Bose SoundSport In-Ear Headphones for Apple Devices - Charcoal Black

I read a lot of reviews prior to purchase, but I rarely write one. This one is an exception and I hope it helps you decide whether to buy these headphones or not.I own many headphones for separate purposes, but neither of them ever satisfied me fully when it comes to "cycling or exercise at the gym".Since my first priority when I exercise is sound isolation/noise cancellation, the only headphone that does the job 100% is my trustee pair of Bose ® QuietComfort 25 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones which is by far the best in the field when it comes to cut off almost everything from outside, sometimes to a dangerous degree :-) But the problem is they're almost impossible to use for cycling considering the helmet and they also give me some fatigue after a good 90 minutes in the gym.I did buy the Bose QuietComfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones and used them for a couple of days, but not only the overall sound wasn't so great, perhaps because I'm so used to my QuietComfort 25s, but also because the noise cancelling unit is rather annoying anywhere around my hip considering mobility and lightness are also a priority during exercise. So, that one was returned soon after.These arrived today and first thing I did before giving them a spin, I changed the ear tips to the Bose ® StayHear+ ® which I bought from Amazon at the same time for about 8 quid. This actually was a kind tip from the sales guy in Bose shop near by when I did my preliminary quality test on these headphones, I also saw the same tip from a review on YouTube.I think I got ahead of myself, yes I had tried the SoundSport headphones already a few days ago before ordering at the Bose shop and I was convinced they're worth buying for the 30 day no questions asked return offered by Bose for a field test.The Bose ® StayHear+ ® tips completely change the sound quality of these headphones by a good 60-65% and I'm not kidding. With the standard tip, the base is rather soft and crisp, but it transforms to punchy (which might not be your cup of tea). The non existence original noise isolation (not to be confused with noise cancellation) changes to a good 60% which means a lot in a manic loud gym to some people including yours truly. And I never thought I would say this with any headphones in my lifetime, ever, but these are LOUD. And I mean LOUD which I personally love since I have absolutely no disregard for my ears when it comes to music . Bose doesn't keep the volume on a leash to protect your ears as they usually do and I haven't got the foggiest why they went to the other extreme with these headphones.IMPORTANT:I don't use my mobile phone (iPhone in my case) to play the music for two reasons. The quality sucks over all with every other phone and they're too big to carry. I use a good old Sansa Clip + which after all these years wins my heart every day and believe me, I used MANY MP3 players, but always went back to my Sansa, only for the quality. So, the phones don't have the customized equalizer settings as a proper MP3 Player does, unless you use a third party app. So I personally didn't like the headphones with my iPhone at all (I'm way too picky, I have to admit). I also had to completely change my equalizer settings on my sansa which was set for the QC25s to adapt to the new SoundSports, but the result is immensely good in my humble opinion.And then, it's the comfort and perfect fit. Although every ear shape is different, but these headphones nail it completely. And believe me, I tried. I ran, I jump, I headbanged and any other crazy move you can think of. They're still there. I left the gym, I did my shopping near by and I was cooking for another 2.5 hours. So a long 5 hours and I hardly noticed I have earphones in my ears.Conclusion, if you care about all the things I just explained as much as I do, buy these in a heartbeat. These are not an all purpose headphone, but does such a thing exist? Debatable at best!But for gym, running and cycling, nothing I ever tested in the price range doesn't even get close. But it was all my personal experience and don't blame me if you're not satisfied in case you buy them :-)Happy listening!

I do a lot of running and I am plagued by earphones, including my old Sennheisers, forcing their way out of my ears. The problem: you're running, you sweat, the headphones keep working their way out. That issue is gone with Bose SoundSport (Apple edition), which provide great sound quality for an in-ear device, and are up to the rigours of the treadmill/roads/lanes/fells. I recommend them to anyone who wants a decent set of runner's earphones. If you're an irregular runner, stick to the headphones you got with your iPhone. If not, go for these premium-priced in-ears instead.The volume control also works, like the Apple headphones, on the same option selector, so you can switch tracks, rewind or fast forward with the corresponding numbers of clicks on the selector switch. The cable also has a dog clip to fasten for extra stability and to prevent the cable moving around too much whilst you're on the move. The curved in-ear fitting work a treat. The box (see photo) also supplies three different sizes (small, medium, large) of easy-to-apply fittings - so if you're Big Ears from Noddy, you can still use these headphones. I bought the Frost Grey colour, which are smart looking and low-key (see pictures). If you get the SoundSport option, you get a small rubberised case with a clasp - which I found useful for the nappy bags I take along for my dogs, &/or you could stick a house key in there. But the fact the case bounces around on the clip while you're running may drive you up the wall.

Having used these now for several runs I feel I can review this purchase. Firstly usability...They stay in your ears almost perfectly once inserted. I wouldn't say absolutely perfectly because that isn't so as there has been a couple of times I have found myself pushing them in a bit but never ever have I had one actually fall out my ear during my runs. They are comfortable to run with no trailing wires the cord behind your neck hasn't needed the clip and the control to raise the volume change tracks etc works well enough when you get the hang of it. That said I always forget with these things which end is volume up and which is volume down. or is that just me and while running you can go to press the middle button to change tracks and inadvertently change the volume but you get used to it. All in all the unit is good and holds its charge well but then I charge after every run so it should.Sound.....They sound ok, that said I always read these so called experts going on about the lows are to lows or the highs too high, I never have a scooby doo what they are on about but it sounds ok to me, good and clear.The bad bit....The little flap to remove in the earpiece to fit the charging lead is the devils own job to get out. Both ends are flush both look the same and to confuse more their is a similar piece on the other side which is now clear is not for the power lead but fools you most times. A cheap almost as good pair of cordless headphones I bought at the same time lets you plug into the volume control and is much easier.So all in all a good piece of kit but in fairness overpriced when my cheap one does the job as well.