Bose Sport Open Earbuds review
Our Verdict
Innovative in some ways, disappointing in many others, the $199 Bose Sport Open Earbuds is a tough sell for avid fitness buffs.
For
- Sleek and sturdy
- Responsive controls
- Stable battery life
- Surprisingly expert audio
Against
- Open design is not for everyone
- Extremely limited features
- Awkward fit
- Lack of charging case and smart controls
Tom's Guide Verdict
Innovative in some means, disappointing in many others, the $199 Bose Sport Open Earbuds is a tough sell for avid fettle buffs.
Pros
- +
Sleek and sturdy
- +
Responsive controls
- +
Stable bombardment life
- +
Surprisingly good sound
Cons
- -
Open design is not for anybody
- -
Extremely limited features
- -
Bad-mannered fit
- -
Lack of charging case and smart controls
Despite launching ii new models last October – the noise-cancelling QuietComfort Earbuds and fitness-centric Bose Sport Earbuds. These notwithstanding are some of the all-time wireless earbuds and best workout headphones you lot tin purchase, so it'due south no surprise the momentum kept going with the new Bose Sport Open up Earbuds.
Boasting a singular open up-ear design that was made for optimal fit, along with Bose'south OpenAudio technology to dish out full audio without roofing your ears, the Sport Open Earbuds seems to accept the makings of something special…on paper, that is. Despite the ultramodern await and notably loftier sound quality, a lot is missing in terms of functionality and performance.
- Come across the competition with our Beats Powerbeats Pro review
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Bose Sport Open up Earbuds specs
Colors: Black
Bombardment life (rated): viii hours
Size: two.two x ane.9 x 0.75 inches (per bud), 1.6 ten 4.iv ten ii.8 inches (carrying example)
Weight: 0.49 ounces (per bud), two.4 ounces (conveying example)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.1
Processor: Qualcomm
Fitness fanatics who beloved Bose products, and want something different, might find some value in the Sport Open Earbuds. However, you can get much more for your dollar from some of the market's best running headphones.
- Bose Sport Open Earbuds for $199.99 at Best Buy
Bose Sport Open Earbuds toll and availability
The Bose Sport Open Earbuds is currently bachelor for $199 at Best Buy or straight from Bose. This places them in a lower price bracket than competitors like the Beats Powerbeats Pro ($250), nonetheless higher than the Bose Sport Earbuds ($180).
Bose Sport Open up Earbuds review: Design and comfort
The concept backside the Sport Open Earbuds is boggling: wireless sport earbuds with a flat enclosure that sit above the ear canal and are suspended by a plastic loop. This is clearly unlike than the standard in-ear blueprint that most, if not, all, wireless sport earbuds characteristic. At the same fourth dimension, the Sport Open Earbuds is a polarizing creation.
Let'south beginning with the positives. Build quality is exceptional, with the entire frame composed of durable PC-ABS plastic composite, which fends off scratches and scuffs well, while keeping the internals secure. The buds come up with IPX4 water resistance and the open design allows for higher ambience awareness when exercising outside.
This is also Bose'due south most fashionable pair of buds in its sport category, with a fashionable and compact appearance that gives the Powerbeats Pro a run for its money. It'south also a vast upgrade from the bulky and unflattering QuietComfort Earbuds.
Unremarkably, we would reserve this department for the charging case, only there is one effect: these buds do not come with one. Yes, Bose released true wireless earbuds without a charging case. Instead, we become a protective carrying case that, not for nothing, is really attractive and portable-friendly. It's lightweight, displays the buds beautifully, and has a magnetic closure that keeps the buds secured. Rubberized polyurethane wraps the entire case and gives it a carbon-cobweb-like advent as well. I just wish it had a USB-C port in the dorsum.
At present, for the negatives. Firstly, at 0.49 ounces apiece, the buds some of the heaviest out in that location. The looped design is somewhat flawed, affecting both comfort and fit when worn. Trying to clasp the top flap of your ear through the loop'southward tiny opening is frustrating and requires numerous tries to hook on properly. Also, if not properly adapted, the buds will apply unwanted pressure onto the top of your ears. I felt this after 30 minutes of utilize. This could take been attributed to my ear size, which is pretty thin, meaning that those with thicker ears will definitely feel the loop pinch their antihelix and fossa.
I'm also non sold on the stable fit Bose promises. All it takes is the slightest movement, like bumping into an object or pressing the multifunctional push button, for the buds to lose their grip and sideslip out. This actually occurred several times when answering calls on runs.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds review: Controls and digital banana
There are no touch controls or on-ear detection on these buds. What yous become is a multifunction button at the bottom of each bud to perform bones commands: play/interruption, answer/end call, skip rail, previous track, voice assistance, and voice prompts.
While non the most practical input method when exercising, the buttons are responsive and offer great tactility to ensure users that their intended commands are being executed. There are no on-board volume controls at the moment, which the Powerbeats Pro has, though a software update is coming in March that adds them, according to the Sport Open Earbuds FAQ page. It claims that "slowly borer on the center of each earbud" volition either increment or decrease volume, suggesting that the buds support bear upon gestures. So why no touch controls at all?
Siri and Google Assistant are also at your disposal, and they work well for the most part. There is some lag when enabling either digital assistant, merely once activated, the buds demonstrate solid speech recognition and respond to voice commands equally quickly as they register them.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds review: Audio quality
Since this is not technically a pair of in-ear headphones, the Sport Open Earbuds uses a different way of delivering playback, employing Bose's OpenAudio technology to fire "rich, full sound" into the ears from a curt distance, while minimizing leakage. Information technology's the same tech used on the Bose Frames, though the Open Sport Earbuds offers the better listening experience between the two products. It even fares moderately well against nearly in-ear wireless buds.
Bose'due south warm sound signature remains intact, with the 16mm drivers pumping out punchy bass. Merely know that the depression end isn't as impactful as what you get from Bose's two other wireless offerings. The grumbling bassline on Tame Impala's "New Person, Same Fault" was present enough to keep me energized when putting up some shots in the backyard, but it also lacked oomph. There was as well some hissing on the vocals, an issue I noticed on other bass-heavy records too.
I actually preferred the buds for casual listening, which gave me a better feel for overall sound quality. Jazz records sounded superb. Classics like Ahmad Jamal'due south "Dolphin Dance" held their own, with instruments having an openness that augmented the rails's melodic vibes. I was also surprised with the reverberation produced by the double bass, which had a lasting outcome throughout the recording.
The open blueprint is serviceable for outdoor runners who desire to increment their environmental awareness without stopping or muting playback. At the aforementioned fourth dimension, it affects audio quality, equally common street noises (due east.g., automobile horns, construction tools, current of air) make their presence felt on the soundstage and diminish totality. The pattern besides increases leakage, meaning those around you volition likely hear what you're blasting on the buds.
All in all, you will receive slightly meliorate audio performance on the Sport Open Earbuds than near os-conducting models. I but wouldn't consider the Sport Open Earbuds a suitable replacement for sonic powerhouses like the Jabra Elite Active 75t and Powerbeats Pro.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds review: App and special features
The QuietComfort Earbuds is the only model in Bose's true wireless lineup with avant-garde features. This includes active dissonance cancellation , Transparency mode, and Self Vox, and then yous can hear yourself louder on phone calls. Bose shrunk the features listing downwardly for the Sport Earbuds, excluding all of the aforementioned modes and limiting functionality to music and volume controls, how-to guides, and several toggle controls via Bose Music App.
What if I told you the features were even more sparse on the Sport Open Earbuds? You only get a timer function to enable sleep mode, a volume slider, and the selection to assign a shortcut command on the left earbud that only enables vox prompts for battery life. That's all, folks.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds review: Battery life
Bose rates battery life at viii hours on a single charge. By comparison, this is longer than the Sport Earbuds (five hours) and the Elite Active 75t (7.5 hours), but shorter than the Powerbeats Pro (9 hours) and the JLab Epic Air Sport ANC (11 hours). Some might consider this disappointing, especially with the lack of features, but in exercise this is a sufficient amount of playtime to go far a handful of workouts during the week.
Using the buds for about 1.5 hours daily, I had enough portable ability to stay entertained for v days straight before docking them onto the unconventional wired charging base.
At a time where charging cases and wireless charging pads are considered standard and more user-friendly charging solutions, one can't help but question Bose's logic. I suppose the one positive is that the accompaniment does support quick charging; 30 minutes on the dock gets yous 3 hours of playtime. This isn't equally fast equally the quick-charging technology on other wireless earbuds, just it beats waiting two to three hours similar some of the market place'south best noise-cancelling headphones.
There is some inconsistency with discharge times, equally the right bud seems to hold more than power than the left, indicating that the left houses more than powerful circuitry and requires more juice. This too means that you'll end up with one bud working when hitting the xx% marker.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds review: Call quality and connectivity
The QuietComfort Earbuds is the best gear up of wireless earbuds for making calls, so my hopes were high for the Sport Open Earbuds as a calling headset. Sadly, the results aren't as impressive. The buds do work well for indoor calls (I got some nifty clarity on Zoom calls), merely yous need to be in a silent setting in society to bask them.
On the correct earbud is a 2-mic assortment designed to focus on your vox and reduce background noise. It doesn't work well considering many of my friends could hear what was happening around me. Jumping on calls outside was worse, equally the wind resistance on these buds was poor and struggled to clear upwards my voice in drafty weather condition.
Where Bose continues to step upward its game is in wireless functioning, approving all three of its latest models with Bluetooth 5.1. Connecting the Sport Open Earbuds to devices was seamless, with the buds immediately inbound pairing way when turned on and showing up on the available devices list right away. Range was steady besides, allowing for 35 feet of wireless listening, which is v feet longer than what Bose advertises. Ideally, I would accept loved to meet multipoint technology here, to connect the buds to 2 devices simultaneously, but I gave up on that dream subsequently examining the about-featureless Bose Music app.
Bose Sport Open Earbuds review: Verdict
The Bose Sport Open Earbuds is both a unique and frustrating pair of running headphones that volition likely only appeal to a very tiny audition. If aesthetics and sound mean that much to you in a pair of Bose wireless earbuds, then certain, these buds volition fill that need. On the other hand, if condolement and extended functionality concur more value, then I advise checking out category leaders similar the Powerbeats Pro and Elite Active 75t, as well as upkeep gems like the Epic Air Sport ANC.
To Bose'south credit, the Sport Open up Earbuds' distinctive audio delivery arroyo works much improve than yous might call up just from looking at it, rewarding listeners with pleasant bass feedback and crisp vocals. I also appreciate the Sport Open up Earbuds' responsive controls and stable connectivity. I still prefer the fuller results that come from a traditional in-ear model, though.
In that location'due south also a sense that you should be getting so much more for the sub-luxury price point. That includes a portable charging case, improve phone call quality, enhanced fit, smart controls, and far more features than the Bose Sport Open Earbuds currently offers.
Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/bose-sport-open-earbuds
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