Bose AE2

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 31 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 7 stars

  Great sound quality, excellent design, very comfortable

  by TMcJilton on March 20, 2012

  Pros: Excellent design
  Very comfortable
  Great, clean sound quality

  Cons: Very under driven low end
  Useless carrying bag

  Summary: I purchased these directly from Bose to accompany a set of computer speakers I purchased (Companion 5) about 4 months ago. I use them during at night to enjoy music ...

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  Summary: I purchased these directly from Bose to accompany a set of computer speakers I purchased (Companion 5) about 4 months ago. I use them during at night to enjoy music from my computer without disturbing my fiance, or the neighbors. I am not a big Bose fan, but really liked the Companion 5 speakers, and owned a pair of Bose Tri-Port headphones in the past which I enjoyed using, so I decided to give these a try.
  
  My first impression of the headphones was that they are nearly identical to the Tri-Port headphones, but had some great improvements on the old design. I very much like that these have only one cable to the left phone, but was disappointed that they made this a proprietary connector, however I wasn't surprised knowing Bose.
  
  Upon listening for the first time, I was very surprised at the lack of low end response. My listening tastes are very wide, so I decided to try something with a very heavy bass line. There was still a lack of overall feel. The tone quality, and clarity was great, but there was just very little bass. At first, I though maybe they were defective, but I did read other reports that these didn't have the over powering low end response that the Tri-Port headphones produced. I am fine with this because I don't need it to be too heavy, I prefer a more flat tone, which can be rich when the music calls for it. However, the bass was surprisingly lacking. I decided that this was something I could live with, and that I would let the drivers break in a bit to see if they improve.
  
  The second thing I noticed was how amazingly comfortable these were to wear. I continued wearing them for an hour and almost forgot they were there. This is a big deal. No matter how good your headphones sound, if they're not comfortable, it defeats the purpose of wearing them. This is one of my favorite things about this pair of phones. I have owned several other brands, even the Beats brand (which weren't very comfy at all), and these are by far the most comfy.
  
  The overall design of these is great, and the fold flat feature would be very useful if they came with some kind of a case that took advantage of this. However, the bag that they come with doesn't do this. Folding them flat and then putting them in the bag is a bit of a task, and once in the bag, they never stay flat.
  
  So far I am enjoying the sound and comfort, but after almost 4 months of regular use it seems as if the low end isn't going to get any better. I have run some sweep tests to see if the frequency response is there, and they do produce the low end very well, its just not really there when listening to music. I just feel like there should be a bit more of a full sound with these full sized headphones regardless of what type of music. This and the carrying case are my only two complaints. If you don't enjoy too much bass, these are an excellent choice. If you're like me and want a little more of a rich sound from time to time, you may want to give these a try in a retail store before making a purchase.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  What you know about them AE2's?

  by ehc012 on March 21, 2011

  Pros: -Most comfortable headphones on the market. Hands down. No debate.
  -Not the best, but the sound quality is very rich in all areas. I think that the AE2's are a great choice for the ballad, classical, jazz, and very "vocalist" oriented music listeners. Ha

  Cons: -Wish the bass could give a bigger bang.
  -Design could be better accounted for. It's too... bland. Simple would be a generous comment.
  -It's hard/worrisome to put them away in your bag, because they fold a bit awkwardly.

  Summary: the AE2's are not the perfect headphones. But they are worth the buck, and are extremely comfortable. If I had to describe the AE2's sound and build quality ...

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  Summary: the AE2's are not the perfect headphones. But they are worth the buck, and are extremely comfortable. If I had to describe the AE2's sound and build quality in THREE words.....
  
  Smooth. Comfortable. Rich.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  Quality does not match price. Look elsewhere.

  by aoporto on April 24, 2012

  Pros: Sound quality is OK, but not in line with what was paid.

  Cons: Build quality is poor.

  Summary: Unfortunately I'm finding the quality of Bose products does not match up with their great marketing and expensive price. My headphones look brand new, they are lightly used, but ...

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  Summary: Unfortunately I'm finding the quality of Bose products does not match up with their great marketing and expensive price. My headphones look brand new, they are lightly used, but the ear cusions are falling apart. They are out of warranty so new cushions will cost more $. They were not built to last and I've hardly used them. I will avoid Bose in the future; their quality is not enough to justify their prices. Sharper Image had great marketing, look what happened to them.

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  1 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Clear, Crisp and Balanced. The essential key.

  by jbruno1991 on January 5, 2013

  Pros: Clear, Balanced audio that makes music worth listening to.
  Extremely comfortable, could wear these for hours.

  Cons: Packaging insane to open.

  Summary: What I cannot stand are the reviews of people who complain about the bass issue. As a musician and a lover of a wide pallet of music, I understand (musically), ...

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  Summary: What I cannot stand are the reviews of people who complain about the bass issue. As a musician and a lover of a wide pallet of music, I understand (musically), that bass is only supposed to accompany music, bring up the melody where the mids and highs fail. This is why, on most recordings, a bassist volume and gain is usually lower than the lead and rhythmic guitars. The bass is not supposed to consume sound, as most listeners are accustomed to hearing. That being said, these are the best headphones I have ever owned. Furthermore, they are absolutely the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn, which is the most important, since I will be listening to music for hours on end when studying. I Would recommend these to anyone.

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• 10 stars

  Super Comfortable Quality Headphones

  by MelbMatt on October 30, 2012

  Pros: Amazingly comfortable, light, great sound quality.

  Cons: Pathetic nylon carry bag. If they can include a nice hard case for the OE2 then why not for these?

  Summary: I did a lot of research into headphones and, despite some mixed reviews, I had decided to buy these. The main reason was I had tried them on in store ...

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  Summary: I did a lot of research into headphones and, despite some mixed reviews, I had decided to buy these. The main reason was I had tried them on in store and was seduced by how comfortable they were. However, just as I had made my decision I stumbled across reviews for the Audio Technich ATH-M50's. They were so overwhelmingly positive that I decided to go for those instead, sight unseen. I paid an extra $30 but thought it was going to be warranted. Well, I got the M50's and thought they sounded pretty good (though maybe not as mind-blowingly good as I had hoped). Still, I was happy, except that they just weren't very comfortable. I was regularly listening to an album that went for 90 mins, and by the last 30 mins all I wanted to do was take the headphones off. I tried leaving them overnight stretched over a speaker to lossen them, but they remained uncomfortable. Eventually I gave up and bought myself a pair of AE2's as originally planned.
  
  Well, what a difference. The AE2's are so soft and comfortable you almost rather have them on than off. It was then that I realised that comfort was more important to me than sound quality because it's no point having great sound quality if you can't stand them on your head. Having said that though, I was quietly impressed with the quality of the AE2's. At first I felt the bass was lacking, but I've had them now for 3 months and I'm sure the bass has developed over time. The sound is very crisp and clear and sounds great to my ears. I'm no audiophile, but listen to a lot of music and appreciate good quality, and these really do the job. I still have the M50's and a number of times I have swapped them over on the same song and I'm struggling to detect any real difference in quality. The M50's probably do have a slightly punchier bass, but the difference is so minimal it certainly doesn't compensate for the difference in comfort.
  
  As for quality of construction they seem pretty good. I'd be wary of taking too much notice of reviews that say the lettering rubbed off after 2 weeks. Mine is still perfect after 3 months, and the ear pads still as they were when I bought them. The internet is rife with stories of fake headphones, so if someone says the quality is crap and the lettering rubbed off then I'd take it with a grain of salt.
  
  In summary I would say these are a fabulous set of headphones that only the most discerning customer could fault. If only they could include a decent carry bag....

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• 10 stars

  Bose Is Beautiful

  by kittydlite on September 5, 2012

  Pros: Incredibly detailed sound rendering across all genres of music.
  Extremely comfortable.
  The mellow, solid bass sounds almost perfect to me, but that's a matter of taste.
  These headphones blew me away.

  Cons: Classical music sounds ever so slightly bright to my ear.

  Summary: Crisp, super clean sound with a bass that's not overbearing; those who prefer a heavier, thumping bass can adjust their equalizer settings.
  I listen to a lot of electronic ...

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  Summary: Crisp, super clean sound with a bass that's not overbearing; those who prefer a heavier, thumping bass can adjust their equalizer settings.
  I listen to a lot of electronic music and the headphones completely deliver - I had an absolute eargasm when I cranked up The Chemical Brothers. Listening to Stevie Nicks sing "Landslide" made me cry because every inflection of her voice could be heard and it was beautiful, as if I were hearing it clearly for the first time. Classical music can sound a little bright, but still substantially above average.
  Any music lover should seriously consider buying these headphones. I have only had them a month and I can say that I only "thought" I was listening to music before. These headphones open another dimension of sound.
  P.S. If you do buy them, and are a serious audiophile, try opening your mouth and then closing it to hear the difference while listening; it's interesting. Also, simply adjusting the headphones every so often to find that "sweet spot" will enhance your listening experience significantly.

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• 2 stars

  BUY THEM AND IT'LL BE YOUR LAST BOSE PRODUCT.

  by JavierMatias on June 30, 2012

  Pros: SOUND IS ok.

  Cons: BUILD QUALITY IS AS CHEAP AS POSIBLE. THEY FEEL AND LOOK CHEAP. They Bose printed letters fade away in two weeks after buy them. Quality is like 10 dollars headphones, maybe worst.

• 9 stars

  Great Headphones

  by TheFinalReview on June 10, 2012

  Pros: Good mix of sounds from low bass to high trebles. Long wire for when you're moving around (can be a con also). Light fit design. Nice folding in cups.

  Cons: Little fragile
  Cord can sometimes get in the way
  Noise pollution

  Summary: I think bose has done a good job and i would recommend these headphones to anyone who has the pocket and mind to buy them. They are much better than ...

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  Summary: I think bose has done a good job and i would recommend these headphones to anyone who has the pocket and mind to buy them. They are much better than beats in tone quality of the highs but keep steady with beats on the lows too. They are a good knock off price if you want semi-noise cancelling. I really like the detachable cord so I can use the head set as a noise buffer. Overall Bose gives you good sounding headphones for the price. All though there are cons I think that the Pros out-do them.

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• 9 stars

  Awesome Headphones

  by Ivancamara on April 22, 2012

  Pros: -Very confortable
  -Detachable cable (improves it's life and can be replaced with an iPhone version)
  -Outstanding sound quality
  -Nice noise sealing

  Cons: -Bass is too low
  -Useless carrying bag
  -Design could be more stylish

  Summary: Bose AE2 sounds amazing, it has an awesome sound purity and quality, and it's also extremely confortable and light.
  AE2's design is great. It fits with any head ...

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  Summary: Bose AE2 sounds amazing, it has an awesome sound purity and quality, and it's also extremely confortable and light.
  AE2's design is great. It fits with any head size and you'll get the maximum comfort even with large ears, like mine. Although it could be more stylish, it's not ugly or agressive, so you can use it anywhere.
  I'd recommend it for everyday use, long trips (once it's very confortable and light, in addition to the outstanding sound quality), and maybe for studio use.
  Bass is too low, but you can get a better bass by equalizing your software (yes, it gets much better), but you'll still going to hear some "rrrrs" when listening to some music styles, such as electronic, rap, hip hop or dubstep.

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• 7 stars

  Best earphone I've ever bought!

  by Avisunk6 on April 13, 2012

  Pros: Comfortable
  Excellent details, especially for the guitar sound and human voice
  High frequency sound is good also.

  Cons: Bass is not enough
  Cable looks just like that of the cheapest earphone

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