Bose AE2i

Let's be realistic: Bose's reputation in the audiophile world is mediocre, at best. Nonetheless, the company has released a certain number of products that have proven that it does have some idea of what it's doing audio-wise. And the AE2i confirms this.

Design: As Discreet As Ever

Bose products are usually known for their classy, high-tech look. But the AE2i is all about sobriety. With the sedate, matte black headband and can covers and the brushed aluminium surrounding the earpads, nobody on the street is going to say, "Hey, look at those headphones!"

Holding the AE2i in our hands, we got the same impression we've had with many of Bose's previous models: that is, the finishing feels really "plastic". That said, while it's definitely lightweight, it's still very well assembled and finished. It's flexible, but what else could we expect from such a small headband. Then again, that's also one of its strengths—this headphone will certainly bend before it breaks.

Despite the thinnish padding, especially on the headband, the memory foam, combined with the light weight, works wonders here and you quickly forget you're wearing a headphone at all.

To tell the truth, Bose kind of skimped out on the accessories. All there is is a basic cloth carry bag (the earcups fold in so you can fit the AE2i in the bag) and a detachable cable with an integrated remote and microphone. That's it. And the cable appears to be well-built and relatively thick, but it certainly isn't on par with the top headphone cables on the market.

Audio: It's Actually Neutral!

Bose are usually the guys who give you the "Wow!" effect. You press Play and as soon as the first bar starts you're blown away. Only problem is, in the long run that tires your ears and brain.

Here you get none of that. The AE2i is astonishingly neutral for the brand.


This isn't a perfect curve, but it's more than reasonable. The line hints towards a W shape, which often suggests a certain intensity in the sound. Where the lows meet the low-mids the curve slags a tad, but not as much as at 2.5 kHz, where the frequency response roller-coasters a bit more.

In use, there's no question about it: this is not an ultra-bassy headphone like many of the other products in the series. The rendering is fairly clear, with a slight emphasis on the voice. The only things that sound artificial at times are the otherwise flattering highs, evidently due to the ups and downs that appear between 1 and 10 kHz. As a result, cymbals, snare drums and electric guitars sometimes seem a bit much.












As far as soundstage goes, the AE2i is in the upper average for closed headphones, which is not bad at all! The precision's good, but not extraordinary, and the source positions are easy to locate in the mix. However, with the harmonic distortion there's a hitch, at least for European users: with MP3 players on which the volume has been limited for compliance with European Commission regulations, chances are good that the volume will seem low, whereas on players on which the volume hasn't been capped, the sound will end up saturating at high volume. So be careful how loud you listen (which you should do anyways, if only for your ears' sake).

The microphone does its job fine, but not amazingly, although it's surely the isolation that simplifies your work while talking. Thanks to the close contact with your head and a high-quality closed build, you really get cut off from any ambient sounds, much more so than with most of the AE2i's competitors.

The AE2i won't be blowing away any inveterate audio buffs, but for most mortals it will be a pleasing buy, both aesthetically and audibly. This is a good all-round headphone.