With the SIE2 headphones, Bose showcased a design that became a benchmark of sorts for those who like their music in an active environment. And with MIE2, the manufacturer created a pair of premium headphones that offered both durability and exemplary sound quality. The new FreeStyle headphones are, in a way, a combination of these two highly acclaimed products.

Make a splash

The design isn’t new (and we’re not complaining at all), but the new colour schemes are refreshing and stand out. It carries forward the silicone “StayHear+” earbuds that help keep the headphones in place while running or working out. These buds are also sweat and weather resistant, so you can be totally carefree about having moisture damage. Bose shows off this product’s durability by using well designed connection points, with solid rubber reinforcing at critical spots where the headphone cables usually snap. The cord doesn’t tangle easily – bliss for those who have wasted many precious minutes untangling headphone cables. The headphones come with a remote control on the cable, but that would work only with Apple devices and the microphone compatibility is also limited to some Android devices.

The fit is very comfortable for long hours of usage, but even after trying out all the different sizes of the buds available, we felt that the headphones could’ve had better noise isolation. The FreeStyle headphones don’t pack in Bose’s signature noise cancellation (hence reducing the bulk), so we expected at least good noise isolation.

But the sound quality does make up for that – and we found that out by using the headphones for a variety of genres, including EDM, classic rock, metal and some hi-res YouTube videos. The FreeStyle headphones offer everything from rich lows to clear and sharp highs, without over or under-compensating anything. The bass is rich, and not too thumping. However, we wouldn’t recommend audiobooks with the FreeStyle.

For instance, while listening to Avicii’s ‘Wake Me Up’ we found that the beats are resounding, and the high notes weren’t too shrill. But while watching a few videos featuring Neil deGrasse Tyson, mostly long sessions by the astrophysicist, we found that tracks containing only voices may sound a bit muffled.

Verdict

For its price, the FreeStyle headphones offer really good sound quality and durability. Bose also packs in a nice carry case for the FreeStyle headphones that can fit into most pockets. It is a recommended buy for active users who like superior audio quality. However, we do wish that the FreeStyle was compatible with more devices.

₹8,550

Love – Trusted design for active users; rich sound quality

Hate – Compatibility is limited to iOS devices

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