[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I got these through the Bose trade-in program and I couldn't be happier with them. The sound design works in such a way that, when I first tried them, I kept checking my phone to make sure the sound wasn't just coming from its speaker.
That was honestly ideal--I often want to listen to podcasts and things through my phone speaker, but don't out of courtesy to my housemates. I have another pair of noise canceling earbuds which I love, but those can make it hard to hear when someone knocks at the door or my dog needs to go out, etc. I also find it far more comfortable to do things like eat or brush my teeth while wearing the ultra open earbuds--there's none of that sensation that comes from hearing your own chewing sounds too loudly.
Of course, where these really shine is outdoors. Wearing them on a hike or bike ride is perfection. You can hear the sounds of nature (or the sounds of another bike rider asking to let them pass), all while the outdoor sounds stay shockingly well-balanced with the music/ebook sounds coming through the earbuds. Though I wouldn't necessarily advise wearing these by a busy highway, for instance, as they can certainly be overpowered by loud enough outdoor sounds!
I find them surprisingly comfortable. The fit takes some getting used to, as it doesn't feel very secure at first. But I've worn these while jumping rope, bike riding, and jogging, and they've never gotten close to falling out.
One surprising use-case that I've found for them is to listen to white-noise in bed (rain sounds, for instance). The spatial sound features make it feel like you're "there," and add to the overall soothing atmosphere.
That's not to say that I don't have my issues, most of which come down to connectivity. They simply don't work well when paired to multiple devices--I can't get them to play my phone music unless they're connected only to my phone. I also had a strange hiccup where the sound wasn't playing out of the right earbud, and I had to reset them.
I also find their push-button controls to be a bit awkward. The button itself is great (I much prefer a clicky button to the soft tap functionality of many earbuds), but I'm not a fan of the "double-press to skip ahead, triple-press to skip backward" kind of control scheme. At the very least, I'd appreciate the ability to have more customization over the controls and which button does what.
I'll also note that these are pricey. I have many friends who I think would enjoy these earbuds (particularly friends with sensory issues) but it's hard to recommend them at the current price point. And, like I said, I got them at a reduced price through a trade-in, so it's hard to say if I would feel that they were worth it at full price.
I'm giving them 5 stars, but my feeling is that they're more of a 4.5 star product (rounded up). I love them a lot, but there are some hiccups in their functionality (that I expect Bose will iron out with future firmware updates and the like).
All that being said...I'm extremely happy with my purchase. The ultra open earbuds really feel "revolutionary," while still being extremely practical. I was worried that they would be too niche for me to use much. I certainly didnt expect to reach for them over my noise-canceling earbuds. But I've found myself using them extremely regularly. The sound quality is amazing, and somewhat mimics the experience of listening to music through a multiroom speaker setup (though I wouldn't expect these to replace my speakers any time soon). They're a joy to experience, and they add some peace of mind in knowing that I'm not missing anything in the world around me.
