Bose Frames Alto M/L
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According to our headphones expert
With the Bose Frames, you can wirelessly enjoy your favorite music while enjoying the warm sun. Use Bluetooth to connect your phone to the speakers of the audio sunglasses and stream a playlist from your favorite streaming service. Both legs of the sunglasses feature a speaker that aims the sound directly at your ear, so you won't bother others with your music. Getting a phone call? Thanks to the integrated microphone, you can call hands-free. The lenses of the sunglasses are protected from cracks and scratches, so it'll last longer. The glasses are size M/L.
Type of ear cushions | Over-ear | |
Bluetooth | ||
Noise canceling | ||
Sound quality according to customers | Mediocre | |
Built-in microphone |
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I am what you would call both an audiophile (possess a high-end audio system including a tube amp) and a "bass-head" (possess several bass-rich headphones such as the Sony MDR-XB950M1, the Beats Studio Wireless and the Creative Outlier Gold true wireless headphones). Since you sometimes want to observe your surroundings while walking, I also have a set of bone-conduction headphones.
After a very negative experience with a "cheap" (in this case very relatively, they still cost me 37 euros) imitation of the Bose Frames and the somewhat negative reviews regarding the sound of the Frames (almost no bass, low volume) my expectations were not very high.
But I must confess that I am very impressed with the Bose Frames. Due to the physical limitations of the technology (small speakers that are not in your ear), it is simply impossible to reproduce a booming, let alone deep, bass with these Frames. It's a bit of a strange phenomenon: a deep voice or bass guitar is reproduced excellently and you "intuitively feel" that bass drums are present, but you don't really hear the lows. In addition, the frames create a cloud or aura of music around you (a real soundstage). It's like observing the world with a soundtrack in the background. Those who own an Oculus Go or Quest may be aware of this effect. The Angry Frames transform your Real World into a Virtual Reality.
The volume is more than sufficient and your immediate environment will only enjoy your music ("bleeding sound") if you set the volume to more than 70% (this is no better or worse than in-ear headphones).
You can also make hands-free calls with it and there is perfect integration with Siri. It also seems to me to be an ideal solution for voice navigation if you are looking for your way in a city. There would also be an Augmented Reality function via the Bose Connect app, which, for example, provides you with explanations of a historic building when you stand in front of it or the rating of a restaurant. I haven't been able to test this yet.
The glasses are not too dark and you can keep the glasses on when you enter a building without bumping into something. The battery life could be a bit longer (about 3.5 hours, many TWS headsets last up to 8 hours, my Outliers even up to 14 hours on 1 charge), but a heavier battery also means heavier, less comfortable glasses. I can never wear earplugs for more than 1 or 2 hours, however comfortable they may be, after that my ear canal starts to hurt. You can't get this problem with the Frames.
The bottom line: yes, they are expensive, but they are well worth it. And the sound quality (arguably the most important feature for such a product) is surprisingly good.
Dirk L.
7 June 2020
Automatically translated from Dutch
I had other glasses put in it and now use it as reading glasses
Rob van Leeuwen
30 September 2019
Automatically translated from Dutch
nice design, super sound quality without annoying ears
j.m.a.
24 January 2021
Automatically translated from Dutch
Product number | 836628 |
Manufacturer code | 830044-0100 |
Brand | Bose |
Warranty | 2 years |
Processing of your defect | Carry-in warranty |
Weight in grams | 49,9 g | |
Color | Black | |
Material | Plastic | |
Built-in microphone | ||
Intended for | Consumers |
Tested by expert |
Sound reproduction | Stereo | |
Hi-Res audio | ||
Volume limit | ||
Active headphones | ||
Noise canceling |
NFC | ||
Bluetooth | ||
Bluetooth version | 4.0 | |
Multipoint pairing |
Detachable cable | ||
Ribbon cable | ||
Coil cable | ||
Braided sleeve | ||
Remote in cable |
Sound quality according to customers | Mediocre |
Power supply type | Rechargeable battery | |
Average battery life | 3,5 h |
Water-resistant |
Type of ear cushions | Over-ear | |
Foldable | ||
Rotatable ear cups | ||
Ear cushion material | N/A | |
Remote control on ear cups |
Best tested |
