Intro
I’ve owned quite a few pairs of headphones in my day. They have all been really crappy. Last fall, I decided to treat myself to a nice set. I was sick of these cheap, $15 pairs dying on me in a few months. Initially, I looked into top-of-the-line brands such as Shure and Etymotic. I nearly bought a pair of Shure E4C’s before I stumbled on Bose’s brand new entry into the in-ear phone market. Since Bose has a decent reputation, I looked into them. The brand new Bose Triport’s were MSRP’d at $99.99. By comparison, the cheapest I could find the E4C’s were for $175. However, since the Bose headphones were so new, there were no reviews or user information on them. I decided, in the end, to buy them anyway.
So, after 4 months of daily use, I give you a Jason-styled review of the Bose Triport in-ear phones.

Specifications
Straight from the Bose website:
• Ear cushion outside dimensions: • 1.3" H x 1" W • 3.3 cm x 2.6 cm • One side – Medium tip
• Weight with cables: • .64 oz • (18.1 g) • Two sides – Medium tips
• Comfortable in-ear design
High-quality, earbud-style headphones with soft silicone tips that rest gently and securely in your ears.
• TriPort® acoustic headphone structure
Proprietary Bose® technology produces a rich, balanced audio performance in a compact in-ear design.

Package Contents
The headphones’ package does not come any anything fancy. All that is included in the box is the headphones, a pair of small, medium, and large silicone tips, and a carrying case. The carrying case’s flaps are magnetized; it’s a nice little feature showing that you don’t need obtrusive clips or snaps. Surprisingly, Bose minimized on the packaging. I, personally, don’t need any more than this, but for $100, some might expect more. [See photos for a better idea of the contents]

Build Quality
I am rather impressed with the build quality of the headphones. Each earpiece is solid and certainly doesn’t feel like they could easily fall apart or break. The wire’s connection to each earpiece is solid and without any give.
On the opposite end, the headphone jack is the same story. The cord’s connection is solid yet highly flexible. I could probably bend the joint in half without any consequence.
As mentioned above, the in-ears come with three sets of detachable ear buds. Each is a sturdy yet pliable set that is designed to fit snuggly in the outer ear canal. While they snap on each earpiece effortlessly, it would be nicer if they had a tighter fit. They seem to fall off rather easily, and I’ll bet that many people will need replacements. Otherwise, if you’re conscious of this flaw, and learn how to handle them properly, it isn’t a problem at all.
The cable’s build quality is one of the more important features of a good pair of headphones. The cable is thick, which one would expect from a higher-end, expensive set of headphones. It is, however, still flexible. The cable also doesn’t tangle easily.
Overall, the build quality is what I would expect from a company like Bose. I can mistreat them a little, drop them all I want, and I don’t have to worry about them shattering.

Comfort
I use these headphones at least 5 days a week at work. I find them incredibly comfortable for extended use. I’ll forget that they’re in my ears for the first few hours. It’s only after 4 hrs that I begin to notice them. They will eventually begin to feel uncomfortable. It will even get to a point that, after 5 or 6 hours, I will have to take them out because of the pain. However, after a small break, I can usually tolerate them again. Having used all 3 sizes of ear pieces, I found that the smallest ear pieces provide the most comfort. This is probably because, well, they are the smallest and least intrusive. That being said, I am currently not using the smallest size. I am actually using the biggest sized ear piece. The biggest size fits best in my ear. Everyone will be different I’m sure. This would lead one to believe that the mid-sized ear piece would be the best fitting. This was not true in my case. In the end, it is essential to try all 3 sizes to find which suits you the best.

Sound Quality
As I mentioned above, I am currently using the biggest provided ear piece. A small disclaimer or caveat must be explained first. These headphones are not noise canceling. In busier, noisier environments, you will have to crank up the volume considerably. As an example, in my quiet work environment, I listen to my mp3 player at volume level 9 or 10 out of 25. When I used to use them in the gym, I’d have to crank the volume up to 17 out of 25. That’s a big jump. Whether this bothers you or not is up to you.
There is a noticeable difference when using each size. The smallest size provides the best sound quality because it seals the best in the outer ear canal. However, for the purpose of this review, I will summarize the overall sound quality as a culmination of all 3 sizes.
The overall clarity of sound produced by the “Triport technology” is amazing. I can hear parts of songs I would never hear on cheaper headphones or speakers. It’s fun to listen to a song and think, “Wow, I’ve never heard that part before”. Highs are pronounced and generally very clear. They are not as crisp as I’ve heard from the E4Cs though. Mids are where the Triports suffer. It’s not that they aren’t there at all; it’s just that they aren’t nearly as pronounced or clear as the highs. Where the Triports really shine is in the bass department. The bass is full, clear and well-rounded. Many cheaper headphones either lack bass, or produce polluted, cloudy bass.
The overall sound quality of the Bose Triports is great. The highs and lows more than make up for the mid’s deficiencies.


Subsection – Daily Use
I felt it necessary to add a subsection to this review. I didn’t think it was appropriate in any other section, but needed to be mentioned nonetheless. This is the biggest complaint I have about this particular set of headphones. They are simply not made for those with an “active lifestyle”. By that I mean they aren’t for exercising. I tried wearing them to the gym, and they fall out or come loose in the ear all the time. I was constantly fiddling with them. As soon as I started to sweat, it would cause the silicone earpiece to loose all friction. If I turned my head in any direction, they’d come lose, and I’d have to tighten them in my ear again. I could only imagine this would be the same problem if you were a runner.
That being said, they are fine for any other sedentary activity. I use them at the office everyday. If you were walking, on the subway, etc, they’d also be fine. In the end, it’s simply the sweat and constant movement of exercising that caused this downfall.

Final Thoughts & Conclusion
These headphones are certainly not for the active users out there. They are, however, perfect for home or office use. They’ll even stand up for light traveling. You won’t be running any marathons with these on. Also, they aren’t noise canceling. So, in noisier conditions, you’ll have to increase the volume considerably.
No product is without some downsides. Everything has its flaws, especially new products. If you can excuse the small, yet mentionable blemishes of these headphones, you’re in for a real treat.
I bought these headphones when they were brand new, and I believe that considering this is Bose’s first try, they did a pretty good job. The sound quality is great, and it has a price point to match. I bought these for $100 when they first came out, and a month later, I saw them on sale for $90. They’ll give a pair of Shures or Etymotics a run for their money.

Pluses
+ Great highs and lows
+ Comfortable for many hours
+ Price matches performance
+ Durable construction with thick cord

Minuses
- Mids suffer
- Plastic, rubbery ear pieces may slip off easily
- Not nearly as comfortable after many hours
- Not noise canceling

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Nice, I was waiting for someone to review these before I would buy them. Im looking at these or the E4c's too, or some nice seinhesser cans. So do the E4c's have the mids that these dont have? is it worth the extra money for them?

My friend has these headphones and he complains that the silicon buds tend to fall off.

And who exercises with those? I'd imagine the silicon buds would turn yellow.

Lmao ewww. I was wondering if these things fall out your ear at any given time? Someone in my Tech class has them and he loves them.

Haha....almost forgot to mention.
Nice review

no no no, no yellow-ness. it's only if you dont have the exact fit that they'll fall out of your ear. everyone is different so you'll have to experiment for yourself. theyre great for everyday use.... just not for exercising.

bought them. returned them in a week. not worth 100 dollars

I'd recommend the E4c's

or the new "se" series of shure, haven't heard them yet though

Definately go for the E4c's, for anyone even considering these over them. I personally don't like these because they are open-ended which defeats the purpose of have IEMs (in-ear monitors).

You should have gone with the Shure or Etymotic. I have the Shure E3C + Etymotic ER6i.

i'll agree the Shures and Etymotic are overall better headphones. These are still a great pair. In my situation, i only use them at the office. it's generally quiet here, and the sound quality is great. I've tried the Shure E4Cs and their bass sucks compared to these Bose. Plus those Shures are a bitch to put in your ear. These fit right in no problem.

I'm still glad i got these headphones, despite their shortcomings. perhaps Bose's next try will improve. would i buy them again? probably not

Nice review.

I have Bose Triport On-Ears ones... they're awesome. Thanks for the review of IE ones!

Nice review but the headphones! They just look plain odd!

Very nice review + pics. However, I'm still going to go for the Shure E4C for the Sound Isolating (noise canceling) properties. However, I'm going to have to save for quite a while before I get a pair

I think these would be a lot better if they were noise isolating, like the shures.

I am starting to lean away from in-ear phones because I fear more hearing loss. I do have a pair of tri-ports and they sould good but are tiring after a while. The soundstage is tighter than I would normally like. Good review, though.

I just bought a pair of these, and they're great

I bought the Shure E500, the best IEMs I've ever had.

Same =], well the SE530 but from what I heard, no difference really in them. Theyre great, arent they? =]

You just can't beat bose for speakers... bose can make 2 speakers put it in 1 corner of the room and it acts and sounds like a 5.1 surround system easy!

what do you mean by "soundstage"?

Have you ever been able to locate a single instrument using these speakers. Since the sound is bounced off of the back and side walls there is no way that you can distinguish a precise location of an instrument. No audiophile would use Bose speakers.

I think when people talk about soundstage, they mean the instruments sound like they are distant and have locations and not right in front of your face.

So are these more worthwhile than any other headphones from say Sony?

I don't like bose. I've tried triports before and they were horrible, muddy and sloppy bass. Even my ksc75 for <$20 would put them to shame. If you are serious about headphones, please try sennheiser, akg , grados and shures. On top of that, I'm pretty sure all bose products are overpriced and if you look hard enough you can find better headphones for cheaper

The only reason why bose sells is because of marketing.

You are clearly misinformed. No audiophile or anyone who appreciates sound quality uses BOSE. It's only good for mainsteam users who believe their hype and marketing gimmicks.

I used to believe BOSE = the best, but I came to my senses and it's hype. Head over to head-fi.org if you want to learn more.




Yup, Shure SE530 = Shure E500. These earphones are one of the best earphones you can buy. Apart from http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/UE-10-Pro.htm

Was given these earphones and honestly, there's little difference between them and the ones that came with my Zune. However, they are very comfortable and after a few minutes, it feels like nothing is on your ears.

I got these for Christmas from my in-laws and I love them! The sound quality is great and most of all, they're comfortable and low-profile. I use them on a daily basis at the gym and I couldn't be happier.

i think for the price, you wont find a better pair. sure, there's better brands with better products, but not for under $100. ive seen them for under $90 too. and since 99% of people arent audiophiles, they arent going to care about soundstage or distinguishing instruments. in the end, these headphones provide excellent sound quality for their price range, but could also be improved on future models.

Correction: I just replaced the ear plugs with the "small" size that were included and now it sounds much better than the default ear plugs, which I assume are size medium.

Bose = overrated

It's a fashion accessory... period.

a fellow head-fier?
=]

i just bought these headphones yesterday at work. I work at bestbuy so i got a good deal on staff. The total after taxes was $75, im not crazy on noise canceling since i take the bus and i have to know whats going on around me in case of an emergancy.
But omg i do not regret this buying the bose headphones what so ever. In fact they feel good and sound amazing

No, BOSE = Buy Other Sound Equipment



But yeah, once you've tried better phones, you'll make fun of Bose. People that are happy with Bose, really haven't tried anything in the upper class.