Harley Benton Mighty-15TH Test

Harley Benton Mighty-15TH Test

The Harley Benton Mighty-15TH is a tube amp for very little money. Not even 250 euros are due for a class A amp with master volume in a solid metal housing, and if you don't want to do without tube power at home or want to take a portable amplifier to band rehearsals and sessions, you could have fun with this small metal box.

But this amplifier could also be used for recordings or other occasions where the volume does not have to be blatantly high. Of course, the prerequisite is that the sound is right, and the following test should find that out.

Metal is popular for the case, because the Mighty-15TH comes in a steel robe, painted black on the sides and on the control panel, only the front and back are decorated with a gray grid plate that allows a glimpse of the inner workings. And there you will find two 12AX7 tubes in the preamp and two EL84 provide steam in the power amp. The latter delivers an output of 15 watts, which can also be reduced to 7 watts using a switch on the control panel. There is also an indicator tube inside that provides information about the status and level (gain) of the preamp.

 The two green bars deflect strongly when the signal is more distorted, and correspondingly less with less distortion. This tube has no effect on the sound but is a good and smart alternative to the status LED on the control panel, which is therefore not needed with this amp. 

However, this variant can also lead to confusion if nothing lights up immediately after switching on. You only see the readiness for operation when the tubes glow. The amplifier can be transported with the foldable carrying handle - also made of metal, but with a rubberized border - in a relaxed and well-balanced manner, with a weight of 5.8 kg that's not so dramatic. In order to keep the heat development inside the amp within limits, various ventilation slots have also been incorporated into the housing on the top and sides. The underside is equipped with four large rubber feet on which the amp has a secure and non-slip hold on smooth surfaces.

control panel 

The amplifier is equipped with a Class A circuit and designed as a single channel with master volume. All control and switching options are located on the control panel, and they are clearly structured and manageable: gain and volume control the degree of distortion and the overall volume, for a little more gain the boost switch next to the input socket can be activated. A three-band tone control with bass, middle and treble is available for adjusting the timbre, and that's it - simple, straightforward and without frills. Small chickenhead buttons were used for the controls, the pots themselves make a solid impression, nothing wobbles here and everything looks very stable and roadworthy. At such a low price I have had devices with wobbly potentiometers here and there, switches or loose sockets, but that is actually not the case here. As far as processing is concerned, the amp makes a very good impression. On the far right you will find the power and standby switches. In standby mode, the switch is in the middle, if you tilt it down, 15 watts of power are output, and the reduced power of 7 watts is announced upwards.

Rear Panel/Connectors

The remaining connections are on the back, and these are three speaker-out jack sockets to which the following cab combinations can be connected: 1×8Ω, 1×16Ω, 2×16Ω. This is followed by the connection for the cold device cable - effects loop-in path or foot switch connection are not announced here. Of course it would be nice to control the boost function with a foot switch, but that's not possible with the pricing.

Of course, the first question with a 15-watt amp is always whether it's loud enough. The answer: Yes, it is! As far as sound pressure is concerned, the difference between 15 watts and 7 watts is of course rather unspectacular. At 15 watts, the amp is a bit louder than in 7-watt mode, but most importantly it has a bit more headroom and doesn't drive into power amp distortion as quickly. You get that more in 7-watt mode.

For recording, the Mighty-15TH is paired with a Universal Audio OXconnected, the signal from the OX then goes directly to the hard disk. The basic sound with the medium setting of the tone control is very balanced and warm, the highs are not as strong as, for example, with a Fender or Vox amp in a neutral setting. 

With a gain below 12, the tone with single coil pickups remains undistorted, with humbuckers a slight overdrive with a smoky tone is generated. It continues with the distorted sounds, and the gain control has reached the 1 p.m. mark. The boost function adds a subtle level of distortion, which I think could be a bit more. The response to the touch dynamics is okay and with the volume control on the guitar, the degree of distortion can be reduced even with high gain settings. The degree of distortion and the type of distortion sound can also be set very well with gain and volume - the preamp distortion via gain and the power amp distortion starts at 3 p.m. with volume settings. In the fourth example, you hear the different sounds first preamp distortion with gain at 3 and volume at 12. Then the whole thing is reversed and finally gains volume at 3.

The bandwidth in the degree of distortion on the amp ranges from clean to the robust mid-gain board, and a lot can be adjusted with that. Viewed under the acoustic magnifying glass, the Mighty-15TH sounds a bit dull as far as the timbre is concerned, the highs don't pearl excessively and the low frequencies sometimes get a bit muddy, and the distorted sound sometimes sounds a bit sticky. But in fairness, don't lose sight of the price tag, which is notoriously hard to expect for a boutique amp. Seen in this way, it cuts a fine figure and also gets along very well with all kinds of effect pedals. Here you can spice up the slightly colorless sound with a few character pedals, which would definitely be my preferred area of ​​application: set the amp to reasonably clean, treble turn it up a little further slightly reduce the mids and finally bring some color into play with a distortion pedal.

Conclusion

The Harley Benton Mighty-15TH convinces as a no-frills tube amp in lunch-box format. The amplifier comes in a solid metal housing, clean workmanship, with a class A tube circuit and power attenuator. The latter throttles the 15 watt amp down to 7 watts and offers power amp saturation at a moderate volume. The amplifier is definitely suitable for the rehearsal room, but the clean reserves are not very high, which is completely normal with this power. The amp can be used to create classic rock sounds up to the middle distortion board á la AC/DC or similar sounds, but you have to make a few compromises in terms of sound. The Mighty-15TH looks a bit colorless, which is also due to the low price. But he gets along very well with effect devices and cuts a consistently official figure in combination with them.

Technical specifications

• Manufacturer: Harley Benton
• Model: Mighty 15TH
• Type: tube amp head
• Output power: 15 watts
• Tube assembly: 2x 12AX7 (preamp), 2x EL84 (power amp), 6E2 (indicator tube)
• Panel Controls: Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Volume
• Control Panel Switches: Boost, 7W/15W/Standby, Power
• Connections: Input (Front), 3x SpeakerOut (1×16Ω, 1×8Ω, 2×16Ω), Mains In
• Dimensions: 350 x 162 x 162 mm (W x H x D)
• Weight: 5.8kg
• Selling price: 229.00 euros (October 2020)

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image credit: SVSSOUND

svs subwoofer

What is the ideal subwoofer for a home cinema? Small, so that it is easy to hide, powerful so that it can shake and tickle your nerves properly, flexible in setting so that you don’t want to run away from the room with your ears plugged ... The only problem is that the listed requirements are largely contradictory. And only the leaders of the subwoofer industry manage to achieve a certain optimum.

The United States is rightfully considered a trendsetter in the field of home cinemas and equipment for their equipment. And it is American companies that often offer the most interesting solutions and products in this area. The firm SVS Sound from Ohio, famous for its subwoofers, is undoubtedly one of them. Starting at the end of the last century with a very small volume of products distributed via the Internet, today it has grown into a major designer and manufacturer of acoustic systems with a worldwide distribution network.

SVS SB 3000

In the 3000 series active subwoofer, SVS has concentrated its most advanced technologies and solutions, both in terms of driver design and amplification, as well as in the field of fine-tuning the sound of bass modules. The series offers two variants of active subwoofers - bass-reflex (model PB-3000) and closed (SB-3000) acoustic design. Moreover, the first option will cost 60 thousand more, despite the fact that it is much more difficult to achieve deep bass in a closed acoustic design. Both models are available in black ash veneer vinyl, while the SVS SB-3000 subwoofer is also available in piano black lacquer. 

The manufacturer declares the lower limit of the subwoofer's operating range at around 18 Hz at a level of -3 dB, which looks absolutely fantastic for a case of this size, coupled with a closed acoustic design.

The heart of the subwoofer is a new original speaker with an unusual 13-inch aluminum cone, which was developed by SVS Sound engineers specifically for the 3000 series. flat wire, and a lightweight but durable aluminum diffuser with a dust cap made of composite material - all this characterizes a thorough approach of the developers, in which there are no trifles. The driver is long-stroke, the diffuser is mounted on a powerful flexible parabolic suspension, which allows piston movement and, as a result, minimization of distortion even at high sound pressure levels. The diffuser's love of energetic movement is indirectly hinted at by a rigid, curved metal grill that provides the necessary living space for the driver. However, the protective grille is removable, and without it, in our opinion, the subwoofer looks better.

Such an extraordinary driver needs an equally impressive amplification, which is entrusted here to the proprietary Sledge STA-800D2 module, the output stages of which are made on field-effect transistors and work in class D. The amplifier is distinguished by the ability to deliver high current to the load, which allows very precise control of the dynamic head. Its nominal (RMS) power reaches an impressive 800 watts, and at the peak, the module is capable of providing up to 2.5 kilowatts. At the same time, the manufacturer declares the lower limit of the subwoofer's operating range at around 18 Hz at a level of -3 dB, which looks absolutely fantastic for a case of this size, coupled with a closed acoustic design.

But that's not all. The SVS 3000 Series subwoofers feature a microprocessor-based sound calibration unit based on Analog Devices' powerful 56-bit 50MHz DSP, controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth from your smartphone. That is, all the usual adjustments of level, cutoff frequency, phase, and the like, which are usually performed by the handles on the back wall of the subwoofer case, can now be made on the gadget screen without getting up from the couch. In addition to convenience, this feature allows, if desired, to adjust the settings directly during the viewing process. But using such tools only to adjust a couple of parameters would, of course, be wasteful.

The application for smartphones running Android and iOS implements much more extensive functionality. In addition to the ready-made Movie, Music and Custom presets, you can activate a three-band parametric equalizer in which you can set the quality factor and correction depth for each selected frequency. The result will be immediately displayed on the smartphone screen and ... heard in operation. Among other things, the special Room Gain Compensation functionality allows you to effectively deal with standing waves in the room by activating a notch filter with a variable slope at a certain frequency. Thus, you can "cut" the desired section of the frequency response, getting rid of the unpleasant effect caused by standing waves.

The patch panel is rather austere - there is a low-level stereo input on RCA connectors, one of which can receive an LFE signal, as well as a stereo low-level output for organizing a chain of subwoofers if necessary. The absence of high-level switching clearly hints at the subwoofer's cinema orientation. Separately, it is worth mentioning the possibility of connecting an optional proprietary wireless module SVS Soundpath Wireless Audio Adapter, for which a USB port is provided on the rear wall. Getting rid of the cable to the subwoofer in the home theater is a very tempting prospect, given that the subwoofer can be installed in the most unexpected places.

The SVS SB-3000 subwoofer was tested in a 5.1 home theater system with a Pioneer UDP-LX500 4K player, an Emotiva MC-700 AV processor, an Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 3 five-channel power amplifier, and OSD Black Signature Series surround speakers.

The special functionality of Room Gain Compensation allows you to effectively deal with standing waves in the room by activating a notch filter with a variable slope at a certain frequency. Thus, you can "cut" the desired section of the frequency response, getting rid of the unpleasant effect caused by standing waves.

The surprise that arose immediately after the start of listening to the system with the SVS SB-3000 subwoofer did not leave throughout the test. It was caused by a clear discrepancy between the size of the compact cube and the quantity, and most importantly, the quality of the bass that it reproduced. The subwoofer was able to demonstrate all the advantages of the chosen closed acoustic design - elastic, very collected and fast-firing bass, which allows you to very realistically work out the most dynamic scenes of modern blockbusters.

At the same time, the ability of the device to reproduce really low tones is surprising, which is usually a problem for subwoofers in a closed design. The elasticity and speed of the bass gave the heavy gunfights in Battleship the necessary solidity and realism, and the reference ship attack scene for testing subwoofers in Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World made you literally bend down in your chair. The heavy tread of a soldier in an exosuit in the scene of the arrival of recruits to the planet Pandora from the famous Avatar makes the floor tremble without losing its clarity. Separately, we note the very well-coordinated, almost seamless operation of the SVS SB-3000 with rather modest volume OSD Black Signature Series wall monitors, the sound of which was given the necessary solidity by the subwoofer. Brilliant performance.

SVS FEATURES

Type - active subwoofer | Name - SVS SB-3000 | price, rub. – 139,990 (Black Ash finish) / 154,990 (Piano Black finish) | Frequency response, Hz - 18 - 270 (+/- 3 dB) | Emitter, cm - 33.0 | Acoustic design - closed enclosure | Amplifier power, W - 800 RMS (up to 2500 at peak) | Audio inputs - RCA (2) | Audio outputs - RCA (2) | Optional - DSP, Bluetooth control via smartphone app, USB wireless adapter (optional) | Dimensions, cm - 38.5 x 39.7 x 45.1 | Weight, kg - 24.7 | TTX source -SVS SUBWOOFER

Conclusion:

The SVS SB-3000 subwoofer is capable of accompanying movie viewing with thunderous, but at the same time very high-speed bass of the highest standard, and its modest size does not fit in with such an impressive sound. And a very convenient computer wireless setup and control system is just a cherry on a luxurious cake.

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svs prime tower speaker review

svs prime tower speaker review

 The American company SVS continues to develop its success in the classic speaker market. The second Prime line uses the achievements of the debut Ultra series, but due to the lower price, the novelty is available to a wider range of customers.

Last year, we celebrated a landmark event - the growth of SVS from a highly specialized, exclusively focused on the production of subwoofers to a classic loudspeaker manufacturer.

The group of enthusiasts that founded SVS in 1998 originally planned to conquer the subwoofer market. They believed that a high-quality subwoofer could cost significantly less than the devices on the market at that time. As a result, SVS was able to win a niche for itself, thereby proving its case and simultaneously forcing other manufacturers to look for a more favorable price / quality ratio for the buyer.

And now, 15 years later, the company enters the classic speaker market with the Ultra line and the same revolutionary idea of ​​“High End to the masses”. The first-born were taken extremely seriously, having worked out the design to the smallest detail using the latest design tools. For their price, the speakers had exceptionally high sound quality, as the experts of our magazine could see for themselves.

The company took the next step in October 2014 by announcing a new line of SVS Prime. Engineers tried to reduce the cost of the speakers, but close attention was also paid to design optimization. The task was made easier by the experience already accumulated as a result of the development of the Ultra line. This is certainly an interesting event for a wide range of buyers, as high-quality speakers have become even more affordable. How high-quality, we will find out on the example of the flagship of the line - floorstanding speakers SVS Prime Tower.

two towers

The Prime lineup includes the Prime Tower, Prime Bookshelf, Prime Center, and Prime Satellite. Outwardly, the speakers resemble their Ultra predecessors - the same rigor in design, the same beveled edges, and the same black piano lacquer. However, there is also a more modest version of the finish with a matte front panel and black ash laminate. It should be noted that it was the satellites in the Prime Satellite 5.1 cinema set that caused the most enthusiastic reviews from foreign observers. The general opinion of experts coincides with the goal of the company - the speakers sound exceptionally good for their price.

The floor model SVS Prime Tower is assembled in a relatively small case with a height of 930 mm. The radiators are compactly shifted upwards, and the bass drivers make full use of the entire available cabinet width. All diffusers are black, without any embellishments. On the one hand, this emphasizes rigor and solidity, on the other hand, it looks simple and utilitarian, like the design of professional monitor acoustics.

Behind the external simplicity and compactness lies a 3.5-way audio signal distribution scheme. A neatly tuned crossover evenly stitches the frequency range of different radiators. It is assisted by two ports of independent phase inverters tuned to different frequencies. This distribution improves bass uniformity and sensitivity. Unusually, the diameter of the horns is small and there is no smoothly expanding bell as such. Nevertheless, looking ahead, it should be noted that no hints of noise from the movement of air through them can be heard.

An aluminum dome tweeter was chosen as the tweeter because its frequency response is best matched to that of the mid-range driver. To improve the sound quality of the aluminum dome, a diffusion washer is installed in front of it. Its performance has been optimized by the Finite Element Method (FEA) to achieve a clean, airy high-end.

The new midrange and woofers are equipped with filled polypropylene cones. They have a very attractive stiffness-to-weight ratio. To reduce inductive interference and distortion, aluminum rings are installed in the magnetic gap of the speakers. The voice coils are freely ventilated, which eliminates the effect of air compression and facilitates cooling.

Baskets are made of impact-resistant ABS plastic with carbon and fiberglass filling. Such a mixture turned out to be not only very strong, but also capable of additionally removing heat from the magnetic system.

The midrange driver is placed in its own acoustically isolated compartment to reduce crosstalk and, consequently, distortion. Each woofer also has its own separate compartment with a bass reflex. The crossover is built around premium capacitors and air-core inductors. To connect to the amplifier, one pair of classic screw terminals is used.

All models in the Prime line are individually tuned for the most accurate tonal match with each other. In addition, "primes" can work in conjunction with models of the Ultra line. This means that you can safely assemble music and cinema systems of any complexity without facing the problem of matching the sound of the speakers.

related traits

The sound of SVS Prime Tower is collected and at the same time slightly softened and comfortable. The musical material is presented lively and cleanly. Despite some limitations in the dynamic range, the intonation character of the compositions is conveyed quite accurately, with good articulation. Timbre information is conveyed with minor simplifications.

Meanwhile, the speakers do not add their own color to the sound, leaving the musical scene very clean, and interpret the musical concept close to the original. The model lacks accuracy in working out quiet details, in microdynamics. Instead, the details are slightly accentuated, which brings the music stage closer to the listener, hiding the airiness and volume. The upper register is present in sufficient volume to maintain the correctness of the overall tonal balance. The development of high-frequency details and its frequency reserve are at the average level characteristic of Hi-Fi speakers.

Noticeably better intelligibility is provided at information-rich medium and low frequencies. Complex musical compositions are not blurred, they sound impressive. The bass is tight and fast. Its depth is quite good, but its tonal definition decreases towards the lowest frequencies. Speakers work best with fast and energetic compositions. SVS keeps the rhythm well. The sound is comfortable and clear, however, for the full disclosure of high-quality acoustic and electronic recordings, there is a little lack of detail and saturation. However, sometimes it is even for the better.

The SVS Prime Tower model can be described as a solid Hi-Fi model with a pleasant and very clear sound. The novelty does not compete with its more expensive predecessor SVS Ultra Tower, but it supports 100% related features.

Measurement results and passport data of acoustics SVS Prime Tower

The speakers show a very flat frequency response from 80 Hz all the way up to 20 kHz along the sound axis. With the turn of the speaker from the listener, the frequency response changes slightly, which means they are broadly directed. The drop in sensitivity in the bass is typical for small floor standers. The lower frequency limit is quite modest - 54 Hz.

The SOI of the speakers is very good: in the working area it does not exceed 0.5%, and in practice for the most part it is still much lower. A noticeable increase in distortion begins only at frequencies below 30 Hz, when their level still does not exceed 2%. This is an excellent result, not always achieved even by high-end models. SOI depends very little on the volume, which demonstrates a good margin in terms of dynamics and power (up to 250 W at nominal). Speaker impedance behaves quite well. Its average value is slightly short of 6 ohms, and the deviations from this value are small.

svs prime tower speaker  Features

Average THD

100Hz - 20kHz, 94/88/82dB: 0.11/0.14/0.22%

40-100Hz, 94/88/82dB: 0.52/0.40/0.37%

Sensitivity at 1 kHz: 87.26 dB

Low cutoff frequency (-10 dB): 54 Hz

Frequency response unevenness

100 Hz - 20 kHz: +/-1.14 dB

160-1300 Hz: +/-0.31 dB

1300 Hz - 20 kHz: +/-1.15 dB

300 Hz - 5 kHz: +/-1.01 dB

Medium flatness (30° angle): +/-4.55 dB

Unbalance (160-1300 Hz): -0.25 dB

Unbalance (1300 Hz - 20 kHz): -0.57 dB

Unbalance (30° angle): -4.45 dB

Impedance

RMS: 1.96 ohm

Average: 5.81 ohms

Maximum value: 12.29 ohms

Minimum value: 3.52 ohms

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SVS Prime Tower Speaker  Specifications

Frequency range: 30 - 25,000 Hz

Number of bands: 3.5

Crossover Frequency: 165/350/2100Hz

Tweeter: 25 mm, aluminum

MF driver: 114 mm, polypropylene

Woofer: 2x165 mm, polypropylene

Acoustic design: phase inverter

Sensitivity: 87 dB

Impedance: 8 ohm

Rated power: 20-250W

Dimensions (HxWxD): 930x203x295 mm

Weight: 18.2 kg

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image credit: Bose

Bose Soundsport Earbuds

 Whether you're looking for the best running headphones or the best sports headphones, chances are you've been looking for what the Bose catalog has to offer. After all, this is a brand that has built a solid reputation for producing some of the best wireless sports headphones on the market in recent years.

But should you consider. Bose sports headphones? Their introduction follows on the heels of the excellent Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, of which we are huge fans. The big question is, how much of that brilliance has Bose managed to pass on to its cheaper siblings? Some elements have, of course, been sacrificed and changed to achieve a lower price; but is there the same character? If so, we might be looking at five-star shooting.

Bose Soundsport Earbuds Review

Design and build

The design and construction of the Bose SoundSport Earbuds is a cross between the new QuietComfort headphones and an old pair of true wireless Bose SoundSport Free headphones.

The shells are smaller and slightly more rounded than the ones you get with the QuietComforts, although they still protrude just as far from your ears. They don't look ridiculous, however, and look much thinner than the SoundSport Free, though nowhere near as thin as rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live.

image credit: Bose

The Bose Sport earphones seem to be a bit cheaper than their siblings, as they use more durable plastic on the touch surfaces. This, of course, was to be expected. They are also slightly lighter than the QuietComforts at 6.75g (vs. 8.5g for the QuietComforts).

You have a choice of three finishes: Triple Black, Glacier White or Baltic Blue from our review sample.

Bluetooth version 5.1

Noise Cancellation No

Battery life 5 hours (15 with charger)

Voice control Siri, Google Assistant

Completes x3

As has become the norm for Bose wireless earphones lately, you only come with silicone tips in three different sizes (small, medium, and large). We would normally criticize this selection as quite limited were it not for the fact that it is relatively easy for us to find the right size. The combination of large, soft, and flexible silicone eartips (Bose calls them "umbrella"), combined with the equally soft wing tips, really helps the earbuds sit securely in place without pushing them into your ear canal. This also makes them comfortable for long listening sessions.

The tips are easy to swap out too - other manufacturers can definitely learn a thing or two about the ease with which you can take one headphone off and put the other on.

The isolation you get from the Bose headphones is good, though we'd be lying if we said we didn't miss out on the efficiency and noise-canceling level provided by the QuietComfort. Headphones. Yes, they're more expensive, but it's not uncommon to get noise canceling headphones even at that price. Let's take the excellent Sony WF-SP800N as an example.

image credit: Bose

Capabilities

The bose soundsport headphones are IP4 rated, which means they are sweat and weather resistant, so you shouldn't have any problems if you get caught in a light downpour while on your weekly 5K run.

Battery life averages five hours per charge, and the carrying case provides two more full charges for a total of 15 hours. That compares to six hours and two extra charges of the QuietComfort headphones and a full nine hours on a single charge from the Sony WF-SP800N. You should be able to take a dead battery from zero to two hours with a 15-minute quick charge via USB-C. Unlike QuietComfort, there is no wireless charging here.

image credit: Bose

The carrying case for the Bose Sport headphones is slightly smaller and narrower than the QuietComfort headphones. It's a little longer due to the way the buds are arranged inside. A group of five LEDs on the front show you how much battery is left in the case, and inside there is a pairing button that you will need to press every time you want to connect the buds to a new source.

We find the pairing process a little tricky and inconsistent. We're trying to pair them with iPhones and MacBooks, switching between them manually in the app when needed. But the transition isn't as smooth as we think. Sports headphones also have trouble simply reconnecting to the same device and we have to try restarting the pairing process several times. We really didn't have these issues with the QuietComfort headphones.

That you cannot be connected to two sources at the same time, such as a laptop to listen to music and a phone to make or receive random calls. You must switch manually in the Bose Music app. You will need to download the app on your Android or iOS smartphone before using them for the first time.

The old version of the Bose Soundsport Free used to have physical controls, but the sports headphones follow the steps of the QuietComfort headphones with touch controls built into the surface of the earpiece. Most of the controls you need are supported, including pause, play, and skip forward. Double-tap the right earbud to play, pause, or answer/reject calls. Press and hold your finger on the right earpiece to call the voice assistant.

Double-tapping the left earpiece skips forward, but, oddly enough, there is no way to return to the beginning of the track. Not exactly a good option, but a strange omission, considering that almost all competitors offer this functionality.

Thanks to a recent firmware update, you can also assign the touch surface on the right earcup as a volume control. Swipe up and down to decrease them, and swipe up to, you guessed it, increase the volume.

Call quality is quite good by earphone standards. The microphones are in the right earcup, which is the primary one, and your voice sounds relatively clear under normal conditions. You do hear wind noise when you use them outside, but it's not enough to make us use them.

image credit: Bose

Sound

Given the performance of their noise canceling siblings, we had high hopes for the Bose Sports Earbuds. And to a large extent they work. We can't help but be impressed by their measured approach. Every track we play is handled fairly and honestly. High frequencies do not irritate or irritate.

Low frequencies are not overcooked, as they can be found in less efficient wireless headphones. The bass notes have richness and fullness, but they never sound fat and sloppy. Bose's enthusiastic and flamboyant presentation ensures they don't linger at the reception. When you first listen, they really draw you in.

Play Sting and the Police's defeat you and this plucked bass has a great sense of weight as it expresses this reggae influence. The drum beats sound solid and precise, propelling the song forward at a constant speed. There's a fullness and richness to Sting's vocals that isn't stuffy, but you feel he's a bit lacking in terms of direct expression. The best pairs of headphones for the money sound clearer and reveal a little more detail.

Play End Credits from Pirates of the Caribbean: Stranger Tides and the orchestra sound rich and detailed - although, again, the very best takes away a few extra layers of detail and delivers dynamics with more refinement. The track does not reach the same heights as when listening through, say, the Sony WF-1000XM3. The strings don't sparkle as much and their dynamism feels a bit stunted when you listen to a track through the Bose. Sports headphones are still very comfortable to listen to, they just don't make music as special as the best at this level.

Verdict

The Bose Sport Earbuds are a good pair of wireless earbuds, but we won't call them great. Their musical and powerful balance is easy to get along with, and would be a good fit for those who love sports who don't really need a bass-heavy sound; but they don't have the sophistication or subtlety needed for a five-star rating at this price point.

ASSESSMENTS

• Sound 4
• Build 4
• Comfort 5

Reviewers Liked

• One of the best-sounding wireless headphones yet
• Well-designed charging bass
• Comfortable to wear and stay in place during exercise routines
• Water resistant
• Rock solid connection

Reviewers Didn't Like

• Relatively large buds stick out of ear
• Noise isolation is lacking for noisy environments like a gym
• Expensive compared to competition
• High price tag

Bose Soundsport Earbuds Price  $139.99

Website - bose soundsport earbuds

Bose Soundsport Earbuds Specs

Wireless Connectivity

Bluetooth	4.1
Wireless Range	30' / 9.1 m
NFC	None

Wired Connectivity

Charging Port

Pins

Battery

Battery Chemistry	Lithium-Ion
Runtime	5 Hours 5 Days (Standby)
Recharge Time	1.5 Hours

Charging Case

Additional Runtime	10 Hours
Charging Interface	Micro-USB

Physical

Material of Construction

Plastic, Silicone

Packaging Info

Package Weight	1.05 lb
Box Dimensions (LxWxH)	8 x 6.1 x 2.1"

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