Bose In-Ear Headphones
$179
Available from Atlas Sound and Vision

For their high prices, Bose speakers have often been labelled bo-sei (no style) in Hokkien by audiophiles or "golden ears" searching for pure sound.

Bose's latest In-Ear Headphones, going for $179, are not cheap either. But people who knock Bose for their expensive speakers should have a listen on these earphones.

They not only excel in "multimedia" audio-like games (in case you want to shoot away on a laptop on a plane), but also in music.

On my humble IBM laptop, which has but a built-in SoundMax audio chip, the Bose earphones put out deep-sounding bass for my MP3 tracks without overdoing it.

Bose recommends that you switch off bass-boost and other such software equalisers on your PC.

Obey, and you'll see why: with Windows Media Player's equaliser off, I get clear, balanced sound with both my Jay Chou and bossa nova MP3s, for example.

On a month-long overseas trip recently, I found the Bose earphones always handy to have.

Plugged into an O2 Xda personal digital assistant (PDA) via an adapter, the Bose pair reproduced distinct vocals and instruments.

This was not exactly the best set-up for sound, but somehow the Bose pair managed to sound better than the mid-range Sony MDR-EX51LP earphones I usually carry with me.

Even when I plugged the Bose earphones- via an adapter again - into the audio sockets on airplanes, I had no problems hearing the gunshots in movies clearly.

It helps that the earphones are the "in-ear" type, and they come with three sizes of ear buds to nestle deep within the auditory cavity.

The only problem is that compared to other in-ear earphones, the Bose pair - though comfortable - do not seem as snug.

They just seem a little too easy to slip out. (I've tried the different ear buds).

FINAL SAY

Not cheap, but not exorbitant if you are someone who pays more than $100 for earphones. Worth checking out if you stick earphones into your hearing channel most of the time and want dynamic sounds to go with it.