long long ago, but these are the impressions I've gotten:
 
Bass is incredibly bloated when you take them out of the box, mids don't exist and highs extend farther (ironically) than when they're full and burned in. 
 
Bass gets more punchy, dies down a bit, but stays a bit muddy when they're burned in. 
 
Mids come out a bit, stay pretty recessed. 
 
Highs come down quite a bit, and soundstage retracts just like the highs do, very strange.  Highs stay pretty clear.  Not bright, but clear. 
 
"Wing" tips are the most comfortable thing ever made.  I've worn them for 12+ hours in a row (flight to Hawaii) without discomfort.  They don't seal, so you get no isolation, but if you push them in farther than they sit with the wing tips bass becomes painfully bloated, mids come up but are very polluted by bass, and highs retract some. 
 
I've no idea what the impedance is, as Bose doesn't believe in publishing specs, but it must be pretty high.  The Zune HD's volume goes from 0-30.  The sweet spot for the IE2's is definitely 18, which is pretty loud in a quiet setting, but perfect when there's a little background noise.  Below 15 (50%) the bass dies down and they're more balanced, but bass is the punchiest and mids are the most "there" at 18.  They're good until 20 (66%) and start losing at 22, where bass loses impact and the soundstage retracts farther.  By 25, the soundstage is as narrow as stock earbuds from a Zune or iPod.  
 
Cord is very weak.  I've taken very good care of them, but the cable housing connection still broke.  I have ~2mm of exposed wires now.  Still works, but it makes them even less durable, and their housings are entirely (cheap) plastic.  
 
If you have them, take some glue or electricians tape and seal the connections better, they're very delicate.   
 
EDIT: I had to open my mouth.  Left driver just died... I'm going to let it sit overnight and see if it magically fixes itself.  That's really sad, I had a pair of 'stock' apple earbuds that had a much more badly damaged cable and worked just fine.

 

[408chaos]

Hi. I just received a pair of Bose IE2 headphones for my birthday. I have always wanted Bose headphones, because of their reputation for superior sound quality, which is very important to me. The pair I have been using is a $25 pair of Skullcandy headphones. I tried the Bose out yesterday, and I am sooo disappointed. They are not loud enough. I dont want to be able to hear somebody yelling at me from my upstairs bedroom. When i listen to music, I want every other noise around me to cease to exist. If somebody wants me, they have to come right up to me and yell in my face. The Skullcandy headphones are very loud, with no distortion whatsoever. The Bose pair just do not compare at all. They were a gift from my son, and i cant tell him this, so i will keep the Bose. But when I'm listening to music, I'll be listening with my Skullcandy's. Bose should be ashamed of themselves. The fit is great. But I would gladly give up the funky eartips for better sound.  

 

[Ivabign]

Quote:

 bass becomes painfully bloated, mids come up but are very polluted by bass, and highs retract some.   

I'm sorry, but I love that imagery - mids polluted by the bass - I know exactly what you mean!

 

[mironathetin]

Quote:

I dont want to be able to hear somebody yelling at me from my upstairs bedroom.

My recommendation would be to solve that problem first. 
Than you are free to get a good sounding earphone and can use it, even if it does not isolate perfectly.

 

[mironathetin]

Quote:

The salesman said the new in-ears use the same cable as the old ones. 
 

We finally bought new Bose In-Ears and plug and cable are different. The plug is smaller, most likely without resistors inside, and the cable is much more flexible. Doesn't look as if it will break anytime soon.

 

[isarat]

I am not a pro user. I have both original IE and IE2. IE2 fits so well in my ears and really helpful while jogging and on the go. But I was not happy with the bass level of IE2 it's much lower than IE1
 

 

[vik1980]

rubbish earphones. i bought them for more than $100/- thinking they would sound great. these were my first high end earphones and even to my untrained ear, they sounded average. could not make out the difference between these and any $15/- earphones.