As the industry leader in active noise cancellation and a longtime pioneer in the world of digital signal processing, Bose SoundSport Free Pairing Mode has a history of incorporating the latest and greatest in audio technology while still offering superior ease of use. with products that appeal to even the most tech-savvy. – Afraid buyers. You usually pay a premium for products with the Bose logo, but anyone who’s spent time with the company’s offerings knows that, while there are better values, Bose just doesn’t sell anything bad. . Whatever you get will set up fast, to look good, and work exactly as advertised – and that equals peace of mind.
The company’s first fully wireless headphones, the SoundSport Free, follow that template. With five hours of battery life, IPX4-rated waterproofing, and impressive bass, they’re a solid first step into this explosive class. In typical Bose fashion, there are better options on the market for less money — the Sound Support Free debuted at $250 and has since dropped to $200, but it’s still $40 more than Apple’s Earpods and Jabra’s. Compact, better waterproof, and $15 more than the top. Voice Elite Active 65t.
That said, even though they offer a little less performance for a little more money, the SoundSport Free easily beats out all-wireless options, and if a friend or family member told us they’d compete against a pair If we do, we will definitely not stop it.
Bose SoundSport Free Pairing Mode: Design
The SoundSport Free comes in either all-black or gradient blue with neon yellow accents. A large disc with each earpiece contains the battery, antenna, and various other mission-critical functionality, suspended well away from your ears when you put them in. Actually put them in your ears, thanks to the clever use of silicone.
The combined fin/ear tip section sports a joint at the end of each earphone to place them comfortably in your ears, where they balance well despite their large form factor. We had no problem wearing them for hours on end, which isn’t something we can say about many wireless in-ears.
As with most truly wireless in-ears, there’s a basic array of controls on the top of each earpiece to keep you from reaching for your cell phone. The right earpiece has a set of three buttons — volume up and down with a multifunction play/pause button in the middle — while the left has just the Bluetooth pairing button.
It takes about two hours to charge the headphones in the case, giving about five hours of playback before returning to their plastic home. The case will get you two more charges of 15 hours of juice on the go For collation, Apple’s industry-leading AirPods offer the same five-hour playback time and 24-hour charging time from the case.
One of the cooler features of the SoundSport Free is its voice battery check which tells you how much battery level you have left every time you take the earphones out of the case and put them back. USB port and Bose logo on top. It’s slightly larger than cases from the likes of Apple and Jabra, likely due to the sheer size of the headphones it needs to fit inside.
Bose SoundSport Free Pairing Mode: Setup
The SoundSport Free earbuds were fairly easy to pair out of the box, as they were automatically in pairing mode. There’s an app that Bose prompts you to download before pairing, but I didn’t find this step necessary. Setting up a new device is as easy as holding down the button on the left earbud for a few seconds.
Although Bose doesn’t advertise the Bluetooth version used, it appears to be Bluetooth 4.0 or 4.1, as you can’t pair two devices simultaneously. This might be a problem for people who like to switch between laptops and phones often, but for me, it wasn’t a big deal because once you connect your devices, it’s just Bluetooth. Between them is a menu for the button.
I noticed very little Bluetooth interference, even in high-traffic areas surrounded by many other wireless signals. It’s a bit annoying when it happens with the SoundSports as it cuts back and forth on each ear in a sharp pan before it goes back in.
Another quirk that isn’t readily apparent when looking at the earbuds is that phone calls are only possible through the right earbud. Even if both earbuds are turned on and connected, phone call audio will be fed directly into the right bud. It kind of makes sense nostalgically because that’s how you’d work with a standard phone, but I can’t help but think it’s an odd choice on Bose’s part when so many people use their earbuds. are used to making phone calls in stereo.
Bose SoundSport Free Pairing Mode: Performance
Bose has never been known as a company that offers a truly flat or transparent sound signature, instead leaning towards the kind of low-end and sparkling treble that make songs sound more dynamic and energetic. Come on — if a little muddy at times. While we generally prefer the more clinical performance of competitors’ over-ear headphones compared to Bose over-ears like the QC25, we actually enjoyed the SoundSport Free headsets quite a bit, in the fully wireless space. Easily keeps up with its competitors.
When pitted against tamer sound signatures like the Jabra Elite Active 65t, the SoundSport Free brings a stronger punch to the bass that really makes classic hip-hop and soul music pop. On the other end, the sound profile doesn’t sound as sharply sculpted as we usually hear from the company’s products.
While we often listen to more upbeat music, we really enjoyed this punchier lower tempo during exercise. Always enjoyed going to AC/DC, Chance the Rapper, and other workout favorites.
That said, we wished for more midrange clarity when listening to favorites like Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain in our testing library. We didn’t find the same depth of acoustic guitar offered by Jabra’s Elite 65t (our favorite fully wireless earbuds).
Still, SoundSport freeholds their own; As with other prime examples, they compare to banded Bluetooth headphones that run for about half the price, making their sound capabilities quite competitive.
Comfort
One of the most distinctive features of the Bose SoundSport Free earbuds is how they fit in the ear. Most true wireless headphones today use a round rubber ear tip that is designed to completely seal your ear, isolating outside noise and applying pressure to stay secure. It’s great for sound quality but can get a bit muffled during exercise, trapping sweat and heat. It also has the tendency to not sit well with everyone. Over the last few weeks of testing a range of truly wireless buds, we’ve learned that the “two points of contact” method is best for a few reasons, and we’ll use the SoundSport-free mechanism to explain them.
The StayHear+ Sport tips have two parts: an arm that comes up to cling to your outer ear, and a wide, flatter ear tip that presses into your ear but leaves a very slight gap. . Thanks to these two touch points, we never had to worry about the SoundSports falling out of our ears—no small feat given that my awkward in-ears don’t fit at all.
But it’s more than that. The fact that the ear tips allow some air to flow in and out of the ears means that these buds can be easily worn for long listening sessions and intense workouts. Even though they’re big, they weigh less than half an ounce each, so once you put them in, you forget you’re wearing them. There are three size choices for the ear tips, so there’s some order, but for the most part, Bose has really nailed the fit here.