Bose SoundSport Review

The Bose SoundSport is a great sounding pair of earbuds, but all other aspects of their performance are somewhat average. This makes for a fairly good product, but there are better ones available in the same price range.

Performance Comparison

Sound Quality

The SoundSport shared the top score of 8 out of 10 in our sound quality metric with two other models. It produces solid, punchy bass and the kind of impressive clarity one would expect from a Bose product. These two things combine to form a well rounded and nuanced sound that can make anything from death metal to twangy country sound great. Just don't expect them to sound as good as Bose's over the ear headphones, unfortunately no pair of earbuds can do that.

These earbuds performed great in our testing for making phone calls. Calls sounded clear and crisp, and the microphone was able to produce clear audio for the callee.

Comfort

The SoundSport earned an average score of 6 out of 10 after our final round of comfort testing. These earbuds only come with one size of earpieces, but the earpieces are flexible enough that they are able to fit in most ear sizes. They do come with three different sizes of ear fins, which allowed everyone who tried these earbuds on in our testing to find a fairly secure fit. The only downside is that these earbuds have a large profile outside the ear. This sometimes created a slight tugging sensation when we moved our heads around that wasn't quite annoying, but noticeable.

Athletic Performance

The SoundSport only partially lived up to their name in our testing, earning an average 6 out of 10 score in our athletic performance metric. Remember that large protrusion from the ear we just mentioned? It can bounce around a bit when you're working out, which can tug on the ear a bit. We never had the earbuds fall out of our ears during testing, so we are confident the fit is secure enough for intense workouts. Plus the SoundSport's wire has a small clip that you can attach to your shirt so you won't lose them in the unlikely event that they do fall out.

Battery Life

The SoundSport slightly outlasted its claimed battery life in our testing, shutting off after 6.5 hours of continuous listening. This ended up being just a bit below the average for the 10 models we tested, but is more than enough for general working out most plane rides.

Portability

The SoundSport was again average in our portability testing with a score of 6 out of 10. Here again the large piece that protrudes from the earbuds themselves lost the SoundSport some points, these protrusions make the earbuds a bit more bulky, meaning they likely won't fit comfortably in the front pocket of your jeans.

Value

The Bose SoundSport delivers top notch sound at a list price of $150. If you're looking for a balance of great sound and reasonable athletic performance, and $150 is your maximum budget, then these earbuds are a decent value. However, the Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats also deliver top quality sound with better athletic performance, but do list for $50 more.

Conclusion