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Looks like this is basically a Bose product with Amazon branding so it should be pretty good. That being said, as an owner of both the Bose QC35 and the Apple

Looks like this is basically a Bose product with Amazon branding so it should be pretty good. That being said, as an owner of both the Bose QC35 and the Apple Airpods, I'm curious to see how this fits a use case. The over-ear Bose headphones have just enough comfort for its noise-canceling that I can use it for work and flights, and the Airpods I use for workouts - and intentionally don't want it to block out too much noise so when I'm running/biking I can be situationally aware. Am curious what upsides and downsides of these two niches it'll hit.

CriticalCathed 7y ago
Aside from the active noise cancelling tech that bose uses, their products aren't synonymous with pretty good. From a technical standpoint the driver units in their headphones are crap. Even random chinese headphones at a fifth of the price can produce better sound than Bose products.
- favorited 7y ago
  The old refrain: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose!"
  - mcqueenjordan 7y ago
    Buy Other Sound Equipment?
- mbell 7y ago
  Not sure why you've been downvoted here, you are completely correct. Bose's noise canceling is good, but everything else they build is really quite poor acoustically. This isn't really even up for much debate as it's pretty easy to demonstrate the awful frequency response of the vast majority of their products. They are a bit of a poster child for marketing over technical merit, the MongoDB of speakers really.
cj 7y ago
> Airpods I use for workouts I just bought airpods yesterday, and tried running with them for the first time today. I couldn't run more than 30 seconds without them falling out of my ear. (Kind of disappointing after spending $200) I also have a Bose over the ear headphone. Too clunky for running. These Amazon buds actually look like they could be better than Airpods for running. Looks like they have the "suction cup" type of design, which usually do a much better job staying in the ear when moving around.
- jhloa2 7y ago
  That's interesting. Seems like your ear canal might have an atypical shape. I use my airpods all the time for running, mountain biking, motorcycling. I am still too scared to use them snowboarding because there's no way that I'm going to find them on the off chance that the do fall out into the snow.
  - tunesmith 7y ago
    The problem is that "atypical shape" is really common. All airpods need is some sort of ear-anchor / earclick thing. I find that if I buy the old foam covers, they fit in my ear a little better and I can still close the case over them. It gets in the way of some of the sensor operation though. The amazon buds look like they will fit more ears.
- mikestew 7y ago
  I'm in between you and the other person that replied to you. I can wear Airpods running no problem, but no way if anything like a helmet strap is touching them (knocks them out). I'd never get a motorcycle helmet on without knocking them out. With that said, try some Powerbeats Pros. They're the Beats version of Airpods, and frankly, I like them better. At $250, they're pricey as hell, but they sound better and they stay in better. With ear hooks and a collection of different sized buds, it eliminates trying to make a "one size fits most". If you don't have "Airpods ears", the Powerbeats are probably quicker to insert once you know the "trick" to getting them in. I always to have to fiddle with Airpods a bit to get them to sit right. Powerbeats: stick 'em in with that little twist of the wrist, sorted. And the Powerbeats have physical volume buttons, the lack of such being my one annoyance with Airpods.
crazygringo 7y ago
QC35's are bulky. If I'm taking the loud noisy subway and not bringing a backpack, something that provides the noise-cancelling of the QC35's together with the form factor of the Airpods (stick 'em in my pocket) would be heaven.
- screye 7y ago
  Sony 1000xm3 earpuds
whydoyoucare 7y ago
I have a different understanding of Bose products, and do not consider them to be "good" in any sense, except marketing and resulting "snob value". For example, I haven't seen Bose publish any measurement data for their products, which is important for comparisons. A funny quote: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose." And here is a link for further reading: http://web.archive.org/web/20130121081646/http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html http://web.archive.org/web/20130121081646/http://www.intelle...
- disjhshava 7y ago
  I would never buy a Bose speaker, I know that the audio quality is nothing special. But I've found among Bluetooth headphones there is nothing that feels as comfortable and works as well as the QC35.
- coldtea 7y ago
  That's a "hi-fi perspective". People buying Bose products don't care as they are not hi-fi snobs. They just want good enough sound, and Bose give that. But what they excel is noise cancelling -- and it's irrelevant if they don't "publish any measurement data" as tons of outlets measure them, and have repeatedly crowned them kinds in the area (with the exception of the latest Sony MX1000M3).
  - whydoyoucare 7y ago
    That's the problem -- good enough sound can actually be had with headphones that cost a lot less. What they want is "snob value", admit it. ;-) Can you provide a link to the measurement done by "tons of outlets"? Thank you!
    - JCharante 7y ago
      Can you recommend a good bluetooth over the ear headphones w/ great noise cancellation and a pretty decent microphone for calls, USB-C, and at least 20 hours of battery life (I do 14hr flights often enough, so some buffer to use them before the flight and during the layover before recharging them for the next flight)? Those are my reasons for going with the NCH 700. I used to think spending $350 on QC 35 II's was stupid, but after using a friend's pair on multiple flights and on walks outside I decided to get the $400 NCH 700. It costs more than the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S I use in the US, or Pocophone F1 that I use elsewhere, but they're so worth it (I use them 10hrs+ per day, so after a single month the price is quickly approaching $1/hour.)

CriticalCathed 7y ago

Aside from the active noise cancelling tech that bose uses, their products aren't synonymous with pretty good. From a technical standpoint the driver units in their headphones are crap. Even random chinese headphones at a fifth of the price can produce better sound than Bose products.

favorited 7y ago
The old refrain: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose!"
- mcqueenjordan 7y ago
  Buy Other Sound Equipment?
mbell 7y ago
Not sure why you've been downvoted here, you are completely correct. Bose's noise canceling is good, but everything else they build is really quite poor acoustically. This isn't really even up for much debate as it's pretty easy to demonstrate the awful frequency response of the vast majority of their products. They are a bit of a poster child for marketing over technical merit, the MongoDB of speakers really.

cj 7y ago

> Airpods I use for workouts I just bought airpods yesterday, and tried running with them for the first time today. I couldn't run more than 30 seconds without them falling out of my ear. (Kind of disappointing after spending $200) I also have a Bose over the ear headphone. Too clunky for running. These Amazon buds actually look like they could be better than Airpods for running. Looks like they have the "suction cup" type of design, which usually do a much better job staying in the ear when moving around.

jhloa2 7y ago
That's interesting. Seems like your ear canal might have an atypical shape. I use my airpods all the time for running, mountain biking, motorcycling. I am still too scared to use them snowboarding because there's no way that I'm going to find them on the off chance that the do fall out into the snow.
- tunesmith 7y ago
  The problem is that "atypical shape" is really common. All airpods need is some sort of ear-anchor / earclick thing. I find that if I buy the old foam covers, they fit in my ear a little better and I can still close the case over them. It gets in the way of some of the sensor operation though. The amazon buds look like they will fit more ears.
mikestew 7y ago
I'm in between you and the other person that replied to you. I can wear Airpods running no problem, but no way if anything like a helmet strap is touching them (knocks them out). I'd never get a motorcycle helmet on without knocking them out. With that said, try some Powerbeats Pros. They're the Beats version of Airpods, and frankly, I like them better. At $250, they're pricey as hell, but they sound better and they stay in better. With ear hooks and a collection of different sized buds, it eliminates trying to make a "one size fits most". If you don't have "Airpods ears", the Powerbeats are probably quicker to insert once you know the "trick" to getting them in. I always to have to fiddle with Airpods a bit to get them to sit right. Powerbeats: stick 'em in with that little twist of the wrist, sorted. And the Powerbeats have physical volume buttons, the lack of such being my one annoyance with Airpods.

crazygringo 7y ago

QC35's are bulky. If I'm taking the loud noisy subway and not bringing a backpack, something that provides the noise-cancelling of the QC35's together with the form factor of the Airpods (stick 'em in my pocket) would be heaven.

screye 7y ago
Sony 1000xm3 earpuds

whydoyoucare 7y ago

I have a different understanding of Bose products, and do not consider them to be "good" in any sense, except marketing and resulting "snob value". For example, I haven't seen Bose publish any measurement data for their products, which is important for comparisons. A funny quote: "No highs, no lows, must be Bose." And here is a link for further reading: http://web.archive.org/web/20130121081646/http://www.intellexual.net/bose.html http://web.archive.org/web/20130121081646/http://www.intelle...

disjhshava 7y ago
I would never buy a Bose speaker, I know that the audio quality is nothing special. But I've found among Bluetooth headphones there is nothing that feels as comfortable and works as well as the QC35.
coldtea 7y ago
That's a "hi-fi perspective". People buying Bose products don't care as they are not hi-fi snobs. They just want good enough sound, and Bose give that. But what they excel is noise cancelling -- and it's irrelevant if they don't "publish any measurement data" as tons of outlets measure them, and have repeatedly crowned them kinds in the area (with the exception of the latest Sony MX1000M3).
- whydoyoucare 7y ago
  That's the problem -- good enough sound can actually be had with headphones that cost a lot less. What they want is "snob value", admit it. ;-) Can you provide a link to the measurement done by "tons of outlets"? Thank you!
  - JCharante 7y ago
    Can you recommend a good bluetooth over the ear headphones w/ great noise cancellation and a pretty decent microphone for calls, USB-C, and at least 20 hours of battery life (I do 14hr flights often enough, so some buffer to use them before the flight and during the layover before recharging them for the next flight)? Those are my reasons for going with the NCH 700. I used to think spending $350 on QC 35 II's was stupid, but after using a friend's pair on multiple flights and on walks outside I decided to get the $400 NCH 700. It costs more than the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S I use in the US, or Pocophone F1 that I use elsewhere, but they're so worth it (I use them 10hrs+ per day, so after a single month the price is quickly approaching $1/hour.)