Bose, one of the leading headphone and speaker manufacturers, released their very first wireless earbud, the SoundSport Free. We got our hands-on in one and let’s see what this beast can do.
Table of Contents
Design and Construction
The Bose SoundSport Free is a little big and heavy compared to some wireless earbuds out in the market, but for something this big, it’s quite a surprise that it sits comfortably in your ears thanks to its StayHear tips with wing-like nub which locks the earbuds to the fossa of the outer ear securely. All the gym fanatics out there would find the SoundSport Free just exactly what they need: it’s comfortable and stays right in your ear even with intense movements plus they’re water and sweat repellent too, but you can’t use it underwater though.
On the right earbud, you will see the multi-function button: to play, pause, skip a track or take/end calls, and volume buttons. The left earbud is where the power button is.
It also comes with a portable charging case that looks solid and completely protects your earbuds from any damages when you’re not using them.
Setup and Features
Setting it up is pretty easy, you just have to hold the power button on the left earbud then a voice prompt will tell you the battery percentage and which device it’s connected to. Switching between devices is also a piece of cake, you just have to press the power button and it will name a device per click.
We recommend you to download the Bose Connect app on your smartphones to take advantage of helpful features– one of them is the Find My Buds – it’s hard enough to locate a wired headphone, talk about finding a wireless one. You can also update the firmware on the app since this is a new lane Bose has taken, we expect constant updates for better performance. You can also access Siri and Google Assistant through the multi-function button on the right earbud.
Sound Quality and Connectivity
Bose is known for sound quality and SoundSport Free doesn’t disappoint. Indoor sound quality is pretty good with low to medium volumes; it’s nice, clear, and crisp with a good amount of bass. With outdoor use, you might want to take the volume up a notch considering the loud noise in the streets. It doesn’t completely block off any noise (which is good for safety reasons) but the audio is completely balanced that you don’t have to worry about losing your hearing when you max out the volume.
We used it for a couple of days for a lot of different things: taking calls, listening to music – indoors and outdoors, watching a movie, accessing Siri, and so far, we were impressed. We noticed an issue though like the left audio dropped while watching a movie but it could be an isolated case as it never experienced it again.
Bose definitely did their research on what people want from a wireless headphone because the sound is way smoother and richer compared to all the other wireless earbuds that I’ve ever tried. Audio is so balanced, it does not hurt your ear even at maximum volume. It also picks up your voice pretty fine as Siri can recognize your words without having to repeat yourself numerous times. So far, the SoundSport free got really high scores in my book.
Pairing with the SoundSport Free is easy to do. Just press and hold the power button and it will prompt if its ready to pair. From there it becomes detectable from your smartphone and you can just connect to it like any other Bluetooth-enabled device. It can store up to 7 devices but doesn’t support multi-point connection.
Battery Life
Bose claims that the SoundSport Free can last up to 5 hours of battery life and that’s what we’re getting. It’s not that long but it’s good enough to last a quick gym session or a heavy-traffic commute. You can add an extra 10 hours, or two charging cycles, using the portable charging case, and what’s good about it is it charges fast and you only need to charge it for 15 minutes to have 45 minutes of playtime. Quite handy.
Conclusion
Even though this is Bose’s first wireless earbuds to date, they did well in engineering this device. It stays in place even when you’re doing intense activities like running for one, has good sound quality compared to most wireless headphones in the market, and it’s durable and water and sweat resistant, only to name a few.
What we didn’t like though, is its size as it is too big to our liking. Another downside that would turn most people off would be its price. A mind-blowing Php16,500 for a pair of earbuds, that is one heck of a price tag. But hey, if you have the budget, then this is definitely worth every cent (at least your cents).
Bose SoundSport Free specs:
Headphones:1.25” H x 1” W x 1.2” D (0.5 oz each)
Case: 1.5” H x 4” W x 1.9” D (2.8 oz)
Wireless range: up to 30 ft (9 m)
Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery
Charging time: 2 hours
Battery life: up to 5 hours
What we liked:
* True wireless experience
* Great audio
* Easy to use
* Good build
* Water-repellent
* Decent battery life
What we didn’t:
* Too big for our liking
* Expensive
