Generally, you expect earbuds to go in your ear canal. Because, you know, thats what earbuds do. But today, Bose is announcing its latest truly wireless earbudsthe Bose Sport Open Earbudsand the company claims they dont go in, over, or on your ears at all.
Well then, where the hell do they go?
According to Boses press release, the Bose Sport Open Earbuds sit above your ear canal thanks to an oddly shaped hook attachment. (Though, if you look at the picture below it sort of looks like its covering a teeny bit of the ear canal…) If you read sheet music, it sort of looks like the bass clef. Supposedly, youll be able to hear whatever youre listening to at whatever volume you want, but without other people eavesdropping. Bose says youre just supposed to twist the hook onto your ears outer ridge, and that it delivers sound with virtually no skin contact and without squeezing or vibrations. Bose claims the tiny dipole transducer in each enclosure delivers clear audio while canceling out other noise, while the microphones are capable of isolating your voice from other noise and wind.
Spec-wise, the earbuds are 48mm wide and 55mm highso it appears that these are relatively big boys. The Jabra Elite Active 75t, for example, are 19.4mm wide and 16.2 mm high. Bose also says the earbuds weigh a mere 14 grams per bud. OK, but the AirPods Pro are 5.4 grams per bud and the Jabra Elite Active 75t are 5.5 grams. For connectivity, theres both an etched antenna and Bluetooth 5.1. The earbuds also have an IPX4 rating and an estimated 8 hours of battery life.
As the name implies, these earbuds are meant for outdoor enthusiastsspecifically runners, hikers, and cyclists who want to listen to music while keeping an ear out for ambient noise, like traffic or a chatty exercise partner. There are bone conduction headphones out there that promise to do the same thing, but those are generally better for the hearing impaired or less rigorous activity. If youve ever used a pair, the sound quality isnt as good as regular earbuds, and depending on the model, they sometimes slip off your head while running.
Weve seen this sort of open audio tech from Bose beforespecifically in itsBose Frames sunglasses which double as a pair of headphones. When I tested those, they surprisingly delivered on that whole listen to your music but others cant hear it promise. Well have to test these earbuds out, however, to see whether they get you a similar experience and if the heavier weight and ear hook are comfortable enough for exercise.
The Bose Sport Open Earbuds will retail for $200, and come in Triple Black, which I guess is Boses term for very black. You can preorder online today at BestBuy or Boses website, and shipping/availability is expected sometime in the middle of this month.read more
Bose’s Weird New Earbuds Don’t Go In Your Ears
