Warning--tech reviews ahead!
Good Wednesday morning, friends. Had a little time this morning and wanted to share my impressions about a couple of items I've added to my collection of tech devices recently.
Allow me to start with a little caveat---I'm a big believer in paying it forward, meaning that when something is no longer of use for me, I try to sell it to someone while it still has life and value remaining. So both of the items that I've added recently replaced items that were sold to folks who were interested and needed what I had. Win-win!
Now, here's my pair of non-expert reviews...
I think I've mentioned here that I really like Bose audio gear. Started with a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones when I began to travel extensively by air. I will state categorically here that having those headphones made a huge difference in my ability to suddenly tolerate spending eight to ten hours a week aboard airplanes!
This fascination with Bose has continued through the years, as we acquired a three-piece Bose sound system for our television setup and eventually upgraded to their soundbar/subwoofer. On my desktop my wife generously gave me a Bose Sounddock as a gift, and I kept first an iPod and then an iPhone docked there. Later I replaced this with a pair of Bose computer speakers, since I went all-digital with my music. Wonderful speakers, all.
We were in Cincinnati a couple of months ago and stopped by the Bose store in a mall there. Big mistake. On display was the new (well, new THEN) Bose Soundlink Revolve and Revolve+. If you've not seen one of these, they look a little like one of the Google wi-fi speakers you see on TV commercials, where the commercial actors ask Google questions. The other analogy is the larger Bose speaker, especially, looks like a camping lantern, complete with a loop handle on top.
Anyway, we asked for a demo, and the representative obliged, and, wow. That's all I can say. Sound just pours out of both of these things, and they work wirelessly, too, which is a huge plus! And the sound is just as good in any direction, which is new in my experience. The rep mentioned that if you place it along a wall or bookshelf that you'll get some redirected sound that amplifies the experience. So I had to have one, and it more than replaced my Bose desktop speakers (which had to be used in a fixed location). Carried it all over the house, used it on the patio while grilling, etc. If you've in the market for a Bluetooth speaker and are willing to pay the Bose price, which is often higher than the competition, go for it, you won't be disappointed!
My other recent acquisition revolves around headphones. I've had a succession of headphones (earphones, actually) that were originally bought for my wife to use in her exercise routine. Because she wears hearing aids, we have looked for the right product for her. First she uses Bose wired earbuds, which were excellent and which I still have. Then came a pair of Bluetooth on-ear headphones, but she found them to be a little hot when exercising (and I'd agree). The next iteration was a pair of Bose SoundSport Bluetooth earbuds, which she liked very much. I thought so, anyway.
I returned home from some work activities away from the house one afternoon and she casually mentioned that she had visited the Apple store and gone through a demonstration of Apple's new but hard-to-get AirPods. Superficially they look just like the latest version of their earbuds that they routinely include with a new iPhone, but without the cords. Remind me a little of electric toothbrush heads.
Anyway, she raved about the fit and the quality and the sound, which must have been good for her to like them without any additional amplification. So we ordered a pair for her, and after a brief acclimation period, she was very happy.
Then our daughter reported that her hubby bought them each a set. Now, I should point out that while our daughter likes music, she's not a person who always has headphones on and music playing. That's apparently all changed. She works at home a couple of days a week now and listens to music from her phone and then seamlessly takes and places phone calls using the AirPods. She also uses them in the car, as her habit is to call us weekly while on her way home from her office, about a thirty minute commute. Always sounds clear and static-free, which is not my experience with any other Bluetooth earbuds, including the afore-mentioned Bose set.
So just before Father's Day I decided to sell my trusty Bose QC 15 noise cancelling headphones, as they're based on older technology and I no longer fly as I used to. Prior to that I sold my wife's former Bose SoundSports, too, so once I found a buyer for the QC 15s, I bought a set of AirPods for myself.
Better sound and fit than I would ever have expected. I get going in the mornings a little before my wife and like to play music at my desk. Have been using these all week (they just arrived last Friday) each morning and then some and have been very impressed and, I confess, pleasantly surprised, too.
If I were to return to frequent flying my needs might change, but I am oh-so-impressed with both of my latest tech acquisitions. Unfortunately, I have my eye on a new television (which we do not need, of course) with 4K resolution and HDR picture enhancements. Probably be a while before we take that plunge!
Allow me to start with a little caveat---I'm a big believer in paying it forward, meaning that when something is no longer of use for me, I try to sell it to someone while it still has life and value remaining. So both of the items that I've added recently replaced items that were sold to folks who were interested and needed what I had. Win-win!
Now, here's my pair of non-expert reviews...
I think I've mentioned here that I really like Bose audio gear. Started with a pair of Bose noise cancelling headphones when I began to travel extensively by air. I will state categorically here that having those headphones made a huge difference in my ability to suddenly tolerate spending eight to ten hours a week aboard airplanes!
This fascination with Bose has continued through the years, as we acquired a three-piece Bose sound system for our television setup and eventually upgraded to their soundbar/subwoofer. On my desktop my wife generously gave me a Bose Sounddock as a gift, and I kept first an iPod and then an iPhone docked there. Later I replaced this with a pair of Bose computer speakers, since I went all-digital with my music. Wonderful speakers, all.
We were in Cincinnati a couple of months ago and stopped by the Bose store in a mall there. Big mistake. On display was the new (well, new THEN) Bose Soundlink Revolve and Revolve+. If you've not seen one of these, they look a little like one of the Google wi-fi speakers you see on TV commercials, where the commercial actors ask Google questions. The other analogy is the larger Bose speaker, especially, looks like a camping lantern, complete with a loop handle on top.
Anyway, we asked for a demo, and the representative obliged, and, wow. That's all I can say. Sound just pours out of both of these things, and they work wirelessly, too, which is a huge plus! And the sound is just as good in any direction, which is new in my experience. The rep mentioned that if you place it along a wall or bookshelf that you'll get some redirected sound that amplifies the experience. So I had to have one, and it more than replaced my Bose desktop speakers (which had to be used in a fixed location). Carried it all over the house, used it on the patio while grilling, etc. If you've in the market for a Bluetooth speaker and are willing to pay the Bose price, which is often higher than the competition, go for it, you won't be disappointed!
My other recent acquisition revolves around headphones. I've had a succession of headphones (earphones, actually) that were originally bought for my wife to use in her exercise routine. Because she wears hearing aids, we have looked for the right product for her. First she uses Bose wired earbuds, which were excellent and which I still have. Then came a pair of Bluetooth on-ear headphones, but she found them to be a little hot when exercising (and I'd agree). The next iteration was a pair of Bose SoundSport Bluetooth earbuds, which she liked very much. I thought so, anyway.
I returned home from some work activities away from the house one afternoon and she casually mentioned that she had visited the Apple store and gone through a demonstration of Apple's new but hard-to-get AirPods. Superficially they look just like the latest version of their earbuds that they routinely include with a new iPhone, but without the cords. Remind me a little of electric toothbrush heads.
Anyway, she raved about the fit and the quality and the sound, which must have been good for her to like them without any additional amplification. So we ordered a pair for her, and after a brief acclimation period, she was very happy.
Then our daughter reported that her hubby bought them each a set. Now, I should point out that while our daughter likes music, she's not a person who always has headphones on and music playing. That's apparently all changed. She works at home a couple of days a week now and listens to music from her phone and then seamlessly takes and places phone calls using the AirPods. She also uses them in the car, as her habit is to call us weekly while on her way home from her office, about a thirty minute commute. Always sounds clear and static-free, which is not my experience with any other Bluetooth earbuds, including the afore-mentioned Bose set.
So just before Father's Day I decided to sell my trusty Bose QC 15 noise cancelling headphones, as they're based on older technology and I no longer fly as I used to. Prior to that I sold my wife's former Bose SoundSports, too, so once I found a buyer for the QC 15s, I bought a set of AirPods for myself.
Better sound and fit than I would ever have expected. I get going in the mornings a little before my wife and like to play music at my desk. Have been using these all week (they just arrived last Friday) each morning and then some and have been very impressed and, I confess, pleasantly surprised, too.
If I were to return to frequent flying my needs might change, but I am oh-so-impressed with both of my latest tech acquisitions. Unfortunately, I have my eye on a new television (which we do not need, of course) with 4K resolution and HDR picture enhancements. Probably be a while before we take that plunge!
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