Product test

Bose SoundSport - In the spirit of Uhura

28.12.2016

Translation: machine translated

They are big, colourful and are wired wireless headphones. The Bose SoundSport - Pulse version or not - are showered with advance praise. Time to put the traditional brand's headphones to the test.

My colleague Johan is not only Swedish, but also a runner. So that he doesn't get too bored, he needs headphones that don't give up the ghost so quickly. Unlike me, Johan runs for several hours at a time. This didn't used to be a problem because headphones didn't need a battery and therefore didn't have to be recharged again and again. This is now changing. Endurance athletes are now faced with a new problem: will the batteries in the headphones survive the run? So far, marathon runners can assume "no", unless they are travelling really fast.

However, being wireless is attractive for athletes, because the fewer cables you have flapping around, the easier it is to run and the more freedom of movement you have. That's why it was clear to Johan that he would buy a pair of Bluetooth headphones after thorough research. After a few dozen hours of running, he says to me: "Try these out. I want to know what you, as a professional reviewer, think of the Bose SoundSport."

The blocks in the ear

So I got myself the Bose SoundSport Pulse. Because when I test something, I test all the features and since the Bose SoundSport Pulse are essentially just the Bose SoundSport that also measure your heart rate, the choice fell on the deluxe version. You probably also want to know whether the extra charge for the one additional feature is worth it.

Headphones

Bose SoundSport Pulse

5 h

The box is big. Very big.

This is the form factor that the US-American company, founded in 1964 by Amar G. Bose, follows through with. At 63 grams, the earbuds themselves are light, but not really compact. In addition to the part that you insert into your ear, they have a kind of lump that protrudes from the ear.

The battery lasts up to five hours according to the manufacturer. With moderate use of just over an hour a day, I charge the headphones about every three days. See, runners, this is where the headphones get interesting.

Just a little smaller. And in both ears. Like this.

The Bose SoundSport Pulse

are about the size of a two-franc flagship.
They're quite comfortable for being so big, even if I'm not a particularly big fan of the U-shaped design. In everyday life and for sports, I prefer in-ear plugs without any cables. This is despite the fact that the advantages of the U-shaped design - I'm calling them that now because the cable between the earbuds forms a U when they sag - are obvious. Because suddenly the inventors of the headphones have more space for receivers and control elements. This means that, at least in theory, some of the components could be moved to the cable harness so that the earbuds are not so bulky. With the Bose SoundSport, the engineers probably didn't fully realise this and kept the cable harness petite, but instead built everything into the earbuds, which probably led to their size.

Despite their size, the Bose SoundSport Pulse are only uncomfortable in one case: when I'm wearing a woolly hat in winter. Because then the cap presses on the earplugs, which then press into the ear and are a little uncomfortable. Otherwise, the size is not noticeable and despite the volume, the plugs are not heavy.

Outside world off, sound on

The SoundSport sweep away any concerns as soon as you use them. One feature in particular that other Bluetooth headphones lack - above all the super-compact Samsung Gear IconX - makes the Bose SoundSport a top model of Bluetooth headphones: noise cancelling. I don't have to turn the music up to what feels like concert volume to be able to completely block out my surroundings. This is particularly important to me when I'm doing sport. I need to have some kind of dominant distraction for at least the cardio part of my training. Whether that's a conversation with a training buddy, which over time turns into an exchange of heavy breaths of varying lengths, or music.

The sound is a blast. The large earbuds deliver music that is far above the level that headphones of this size should deliver. Deep bass, crystal-clear highs, everything is there. This is how headphones should sound. The SoundSport particularly shine in songs where highs and lows are constantly changing.

Cardio has never been more enjoyable. I pedal and pedal around on my bike, listen to my music and just keep pedalling. I don't know about you, but when I listen to good music or watch an exciting short documentary on YouTube during my cardio exercises, I simply last longer.

Bose has come up with something special for training with the SoundSport: a clip so that you can pin your headphones to your T-shirt and avoid them flapping around unnecessarily. It's a nice touch, but the pinned cable got in my way several times when I was lifting weights. The cable stretched and tugged at my shirt. Almost like when I used to get tangled up somewhere with my wired headphones. However, the small clip can be removed with little effort. So Bose has thought of people like me. And people who like clips. For whatever reason. Maybe the clip helps if you do group fitness or dance. Because then, unlike me, your feet aren't always firmly on the ground and you move quickly and with momentum. I just lift weights.

The app

To get the most out of your SoundSport Pulse, you need to install the Bose Connect app for Google Android or Apple iOS on your smartphone. The app doesn't do much except make your life a little easier. It makes pairing your phone and headphones easier by giving the process, which doesn't actually require a graphical user interface, a minimal GUI.

What I don't understand about the app is that it only works when your GPS module is active in the phone. I understand why GPS support is important for an app that wants to measure a distance, but I don't understand why it has to be forced in order for me to access the basic functions of the app. Because if I want to pair the SoundSport Pulse with my phone, then it really doesn't matter where I am, does it?

But the app doesn't really do much. The main screen just shows me a picture of my SoundSport Pulse and my heartbeat.

The minimalist app looks somehow relaxed

The settings are similarly streamlined. Critics online say that Bose could at least have included equaliser settings, but with the sound, this doesn't really seem necessary to me
.

To be honest, I have used the app exactly once: To give the headphones a quick update. Because Bose realises that people don't feel like fiddling with a smartphone before, during or after training. Therefore: One press on the right earbud and the female voice says "Connected to V20", whereby V20 is pronounced as "Vee-Two-Zero" with a slightly questioning undertone. V20 will probably be a different phone for you.

Conclusion

The Bose SoundSport - with or without the Pulse suffix - prove that it is possible to have all the features of wired versions without the battery lasting less than two hours.

The sound is remarkable.

The sound is remarkably good and the headphones are built in such a way that I don't have to turn the volume up to the maximum to completely block out the outside world. The sound quality is on a par with what users have come to expect from Bose, with clear sound and subtle nuances in the tone. In combination with the excellent noise cancelling, this makes music a pleasure even in noisy environments.

The app, on the other hand, could do much more. Equalisers are missing and the SoundSport seem to be designed to work without an app. The app is only necessary for updates.