Bose AE2 audio headphones – My pleased favorites for a long period have been in-the-ear-type headphones. Commenced off with Shure e2c then e5, then Etymotic ER6i, last but not least ER4P and that is king from the road to my ears. However truly pleasant sounding, have generally had to battle to fit them just right from the ears for respectable reaction specifically bass (the “good air seal” thing). Utilized a variety of ear cushions, moisteners, tugged & pushed them way in (often irritating ears), etc, with fantastic results only sometimes. If you have to take them out (to hear somebody talking), same hassle to get them back in.

So by chance tried listening to the Bose enclosed-around-the-ear AE2 at an electronics store. At their price point and weight & size, was quite surprised by the “demo music” and the comfortable wearing (and no fitting hassles!), enough to give them a buy try. At home, continued to be impressed, specifically by the bass…

I know some Amazon reviews stating the bass is fairly unremarkable in these headphones (won’t blow you away). However, came across a professional review which said the low-end equalization on the AE2 has been “sculpted” by Bose (had to look that word up), that the listening curve is boosted at the very low end (50hz and below), and weaker from the medium-low range (80-125hz). Have pretty much confirmed this–super low bass is definitely there with a vengeance IF it exists from the material you are listening to (big “IF”). Moderate lows won’t rattle your brains like some headphones. But the super lows will. If you want to hear for yourself, put on the AE2′s with some music with extensive low-end organ, bass guitar, string bass or tuba, or thunder effects. Better yet, run such a soundtrack thru a graphic equalizer (e.g., Windows Media Player’s equalizer) with a 3db boost from the 31 and 62hz bands. Then for comparison, reduce 31hz and 62hz and boost the 125hz slider, and see if the AE2′s don’t sound more like those garden-variety boomers out there.

To some extent am sure this is personal-taste. A variety of listeners undoubtedly are satisfied with and thoroughly enjoy boomy moderate bass. But for those who can perceive harmonics (the dynamics from the sound, specifically at low and high ends from the spectrum), will probably more appreciate these phones.

Being a deep bass fan, the AE2 is literally “music to my ears,” and the bass a solid 5 out of 5 in my book. The mid-range and highs also are noteworthy (about a 4.5 and 4 out of 5), just not quite as standout as the low end. The only headset in my experiences that clearly beat the AE2′s mid & treble is the in-the-ear ER4P, so silky smooth along with a striking realism across the mid-high spectrum and that is tough to match. That said, the AE2′s mid and high end are also very listenable, have pleasant presence, are “crisp” as others have mentioned, and very well balance the lows (and super lows).

Deep bass is helped by fantastic low resonance from the AE2, but I think also by a slight de-emphasis from the rest from the spectrum, resulting in a slightly higher power requirement for the same loudness as other headphones. My Samsung Fascinate smartphone produces just enough audio power to drive the AE2, and Windows 7 audio on the typical laptop seems to too, so probably no biggie for most listeners.

Another point is the “sound isolation”. The AE2′s enclosed-around-the-ear design is better than on-the-ear or against-the-ear at isolating noise, but doesn’t hold a candle to the in-the-ear varieties. Properly match, my in-the-ear ER4P can get as high as 30-40db external noise isolation (and that is Seriously quiet, great in airplanes!). Since Bose publishes absolutely no technical specs on the AE2, would estimate that they do maybe 12-15db isolation–ok to get a quiet office or home environment, but not enough to filter out airplane noise. (Don’t even talk to me about electronic noise cancelling– there are much better, cheaper, more natural ways to exclude external noise).

All around, Bose AE2 is a truly comfortable, nice-sounding headset for casual use, and fairly portable for trips (but I don’t think isolating enough for flying). They truly step up to the plate on bass if you appreciate LOW bass, and aren’t bad from the rest from the spectrum, best of all instant great sound without any fiddling! (Note: if you have big ears, may not match.) Recommend.

Please visit Bose AE2 audio headphones Guide for more detail.