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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Compared To Other Headphones
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.
Test Results
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear, closely resemble the Bose QuietComfort 25 but in a more compact design. They have the same fabric-covered padding for the headband and the two-tone black and blue color scheme. They look sleek and stylish and are well-crafted headphones.
The SoundLink On-Ear are very comfortable headphones, especially for an on-ear design. They're lightweight, and the ear cups' padding is soft and cushions the ear well without applying too much pressure. The headband is also decently padded and does not feel tight on your head. However, the small ear cups, make a comfortable fit a little harder to achieve. The SoundLink Over-Ear may be a better choice for some listeners that do not find the on-ear fit as comfortable.
Button layout and functionality is above-average but feels a little cramped. These headphones offer; track-skipping, call/music, and volumes controls and the corresponding buttons deliver good tactile feedback. Unfortunately, due to the headphones compact size, the buttons feel a little cramped on the right ear cup, which is slightly disappointing.
The Soundlink On-Ear are above-average portable headphones. They fold up into a compact format that doesn't take much space in a bag and could even fit into a jacket pocket. Sadly, they are not as small as some other on-ear models and will not fit in a pants' pocket or a purse like an in-ear design would.
Comes with a soft case that will protect the headphones from scratches but adds a bit more volume. The tough fabric of the case will prevent damages from minor falls. However, it will not absorb greater impacts like a hard case.
The Bose SoundLink On-Ear have a good build quality and are sufficiently sturdy to be to handle a few drops without significant damage. The headband is relatively thick for an on-ear design, and the ear cups are made of dense plastic. Their mostly plastic design and multiple hinges are weak points that could get damaged by wear and tear and moderate physical stress.
These headphones are quite stable. They're able to maintain their position and fit during casual listening sessions. Their wireless design also helps with stability as there are no cables that can get hooked by the environment and yank the headphones of your head. However, they are not designed for sports and will start to slip off your ears during high-intensity activities like jumping and running.
Poor isolation. However, considering the passive, on-ear design of these headphones the performance is quite decent. The passive isolation provided by the ear cups starts to kick-in at around 200Hz, which is above average. The overall amount of isolation achieved in the mid-range is poor, but these headphones do well in the treble range. The isolation reaches its maximum of 42dB of reduction at 20KHz. If you like on-ear designs but need a bit more isolation for your noisy commutes, then check out the AKG N60NC Wireless, the Marshall MID ANC.
Decent performance. The significant portion of the leakage happens between 1KHz and 3KHz, resulting in a relatively narrow-band leakage. The overall level of the leakage, however, is moderate and could become noticeable at loud volumes.
Update: 17-05-2019We've updated the text. The Soundlink will shut down automatically when inactive but unlike some of the other Bose headphones, they do not have an adjustable timer since they do not have access to the Bose Connect app.
The SoundLink OE deliver up to 21 hours of continuous play time at average volumes. This makes them decent headphones to use on long flights or road trips as you won't need to charge the battery as often. They also have an auto-off timer that helps prolong battery life. Unfortunately, you can't use them while they're charging and they also take a quite bit of time to charge. So if you're out of battery, you won't be able to use the headphones for about 2.5 hours.No compatible app.
