Our Verdict
The SuondLink OE are good everyday headphones. They're sufficiently well designed and have an above average sound quality that will satisfy most casual listeners.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Lightweight, wireless design
- Efficient, audio controls.
- Poor noise isolation.
- Leaky at high volumes.
Decent for neutral listening. They're comfortable for long listening sessions and have a decent sound quality. However, soundstage is a little limited due to their closed back design.
Mediocre for commuting. They don't block much noise but their comfortable, lightweight and not too cumbersome. They also have decent control scheme.
Decent as sports headphones. They're lightweight comfortable and not too bulky. They're relatively easy to carry around and have a decent control scheme.
Mediocre for office use. They won't block the chatter of a busy office and leak quite a bit at higher volumes.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
See our recommendations for the best headphones under $200 and the best on-ear wireless headphones.
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear are better headphones than the Grado GW100 Wireless. They are more neutral sounding and don’t feel as flimsy as the Grado. The Bose closed-back design isolates more noise and leaks less, but you won’t get the openness of the Grado. Also, the Bose have bass delivery inconsistencies, especially if you wear glasses, which you shouldn’t get with the Grado. The Grado have better wireless range and also support aptX-LL for low latency.
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear Wireless would be better headphones than the AKG N60NC if you care about comfort and sound quality the most. The Bose have a more neutral sounding audio reproduction, the earcups feel more lightweight, and the padding is softer. The Bose also have a great 21-hour battery life and can connect to two devices, similar to the AKGs. The AKG have the edge in the isolation performance and will block more ambient noise, making them a better choice if you're looking for headphones to use while commuting every day.
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear Wireless are better headphones than the JBL Everest 310 Wireless. They are one of the most comfortable on-ears we’ve tested so far and are well-built as well. They also have a great neutral sound profile that is common to Bose headphones. The Bose also have a slightly lower latency. On the other hand, the JBL will be better suited for bass-heavy music and come with a much nicer hard case. You can also share your music with another Bluetooth headset thanks to their unique music share feature.
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear Wireless are better headphones than the Sony WH-XB700 Wireless. They are one of the most comfortable on-ear headphones we've tested so far, and their sound quality is better than the Sonys unless you are looking for a bass-heavy sound profile. They feel noticeably more durable and their battery performance is better thanks to lower charging time and a useful auto-off timer. On the other hand, the WH-XB700 have a decent app and support NFC. They also have better wireless range and support the aptX codec, which the SoundLink don’t.
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You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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