Tag: bose

Best All New Wireless Headphones for 2021

Whether you’re looking for a good pair of headphones for working out or just something to wear while drowning out sounds during your commute, not having to fuss with wires is a huge plus. No one wants to worry about the tangle of wires in their pocket or bag, or their cord snagging on something and damaging their headphones. Thankfully, there are some stellar Bluetooth headphones on the market. Here are some of our top picks.

Jabra Elite 75t

If you like having wireless earbuds for sports activity, we can highly recommend the Jabra Elite 75t. These new earbuds fit snugly in most ears, and they have a great sound quality for their small size. The drivers are solid, offering punchy bass, good mid-levels, and decent overall sound: while these won’t be beating any dedicated audiophile headphones, they’re good for their price point and size.

A notable draw to the Jabra Elite 75t is their microphones. They work incredibly well as a headset for taking phone calls, doing a great job of filtering out background noise. If you like wearing earbuds while jogging, cycling or other types of activity, this is a great draw. Taking a call while getting in your workout is a great two-in-one feature for busy professionals.

Sony WF-1000XM3

Sony has finally taken its wildly successful WF series headphones and put them into a smaller package. The WF-1000XM3 takes the quality of their full-size headphones and puts them into a smaller earbud form factor.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless

If you’re looking for the intersection of portability and sound quality, you’re looking for the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless earbuds. These wireless earbuds offer incredible sound quality and accurate reproduction of recordings. They’re incredibly light: you might even forget they’re in your ears. When you need a good set of earbuds for taking with you on trips or to work and back, these are a great go-to.

While they’re not the best for sports or activity, the Sennheiser earbuds are great for daily activities like walking or commuting. For the person who wants portable wireless earbuds that can be tucked into a pocket but still wants the best sound quality, these physics-defying little earbuds are the best option.

AirPods Pro

If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, these are a no-brainer. Their intuitive gesture controls allow you to change the song, adjust the volume and answer calls quickly and without having to pull your phone out.

The 2020 update brings even more useful tricks to the AirPods Pro. With Apple’s propriety H1 chip they feature snappier Siri integration. You can send messages, start playlists and ask for internet searches all while jogging, cleaning or whatever you’re doing while wearing the AirPods. If you love high-tech integration and cool fashion statements, the AirPods are a great pick for you.

Beats Solo Pro

Apple has finally stepped up the quality of their Beats headphones. The Beats Solo Pro is a set of over-ear, active noise canceling, headphones. They used the same noise-canceling technology featured on their more premium, over-ear, Studio3 Wireless. The H1 wireless chip makes sure they are easy to connect to your phone and feature full Siri support. They’re a bit more expensive than the average headphones, but their great technology integration and stellar sound quality on phone calls makes them great for people on the move.

PowerBeats Pro

If you love the idea of the AirPods but want a more fitness-oriented set of wireless earbuds, the Beats Powerbeats Pro are for you. The same technology that went into the second generation AirPods is on display in the PowerBeats Pro, just in a more fitness-oriented shape. The over-ear design on display here helps the earphones stay on your ears while your exercise, making them great for any active person.

June 18, 2021
Bose Noise Cancelling 700: Still the Gold Standard?

When you hear the name Bose followed by the words “Noise Cancelling” you know you’ve got a solid piece of audio hardware in front of you. Whether you’re taking a long trip on an airplane, commuting via train or just trying to zone out in the break room, noise cancelling headphones can be huge lifesavers.

The new Bose Noise Cancelling 700 headphones are upon us, and today we’re answering the question everyone has: are they still the gold standard in audio hardware? Let’s take a closer look.

The Bose Standard

The Bose 700 is a follow-up to the now-ancient Bose QuietComfort line, which first hit the market in the year 2000. That’s nearly twenty years ago now, and while the model went through a number of cosmetic changes, the innards remained largely the same for the better part of two decades. So, what’s so new and different that Bose had to introduce a brand-new line of headphones?

Well, a lot. Firstly, the drivers that pump the sound out and the microphones that detect (and cancel) ambient sound are all brand-new for this headset. The construction is all new, too, incorporating a single stainless steel band that makes the whole set sturdier and more impressive in the hand. The rubberized padding on the inside of the ear cups is new, too. It’s comfortable and sweat-resistant, and a far cry from the old cloth and foam padded cups of the QuietComfort 35 II.

What Else is New?

There’s a lot of new things going on under the hood with the Bose 700, as well. There’s been a push on the part of Bose to make these headphones well-known as being great for taking phone calls, too. And, to their credit, they work rather well as headsets for taking phone calls, in case you get called in the middle of your commute or work day.

The headset’s noise cancelling technology does a great job of preventing the person on the other end of the call from hearing the ambient noise around you, too, which is a huge help. The beam-forming technology in the mics can zero in on your voice and transmit just that to the other person. You can also toggle on voice monitoring so you can hear your own voice through the headphones so you’re not shouting in a quiet room.

Sound Quality

We haven’t even touched on the most important part of any pair of headphones: the sound quality. As expected, it’s excellent. The drivers offer up crisp and clear sound on the mid-levels as well as on the bass. The bass isn’t as punchy or powerful as comparable Sony headphones, though it’s much tighter and hits with a lot more precision.

This isn’t to say that the bass isn’t deep on these headphones: it is. However, when compared to some other high-end headphones, it can be ab it more controlled. This isn’t a good thing or a bad thing, it’s just the nature of these drivers. Unless you’re listening to a lot of music on a lot of different headphones, you likely won’t even notice the differences.

Bottom Line

The sound-canceling on display here is top-notch. The only competition hitting a similar benchmark is Sony, as some of their top-notch offerings are on similar territory. This is all to say: if you want the best, it’s this or Sony. As for the nitty-gritty differences, it’s all down to a matter of preference.

If you’re looking for the top-of-the-line noise cancelling headphones and can stomach the $400 price tag, the Bose Noise Cancelling 700 are a great pair of headphones. They remain the gold standard, and Bose remains nearly unmatched at the top of the heap.

July 24, 2019
This Years Best Deals on Speakers

It is the time of year you always wish you had a better sound system. It is also the time of year you can get the best deals on implementing your new sound system. Ive gone and summed up the best ways to boost your music and entertainment sound system and the best deals on those speakers. First lets start with the best option the Sonos Sound System.

The Best Buy For an Expandable System; Sonos Sound System

Sonos, Look no further then Sonos. Quality, Price, Performance and Customization. You get this all with the Sonos Sound System.

Sonos is the wireless Home Sound System that can fill many rooms simultaneously with immersive sound. The easy-to-use wireless home system has impressive sounding speakers giving users a rich, crystal-clear sound; enhancing TV and movie experience with just a tap. The Sonos line includes the Sonos One, Sonos Play, Sonos Beam and Sonos Playbar, all streaming over wi-fi, so the music never stops.

The Sonos Play:1 is so good, that it easily earns the best budget title. Although there’s no way around the WiFi-only aspect of the Play:1, it’s hardly a deal breaker and, in fact, might be a strong benefit. The design is a little clunky, with some comparing it to a coffee can, but at 4.7 inches wide, 6.4 inches deep and weighing 4.1 pounds, it’s not designed for portability.

Setup is a snap. Just download the free Sonos app for Android or iOS, run the app, follow the instructions and play. One caveat is that music must be played back from the Sonos app since it doesn’t utilize either Airplay or Bluetooth. However, given the wide range of streaming choices (Spotify, Google Play Music and Prime Music), you shouldn’t run into a problem. Unfortunately, Apple Music doesn’t work with Sonos, but you can utilize your full iTunes library through the app.

The 3.5-inch woofer and two amps are powered by a wall outlet connector and can easily fill up a room with volume and sound. For the price tag, the Play:1 is not just the most affordable Sonos speaker to date, it’s also a great choice if you’re looking for something simple and easy without having to spend a lot of money on a huge audio system

Build Your Sonos System

To get the Best deal and best sound for your music and entertainment system your best bet is to start your Sonos system with a Play:5, the big brother of the bunch, and work your way down. Once you have the center component measure out your rooms and build accordingly. Lastly add the final peice the Sonos Sound System Playbar and a Play One is a great pick for kitchens, bedrooms and studies. If you want the latest and greatest from Sonos, check out the brand-new Sonos Playbase – it’s a speaker and TV stand all in one package.

Right around the holidays, mostly, but do happen sporadically throughout the year as well you can find great deals on the Sonos Sound System components. What makes DOnos the best deals is you can build as you go and capitalize on the right sales. Wait for the Bogo offers on the Play 1 around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Throughout the year look for the $50 and $75 off to snag your soundbar and Home Base.

Best System for the Money

Bose advertises the SoundTouch 30 Series III as their “best-performing one-piece wireless music system”. This means it’s on the more expensive side, but well worth the splurge. Colors come in black and white. While I have not seen any great fall deals on this yet, they are sure to come. At a reasonable $499 this is the best one shot system money can buy.

The Bose SoundTouch 30 Series III will capture every riff, beat, and note from your music playlist. Its patented technology is engineered to fill any room, large or small, with deep and robust sound. best part is it’s just a one-piece system. Out of the box to music is a simple quick set up. Bluetooth-enabled and wireless, additional Bose speakers can be added on, meaning you can turn a warehouse into an acoustic heaven.

Worth Mentioning The Apple HomePod

Apple’s awesome-sounding smart speaker has two major knocks. Siri still isn’t as good a voice assistant as Alexa and Google, and the $350 price is just too high. This Best Buy discount nicely addresses the second issue, getting it to a much more reasonable $250. If you want a great deal on a high end and affordable music speaker, grab one or two of these. Unbox, plug in, power on, sign in and jam. Nuff said

November 20, 2018
Bose SleepBuds: Worth the Price?

Bose’s newest product are the Bose SleepBuds, designed to help you sleep soundly through the night. Retailing for $249 and releasing today, are they worth the price? Early reports of the new wireless ear buds are in, and we’ve got the review round-up for you right here.

No True Sound Cancellation

An odd note on these new earbuds, to start, is the lack of Bose’s normal noise canceling technology. Instead, the SleepBuds rely on ten pre-loaded relaxation tracks in the included app to cancel common sleep distrubances. The tracks in question include nature sounds and white noise. They were apparently tailored specifically to block nighttime disturbances from waking the user. According to bose, their typical sound-proofing isn’t as effective at blocking out snoring and noisy neighbors as it is as silencing daytime noise.

No Streaming Music Options

Even more odd than the lack of true noise cancellation is the lack of a streaming music option. The SleepBuds are only compatible with the ten relaxation tracks included with the app. While this would be understandable if they were stand-alone sleep aids, they connect to smartphones via an app. Why can’t you just send music through them? It’s an odd design decision, to be sure.

Bose SleepBud Design and Specs

The SleepBuds are lightweight and non-invasive in the ear. It’s easy to lie down with them in, which is good, and necessary for sleep aids. They sport an excellent 16-hour battery life to boot. They actually do an excellent job of blocking common nighttime sounds, and their sound quality is what you would expect from Bose. However, the glaring lack of true music streaming continues to be a head-scratcher. These would be perfect for those who sleep with earbuds in for normal music, yet that option isn’t available.

In light of that and the steep MSRP, it’s hard to recommend these. If you really, really want some sleep aids that are comfortable to sleep in and don’t mind the price, these might be for you. However, for most general use, the price precludes them from being a solid option.

Feature Image Credit: Bless This Stuff

June 21, 2018
5 Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers for Summer

As my old buddy Brad used to say, Its summer time and we’re living easy. I’m sure you all have great summers plans in place, with boats and beaches, golf, good friends, great times and noodle salad, but have you accessed what you are going to use for music during all this fun in sun? I didn’t think so and that is why I’m here, to tell you about the 5 best portable Bluetooth speakers you can take with you anywhere you go this summer. To make this list they will need a few requirement, for one they have to be IP water resistant. The second is they need to have full 360° sound.

5. TREBLAB HD55

Wonderful sound, With HD55, you’ll feel as if you’re at a live concert, with clear high notes, deep bass and 360° true HD sound. This advanced Bluetooth speaker has the latest state-of-the-art double 12W drivers and double bass radiators. Great for the Office, traveling & late nite LA gangsta style pool parties. IT is waterproof with a rating IPX4. Amazon pricing of only $69.97

4. Soundcore Flare Portable Bluetooth 360° Speaker

Much like the HD55, the SoundCore Flare has the 360° and is IPX7 waterproof. This has great mid range sound, great acoustics and will keep the singing going on all night. It secured the number 4 position for one terrific reason, its $10 cheaper at $59.99.

3. JBL Xtreme 2 Portable Bluetooth Speakers

The JBL Xtreame is know for delivering earth-shaking powerful stereo sound. The speaker is armed with four drivers, two JBL Bass Radiators, a rechargeable 10,000mAh Li-ion battery supporting up to 15 hours of playtime. Its also IPX7 certified waterproof. At $299 it starts off our top 3 Portable Bluetooth Speakers for summer.

2. Bose SoundLink Revolve+

You can never go wrong with Bose. They have mastered commercial sound. And this is the best-performing portable speaker from Bose. It ultimately delivers Deep, loud, jaw-dropping sound with True 360-degree coverage. Ipx certified and fits beautifully in the golf cart. At $299 its a steal.

1. Ultimate Ears MEGABLAST

And the winner is…UE’s most powerful speaker with 360° intensely rich sound, stunning clarity, and heart-pounding bass. With up to 12 hours of battery, it brings your music to life wherever the summer leads you. With Amazon Alexa hands-free voice control you can now just ask Alexa to blast tunes from Spotify. It is waterproof and virtually indestructible: Never worry about going easy on it, your music will always be on point. The speaker is IP67 rated and can be immersed in water for up to 30 minutes. Yes I tried it. It is by far the loudest on this list, the most durable and at $190 the best value Portable Bluetooth Speakers for your summertime listening pleasure.

The Final Thought

This is going to be the best sounding summer ever. Get me my speedos and a REM playlist!!

May 31, 2018
Bose SoundTouch 300 Delivers again.. for a Price
The Bose SoundTouch 300 is a soundbar for your televesion, capable of a gorgeously wide sound field, which benefits both music and movies. The speaker is capable of reproducing both dialog and incidental effects with crystal clarity. The system offers easy-to-use music streaming via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The Great
- Superior Sound
- Easy Set Up
- Expandable with wireless Bose speakers
- Versatile connectivity
The Not
- treble EQ cant be modified
- Needs remote to function
The Conculsion

Great ” larger then life” Sound, If you have no intention of buying a sub woofer, though, don’t buy this sound bar. Sound fine on its own, but you’ll miss the deep ravid notes that the optional Acoustimass 300 sub can bring — for an extra $699.

Bose knows how to delivering big sound from small packages. Once again they hit us with the SoundTouch 300, a slim soundbar that produces plenty of bass depth and solid clarity in the highs. You can stream audio via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, features HDMI ARC and optical outputs. Its a baseline sound bar option that can be expanded to an all out theater sound experience.

The Design

The design is elegant and sharp as it looks looks graceful and stylish. Inside the beautiful exterior, the SoundTouch 300 uses four full-range drivers and a single centered tweeter, all front-facing, and bass ports on the rear panel, aided by a pair of “phase guides,” one on each end of the bar. There are 3 Icons across the front, one to show you are connected to your home network, one indicates when audio from the SoundTouch app is played, the last is when you have audio playing from a connected TV.

Whats that on your Head?

It uses AdaptIQ, that is the system Bose employs to adjust the soundbar’s output to your room’s dead areas, as well as reflective surfaces. You connect a adapter by connecting it to the speaker’s back panel and pressing the AdaptIQ button will start the measurement process. Then with this headband receptor on your head and sit in various places in your room. The system go through a series of 10 seconds of frequency sweeps in each spot while the headset measures the reflections from the sweeps.

The Final Thought

Through the SoundTouch 300, the audio is crisp and full of low-end, though the bass response sounds slightly thin with out the sub woofer. Its a great standalone sound bar but not for $699, Only purchase this if you are going to double down for the remote speakers and the sub woofer.
February 14, 2018
A Plus + to the Bose Soundlink Revolver +

Bose SoundLink Revolve+ is the best-performing portable Bluetooth® speaker from Bose, is engineered to spread deep, jaw-dropping sound in every direction.

The Great

Portable
Waterproof
360-Degree Sound,
Multiple speaker party mode
16 hour play back battery life

The Not

No connection ports
No digital assistant capabilities
Lacks volume

The Conclusion

Despite no Siri or Alexa built in this is still the best Bluetooth speaker you can get. Sound quality, durability, versatility is what you want in a portable speaker

I Liked the Last Soundlink

I’ve been a fan of the Bose Soundlink mini since it’s conception. When it was first released if filled a big void in tech we all had been experiencing. I need a wireless speaker that connects to my smartphone and sounds good. Boom, we got the Soundlink mini. I took mine everywhere, boats, golf carts, strapped to my bike , it upped the game and brought the party. I gave the Soundlink to everyone having a birthday, graduation, weddings, holiday, they all got a Soundlink mini. So I’m excited to say the least to get the new Soundlink resolve plus

Out of the Box

When you open the box, you are greeted with sleek cylindrical shape of the speaker and the reality of the build quality. This speaker weighs almost two pounds and is built like a tank. The body of the speaker is one piece metal construction with a plastic base and rubberized buttons on the top. There are six buttons on the top of the speaker; power, Bluetooth, Aux, volume up, volume down and a multi-purpose button. The battery needed charged right out of the box but the speaker turned on after a few minutes of being connected.

Yep it Sounds Like a Bose

The sound coming from this speaker is so immersive and full, stereo sound is a non-issue. There is an app for this speaker, Bose Connect but its pretty lackluster, only offering volume and connectivity options, oh and you can use it to rename the device and select the voice language. It also gives you the option to pair multiple Soundlink together for a party mode.. this will come in handy later. I’m convinced the attitude at Bose is “we know how your music is supposed to sound” and you’re going to like it. It’s got Great Dynamic Range for a portable speaker. The mids and highs are crisp and clear, and the bass is good. It could get louder, I know it would start to loose quality at a much higher volume, but sometimes you just got to crank it up. Like most Bose speakers, the bass is not heavy. This is the first speaker I have ever used that emits sound in all directions equally. Every time I listen to it I’m so impressed and glad it’s there to crank the mood for any situation.

The Final Thought

The Bose SoundLink Revolve+ is an extremely well-rounded product that deserves the praise it has been getting. I never leave home with out it and I’ve found my go to gift of the next 5 years.

February 14, 2018
Apples’ Beats by Dre…Can They be Beat?
The Good
- Unrivaled sound quality, especially in bass heavy songs
- Lithium Ion Battery provides 22 hours of continuous listening
- New noise cancellation tech is an important focal point
- Robust and sturdy craftsmanship makes them hard to break
- Wireless and portable headphones make them great travel companions
The Bad
- The sound quality drops when not listening to songs through Apple Music, (i.e listening from Youtube, Pandora, Spotify)
- After extended period of wearing the headphones, the comfort-ability rapidly declines
- High price point. On average consumers pay an additional $100.00 just for a name.
The Conclusion

Apples’ Beat by Dre are clearly the best headphones on the market. With incredible clarity and tone, songs we’ve heard a millions times before are elevated to a different plain inside those earbuds. Coupled with quality craftsmanship and care, there is a reason why they are so distinguished from competitors. But can competitors get close in quality for a significant drop in price?

The upgraded Studio3 Beats are here to stay

The newly released and upgraded Studio3 Beats by Dre have continue to progress and fix the previous versions and continue to hold up the good Beats name. With focusing on the noise cancelling aspect of the Studio3 beats, these bottom heavy headphones are quieter than ever. And Apples W1 Bluetooth chip makes pairing a breeze. Additionally, iPhone users can switch between devices logged into the same iCloud account to easily move from an iPhone conversation to watching a movie on your Mac. (The headphone also works with Android and other Bluetooth-enabled devices.)Totaling 22 hours of wireless playback with the new Noise Cancelling Tech and approximately 40 hours of battery life without it.

With tough competition such as the Sony WH-1000XM2 noise cancelling headphones or the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, Beats has an uphill battle to stay at the top. Sony’s new headphones very closely rival Beats sound and quality, but struggle a bit in terms of battery life and comfort-ability. But for $100.00 less than the Studio3 beats, they are a great option for those not wanting to spend $379.00 on headphones.

Final Thought

The Studio3 Beats have made a great addition to the Beats line, and continue to rule the headphones playground for now. But at this point much is expected from Beats, and they need to find new ways to keep their customers coming back. The strong competition is gunning for Beats, and doing so by significantly under cutting Beats prices. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II has even added a Google Assistant button to their headphones for that extra bit of personality. I’ll be waiting for Beats next move…
February 11, 2018