Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless portable earbud model provides good sound. Although it lacks active noise reduction, the ear plug-like design helps to reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The Sport Earbuds has a volume control plus an integrated microphone and player function controls. Additional features include Right earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Charging/carrying case has built-in rechargeable battery that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries up to 2 times (to add an additional 10 hrs. of playtime for a total of 15 hrs.). Manufacturer claims water resistance (IPX4). Free Bose Music for Apple and Android mobile devices adds additional features. Has touch controls for music player play/pause, call connect/disconnect, volume, and voice control activation. Has programmable "shortcut" touch control that can be used to skip audio tracks forward or check earphone battery level. Automatically pauses audio when the right earphone is taken out of ear and resumes when the right earphone is replaced in the ear. Has Bluetooth connection and battery level voice announcements. Supports mobile device voice control when used with Bluetooth connected devices that have that feature. Has quick charge feature: 15 min of charging will provide 2 hr. of playtime. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. Bose Music app download for Apple and Android mobile devices can be used to enable/disable volume touch control and auto pause function, enable/disable "shortcut" touch control and choose shortcut function, turn off voice prompts, manage paired Bluetooth device connections, check battery levels, and update firmware. This model comes with Three pairs of ear pieces in various sizes, USB-A to USB-C connector charging cable, charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case. Free Bose Music app download for Apple and Android mobile devices.
Sound quality: We found the Sport Earbuds delivers sound quality that falls in the good range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound. The bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes deep, but a bit boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is even, but is a bit grainy and congested, and somewhat hazy. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended, but is a touch prominent and the upper treble is a bit 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. Warmish bass with a midrange that tends towards neutral. The overall sound can best be summarized as a bit bassy and grainy, and somewhat hazy.
Comfort: We found that these earphones are a hybrid ear insert/ear bud design - the earpieces seal the ear canals but they don't insert into the ear canals as far as typical ear insert models, and they are supported by ear bowls like a ear bud model rather than the ear canals. Users with small ear bowls might find that although the earphones feel like they stick out too far and may lever out of place, they actually fit securely and stay in place even during vigorous head movement. Users with medium and large ear bowls will probably find that they stay in place with no problem, and that the ear bowl supports make the ear pieces very stable even with vigorous head movement. Some users might find tapping the touch pads to actuate various earphone controls drives the earphones farther into the ear bowl and may cause annoyance or discomfort. Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional playing, pausing, activation of the mobile device voice control, and changes in volume level.
