Bose Sport Earbuds: A Hands-On Review
With as amazing as Bose’s QuietComfort headphones are, I was curious: Could their low-profile, sporty earbuds really compare? So the GearMoose team arranged for me to test out a pair—and I must say that I’m impressed. They’re amazingly comfortable and easy to use, and really affordable given their sound quality.
But don’t take my word for it—let’s get into the nitty gritty details so you can decide for yourself whether you need a pair of these sport earbuds in your life. If your experience is anything like mine, you’ll never want to go to the gym without them again.
How I Tested Them
Because these earbuds are made for exercise, I wanted to put them through their paces in as many ways as possible. So over the course of a couple weeks, I wore them for every activity I could think of: Walking, running, biking, hiking, weightlifting, bodyweight training, and intense kickboxing sessions on a heavy bag.
That’s all in addition to wearing them around the house and testing their noise cancelling effects in cafes and bars. And to test the depth of their sound clarity, I loaded up one of my favorite playlists from Amy, sat back, and listened closely.
All the while, I was making note of the buds’ battery life and portability. So when I say that the Bose Sport Earbuds are pretty freakin’ great, that’s not a casual comment—it’s a thoroughly tested opinion.
Ergonomics
There’s something about the shape of my ears that makes shopping for earbuds a real challenge. Or, at least, that’s what I thought—until I started asking around to my friends and getting their earbud opinions.
With the exception of a few AirPod fanatics, there was a clear consensus: Most earbud designs kinda suck. Some are too small. Some are too difficult to change the rubber pads on. And a lot of them just plain don’t fit ears very well.
The design of the Bose Sport Earbuds’ eartips is absolutely on point. The conical shape means that each eartip size can fit a wide range of ears, and switching from one size to another is super easy. A lot of earbud manufacturers could learn a thing or two from how user friendly this change-out process is, because it lets me share my earbuds with my partner without dreading the readjustment process.
That inner eartip comfort is paired with a stable and secure outer arm. Once you put the eartip into your ear, you rotate the earbud backwards and then tuck the arm under the ridge in your ear. Sealed in properly, this keeps the sport earbuds on no matter what activity you’re doing—I was even able to do hanging situps and vigorous burpees without worrying about them coming out.
Sound Quality
The downfall of most earbuds meant for exercise is their poor sound quality. Apparently, it’s quite difficult to pack the high-efficiency drivers necessary for deep and clear sound into earbuds small enough to stay on while you’re working out.
I’m still impressed with the clarity and balance of the audio that the Bose Sport Earbuds offer. The highs are perfectly high, and the lows are moderate enough that you won’t give yourself a headache while listening to dubstep. That’s all combined with a crystal clear midrange and great sound separation, giving you a real “in-person” vibe for all of your favorite songs.
As far as noise cancelling properties go, it’s incredibly difficult to match up to what Bose has done with their QuietComfort series of headphones and earbuds. And I won’t lie: The noise cancelling for the Sport Earbuds is significantly less robust.
But is that really a bad thing? I’m not so sure. As much as I love the noise cancelling offered by the QuietComfort series, when I’m exercising I want to remain at least somewhat aware of my environment. The Sport Earbuds seem to toe the line between the two—offering enough noise cancelling to get into deep FOCUS states, but not so much that you’ll ignore the car honking at you while you run.
Ease of Use
The entire setup process for my Bose Sport Earbuds took less than 10 minutes. Unboxing was quick, and downloading the streamlined Bose Music app took no time at all. Then it was a quick step-by-step guide to properly fitting and connecting the earbuds, and giving them a cool name for when you connect via Bluetooth (mine are Black Truffles, because I was reading a book on fungi and mushrooms just before I unboxed them).
From there, the app guides you through the embedded touch control features available for your new earbuds. This is where I really started to fall in love with my new gear: With a simple swipe up or down on the right earbud, you can increase or decrease the volume. Tap it twice, and you can pause or resume playback. And if you want to get fancy, you can set up your own commands on the left earbud to allow you to skip songs, record playback, or navigate through an album.
The earbuds themselves have a five hour battery life—not great, but not bad. But when you pair them with their carrying case, you get an additional 10 hours of battery life out of a single charge. Wearing them to the gym and during my workouts, I went for nearly a week before having to do a full recharge.
Overall, I felt like I’d owned these for years after playing around with them for half an hour. And now, they’re in my bag everywhere I go (not just the gym). What more could you ask for in a new piece of gear?
Looks
If it’s not the sound quality that tanks a pair of sport headphones, it’s the dopey looks. Way too many earbuds on the market today are oversized, garishly colored, or stick far out from your ears and look silly.
I really like the middle ground that Bose’s Sport Earbuds have found. They’re just big enough for people to recognize that you’re wearing headphones and don’t want to be bothered, but not so big as to look out of place. And whether you go for the black, glacier white, or baltic blue color schemes, the same sleek design makes them easy to integrate into an outfit.
Final Verdict
I’m absolutely stoked to own a pair of Bose’s Sport Earbuds. They’re comfortable as heck, with a secure fit that doesn’t leave your ear until you want it to. And their sound quality is wonderful enough to lay around listening to albums, picking out new and fresh details in songs I’ve listened to dozens of times. I enthusiastically recommend these to anyone looking for a new pair of earbuds for their active lifestyle.
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Bose Sport Earbuds Review
The new Bose Sport Earbuds come in a more refined body with a touch-sensitive surface. They’re still bulky and protrude out of your ears quite a lot. However, thanks to their ear tip and fin combo, they sit comfortably in your ears without budging.
The earbuds are also sweatproof thanks to the IPX4 rating and come with the latest Bluetooth 5.1. Add a punchy audio performance that’s a perfect fit for workouts, providing you the rhythm and energy to finish your session strong.
However, they lack some fundamental features that you would expect from a pair that costs 180. To some, it might be a deal-breaker unless Bose fixes them via updates. about this in the Bose Sport Earbuds review below.
- Exceptional fit and comfort
- Great audio quality with controlled bass
- Massive soundstage (for an in-ear headphone)
- Sweatproof housing with an IPX4 rating
- Support for Bluetooth 5.1
- Good passive noise isolation
- A barebones mobile application without EQ
- Somewhat average battery life
- Lack of extra customizations
Check related guides:
What’s in the Box?
- Bose Sport Earbuds true wireless earbuds
- 3 sizes of ear gels (ear tip/fin combo)
- Charging case
- Charging USB-C cable
- User manual
- 2-year warranty
Comfort Fit
The Bose Sport Earbuds are relatively bulky, but they fit nicely into your ears. Comfort is also superb, and because they’re light, you hardly know you’re wearing them.
Housing is similar to the SoundSport Free and current Bose QuietComfort earbuds, both in size and shape. Bose decided to equip these with StayHear Max ear gels: tip and fin combo. You get 3 different sizes, but only the fins change in size, whereas the tips stay the same.
Ear fins lock tightly in your ears, creating a secure fit that prevents earbuds from fall out during movement. Some users don’t like fins because they feel them scratching, but we barely noticed anything in our case. Once you put them in, you practically forget about them.
Tips also took a similar approach as with the previous generation, meaning that they’re too big to go deep into your ear canal. Instead, they hang right at the beginning of the canal without creating pressure.
The latter is the main reason why these earbuds are so comfortable and effortless to wear. There are no pressure points, no vacuum in your ears, nothing. And because each earbud only weighs 6 grams, you barely feel them.
Noise Isolation
Because ear tips go in front of the ear canal instead of pushing deeper, passive isolation isn’t the greatest. However, when you start playing music, the outside noise goes away.
In-ear earbuds are usually pretty effective at passive isolation since you push them deeper into your ear canal. This completely blocks the outside world. However, Bose Sport Earbuds are slightly different.
Like their previous model (and Jaybird Vista), they come with larger tips than usual. Their job is to hang in front of the ear canal and not in it. Of course, the “one size fits all” solution still creates a barrier between you and your surroundings.
But that barrier isn’t as efficient as deeper insertion, meaning it will let in more ambient noise than other earbuds. However, the result isn’t that terrible. Unless you want to wear them near a busy road, isolation is sufficient for an uninterrupted listening experience.
Is There Wind Noise?
Since they’re big, earbuds protrude out quite a lot. Sadly, that means they pick up more wind noise while running than smaller true wireless earbuds. The problem gets even worse if you decide to run on a windy day.
Bluetooth
Straightforward pairing with a smartphone and a reliable connection with the newest Bluetooth 5.1. However, pairing Bose Sport Earbuds with a mobile app for the first time is frustrating.
As with many true wireless earbuds, you simply put them out of their case and enable Bluetooth in your smartphone’s settings. They show up on the menu in a matter of seconds, and you are ready to start listening.
Thanks to Bluetooth 5.1, you shouldn’t come across any significant problems with connection stability. Much the same as with version 5.0, earbuds can easily pass through one brick wall while beginning to stutter after trying to pass the second wall.
Since Bluetooth 5.1 is excellent at accurately pinpointing its location, it’s strange that these earbuds don’t offer a “find my earbuds” feature. It may be reserved for the future where smartphones also support a new Bluetooth standard.
Also, if you plan to use them in mono mode, only the right earbud works.
Bose Sport Earbuds also come with a mobile app called Bose Music, where you can tweak a few things and update the firmware. However, connecting it to your earbuds does take some time. In our case, we had to go through many error messages before finally registering our earbuds.
Thankfully, once paired, there are no issues with re-pairing.
Multipoint?
No, these earbuds don’t support multipoint. You have to manually switch connection between different devices.
What Bluetooth Codec They Use?
Bose Sport Earbuds only support SBC and AAC, which is quite common on Bose headphones. That means they work fine on both Android and iOS, with decent transfer speeds.
Is There a Video Delay?
SBC is well implemented on Android, so you shouldn’t experience any noticeable lag while watching YouTube videos. You get similar performance on iOS, with no visible audio lag.
Battery
The battery on Bose Sport Earbuds is a bit disappointing by today’s standards. You get only around 5 hours per charge, and the (big) charging case holds mere 10 hours more. There is support for fast charging but no wireless charging.
Even though their housing and charging box are on the bulky side, the battery seems lackluster. In our test, we got around 5 hours of battery life on a 60% volume. That is about average for premium TWS earbuds and leaves much be to desired.
Another surprising area is the case. It’s quite big and not particularly.friendly, yet it still only packs 10 hours of extra power. In Jaybird Vista‘s, we understood the short battery life because their case is relatively small. In comparison, Bose’s box seems like a poor use of space.
These also lack wireless charging. While that is common for wireless sport earbuds at this price range, it’s still something Bose could implement.
You at least get fast charging, giving you extra 2 hours during a 15-minute charge. Inside the app, you can check how much juice is still in each bud.
Durability
The Sport earbuds are well-made and robust, with sweatproof protection against rain and water splashes. But ear fins look a bit fragile.
The housing is made entirely out of plastic with a polymer coating, similar to QuietComfort earbuds. It feels sturdy enough for daily use and more than capable of surviving an accidental drop.
They are protected against water with an IPX4 water resistance rating which isn’t the highest. You get full water and dust protection in Jabra Elite Active 75t with an IP67 rating (IPX7 equivalent).
That level of protection is good enough for working out since it can repel sweat. However, washing them under a tap isn’t advisable, so you have to clean them with a wet towel.
StayHear Max silicone ear gels are soft and feel nice to the skin. You can replace them quickly but be careful not to pull the fins too hard. They might break off if you apply too much force.
The charging case is also plastic and looks quite sturdy, with the lid’s locking mechanism. You have to press it first to open the lid. That ensures the top doesn’t open accidentally.
Features
This is where Bose Sport Earbuds slightly disappoint. Despite having a mobile application and touch controls, commands are extremely limited.
All sports earbuds that cost above 100 should come with an app to tweak the functionalities to your liking. And while these come with the Bose Music application, its features are limited or even useless.
There is no in-depth touch control organizer. As a result, you can’t decide what controls are on each earbud. Instead, you have to use the preselected actions, which are play/pause and summoning Smart assistant. App says that you can double-tap on the left bud to skip songs, but it doesn’t always work.
Another frustrating thing is that you don’t have any volume controls. For that, you need to use a transmitting device, in our case, a smartphone. While the lack of volume control in normal in budget earbuds, it should be common with premium models, such is Bose Sport Earbuds.
Another thing missing is equalization (EQ). While the sound is great out of the box, little tweaks would make it even better. Weirdly, Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have EQ inside the same app, but these earbuds don’t. Hopefully, that changes in the future.
Earbuds come with a proximity sensor for automatic play/pause. We usually disable it on all headphones since we don’t find it useful. While you can disable it inside the app, there is apparently a glitch.
When you put the right earbud out of your ears, it stops playing. Meanwhile, the left side keeps playing. However, when you put the left earbud out, it doesn’t stop playing.
In this state, the app is only useful for checking the battery percentage for each bud and performing firmware updates. Hopefully, Bose will issue an update for the app to add all the missing features that the competition already offers.
Microphone Quality
Built-in mics pick up your voice nice and clear in a quiet room. It’s somewhat thin but easily understandable and good enough to make phone calls.
The sport earbuds start to struggle a bit when you use them in a noisy environment. Although the phone call quality is still acceptable, it might be better to avoid taking phone calls while on the street.
Sound
Overall performance is excellent, but the sound signature vest fits specific genres. What works well with popular music doesn’t work with busier, heavy instrumentation.
Starting with the bass response, it’s incredibly punchy, well-controlled, and with great extension in the sub-bass region. It’s by far the best thing about the Bose earbuds. Whatever song you throw at them, the low-end never skips a beat.
We like to test our headphones with a song called “Duende” by Bozzio Levin Stevens. The track heavily emphasizes acoustic guitar, drums, and especially the bass guitar. Where most headphones struggle to keep up with bass guitar’s plucking, Bose Sport Earbuds do it with flying colors.
Controlled bass works nicely with all music genres. You start noticing details in the songs where you previously haven’t. Even some tracks that usually lack bass now have a slightly better definition.
However, the biggest problem is its quantity. They have just a little bit too much bass to prevent it from bleeding into the rest of the frequency response.
The midrange on Sport Earbuds is clean and slightly recessed. It comes back up in the upper midrange to bring out vocals, which sound quite natural. Details are audible but not that well defined compared to the competition.
Sport Earbuds come in several color options: triple black, baltic blue, and glacier white.
The treble is leveled-out with the mids. It’s very smooth and free of sibilance. Again, there is a lack of resolution, which would help to balance a slightly overpowering bass.
It’s worth mentioning that Bose implemented a feature called Active EQ. What it does is actively changing the bass and treble depending on the volume. Because of that you never feel as if some frequencies are missing.
The soundstage on these is huge (for in-ears standards). It has better depth than width, which is why you continuously move your head around to make sure if that sound really came from a song. But this vast soundstage causes the imaging to suffer.
Overall, the sound quality is excellent, and anyone who wants these for the sound only will be pleased. Genres like pop, electronic, and rap sound amazing. Even rock plays well with these.
But if you listen to metal, avoid them. As soon as the double-pedal starts kicking, the sound becomes muted and dull. The treble is too smooth to bring itself up, which is why you’re better off with something else.
The sports earbuds have a huge potential for fantastic sound quality. Hopefully, Bose decides to release a firmware update and tweak the EQ just a little bit.
Should You Buy Bose Sport Earbuds?
These true wireless earbuds provide an exceptionally comfortable and secure fit. Despite their size, you almost forget they’re in your ears. You can workout at the gym or run outside, they stay firmly in their place. If noise canceling is important to you, Bose also released newer QuietComfort Earbuds.
Audio quality is also excellent, pushing out the most from more bass-oriented genres. Low-end on these packs incredible control and punch. They can sound a bit muted when listening to rock, but it’s not that noticeable when you’re working out.
Of course, there are a few cons. Touch controls are extremely limited and non-remappable. The Bose Music mobile app is practically useless except for receiving firmware updates. Battery life also leaves a lot to be desired.
For the price of 180, Bose made too many compromises. Thankfully, with wireless earbuds, many things can get corrected via software updates. Hopefully, Bose sees that their Sport Earbuds are a bit underwhelming and decides to make them better.
Quick Comparison with the Competition
Both earbuds are very similar in comfort, stability, total battery life, and passive isolation. However, they differ significantly in terms of durability, with Jaybird Vista having an IPX7, as well as MIL-STD-810G, certification which prevents shock and water damage. Jaybird’s application is also much more intuitive and feature-rich, with full control over the sound with built-in EQ.
Sport Earbuds have a more secure fit, but this is where advantages over Elite Active 75t end. The latter are superior in passive isolation, have a much better companion application with loads of customization, functional EQ, and superior battery life. Not to mention a higher water-resistance rating (IP57).
PowerBeats Pro offer slightly better stability due to their ear hook design. However, Bose Earbuds does cause irritation as Beats do. Overall, they’re similarly water-resistant (IPX4), support only SBC and AAC, and come in a bulky charging case. Speaking of that, Beats PowerBeats Pro wipes away Sport Earbuds when it comes to battery, offering 11 hours on a single charge (Sport Earbuds can only do five hours).
Apple Airpods Pro are much more feature-rich than Bose Sport Earbuds. They come with active noise cancellation, support for Dolby Atmos, higher total battery life, and can offer a better call quality. The sound signature is a bit different, with Airpods Pro having an overall brighter sound with less bass. On the flip side, Sport Earbuds are better for sports, with a more secure fit.
Specifications
| True wireless | |
| Bluetooth 5.1 | |
| Closed-back | |
| n/a | |
| n/a | |
| n/a | |
| 12g both buds, 74g with case | |
| Yes, touch controls | |
| IPX4 | |
| 5h 10h in case | |
| 2h quick charge – USB-C | |
| No | |
| SBC, AAC | |
| 30ft (9m) |
Bose Sport Earbuds review
The Bose Sport Earbuds serve up excellent audio quality, durability and a comfortable fit, but the battery life could be longer.
Pros
- Fun, colorful and comfortable design
- Stellar audio quality
- Great call quality
- Seriously comfortable
Cons
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Let me preface this by saying, I hate cardio. I hate it with the fire of 1,000 suns. But since I can stand to lose some weight, I’m on a fitness journey and the Bose Sport Earbuds are just in time to audition to be my workout buds. At 179, they’re colorful, durable and sound great. Plus, they’re incredibly comfortable.
The battery life could be longer, but if you’re looking for a pair of sport earbuds that don’t skimp on music chops, the Bose Sport Earbuds are the way to go.
Bose Sport Earbuds pricing and configurations
The Bose Sport Earbuds are available for 179.95. There aren’t any other configurations available, but the buds are available in an array of colors you’d associate with Bose. There’s Glacier White with neon yellow highlights, Baltic Blue and the more traditional Triple Black.
Bose Sport Earbuds design
These are the most colorful Bose I’ve ever had the pleasure of reviewing. The Baltic Blue is like a dark turquoise and from the charging case to the buds, it’s absolutely gorgeous. But man Bose, you’ve got to work on your sizing. True, compared to their noise cancelling cousins, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (1.5 x 1 x 1.1 inches, the 0.3 ounces), the 0.2 ounces, 0.7 x 1.1 x 0.8-inch Sport Earbuds seem reasonable, but compared to something like the Airpods Pro, (0.2 ounces, 0.8 x 0.8 x 0.7 inches), they’re a bit chunky.
And where the Bose QC charging case is one of the widest I’ve ever seen at 3.5 x 2 x 1.3 inches (and 2.7 ounces), the Sport Earbuds case is definitely the longest, at 3.5 x 2 x 1.3 inches. They make the Galaxy Buds Plus’ (1.4 ounces, 1.5 x 2.8 x 0.8 inches) pill-shaped case look dainty in comparison.
Thankfully, the Sport Earbuds are seriously pretty. The front of the buds are made of matte Baltic Blue plastic and have Bose stamped on the capsule-like shell in dark gray. The rear of the housing is also Baltic Blue but made from a shiny plastic. You’ll find gold-colored charging connectors along with a sensor to detect when you remove the earbud from your ear and small vents for the microphones.
As for the case, the exterior is made from the same blue matte plastic material found on the earbuds. The top has Bose’s emblem on the top and a USB Type-C charging port in the rear. In the front is the locking clasp and five battery indicator lights. Pop the case open and you get a glossy Baltic Blue interior with grooves for the earbuds with a pairing button in between.
Since these are made for working out and all manner of vigorous activities, the Bose Sport Earbuds are IPX4 rated for sweat and water resistance. I really want Bose to take the next step and make them full-out waterproof for the swimmers out there.
The Sport Earbuds ship with three extra pairs of silicone eartips and a 12-inch USB Type-C cable for charging.
Bose Sport Earbuds comfort
It’s like these were made for my especially tiny ears. Normally, I have to swap out eartips when I get a new pair of earbuds. Not here. The default StayHear Max silicone eartips just melded with the folds of my outer ear and ear canal.
Similar to most wireless buds, you put the Sport Earbuds in by rotating them into place. The StayHear Max eartips tuck comfortably against your concha. It creates a nice, tight seal that lends a measure of passive noise isolation to the earbuds, which, for a pair of non noise-cancelling earbuds, is really important.
That tight seal also ensures a secure fit. I endured 30 minutes on my BowFlex Max Trainer every day for the past week. And through all the swears, sweat and positive reinforcement from my virtual trainer, the buds stayed in place and looked none the worse for wear. They even maintained their position after I dramatically flopped on the floor for my final round of sit ups for the day.
The Sport Earbuds are some of the most comfortable in-ears I’ve had the pleasure of wearing.
Bose Sport Earbuds controls
Similar to the QC Earbuds, the Sport Earbuds are controlled via a series of taps on its capacitive touch panels. The majority of the controls are located in the right earbud. So a double-tap on the right earbud will play/pause whatever you’re listening to or to answer/end a call. To decline a call, you press and hold the right bud. That’s also how you activate your device’s digital assistant.
If you want to skip a track, just touch and hold the left earbud. However, you can also switch it so you can hear the battery level instead. You just have to change the shortcut functionality in the app (more on that later).
Bose Sport Earbuds setup
Pairing the Sport Earbuds to a mobile device is a straightforward task. Once I opened the charging case’s lid, the buds immediately went into pair mode. Placing them in my ears, I was treated to a rather triumphant song before I heard the “ready to pair” prompt. But once it was ready, I went to the Bluetooth menu on my Samsung Galaxy Note 8, selected the buds and voila, I was ready (albeit not necessarily willing) to cue up my workout playlist and exercise.
To use the buds with the Bose Music app, you have to pair them a second time. Only now, you’ll have to hold down the pairing button in the case for several seconds to initiate the process. From there, it takes about 10 seconds for the app to recognize your earbuds, but when it does, you’ll gain access to all of the app features.
Bose Sport Earbuds app
Like the other headphones and earbuds in its lineup, the Bose Sport Earbuds work in tandem with the free Bose Music app (Android, iOS). When the app is connected to the earbuds, you can check out the battery status, adjust the volume level, change the earbuds’ name and check out a tutorial, among other things. You can also control whatever you’re listening to. But without the QC Earbuds’ talented microphones, you lose out on the ability to set the active noise cancelling levels or the volume of your voice on a call.
The app has a clean design and an easy-to-navigate interface. I just wish Bose had the foresight to add a Find My Earbuds feature like the Airpods Pro and Galaxy Buds Live, and an equalizer is another nice feature to have.
Bose Sport Earbuds passive noise isolation
Instead of the QC Earbuds’ trio of powerful mics to keep the outside at bay, the Sport Earbuds rely on the tight seal of the StayHear Max silicone eartips. And I get it, for those folks who like to exercise outdoors, you want to hear ambient noise to stay abreast of your surroundings. Hell, it even makes sense if you’re navigating the busy New York City streets as I do. But if I have to choose, give me ANC, please.
So the eartips definitely muffle outside noise to a certain degree. Sitting in front of my LG TV with no music playing, the earbuds could only block out Rocko’s Modern Life when I lowered the volume to 5. When I played music, the threshold rose to 30. When I went for my daily walk, I was privy to NYC’s unique soundtrack, from someone trying to haggle down the price of a pack of masks to an uncomfortably loud phone conversation and the train passing overhead.
When the outside world got to be too much, I drowned it out with Colin Lucas’s “Dollar Wine” and proceeded to shake my dollar, dollar, dollar down the street.
Bose Sport Earbuds audio quality
They aren’t noise-cancelling, but they’re still Bose. Like the QC Earbuds, the Sport use Bose’s proprietary drivers and the company’s Active EQ, which electronically tunes the frequency curve to come as close to the 700’s curve as possible. The result is warm, relatively balanced audio with rich bass and a generous soundscape. As such, the Bose Sport Earbuds still pack a punch in the audio department. I found this out first hand as I listened to the Master of Tank and The Bangas’ “Self Care” on Tidal.
I was hit with some big bass, its largesse was to the point of almost being unrestrained. But the Sport Earbuds managed to keep it in check so I could enjoy the flute and the guitar on the instrumental. The lead singer’s leisurely vocals oozed on the track demanding your attention. The Airpods Pro gave a similar performance, but I was surprised when the Airpods had the more restrained low end.
On H.E.R.’s “Focus,” the harp sounded heavenly as it faded in punctuated by a sharp snare. And while the soundscape was large enough that I could concentrate on the subtle alto below the singer’s crisp soprano, creating a beautifully subtle harmony, here the bass was too boomy, making for a diffused sound. Once again, the Airpods Pro delivered the better bass, but the arpeggios were cleaner on the Bose.
An organ, robust horn section and a lively guitar, it all comes together in some profane religiosity on Prince’s “Sexy M.F.” The jam sounded great on the Sport Earbuds. Especially when the artist slyly sang the title of the song. The Airpods Pro presentation sounded distant and the horns were somewhat scratchy. And when Prince sang the chorus, it sounded like he was far away instead of in my ear like a coquettish seducer.
Bose Sport Earbuds battery life and Bluetooth
Despite not having all the bells and whistles of its cousin, the Bose Sport Earbuds only have an estimated battery life of 5 hours –– an hour shorter than the QC Earbuds. But the Sport Earbuds lived up to the hype, surviving an hour workout session, several meetings and calls, and listening to music for 4:49 minutes before needing a recharge. That time is on a par with the Airpods Pro, which lasted 4.5 hours. However, Sony’s sport earbuds, the WF-SP800N, have an estimated battery life of 9 hours.
The charging case delivers 2 hours of charge in 15 minutes. You can expect two additional charges from the case, effectively extending the buds’ battery life to 15 hours.
The Bose Sport Earbuds are Bluetooth 5.1 compatible, which has an approximate range of 30 feet. That allowed me to leave my phone in the living room when I went to the backyard to check on my brisket. There was some stuttering in the connection during the first few seconds I started tending to the grill, but it quickly righted the ship. I also went downstairs into my office and had an uninterrupted listening experience. The connection only cut out once I actually left my apartment building.
If you’ve connected the buds to a variety of devices, you can switch between them using the app.
Bose Sport Earbuds call quality
Again, they don’t have all the mics I want, but thanks to its beamforming mics, everyone I spoke to using the Bose Sport Earbuds, whether it was over video chat or smartphone, had no complaints. When I jumped on my morning meeting call with the Laptop Mag team, everyone said my voice was loud and clear. There were a few criticisms, however, with one colleague saying I sounded a bit sharp while another said it was a bit tinny. But most people didn’t realize I was using a pair of buds unless I said something.
Things sounded great on my end. I heard my colleagues’ voices as clear as I was using my MacBook Pro’s speakers. And when I called my brother, we had a Bose-off, comparing his QC Earbuds to my Sports Buds. There was definitely more detail on his end and he reported hearing a passing ambulance pretty clearly when I was walking around the neighborhood.
Bottom line
As I continue on the strenuous fitness journey, I’ll need a pair of earbuds to keep me supplied with motivating tunes. The Bose Sport Earbuds are my new go-to. For 179.95, you get a pair of truly wireless earbuds that aren’t overly sporty, providing water and sweat resistance and a seriously comfy fit. And true to form, they sound great, whether you’re listening to music or taking a call. Plus, you get the slick Bose Music app.
True, the battery life can and should be better since there’s no active noise cancelling. If longevity’s your thing, consider the 148 Sony WF-SP800 earbuds, which offer an estimated 9 hours of battery life. But if you want the almost total package, the Bose Sport Earbuds are an excellent choice.
Bose Sport Earbuds- Glacier White
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Engineered for your best workout yet, the Bose Sport Earbuds are designed from the ground up to accompany your active lifestyle and produce signature Bose sound that’s known to make music sound clear and balanced regardless of volume. Completely wireless, the earbuds are comfortable to wear and stay securely planted on your ears no matter how much you move.
Key Features
- Bose proprietary acoustic port design and a premium, high-efficiency driver combine to create big, booming sound from an incredibly compact l acoustic package
- Bose signature Volume-Optimised Active EQ automatically enhances the lows and highs, so music, videos, and dialogues always sound balanced at any listening level
- StayHear Max tips create a strong seal with your ear canal to help block out ambient noise and maximise deep low notes
- Features a true wireless design composed of an umbrella-shaped tip and an extended flexible wing
- IPX4-rated, meaning the electronic components within are protected against splashing water in case you get caught in the rain on a run
What’s In The Box?
- 1x pair of Bose Sport Earbuds
- 3x sizes of Eartips
- 1x USB Charging Cable
- 1x Charging Case
- 1x Quick Start Guide
- 1x Warranty Card
Specs
- Return it to your local Domayne store to initiate an inspection / service call
- Contact Us at Domayne Online
- If it is a downloadable product (software or e-Gift Card) please contact Domayne Online.
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Discover all of the benefits Product Care brings you:
Replacement Plan, if an assessment finds that Your Product has suffered an Eligible Fault, We’ll arrange to have a brand new replacement product supplied to you. Where We cannot find a suitable replacement, We will give You a store credit or cash settlement at Our discretion.
Product Care Replacement Plans are available on selected products. If, during the Product Care Term, Your Product fails to operate as a result of an Eligible Fault, We will provide a one-off replacement of Your Product.
Product Care Coffee Plans are available for selected coffee machine products. If, during the Product Care Term, Your Product fails to operate as a result of a First Eligible Fault, We will repair Your Product.
If, during the Product Care term, after the occurrence and repair of the First Eligible Fault, Your Product fails to operate due to another Eligible Fault, We will provide a one-off replacement of Your Product.
plan. Whether you are experiencing a fault, or wanting to redeem your entitlements, we will provide you with guidance and support every step of the way.
Our experienced support team ensures that the assessment, repair or replacement process under Your Product Care is a convenient experience. Whether You are experiencing a product fault or needing toll free technical assistance. Our team is here to provide support every step of the way.
Having Product Care with your purchase means you can enjoy a range of special benefits that are exclusive to you and will help you enjoy the experience of your new product even more.
There are exclusions and limitations to Product Care. This section should always be read in conjunction with the Terms and Conditions for Product Care Coffee and Replacement (Electrical).
