Sometimes a really minute upgrade can change something decent into something marvellous. For example adding carbon dioxide to orange juice turned it into a fizzy drink most of us enjoy. Bose had a great sounding set of earphones named the Mobile In-Ear Headset that I reviewed a year ago. My biggest complaint was that they fell out of my ears, and that made them more or less unusable. Now Bose has upgraded the design of the earphones, and added a great solution to get them to stay put. The new StayHear tips are basically soft silicone bows placed inside the outer ear cavity. The bows bend according to the ridges in your ear, and never feel uncomfortable. To me these are the most comfortable earphones on the market today.
What else is there to say that is new compared to the original design of the Mobile In-Ear Headset? Not a lot. The bass is still great with a warm, but not overpowering sound. Mid- to high range sounds are well-presented. Even at high volume levels there are no cracks, but simply more power added to the overall range. The sound image is direct, but there is a limited but still noticeable dispersion of sound. You can separate instruments geographically in the sound when it is well-produced.
The microphone is excellent for all types of environments. The placement next to the mouth on the right cord is great. Volume buttons are also easy to find, and use. The cord has a medium tendency to tangle due to having quite high friction.
Noise isolation is poor, and walking next to traffic almost drowns out podcasts and audio books. For running this on the other hand is a good thing, as it lets you hear traffic and other important sounds quite clearly. The fit is excellent, and even at high pace the earphones stay put in my ears.
Bose has made very little changes to the original product, but the excellent StayHear tips propel it into one of the best headsets out there. I have made a long durability test, and even after two months of hard wear the headset is like new. I can wholeheartedly recommend the Bose MIE2i headset to any user. If you already have the original Mobile In-Ear headset try to get a friend to buy the MIE2i, and then borrow one of the extra pairs of StayHear tips for your original headset. That way both you, and your friend gets to enjoy the excellent sound and fit of the new Bose headset.
Final Rating
Bose® MIE2i Mobile Headset at the US Apple Store $129.95
