Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise-canceling portable ear-insert model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its ear plug-like design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment.
Additional features include:
Has integrated volume control, microphone, and call connect/disconnect control. Either earphone can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Free Bose Music app for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features.
Sound quality:We found the QuietComfort Earbuds (888507-0100) delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise cancelling mode set to Quiet and the EQ set to flat (default setting) in the Bose QCE app, the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) goes deep, but is somewhat prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, somewhat grainy and a bit hazy and congested (think sonic traffic jam). The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended, but is a bit smeared and a touch sizzly (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer have a sound reminiscent of bacon frying). While the sound has a good sense of liveliness, it is somewhat closed (sound-wise it's fairly obvious you have something plugging your ears) and does a decent job of recovering room ambience. Mixed character - warm bass with neutral to warmish midrange and treble. The overall sound can best be summarized as somewhat bassy and grainy.
Noise Canceling:
Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Orientation does not changes the noise reduction characteristic. A faint rushing noise is audible when music is not present to mask it.
Comfort and Fit:As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening that might be uncomfortable for some.
Small
Users with small ear bowls might find that the earphone body feels bulky in their ear bowl and that they stick out too far and feel like they may lever out of place and are mostly held in place by the section of the earphone that is inserted in the ear canal, but that they will stay in place during casual use and are very stable even with vigorous head movement .
Medium
Users with medium sized ear bowls will probably find that with or without the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement .
Large
Users with large sized ear bowls will probably find that with the ear bowl supports this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement .
Misc.
Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional playing, pausing, .
Some users might find pressing the various earphone controls drives the earphones farther into the ear canal and may cause ear discomfort .
