Bose is set to challenge Sennheiser in the premium in-ear stereo headphone market with the launch of three new headphones specifically designed for use with a Smartphone. The new Bose offerings will come with a brand new proprietary StayHear tip options which Bose claims allows the headphones to fit in the ear better.
The new MIE2i features in-line remote to control the volume and track up/down functions of an attached iPhone, iPod, iPad and MacBook Pro.
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Bose has included ear-tip options with its in-ear products in the past, but the new proprietary StayHear tips were designed for a more secure fit. They’re designed with soft silicone and a rounded profile to fit inside the bowl of the ear while conforming to the shape of the ear’s upper ridge. Three sizes are included.
The new products also offer a more sophisticated application of proprietary Bose TriPort acoustic headphone design to deliver more natural sound with better detail and definition and with improved clarity of high frequencies and vocals, Bose said.
The cheaper IE2 audio headphones, as well as the $ MIE2 and the MIE2i in-ear headsets for music-playing cellphones, come with 3.5 mm adapter, but the MIE2 adds a 2.5 mm adapter option for compatibility with additional mobile phones.
The MIE2 and MIE2i mobile headsets feature an in-line microphone and one-touch answer/end button to switch from music to calls and back. The MIE2 is compatible with many mobile phones, including all iPhone models and many BlackBerry devices, but the MIE2i adds in-line remote control of volume and track up/down for the iPhone, iPod, iPad and MacBook Pro. Its in-line microphone also provides access to select Apple voice applications in the latest generation iPhones and iPods.
Although consumers could use the in-line controls of the MIE2 headset to navigate music remotely on select cellphones, the controls are primarily meant to function as answer/end button for calls, a spokesman said.
