BOSE(R) QCZ/GB Triport Headphone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Well, you may not necessarily believe that, with all the hype that surrounds Bose, these headphones would be anything other than stellar. They are, unfortunately, very subpar. In truth, these are rather cheap headphones, utilizing very light construction with a predominance of plastics, and very cheap diaphragm materials. The "Tri-Port" technology is nothing more than a plastic shield over the diaphragm with three asymmetrical cutouts that capture the sound at different parts along the diaphragm. I suppose that this does help in making a very cheap diaphragm sound better, but it is not a substitute for better materials and higher-quality construction. I expect the Triports cost no more than $20 to make.

Many consumers walk into the local Best Buy, try these headphones out, say "hey, they're great!" and walk home with a brand new pair. Why is that? Because most people haven't heard higher-quality systems, and compared to what is commonly available at Best Buy, yes, these are a notch above. However, there are several things you should know:

1) There are much better sounding headphones that are much cheaper.

2) The Triports are defective. The headband design is very flimsy, and is almost guaranteed to break after several months of use. I several friends who own these, and their headbands ALL broke after a few weeks.

3) Most of the phones to which these are compared are really terrible. The Sony MDR-V700, against which the Triports are often compared, is a very poor quality phone that isn't designed for home use - it's designed to offer DJ's lots of bass without any regard for detail and clarity. Saying that the Triports are better than the V700's isn't saying much at all.

I don't want to tell you that you're all wrong and that I'm all right. I want to say this: use your own ears. Audition real, high-end headphones before you spend $130 or whatever on these, and then decide for yourself what you want to buy. You owe it to yourself to get the best when spending this much money.

Here are a few models that I urge you to look at instead of these:

1) Sennheiser HD555, 590, 595, and 280 Pro. The HD580, 600, and 650 receive a lot of well-deserved praise, but they need expensive amplification in order to shine, and are in a different league that the Triports, hence, comparing them directly is unfair.
2) Sony MDR-V6. Not the MDR-V600! These are very different phones. The MDR-V6 is an older, discontinued model with different drivers that sounds fantastic, unlike the V600, which is very subpar.
3) Grado SR-60, SR-80, SR-225. All Grado headphones sound exceptional. The SR-60, at $69, will blow the Triports out of the water.
4) Audio-Technica ATH-A500, A700, and A900. These are exceptional Japanese headphones. They're hard to find in the US, but online you can definitely buy them. They compete directly against the Triports, and offer stunning sound quality for the money. They're also very well built and reliable, if slightly bulky.
5) If you can, listen to a Stax system. Granted, these systems cost as much as $3,000 for the headphones alone, but this will tell you what a hi-fi pair of headphones SHOULD sound like. Stax headphones are some of the best.

For portable headphones that will be used with mp3 players, I suggest that you look at:

Etymotic Research ER-4P, ER-6i; Shure e2c, e3c, e4c, and e5c; Westone UM2; Sharp MD-33; Sony MDR-EX51 and EX71; Audio-Technica ATH-CM7 and CM7ti; Koss KSC-35, KSC-75, and PortaPro; Sennheiser HD-25, PX-100 and PX-200; and last of all, Stax SR-001 Mk II, which while hard to find and expensive ($239 Japanese street price), is the best sounding portable available, period (and is the only portable electrostatic headphone in the world). Keep in mind that it needs a mini-to-mini interconnect, since it requires the use of an amplifier (which is included).

Use your own ears! I've told you where to start research. Please take the time and finish it. You will be rewarded with a quality product, and you will be grateful for the time that you spent researching the information.

For questions, please look at www.head-fi.org. It is an excellent source of information on anything and everything headphone-related.

I sincerely hope this helps.

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Product Description:
Bose's most affordable headphones are designed to prove that high-performance sound can come in a lightweight package (just five-ounces, including ear cords). The Bose TriPort glacier-blue headphones deliver the full spectrum of your music, whether you're plugged into a computer or on the go with a portable media player. Their ergonomic design keeps them remarkably comfortable and lightweight, even as proprietary Bose headphone technology conveys the rich acoustical landscape of your music.
Bose's acoustic equalization techniques aim to deliver the rich nuances of your music--details that conventional headphones often lose. The TriPort headphone technology faithfully reproduces deep, full low notes without requiring the artificial bass-boost function found on many portable players.
Based on the results of decades of audio research and headphone acoustical study, Bose identified ways in which normal listener sound perception changes when people wear headphones. That led to the development of Bose's proprietary acoustic equalization techniques, which have fine-tuned the frequency response of the TriPort headphones for exceptional performance.
The headphones' soft ear cushions gently fit around your ear for comfortable listening. A thin, adjustable headband offers several head-size settings, and the earcups swivel for a better fit. The headphones include a generous, five-foot extension cable and a handy carrying pouch.
What's in the Box
Headphones, an extension headphone cord, a .25-inch stereo adapter, a headphone plug, a user's manual, a warranty card, and a drawstring carry bag.

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