OCTOBER 2019 MACWORLD 125As we’ve come to expect from Bose’s
other in-ear products, the headset’s
volume, multi-function button, and
microphone are baked into a lightweight
in-line pod that hangs about an inch and a
half below the right ear. The microphones
in the pod provided clear call quality, and
people I chatted with on the phone and
through Skype said the mic provided
decent audio voice quality while limiting
environmental noise.
These headphones also have an IPX
rating of 4, which means they can handle a
bit of rain or sweat, but you wouldn’t want
to throw them in the pool. If you finding
yourself having to hose down both
yourself and your gear after a workout,
you should consider Jaybird’s completely
waterproof X4 earphones instead.
As for battery life, Bose says the
earbuds should deliver around six hours
between charges. Based on my testing,
this is accurate. That said, keep in mind
that the volume affects the runtime, and
that they’ll require two hours of
charging via a USB power source once
they’re depleted.
And here’s a small surprise: they also
feature Tile’s tracking technology. If you’ve
got the Tile app downloaded on your
iPhone, you can make the SoundSport
Wireless headphones edit a loud chime
that should help you find them—provided
you’re within 30 feet of them.
SOUND
The SoundSport wireless headphones can
connect to two audio sources
simultaneously, so you can listen to a
movie on an iPad and take calls from your
iPhone with the same device. The
SoundSports are smart about it, too, as
they’ll pause the audio on your iPad while
you take the call and start it again once
you hang up. If you’re a one-device-at-a-
time sort of person, the free Bose Connect
app makes switching between audio
sources a cinch. I found the Bluetooth
connectivity with these earbuds to be
pretty solid up to distances of 25 to 30
feet away. I did experience occasional
hiccups in Bluetooth connectivity, but
they were few and far between.
Bose’s speakers, headphones, and
earphones are known for their detailed,
neutral sound. That’s mostly what you’llBose stuffed the battery and
most of the electronics for in
the earbuds themselves, which
makes them feel a little heavy.