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"Why you should disregard everything we say about this product"
3.5 starson by mcdevinPros: you MIGHT like these
Cons: you MIGHT hate these
Summary: This is my first post on CNET. I usually don't post my opinions on websites but the nature of this debate begged my participation.
I want to start off by saying that you as the reader should be very suspicious of a group of reviews which for all purposes is sharply split between those who rate this product between 8 and 10, and those who rate it at 1 and 2. Now at this point I want to be clear that I believe everybody here wrote valid reviews with regard to their personal impressions. I don't think anyone here, the CNET editor included, is "crazy" or "doesn't have discerning ears" as some the posters seem to believe.
Now moving on to the product, I am here to tell you that you MIGHT like these and you MIGHT hate these. I personally LIKE them and my ears do not have problems discerning anything. I am a musician. I have my degree in music with an emphasis in performance. I have a degree that corroborates my capability of aural discernment and take offense to any accusations to the contrary. So I hardly believe that I was somehow "tricked into thinking the sound was good." I appreciate Bose products for their type of type of audio reproduction just as much as I appreciate the Shures for their type of sound reproduction.
In fact, prior to owning these, I owned a pair of Shure e3c's which I loved for the most part because of their clarity. What I didn't like was the complete lack of fullness to the overall sound which was due in part to that particular model's lack of good bass response (though I understand that the new models have remedied this somewhat). I also didn't like the that fact that I could only wear them for 20 minutes at a time before my ears started throbbing. I personally feel that no set of headphones should be painful.
Motivated by these concerns, I set out for a new pair of buds which had a fuller sound and more comfort. I think these headphones do a good job on both fronts. I concede that Bose doesn't reproduce sound "accurately" as that term seems to be understood by self proclaimed audiophiles--but that's not what Bose is trying to. I believe Bose's goal is "lifelike sound reproduction" which is a wholly different concept. I personally prefer "lifelike" over "accurate" in this case. I will not say that these phones sound BETTER than my shures in a technical sense with reference to accuracy, but I enjoy the sound from the Bose and the heightened sense of comfort more than I ever did the e3cs.
This brings me to the whole point of this review. Don't trust me and don't trust anyone else here. Go out and buy a pair. Try them out yourself with YOUR music and with YOUR likes and dislikes. If you don't like them, take them back--understanding that you negative reaction by no means speaks to the quality of this product, but instead speaks to the compatibility of this product to your personal tastes and needs. And if you like them, does anything else really matter? Enjoy them. Know that you bought a quality product with good customer support and a great warranty. And finally, don't let anyone tell you your headphones are "crap" or that if you like them, there must be something wrong with you.
(NOTE: the only reason I gave these a numerical rating was because I had to)
- 14 replies to this review
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I must say you are right about this product. Because the quality of sound relies heavily on fit and how sensitive your hearing is and what you perceive as quality music reproduction. I think any headphone must be tried out by the end user. But I do think some basic information can be found in reviews and that is what this is all about. For example if nothing else I know from reading these reviews that some people hate them and some love them.
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Hello, Friend...you get an "A+" for a well articulated and easy to understand article.
Good job! Take care. -
Thanks got a great review. I bought these Bose (on 4/2010) to use as monitors in a Christian band and did not want noise cancellation but did highly value comfort. I can wear mine for hours with no problems. At home, I can carry on a conversation with them in place as long as the sound level is low :<)
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Thank you. That's all that needs to be said. I just registered on this site for the sole purposeof letting you know how happy it makes me to have found a non-biased, down-to-earth review... because it's the first one I can honestly remember reading. I personally have no desire to block out the outside world, and my ears are extremely sensitive to other in-ear products. After trying a friend's bose buds I've also found that for anyone who goes to sleep listening to music, these are by far the most comfortable I have ever tried. They fit reasonably in to the shape of the ear, instead of sticking out a quarter-inch and stabbing into my ear when I lay my head down.
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This was one of the most amazing reviews I have ever read. I am an 11-year musician myself, and the number of reviews I have read for products like these borders along insanity. But my history doesn't matter. This was extremely well written, and one of the most honest reviews I have seen. Great job.
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Try klipsch image S4 before you buy any Shures or Bose. They sound amazing and well worth the money. =)
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I agree, these buds are a joy to listen to. HOWEVER, the two pair that I have owned have gone bad right at the 1 year mark. The cord at the mp3 player end lost its connection or something. The result was crackling and lost sound out of one side. Bose offers a full replacement warrenty for one year, but after that you have to pay $50 for replacements. I think I'm going to try the Shures this year.
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Wow, a private user who can actually write! Nice job.
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Because of your review, I went out and bought a pair. I was never a fan of Bose's HT products (I'm a Canton and Paradigm man), but I respect Bose's engineering and their customer support. I've tried dozens of headphones, both in ear and over the ear, and it's hard because I'm big on comfort, but like you I like "lifelike sound" over accurate sound. Who the hell cares about accuracy when you're listening to great music, right? You just want it to sound good, and these headphones do just that, they sound good. Thank you very much for a well articulated review.
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I like these too. they're not great with the Touch because the impedance is off. But I love the balance so much I might keep them. Thanks!
P.S. I'm a professional musician too. -
Great post!!!!
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Your post was the post I was hoping to find. I too am a musician and I was hoping someone with with experienced ears would provide an unbiased review instead of a pitch for their favorite brands.
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after reading several reviews before yours, I EXCLUDED this product from my search. I appreciate you taking the time to post this; it definitely made a difference at least for me.
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thanks for that review. as an everyday joe just looking for a quality product for the right price reading reviews like that put me at ease. Honesty, and ego-less reviews like yours are rare indeed.
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