An update to the Bose earphone line-up is on the way, bringing the price point for Bose in-earphones down to a little over $100, putting better quality earphones within reach of more people, primarily those who value high quality sound, but don’t want to spend more than $200 to get it.
Pricing is always one of the problems with headphones, because like all things, you have to spend money to get something decent, but we’re almost always happy with what we have, regardless of if we know there’s better out there.
It’s not just a question of better sound, though, as better headphones can also be better for your ears, sending more audio to your eardrums and keeping it in.
Bose hopes to grab people keen to have better sound without spending too much with a couple of new pairs, updates to its IE2/MIE2, and SIE2 line of earphones which will now be called “SoundTrue” and “SoundSport” to better match the new headphones the company has been releasing lately.
Both new pairs will take advantage of Bose’s “TriPort” technology for more detailed sound with stronger bass, while the tips rely on Bose’s “StayHear” in-ear tips with wings to keep the earphones firmly in place in the ear.
An in-line remote can be found on both pairs, offering a small amount of hands-free support for track control and volume on the iPhone and iPad (we’re told it even works on the Samsung Galaxy) and track control on other smartphones.
Bose’s SoundSport in-earphones look much the same as the SoundTrue in-ears, but there’s a difference in the build quality for the fitness-earphones, with repositioned acoustic ports made to handle sweat and rain better, while Bose has also aded a hydrophobic acoustic cloth to keep drips and moisture out of the earphones but still let sound go through.
Pricing for the earphones is similar, too, with the SoundTrue in-earphones fetching a recommended retail price of $179 with the remote, and a fairly low $129 for one without the remote, which could bring the earphones within reach of people who want good sound but don’t want to fork out an arm or a leg to make it happen.
Meanwhile, the fitness friendly earphones — the Bose SoundSport — are only available with the remote, and will come in at $199, with availability for all the models found roughly now.
