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How was your ear?
The rise, domination, and nearly complete takeover of recorded music by the MP3 and its relatives has had a curious effect on a lot of people. To some who have made listening to music a part of their lives for the better part of their lives, it usually does not take long at all for one truth to become glaringly and disturbingly apparent: no longer could the music speak for itself. The mandates of the compression algorithms now dictate what we hear.I don't want to raise the spectre of arguments like this long passed- the cassette tape, the CD- for that matter, people were probably bitching about the change from shellac to vinyl.But one fact remains unalterable: MP3's mess with the music. And using them in evaluating any sound reproduction device, i.e. speakers, headphones, earbuds, strikes me as not dissimilar from using Applebee's food to evaluate cutlery.This is by no means intended to be a slam at Applebees, but the point for which I strive is how can you tell if you are dining on the best when what you are eating is a faulty reproduction of the real thing?Having cleared the air with that, I can move on to say that MP3's have forced even the most casual but dedicated music appreciator into the same niche as the true audiophile- suddenly, it makes a difference.So then how to judge and review? Where is the benchmark? I would split with a broadaxe the subject into two categories: did it come with a 1/8" mini-plug, or a true " audio connector?As these cans came with the former, we must assume that they were primarily intended for the MP3 and portable music crowd in general. The slick foldability of the design furthers this theory. The aforementioned plug is of a slim design, clearly intended to fit into any device with any shell.It is also angled at a 45, the first time I have seen this and at once settling the argument of straight up or 90.That they are Bose insures two things: the sound quality promises that they will be superior, and that they are probably overpriced.In back to back tests with a particular favorite album using my new benchmark Sennheiser cans, the Bose did OK- I noticed they seem to deliver more volume at a lower setting from the playback device, in this case an iPod Classic.While the sound was clear and relatively distinct, I would say that's about it. The bass response was adequate, nothing special. After the truly sensual experience of the over the ear Sennheisers, going back to an on-ear device such as this is a letdown.But there can be no argument that the quality is superb, the "knockdown" and storage of these phones is very nicely executed,although it does seem that they would not take well to rough handling. So, unlike others I have seen, they come with a semi-rigid case that's roughly (and ironically) the size of a CD, and well built to stand the rigors of travel. To test this theory I may pass them along to my flight attendant sister for the analysis of a true road- or sky warrior.All in all, there are too many choices, and yours will probably be determined in part by reviews such as this, what your friends say, and ultimately what brand you choose to advertise on your head. You can do worse than the Bose for the same price, but I believe with more diligent study you might also do better. 