[bcasey25raptor]

Quote:

 
That's the thing..with Bose you ARE paying for the comfort, small size, Bose name and the marketing. People pay extra for this all the time and often don't realize it.
Just look at the Skullcandy Aviator and Klipsch Image One. Do you think those are $150 worth of sound? Definitely not. Not saying they don't sound good..
Then there is the Shure SRH-940. In no way does it sound like a $250-300 headphone. Shure thinks they're something special now I guess charging that much.
Yes..I did like the SRH-940 a LOT, but it sounded like a $150-$175 headphone. You ARE paying extra for that detachable cable, nice pads and storage case.
 
Yet..Bose is so evil, but everyone is OK with other $150 headphones that don't offer $150 worth of sound.
 
Yes, at least with Grado more of it goes into the sound.
 
 
 

Stating that is like stating the shure srh840 is better considering they are $200 msrp and apparently sound like headphones $100 more. I am curious why you say this.

 

[spinner26]

I always thought this was weird. I'm a fan of Bose products but I thought their IE models (1 and 2) just didn't sound good at all. I compared them to sony klipsch shure monster turbines and b&w and the bose always finished last for some reason. The sound leakage was also a big problem as well. The one thing I liked for a while was the fit, they are very comfortable because they don't jam into your ears. But after a while because they are so loose they actually started to tickle my ear canals. Anyways, back they went!

 

[localredhead]

 
I agree with you that the AE2's do sound good.
 
I disagree with your comment on OE's.  The OE2's have a near identical sound signature to the AE2's but they are slightly veiled due to the ear pads.  There is no bloat whatsoever on the bass and the sound signature is quite nice on the OE2's.Quote:

My friend has some nice bose computer speakers. They sound nice, although the sub woofer that comes with them tends to be overpowering. Every time I'm over I end up turning the volume down on it.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a hardcore Bose supporter, I can admit they've made bad products, such as their in ear monitors and OE headphones (both of which suffer from a monstrous amount of bass that overwhelms). But I can't understand the hate they get. I've even seen people claiming that apple ear buds and even coby products sound better than the Bose headphones, which is absolutely ludicrous in my humble opinion. 

 
 

 

[RamblinE]

The AE2's are alright, if not pretty good. But only at the pricepoint of which I obtained my second pair. Used for about $50. Maybe that's cheap but hey, seller named the price, not me. 
 
Originally I paid $160 for my first pair new. Returned for a cash refund pretty soon after because they did not sound like $160. 
 
As comfortable as they are, still not $160. My second pair for $50 though? 
 
NOW I'm a happy camper. 

 

[bleudeciel16]

Quote:

I have a pair of AE2 that I enjoy every now and then. Bose has been around our home awhile now, so , I am a little loyal. And on top of that it does not sound bad to me. I had the first Tri-port that lasted me for years and I traded it in for newer AE2. 
 
 
 
Happy Listening!!!!!!

the stupid tri ports are what ticked me off and made me go research (which made me stumble upon this website).  they were crap.  compared to $10 sony or koss headphones?  yeah, they sounded better.  but that's about it.  for being closed headphones, they had absolutely no bass whatsoever.  the mids are flat.  highs weren't there. (unusual for bose because they're usually extremely high in the high's and bass, and lack mids)

 

[TJ Max]

I've had my AE2 for about a year. I replaced my Klipsch Image One with them. The Bose AE2 sound far more balanced and natural than the Klipsch. I think they sound great with Jazz and Classical.
I don't recall paying $150 at Best Buy, I think I got them for $130. What justifies the cost for me is the replaceable cable! I think thats a huge bonus and worth extra 30-$50 for peace of mind and security.
You can plug the same cable from Sennhieser's HD5x8 series into them. And they are very comfortable, my only complaint is that after about an hour or so my ears start to feel warm since the pads are leather and holds heat. 

 

[syryanyang]

I have many far more expensive headphones but I still enjoy the ae2 from time to time

 

[ITALIANNYC]

Figured I would throw my review in. This is mainly if you are deciding to buy the OE2 or the AE2.
 
[size=small]I have had both the AE2 and the OE2 headphones and have tested them the past few weeks.[/size]

[size=small]Basically the AE2 are one of the most comfortable pair of headphones I have used. They have some very good clarity and are very lightweight. The only problem I have is that their is very little bass response to these cans. That is the main difference between the OE2 and the AE2. The AE2 have very crisp and clear sound. The clarity is unmatched compared to the OE2. The OE2 have a great bass response but the vocals and clarity of them feel that there is a veil over them and sound a little muffled. So in reality, its a give and a take for either pair that you decide to buy. I will also point out that the AE2 do feel more comfortable then the OE2. I felt the OE2 ear pads were slightly small and somewhat tight on my ears, but they are not uncomfortable by any means.[/size]
 
[size=small]The AE2 isolate sound around you very well. Not noise cancelling but still got rid of alot of the sound. The most I have heard for cans that are not Noise Cancelling.[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]In the end, if you are not the type to sit and listen to music for hours, trying to hear the little details of the songs, and love BASS, go with the OE2 and use an EQ to up the mids and get the right thumbing bass reponse. If you want the pure listening experience, with pure clarity to your sound, and care more about that then just the bass, I would go with the AE2. Dont get me wrong, there IS some bass to the AE2, but they will never thump your ears.[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]Lastly just want to say, in my opinion, if Bose would make a set that had the clarity of the AE2 and the bass of the OE2, then you would have a very complete set of cans. I believe the QC15 have all that, but I do not wanna pay over 300 for headphones.[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]Also, Bose has the best customer service in the business. If you break your headphones after the warrenty period, they will exchange your set for more then half off. I paid 60.[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]Since I prefer clarity and hearing every little detail in a song, I prefer the AE2 over the OE2. Got rid of the OE2[/size][size=small][/size]
[size=small][/size]
[size=small]Its all about preference. I would just try them both out from a store, and return the pair you like less.[/size]
 
[size=small]I use these for the most part on my android phone I am using. If you are using any android phone, download the app poweramp. Does wonders for the music.[/size]

 

[K_19]

The AE2's are my casual PC-use headphones and I feel they are excellent for such use. They're the most comfortable closed headphones that I've ever used (like I've always said, I feel that any "research" that Bose does, if any, probably goes to the ergonomics part), and also isolate acceptably, and there are very few cans which are good at doing both. The cords are non-tangling too, and user replaceable, which is very important in a desktop environment.
 
Sound wise I never really use them for critical music listening as I already have many other serious headphones for that, and I also do feel that they have too weird of a sound balance (there's something seriously off in midrange/lower midrange area, some holes in the base area, and bit sizzly top end) for serious music use, but for casual youtube or movie watching, they're good enough with decent enough soundstage for a closed headphone.  For the ~$80 I got them for I feel that I got a good deal for my uses. 

 

[wingmylife]

good solution for portable, comfortable, reasonable sound quality, not bad shape and color. kind of over price, hard to measure... not a solution for hifi...

 

[CirrusPilot]

I found that the OE2s sounded horrible in comparison to the AE2s. The bass was just way too forward and uncontrolled. Bose was clearly trying to emphasize that lows.

As for the QC15, my experience with audio quality is mixed. I've never owned a pair myself, but I have tried different pairs of them on numerous occasions. While the sound is okay, I always pick up on the noise cancellation. It is extremely faint, but sounds as if you have your ear up to a sea shell. Its not just the bose either, i hear it in NC Sonys as well. I have very good hearing, so it could just be me, but that is th one thing I don't like about active noise canceling headphones.

 

[jump3r]

headphones and speakers are two different things. bose is one of the best speaker around. but i will not buy bose AE2 as mids are blahh. only hiphop sounds good. as lows do good but highs and mids are just blahh..

 

[CirrusPilot]

Quote:

headphones and speakers are two different things. bose is one of the best speaker around. but i will not buy bose AE2 as mids are blahh. only hiphop sounds good. as lows do good but highs and mids are just blahh..

 
I will have to respectfully disagree. As a former speaker user, Bose makes some of the worst speakers out there in terms of sound quality. They come up with all of these BS technical names for their proprietary "technology" but when you actually listen to their speakers they are awful, especially their home theater speakers. The only saving grace is that their all-in-one systems are convenient. 

 

[ITALIANNYC]

I disagree. I listen to many things on mine and they sound great. Everyone uses different sources to listen to music. I personally use an eq and poweramp app on my phone to get what I consider my perfect sound on the headphones. Many people say you should listen to headphones with the settings on flat. I personally do not like how they sound flat. When I mess with the eq settings, every genre sounds great. The mids and highs sound good. Someone said the lows do good and are good for hiphop. The AE2 barely have what your average user would consider real good bass. It has just enough to enjoy the music, but nothing at all considered thumping or major. People who only listen to hiphop and only hiphop would probably hate them. 
 
The OE2 had some horrible mids though. No amount of EQ could fix that for me. Still sounds weak.

 

[CirrusPilot]

Quote:

I disagree. I listen to many things on mine and they sound great. Everyone uses different sources to listen to music. I personally use an eq and poweramp app on my phone to get what I consider my perfect sound on the headphones. Many people say you should listen to headphones with the settings on flat. I personally do not like how they sound flat. When I mess with the eq settings, every genre sounds great. The mids and highs sound good. Someone said the lows do good and are good for hiphop. The AE2 barely have what your average user would consider real good bass. It has just enough to enjoy the music, but nothing at all considered thumping or major. People who only listen to hiphop and only hiphop would probably hate them. 
 
The OE2 had some horrible mids though. No amount of EQ could fix that for me. Still sounds weak.

 
Are you talking about the AE2s or speakers?
 
EQing is fine until you get up into higher end equipment. At that point the EQ settings from an iPhone or whatever can really screw up the way the music is supposed to sound.