Bose SoundLink Around Ear Wireless Headphones

Good earphones

Something I hadn’t read (or noticed) when narrowing down my options, is that this pair of headphones can listen to 2 sources simultaneously. So while I’m listening to my computer for work, it’s still connected to my phone, and I can hear when someone is calling, and can even take the call while still listening to my computer. This is something I didn’t know was possible, and is 100% what I needed. I’m SO happy with this purchase.

Aside from that feature, which may not apply to anyone else, these are the MOST comfortable headphones I have ever purchased. I have a pair of wired Bose at home, that have lasted for several years. They are super comfortable as well, but these really take the cake. Somewhere in their product description, they say you never want to take them off, and it’s true.

I’m also very impressed by the battery life. I leave them charging on Friday night, so Monday morning, they are at 100% (she tells you every time you turn them on what the percentage of battery life is!), and by Friday afternoon, they’re usually around 30-40%, and I wear them 10 hours a day!

They also get the best reception of any wireless headphones I’ve ever used. I can walk around my building and still hear my computer, and they don’t cut out like my old Bluetooth ones did.

I also have only had very slight sound delay. But then I turned them off and back on, and the delay was gone. But it wasn’t even a full second of sound delay- just a fraction of a second, so it might not be noticeable to anyone just listening to music without using visuals.

I don’t know what else to say about these headphones. They are perfect. I’m so very glad I splurged. I know they are THE ONES and will last me a very long time.

Bose knows, man. Bose knows.

If you’re looking for pleasant-sounding, comfy, light wireless headphones with sensical playback and volume buttons, seriously consider Bose’s Soundlink II around-ear headphones.

Passive noise-cancellation on these things is fantastic. I haven’t walked down a noisy street yet, but when I press play on any song at moderate volume, my environment (usually a busy home or talkative workplace) fades away. The volume gets loud enough when listening on Bluetooth, and although I’ve never personally wanted to go past it’s max output, I’m sure there are some headbangers out there who would want a little more volume out of these things.

Sound performance is gonna depend on your personal preference, but I like the balanced, detailed, open-air feeling of my music on these cans. Highs and mids come through clear to my ears, and in my opinion, these things excel with vocals. The bass is probably the most polarizing aspect of the sound signature: it’s full and present, but you don’t “feel it” the same way other headphones *cough* Beats *cough* deliver. The trade-off here is that it doesn’t overpower anything, so vocals don’t get washed out when the bass drops. On some tracks I wish the bass were a bit more powerful, but I still think they’re on par with other wired headphones priced around $200 (and if you really miss the detail of wired sound, there’s an included 3.5 mm cable). I listen mostly to alternative which employs a wide array of instruments, and I think these deliver consistently clear, strong sound across the genre.

In terms of battery life, I’ve only charged them once in the 3 weeks I’ve had them, so I’m led to believe the advertised 15 hours of listening at moderate volume.

The headphones themselves were smaller than I was expecting when I opened the box. They’re unexpectedly light, but still feel sturdy, and it can be easy to forget they’re on when you’re “in the zone.” In fact, that’s one of the best features: these things are comfy, and they don’t heat up my ears like how other leather ear cups do. The black version I have is low profile because it’s all a matte finish instead of gloss, meaning people on the street won’t point and yell at you, “Hey everyone, they have Bose headphones!” In other words, if you’re a show-off, look elsewhere.

Some people might not like the button design, but after a week, it feels more or less natural to navigate. Three small buttons, one of them depressed for feel-only operation, on the back of the right earcup control volume and playback (pause, skip, rewind, Siri) the same way Apple earphones do, and the microphones on here are entirely capable of handling phone calls.

Bluetooth performance is pretty excellent, and even though it’s not perfect (it’ll skip when I leave the audio source and go behind a wall 20 feet away), it works well for my listening purposes. Pairing to my phone and computer was easy as could be, and everytime I turn the headphones on, my device identifies and connects within 5 seconds. Easy peasy lemon-squeezy.

Lastly, the overall value: I paid $230 for the headphones on sale, and even for a college student looking to “treat myself,” it’s a pretty hefty investment. I can’t say yet if I’ve gotten my money’s worth, but these headphones are definitely on track to prove themselves worthy. From the reviews I’ve read of other Bose products, I’m expecting quite a few more years of solid performance from these cans, and right now, they seem entirely up to that task.

Son muy cómodos, el sonido es excelente y los controles muy fáciles de manejar, la batería dura muchísimo y el material hasta ahorita, sin queja alguna, se sienten de calidad. Adicional a esto, el plus del cable es muy bueno, pues igual se nota diferencia en cuanto a sonido y potencia al usarlo, además de no consumir batería. El estuche es algo rígido y protege muy bien los audífonos. La conexión es instantánea en los dos dispositivos habilitados (puedes sincronizarlos con varios y quedarán en la memoria listos para habilitar la conexión sin todo el proceso de buscar y conectar), puedes estar escuchando música en algún dispositivo y si suena el cel, cambia la conexión al celular para usarse como manos libres, solo tienes que contestar la llamada. El micrófono es muy bueno, ninguna queja en modo manos libres y el rango de alcance, es muy estable (hablando de los obstáculos como paredes u otros dispositivos).
Los contras están en la potencia del volumen sin el cable, aunque eso lo agradecería tu nivel auditivo, a veces podrías sentir que le falta un poco más. Quizá los códecs de audio que no tiene.
Por el precio de lista de estos, puedes encontrar audífonos más actuales (compra estos solo con descuento), pero en resumidas cuentas, excelente definición en sonido (para un usuario común, como yo), materiales resistentes, muy cómodos y diseño bonito. Los recomiendo bastante y por el precio que los conseguí, los volvería a comprar.