124 MACWORLD OCTOBER 2019
PLAYLIST REVIEW: BOSE SOUNDSPORT WIRELESS BLUETOOTH HEADPHONESHeadphones (go.
macworld.com/sdsp) are
designed to tackle those
athletic challenges and
they handle themselves
well. They’re resistant to
the elements, they stay
secure in your ears, and I
even like their sound.
Unfortunately, a handful of
minor flaws hinder their
potential.
DESIGN
Much like Bose’s excellent
SoundSport Free true wireless earphones,
the battery and the bulk of the electronics
are stuffed in pods inside the endcaps of
each earbud. This design comes with a
number of pros and cons.
On the plus side, having all these guts
packed into the pods rather than inline on
the pods’ connective cable means that
they feel balanced and don’t bounce
around when I’m exercising. This also
eliminates much of the microphonics I
come across while testing other in-ear
headphones. On the downside, this
design makes the pods noticeably larger
and heavier than what you’ll see from
most competing Bluetooth earbuds. If
your fashion sensibility leans toward
clean-lined minimalism, these earbuds
aren’t for you.
Bose compensates for the potential
discomfort of that heft and weight with its
incredibly comfortable StayHear+ ear
tips. The tips are made from a single
piece of silicone and come in three
sizes, and they’re designed to ride
loosely on the ear’s auricle, just outside
of the auditory canal.
Since they’re not tightly squeezed
into the ear canal, though, they only
serve up a small degree of passive noise
cancellation. You wouldn’t want them if
you’re seeking a sublime auditory
experience, in other words, but their
ability to allow outside noise while
channeling the sound from your audio
source allows for increased situational
awareness. This makes them wonderful
for gym-goers, joggers, or cyclists.And with colors like that, Bose is going to make sure people see
you wearing them.