What Hi-Fi? Verdict
A good buy; definitely worth a try if you want over-ears for inside and out
Pros
- +
Honest, detailed midrange
- +
comfortable and compact to wear
- +
quiet to bystanders
Cons
- -
Slight colouration to upper bass, upper treble can be provoked by harsh tunes
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
These Bose headphones set themselves apart with their deliberately compact and stylish design. The tediously titled ‘Around Ears' are something of a rarity in being full, over-ear hi-fi cans that you can take out and wear in public without, frankly, looking rather silly.
Bose technology to the fore
And part of their compact design – as well as their performance – is due to Bose's clever ‘Triport' technology: essentially, as the name suggests, three small ports on each ear enclosure, and an equalised tonal balance that creates, the company claims, a rich performance that you would normally get only from bigger headphones.
And, as a pair of cans you might use on the train, they work remarkably well. They're incredibly comfortable to wear, don't leak much sound – unlike the open-backed designs here – and offer an accomplished performance with a generous midrange, reasonable detail and acceptable lashings of deep yet punchy bass.
Our only minor problem is with a slight lack of purity to the upper bass and a treble that can be pushed to harshness on occasions.
If you're looking for over-ear cans with which you can take to the streets, this isn't a bad place to start looking.
See all our headphone Best Buys
