The on-ear wireless headphone to beat

A lot of people have been waiting for Bose to release a noise-canceling headphone that also has wireless capabilities. The $249.95 SoundLink Bluetooth On-Ear (£219.95, AUD$329) isn’t that headphone, but it is the company’s first model with Bluetooth truly integrated into it and is one of the top — if not the top — on-ear Bluetooth headphone currently available.

Those who follow Bose products know that the earlier over-ear AE2w — now called the SoundLink Bluetooth Around-Ear — simply added a removable Bluetooth component to an existing wired headphone (the AE2, which is now called the SoundTrue Around-Ear). The AE2w is an excellent Bluetooth headphone, but the Bluetooth module does look a little grafted on and doesn’t make for the sleekest design.

Bose SoundLink Bluetooth On-Ear Headphone product photos
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Thankfully, the new SoundLink Bluetooth On-Ear doesn’t have any Frankenstein qualities. It’s basically the wireless version of Bose’s SoundTrue On-Ear wired headphone, but it isn’t quite as compact and doesn’t fold flat in its carrying case, so the overall package is bigger.

Still, at 5.4 ounces or 152.6 grams, these are quite light for a Bluetooth headphone and like its wired siblings, quite comfortable to wear, with memory foam earcups that conform nicely to your ear. I wouldn’t say those earcups are incredibly durable, but the fabric at the center of the pad seems a little thicker than the fabric found on Bose’s earlier on-ears.

The headphones fit snugly on your head but will move a round a bit if you shake your head vigorously or jump up and down. They’re not really meant to be used while for running but you can certainly use them at the gym while you’re lifting or doing lighter cardiovascular exercise. I wouldn’t sweat on them too much, though.

The remote control buttons are well placed on the right earcup and to answer calls, you tap the middle control button, which also allows you to skip tracks forward and back when you’re playing music.

There’s a new two-way microphone system and something Bose calls Adaptive Audio Adjustment technology, which automatically changes volume based on speech level and ambient noise. Whatever it does, it does well, because I had no problem making calls on the noisy streets of New York. I also had no problem pairing the headphones with both iOS and Android devices and experienced a minimum of wireless hiccups.