The new Bose SoundTrue around-ear headphones are a no-nonsense, music-only pair with few bells or whistles—like many of Bose's other products, such as the Editors' Choice, noise-cancelling QuietComfort 20($249.00 at Abt Electronics). The SoundTrue retails for $179.95, much less than the QC 20, and does nothing but output audio and feels exceptionally comfortable. The sound signature will appeal to fans of rich bass and crisp highs that don't mind a little sound sculpting. Audio purists won't approve, though big bass fans might also find the boosted, but not unnatural-sounding, low-end to be subtler than what they seek. Fortunately, there's plenty of middle ground between those extremes to which the SoundTrue will appeal.
Editors' Note: Bose offers the SoundTrue headphones in around-ear and on-ear options. The two versions are identically named and priced. This review focuses on the around-ear pair.
Design
Perhaps aware that the world of headphones has gotten a little flashier in design in recent years, Bose has tweaked its signature, understated look with some decidedly young and hip (if still relatively tame) flourishes. The SoundTrue( at Amazon) pair I tested had an all-black matte finish with absolutely no other colors on the outer shell, but the cloth grille covers inside the earpads featured a colorful geometric repeating pattern with various shades of red triangles. Other options include a white pair with blue grille cloth, a mint green pair with gray grille cloth, and a black pair with a mint green spider web-like design etched over the outside surface.
In feel and functionality, however, this is the same old, well-designed Bose we are used to. The over-ear SoundTrue feels exceedingly comfortable; the headphones are incredibly lightweight for their size and apply almost zero pressure to the scalp, all while keeping a steady, secure fit around the ears. The plastic look might strike some users as appearing low-budget, but the construction and fit of the SoundTrue is top-notch.
Similar Products
Sennheiser HD6 Mix
Scosche Lobedope SHP451M
Marshall Monitor
The SoundTrue's detachable cable connects to the left earcup, and includes an inline remote control and microphone for mobile devices. The remote has controls for Volume, Play/Pause, Track Navigation, and Call Answering/Ending, and is fully compatible with most iPhones, iPods, and iPads, though Android users will find varying levels of success with them. The detachable cable adds value to the headphone pair, since you can replace it if it goes bad, instead having to buy a new headphone pair or send the SoundTrue in for repair. Some manufacturers include a second cable without a remote, but the single cable is functional enough.
The headphones fold down flat to fit inside the included soft, padded, zip-up carrying case. Besides the case, the SoundTrue seems light on accessories considering its price.
Performance
On tracks with intense sub-bass, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the SoundTrue offers an impressive bass response and does not distort even at top (and unsafe) listening levels. The sound signature clearly boosts the bass, but the low-end is not overwhelming since the high-mids and highs are also tweaked and sculpted.
On Bill Callahan's "Drover," the bass boosting sounds a bit more understated; his baritone vocals may get a bit more low-end than they need, but the drums receive far less boosting than they do on headphone pairs that seriously tweak the sub-bass range. This tells us that most of the boosting in the lows happens in the low to low-mid range, with little added presence in the sub-bass realm. Thankfully, a crisp high-mid presence allows the guitar strumming and the treble edge of his voice to cut through the mix.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the attack of the kick drum loop gets plenty of treble edge to help it slice through the mix, as well, along with a significant low-end presence on the kick drum's sustain that adds some weight to the loop. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat here have a noticeable presence, but they are not overly boosted like on more bass-heavy headphone pairs. The vocals on this track are never overshadowed by the bass presence, sitting in front of the dense mix with a nice high-mid presence.
Classical tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' "The Gospel According to the Other Mary," have a bit more low-end than purists may wish to hear, but most listeners will find the added bass presence pretty subtle. It allows for more of the lower register instruments to step forward in the mix, though the spotlight still belongs to the vocals and the higher register strings. Again, the sculpted sound signature is crisp, with some added richness in the lows and low-mids.
Bose gets knocked by audio purists quite a bit, but the SoundTrue is a strong offering in this price range. Unlike most of Bose's premium products, there's no added special feature like noise cancellation. These are headphones, plain and simple. And if you like crisp highs, rich lows, and an exceedingly comfortable fit, they won't disappoint.
Alas, there is still serious competition in this price range. Pairs like the Editors' Choice Sennheiser HD 558 and the Marshall Monitor($177.00 at Amazon) are our favorites. If you are willing to spend more, the Sennheiser HD6 Mix($149.95 at Guitar Center) is another top-notch option with a better sense of space and more refined low-end. If your budget is more limited, consider the affordable Scosche Lobedope SHP451M($38.16 at Amazon). It's not on the same level as the aforementioned models, but it's impressive for a low-cost pair. But if you're looking for solid-performing, distortion-free, lightweight, travel-friendly headphones in this price range, the SoundTrue is certainly worth your attention.
The Bose SoundTrue around-ear headphones offer a solid audio experience and a comfortable fit, but otherwise don't stand out against the plethora of excellent options in this price range.
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
)