Product Review: Bose TriPort Around-Ear Headphones

I purchased these headphones about 15 months ago to replace my Sony MDR7502 Stereo Headphones that I'd had for the previous 8 months. One of the main reasons I was in the market for a new pair was how uncomfortable the Sony headphones were after a day of work. I felt like they squished the top of my head, and the ear design sat on top of my earrings, making them uncomfortable there as well.

I walked out of Best Buy with my Bose TriPorts and haven't looked back since. There are several things I like about them. First, the around-ear design is comfortable for several hours of work. As a bonus, it also cuts out background noise, so you get a noise-cancelling feature without spending the extra cash for it. The padding on the head bar and its thinness also make them the most comfortable pair I've owned. I rarely adjust them once I start working, and to me, that is important because it allows me to work comfortably for longer stretches of time.

I've also found them to be quite durable, as they have taken a beating and have never shown any signs of wear. They have been dropped, yanked out of the computer forcibly, tripped over, stepped on and traveled with me in their cloth carrying case in both checked luggage and in my carry-on. Still, these headphones look and sound like they did the day I purchased them.

My favorite part is definitely the sound quality. I've found that I can hear challenging audio more clearly with the TriPorts. Some reviews have talked about the bass and the lows not being as clear as they would like, but I haven't run into a problem in that area with transcription. I found this review from Reviews by Digital Trends to be quite accurate in describing the sound.

The overall design of the headphones is very ergonomic but not revolutionary, in fact, it's quite simple... but attractive; however, the TriPort's employ design features designed to improve your listening experience. For starters, these headphones are designed to direct sound into your ears instead of onto your ears (given they are worn correctly). The three drivers inside of the headphones are angled to align with your ears providing more natural sound delivery. This isn't typical of most over-the-ear headphones. In addition, the cushioning on each ear cup encircles your entire ear providing great insulation from exterior sounds even without active noise reduction.

Overall, I have found that my TriPorts have been worth every penny and then some. When they eventually do get out or I decide to get a backup pair of headphones I will be looking for another pair of the Around-ear TriPorts…unless I decide to go with the Bose TriPort In-Ear Headphones or upgrade and spring for the Bose® QuietComfort® 2 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® Headphones. What can I say? I've been converted to a Bose customer.