Bose SoundSport Free review: The best is yet to come

The Pitch

With how lucrative and attention growing the true wireless earbuds segment has quickly become, it was only a matter of time before Bose became involved. In recent decades, the brand has been a dominant force the speaker and headphones space. Why wouldn’t they want to bring their storied reputation to the next big thing in wireless audio?

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Previously, Bose offered a set of wired, but Bluetooth-connected, earbuds called the Bose SoundSport. Now they’ve revamped these earbuds by snipping away the cables and sticking the word “Free” on the end. At least, that’s what I assume.

Credit: Bose

Regardless, the Bose SoundSport Free are finally here - and while they do carry some familiar caveats, for the most part, they sound pretty good.

Specs

Dimensions: 3.12 cm x 2.5 cm x 3 cm

Credit: Bose

Weight: 15g each, 80g for the case.

Audio Output: Stereo

Connectivity: Bluetooth

Built-in Microphone: Yes

Durability: IPX4 rating

Pack Ins: Portable charging case, 3 sizes of StayHear+ Sport tips, USB cable

Battery Life: 5 hours per full charge

Colors: Midnight Blue

Price: AU$399.95 and NZ$449.95.

Where to buy: Amazon, JB Hi-Fi, Bose

Design

After several generations of casual dominance in the sports Jabra Elite Sport earbuds, it feels like the Bose SoundSport Free earbuds are the first real challenger to that particular throne. Offering up a bright mix of plastic and metal, they come comes sweat-resistant and rated against water damage to the sum of IPX4. All things considered, they hold up nicely as one of the sportiest-looking entries in the true wireless category to date.

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Unfortunately, balancing out the gains made by the nifty build quality here is the design itself. It sounds ridiculous, but the Bose SoundSport Free earbuds look - and feel - like tiny, plastic mushrooms. It felt like I was wearing mushrooms on my ears whenever I used these products. Your mileage may vary here, but they felt pretty ridiculous to me.

Credit: Bose

In terms of the plastic charger-case, it’s made of plastic and - like the earbuds themselves - shores up really nicely when it comes to build quality. That said, it is a little larger than most of the other earbud charger cases out there. It’s got a neat set of LED lights - used to convey battery status - on the front. Unfortunately, the button used to open the case is very sensitive. I once dropped the case and it snapped open immediately, casting the earbuds themselves out with surprising force.

Next Page: Setup, Performance and The Bottom Line