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| Brand: Bose
Category: CE
List Price: $99.95
Buy New: $42.00
You Save: $57.95 (58%)
New (2) from $42.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  296 reviews
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Warranty: 1 year warranty
MPN: 41217
Model: In-Ear Headphones
UPC: 017817401494
EAN: 0017817401494
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 TERRIBLE. What a ripoff. Earpads fall off, no isolation, and cord is cheap. February 17, 2007
17 out of 20 found this review helpful
I have owned tons of headphones of many different types, and never have I felt as though I truly got ripped off, until now.
1. The gel earpieces are terrible. These come off the phones VERY easily, and you WILL lose them. The force of simply taking the headphones out of your pocket is enough to pull them off, and indeed, two weeks after I bought these, despite being very careful, I lost one. I then called Bose, and they sent me 3 pairs of replacements, for, I believe 21 dollars plus shipping. Yes, you get to pay to compensate for their poor design. It has been two months and I am down to 3 gels, that's 5 lost gels in 2 months. I have since superglued two on, hoping to at least have one good pair, but since the gels are, of course, flexible and non-porous, the glue didn't even stick. One thing a pair of earbud headphones should not be is HIGH MAINTENENCE, for which, I think having parts constantly falling off them qualifies.
2. The cord is made of some annoying springy plastic and is thin and cheap and will FAIL very quickly. These headphones lasted me all of TWO MONTHS before developing a short in the cord near the plug. Now they are just infuriating to wear, as the right phone constantly cuts out when I move or breathe. They are now garbage. I wear my headphones to and from work on the subway. That is all. Twice a day for 45 minutes each way. That's roughly 40 work days. So, about 60 hours of use. At the cost of 109 dollars spent on these headphones, plus the 21 dollars for extra gel pieces, that comes out to about $2.17 per hour of functionality. I don't know about you, but to me that's kinda steep for some headphones that do not sound at all special.
3. They sound about as good, if not worse than headphones costing half as much. As difficult as it is for me to take Apple seriously, but I had some of their inner ear headphones for my iPod and they sounded great compared to these things. I also had some 50-dollar-ish Sony in-ear headphones that sounded about as good. Both had much better isolation and reproduction of bass tones. Sure, the Bose headphones get loud, but that doesn't really matter because of the next point...
4. They do not isolate at all. Maybe the gel earpieces might fit your ear well and seal off your ear canal if you have perfectly circular ears, but I do not. As such, I could hear everything going on around me, even with my iPod at full volume. Yes, you can expect to hear every idiot on a cell phone, every car that drives by, and every subway commuter coughing and snoring. I could even hear the treble pop-tish of other people's headphones over the sound of my own. The only way these provide isolation, and the ONLY way you will hear any decent bass is if you stand with both hands constantly jamming the earphones into your ear canals with your fingers. This, is not particularly practical. Otherwise, you will hear everything going on around you and the bass tones will sound like garbage.
5. The lovely little impractical case that they give you to protect your investment is held shut with a MAGNET. This, of course, is perfect to stick in your pocket next to your iPod, your digital camera or your wallet full of credit/atm/ID cards.
6. More on the gel earpads. They include three sizes: Too small so they're falling out and you can hear the outside world, Medium - aka a little too big for average ears, and Extra hilariously huge. I wore the smallest size because anything bigger HURT. Don't let the gel fool you. They are squishy, but not squishy enough to actually conform to your ear. Instead, you stuff one in your ear that might seem large enough to stay put, and it tries to pry your head apart. Regardless of what size you pick, you can be assured that they will try to come out of your ears constantly. You will find yourself repeatedly stuffing them back in, and whether I was wearing the small or medium, they always lacked the ability to isolate. I never tried the large size because I am not a sasquatch.
To sum up, Bose has made some quality products in the past, but the past is the past and I was ripped off by buying these pieces of garbage. Save your money and buy any other inner ear headphones you want, because these are probably not even as good as most of them out there. In any case, if you buy something cheaper, at least you didn't flush 130 bucks down the drain for a cheap pair of headphones that dies after 60 hours of use.
 Bose TriPort IEs come to the rescue of the bass impaired! November 3, 2006
16 out of 18 found this review helpful
Let me start off by saying that I have NEVER in my life paid $100 for a pair of earbuds! In fact, I've never paid more than $50, and on that occasion, I had to utilize a crowbar to pry my wallet open. However, I am quite familiar with the quality of Bose products, since I currently own an ancient pair of Bose floor speakers (circa mid 1980s ... and still going strong), and a pair of Bose MediaMates for my laptop computer. So, when I came across these little gems at a local Bose Outlet Store, I gave them a serious look-over.
My first concern was that these earbuds were "refurbished" and not new. The salesman assured me that they were indeed new and were covered by Bose's standard new product warranty (The fact that all other refurbished items in the store were tagged as such seemed to confirm his claim).
My next concern was "sound quality." Would these perform to the high quality standards that I have come to expect from Bose products? How could they? Earbud type headsets are notorious for poor sound reproduction in the lower end of the sound spectrum. After all, these are not the big "ported" speakers that Bose has pioneered and perfected over the years. These are tiny little buds that fit inside the ear!
I was especially apprehensive about buying them, since earbud type headphones are not the type you can "try before buying." Due to the fact that they go inside the ear canal, public health regulations prohibit this practice ... Personally, I wouldn't want to stick anything in my ear that has already been I someone else's ear anyway (Yuck!). So, I would have to buy them "sight unseen" or should I say "sight unheard."
At any rate, I decided to take a chance ... After all, it's ONLY $100. Boy, am I glad I did! These are undoubtedly the BEST pair of earbud headphones I've ever owned ... and I've owned dozens! Here are my initial observations:
SOUND QUALITY
No worries here, Mate! After all, they're BOSE!
The high-end response, as expected, is exceptionally clear and crisp. However, these buds WILL also produce the deep bass response that we've come to expect from a Bose product. How they did it in such a small package ... I'll never know! I'm talking massive low end response right out of the box, folks. Absolutely no "sonic break-in" period required to enjoy deep rich bass.
Having said this, let me present this "caveat" ... The bass response you experience may be TOO extreme. Especially if you are an older "seasoned" male listener like myself (I'm 48). It is reported that most males start experiencing a decrease in the higher frequency ranges as they get older, whereas, women generally experience a loss in the low end frequencies ... At least that's what the audiologist told me on my last visit. Therefore, these earbuds may produce much more bass than you prefer.
The bottom-line here is, use these earbuds on devices that have a built-in equalizer, programmed audio frequency presets (i.e. Rock, Jazz, Pop, Vocal, etc), or at the very least, a bass/treble adjustment. That way, you can tweak the bass response to suit your listening preference. You prefer a light "tight" bass response? You got it! You want deep thumping bass? Badda-bing ... You got that too!
DESIGN
Let me say that I can overlook just about any design issue, so long as the sound quality is excellent. Such is the case with the TriPort IEs.
They are described as an "in-ear" design (Hence the IE designation). However, it is my practical experience that they are more of an "on-ear" design that actually hangs from just outside the ear canal. Yes, there is a small tip that goes into the ear canal, but in my case, the mass of the earbud, and thus it's weight, is totally supported outside the canal. However, this is not a detriment to the overall functioning of the design. I'm just pointing out that the major part of the rubber insert will sit outside your ear canal, as opposed to inside it.
Speaking of inserts, other in-ear designs require a tight fit in the ear canal to provide, at best, mediocre sound quality. This tight fit has been a problem for me when exercising, as they tend to slip at the slightest presence of sweat or skin oil. Also, the depth of insertion of the earbud, to get a tight fit, produces an excessive amount of pressure on my eardrum, which quickly becomes uncomfortable. Not so with the TriPort IEs. The soft replaceable rubber inserts (Small - Medium - Large) provide a "sure-grip" outside the canal. Believe me, a tight seal is not necessary with the TriPort IEs to experience deep rich bass. Therefore, there is no pressure on your eardrum.
The only qualms I have about the TriPort IEs (Though many folks may consider them nit-picky) are the mini stereo plug, the gauge of the wire, and the design of the carry-case. The stereo plug is a "straight-in" design, as opposed to a "right-angle" low-profile design. This is obviously a matter of preference issue, since the angle of the plug has no effect on sound quality.
The gauge of the wire cord causes it to not be as flexible as others I've seen. Therefore, when unwound from the carry-case, the wires remain quite gnarly and kinked, and look more like a piece of barbed-wire dangling from your ears. This is purely aesthetic in nature and is another matter of preference issue.
The tri-fold case looks quite nice, and is made of rigid ABS plastic covered with a leather-looking material. A magnetic-type hasp, concealed under the leather, keeps the case securely fastened. However, the case is a squared-off, four-cornered design, as opposed to a smooth round shape. The earbuds fit into a recess in the plastic, and the wire cord is then wrapped around the perimeter of the case. A slot in the plastic is provided to secure the stereo plug end of the headset, so that the whole thing doesn't unwind when you let go. In practice, I am finding that I have to wind the cord rather tightly, so that the plug ends up in the right location to snap into the slot. Wrap it too loose, and the plug may end up nowhere near the slot. I fear that the constant winding of the cord around the squared-off edges may cause excessive strain to the wire cord, and may snap a wire somewhere down the line.
I have since retired the Bose case to my cassette & 8-track drawer, and am instead using a case that I find works quite well for all earbud types ... And is quite delicious! Delicious you say? Well, it has also been described as "curiously strong" ... if not delicious. That's right, I have found that an empty Altoids tin makes a fine "armored" earbud case. I use the round tins that the "Sours" come in, as opposed to the rectangular "Mint" tins. I simply wrap the cord loosely around the width of three extended fingers, and it all fits nicely into the tin. An added benefit of the Altoids tin is that it conceals it's true contents. I figure people are less likely to pilfer an Altoids tin, than a fine looking Bose leather case. Armored and clandestine ... That's double security!
 Ahh, what could have been... September 20, 2007
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
These headphones have great promise but are ultimately frustrating.
The good:
- They sound GREAT! Balanced response with good but not overpowering bass, clear mids and trebles: very musical sounding.
The bad:
- Terrible ergonomics, starting with the silicone ear inserts. The design of these makes them extremely prone to slipping from your ears. They're just awful.
- Again, the silicone ear inserts are a problem: they refuse to stay attached to the buds, slipping off with even the slightest tug. Expect to lose at least one within just a day or two.
- The cord is a constant tangled mess. Sure, Bose provides a case you can use to wind up the cord and store the set, but it's a pain to use. I like to be able to gently wind up a set of buds and stuff them in my pocket so they're ready for use at an instant. Do that with these and you're guaranteed to have a tangled mess, and in in addition expect to find the silicone inserts floating around somewhere in your pocket as you extract the set, that is if you're fortunate enough that they don't fall off and roll/bounce away never to be seen again.
I would have rated these a 5 if only the inserts didn't fall off so easily (I can deal with the flimsy, easily tangled cord). I'm thinking of trying a set of Shures or Etymotics for my next pair. I want something that sounds as good as these, but with a better ergonomic design.
BOSE in-ear headphones ~ The Definitive Guide November 17, 2006
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
Well.. I just got ahold of BOSE TriPort IE In-Ear Headphones about 30 minutes ago and I thought i'd shoot my feedback to this forum, since I did review the comments herein before purchase.
I bought these babies to use with my iPod Mini. I've gone through a few headphones in search for the ultimate iPod headphones (in ear) - the "Apple Bass Booster" headphones, high end (not cheap) Sony Headfhones, and.. finally I have found the perfect headphones to compliment my iPod.
Forget about the negative posts, they don't do justice to these headphones. These headphones are ideal for the iPod. The Bass, I have only heard Bass like this from my $320AUD Sennheisher DJ Headphones (literally).
From what experienced thus far, disabling the EQ within the iPod gives perfect sound quality.. The Bass DOES NOT distort at full volume with Bass Booster enabled, however the treble seems to lack a little while using this EQ configuration. Without Bass Booster, the Bass and Treble are perfectly balanced and the headphones can hit really low frequencies to give that "hidden Bass" you can only hear with quality speakers.
Bose, you have held your reputation IMHO.
Thumbs up from me, forget about the other posts and get yourself one if you are considering it. You won't be disappointed..
Best in Ear Headphones Out There October 13, 2006
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
I have been searching for an in ear replacement for my apple headphones since my first IPod. I purchased some Shure headphones from an Apple store and was sadly disappointed. They had many different attachments to fit the ear, but none of them fit comfortably. The Bose in-ear headphones have a nicer style for the rubber piece that is on more of a slant than an entire big piece of rubber in your ear. I liked the fact that when I was listening to these at nice volume levels people around me couldn't here any sound coming from them. The headphones also have very rich sound at lower volume levels. The highest volume is probably too loud for the average user. I have been a happy customer of the noise cancelling headphones that Bose has sold for years, but haven't liked having such a bulky set to carry with me on planes and around town. The in ear set sufficiently cancel outside noise and provide incredible sound. Most earbud type headphones are useless on planes because of all of the cabin noise. If you want great sound, privacy (nobody else hearing everything you're listening to), and a comfortable smart design, these are for you. No buyers remorse here.
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