Bose AE2

Pros: Amazingly comfortable, light, great sound quality.

Cons: Pathetic nylon carry bag. If they can include a nice hard case for the OE2 then why not for these?

Summary: I did a lot of research into headphones and, despite some mixed reviews, I had decided to buy these. The main reason was I had tried them on in store and was seduced by how comfortable they were. However, just as I had made my decision I stumbled across reviews for the Audio Technich ATH-M50's. They were so overwhelmingly positive that I decided to go for those instead, sight unseen. I paid an extra $30 but thought it was going to be warranted. Well, I got the M50's and thought they sounded pretty good (though maybe not as mind-blowingly good as I had hoped). Still, I was happy, except that they just weren't very comfortable. I was regularly listening to an album that went for 90 mins, and by the last 30 mins all I wanted to do was take the headphones off. I tried leaving them overnight stretched over a speaker to lossen them, but they remained uncomfortable. Eventually I gave up and bought myself a pair of AE2's as originally planned.

Well, what a difference. The AE2's are so soft and comfortable you almost rather have them on than off. It was then that I realised that comfort was more important to me than sound quality because it's no point having great sound quality if you can't stand them on your head. Having said that though, I was quietly impressed with the quality of the AE2's. At first I felt the bass was lacking, but I've had them now for 3 months and I'm sure the bass has developed over time. The sound is very crisp and clear and sounds great to my ears. I'm no audiophile, but listen to a lot of music and appreciate good quality, and these really do the job. I still have the M50's and a number of times I have swapped them over on the same song and I'm struggling to detect any real difference in quality. The M50's probably do have a slightly punchier bass, but the difference is so minimal it certainly doesn't compensate for the difference in comfort.

As for quality of construction they seem pretty good. I'd be wary of taking too much notice of reviews that say the lettering rubbed off after 2 weeks. Mine is still perfect after 3 months, and the ear pads still as they were when I bought them. The internet is rife with stories of fake headphones, so if someone says the quality is crap and the lettering rubbed off then I'd take it with a grain of salt.

In summary I would say these are a fabulous set of headphones that only the most discerning customer could fault. If only they could include a decent carry bag....