Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones Review

Bose’s SoundSport Wireless headphones are a great example of what middle-tier sports headphones should be.

While Bose’s premium offering, the SoundSport Pulse, has the latest technology in heart rate monitoring, the middle-tier SoundSport Wireless headphones are aimed squarely at active audiophiles.

The SoundSport Wireless headphones sit in the middle of a three-model line-up consisting of the wired (and cheaper) SoundSport in-ear headphones and the pricier heart-rate-tracking SoundSport Pulse Wireless headphones.

Design

• Vibrant colour choices
• Sweat and water resistant
• Included carry case is a nice addition

• Read our full review of the Bose SoundSport's design

  The Bose SoundSport Wireless headphones are easily some of the best looking headphones I’ve used all year. They come in three colours: citron, aqua (bright yellow and blue respectively) and black.

  The unit is made out of high-quality plastic which feels great and sturdy. The vibrant colours are present on both the inside of each earpiece and on the clip. The outside of each earpiece features tasteful Bose logos which continue the unit’s overall simple and timeless style.

  As is expected with high-end sports headphones like the SoundSport Pulse and the Jabra Elite Sport Wireless, Bose has opted to make the SoundSport Wireless headphones sweat and weather resistant, which adds protection against sweaty ears and outside runs.

  Bose also include two extra sizes of their StayHear earbuds and a small pouch for carrying the headphones around. The inclusion of a carry case is always appreciated for anyone regularly keeping their headphones in the living bacteria colony that is a gym bag.

Performance

• Top-notch sound quality
• High volume output is great for noisy environments
• 6-hour battery life is decent, and the charge readout when you power them on is super useful

• Read our full review of the Bose SoundSport's performance

  These headphones were easy to pair and set up with my phone. The only difference with the SoundSport Wireless headphones and other headphones I've tested in the past is that Bose encourages you to download the Bose Connect app.

  This app allows you to download updates for your headphones and to get the best sound quality. I downloaded two updates during my time testing these headphones but couldn't really notice a big difference in sound quality or functionality.

  Not that they need much improvement in the sound department. Bose has pulled out all the stops when it comes to audio quality. I was genuinely surprised at how bassy these headphones were. It was a joy to listen to the SoundSport Wireless headphones, and as a result, I gravitated to them even when not working out. They were equally good with podcasts, with vocals coming out crisp and audible even on a noisy gym floor.

  These headphones can get nice and loud, which is particularly useful in a noisy gym or when running outside on a noisy track.

  When powering on these headphones, you'll be greeted with a tone plus a readout of your battery level. This is definitely a feature more manufacturers should include. The last thing you want to do is run out of juice midway through a gruelling run. Using this feature, I was able to quickly see how much battery I had in the morning before my run later that day.

  

  I found battery life to be just shy of the six hours quoted by Bose. The other minor gripe I had with these headphones is that the power button was a little too easy to press. In one instance, the button was accidentally pressed while in my bag, and as a result, the battery ran out halfway through a run.

Features

• Snug fit ensures stability during workouts
• Lack of a joining cable prevents tangling

• Read our full review of the Bose SoundSport's features

  I was pleasantly surprised with how the SoundSport Wireless headphones stayed in my ears during my workouts. While they did sometimes feel loose during especially sweaty runs, at most they needed a small adjustment. This never became annoying like some other sports headphones using the same design.

  Unlike many of the wireless sports headphones in the market right now, the SoundSport Wireless headphones don’t have ear or neck loops. These are usually used to make sure the headphones stay on your ears. As mentioned, the lack of this feature didn’t have any adverse effects during my workouts and actually made the unit feel less obtrusive and more comfortable.

  The SoundSport Wireless headphones don’t have any fancy fitness tracking or technology included as they sit under the more expensive SoundSport Pulse model.

Verdict

Are the SoundSport Wireless Headphones worth their mid-$200 price tag? If you seriously value audio quality and don’t need headphones with the latest heart-rate-tracking technology, then these could definitely earn a spot in your ears during a tough workout.

If you’re not after either, you could do much worse than a pair of good budget wireless headphones, such as Cygnett’s FreeRun Wireless headphones.

Pricing and availability

The SoundSport Wireless headphones have an RRP of $249 on the Bose site, although one online retailer had them for as cheap as $227.99. This positions them in high-end territory, although they're not in the $300 and above range many heart-rate-tracking models occupy.

Buy Bose SoundSport Wireless In-Ear Headphones from Amazon

Designed to deliver superb sound while resisting sweat, the Bose SoundSport wireless in-ear headphones are the perfect workout companion.

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Specifications

Where to buy