Garfield Cat

Would Bose Soundwear be legal for riding?

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/...companion.html

2_i 

In my collection of bike audio products, I actually have a similar band that velcroed to a helmet with speakers ending up in the vicinity of ears, but not covering the ears. Of course the quality was nowhere near that of Bose products.

fietsbob

Do the Work. you have 50 different DOT rule books to read through, to learn Legality.

as a collar bone conducting transducer* your ears can still hear approaching traffic

I assume you can even hide *it under your clothing ..





...

Secret Squirrel

Doesn't cover both of your ears. You could still get a ticket if the officer feels inclined. I have pulled up to a light with a back pack speaker next to a police officer and he didn't flinch.
Also $299 wow. BOSE, "Better sales through marketing"

noglider 

I bet it's legal and will be interpreted as legal in the vast majority of situations. Laws are subject to interpretation.

Bose prices are always dizzying. Oddly enough, my wife and I paid about that much for a small Bose bluetooth speaker. I say oddly because I normally would have saved money by doing a ton of research, but I just wanted to be done with the search and onto the purchase. I certainly paid more than I needed to, but I don't regret it. The speaker gets a lot of use and has held up to some impacts. It's easy to use, it sounds good, and battery life is excellent. The car radio died, so we use the speaker in the car, too.

howardv

I know it's an old thread, but bringing it back to life since I just bought one (used from Craigslist for $120).

I specifically wanted to try it out for cycling. I refuse to wear ear buds as I want to be aware of my surroundings. And I will not use a wireless speaker because I think it's annoying to others (and just in poor taste - and the added weight). This Bose Soundwear just hangs around your shoulder and connects to your phone via bluetooth. You can control the tracks and volume from buttons directly on the Soundwear.

These don't sound anywhere near as good as a decent quality ear buds. Not even close. They do bring "good" sound considering their limitations. However, while cycling, the wind noise completely makes them useless. Don't even bother. Basically, they absolutely suck for cycling. The only time they work is if you're going very slow uphill. So you can use them while climbing up the canyon, but you gotta put them away when going downhill. The wind can blow 'em off your shoulder.

On a good note, I am now using these as my main computer speakers! Living in a condo, you don't want to turn up the sound of your music while listening to tunes and working on the computer. This is where this device shines! You get quality loud music without bothering others. And you still get to hear the phone ring or the door bell!

Cyclist0108

Bose is all hype and lawsuits.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose_C...ed_States,_Inc.

2_i 

I have this kind of radio/player with tripod mount on my handlebars and it works very well if it is of any help. The only problem was in stabilizing tripod mount but once it was done it has been smooth sailing. The sound is of pretty good quality and loud if you want it.

KraneXL

The question is not are the legal but are they illegal. Answer: no. Only covering both ears is illegal, and since this device doesn't go on your ears that law doesn't apply.

noglider 

@2_i, would you happen to know what that speaker weighs? The price is very attractive. Does it sound very good?

DrIsotope

Just an FYI, cops don't give a crap about cyclists wearing earbuds. I have earbuds with foam tips in both ears 500+ hours a year. Cops barely notice bicycles at all.

Don't blow through intersections. Just ride smart, and listen to whatever you want however you want.

Oh, and don't buy Bose, unless you find it at a thrift store or something. You will otherwise overpay for a product that underdelivers.

2_i 

I actually have this one, that is out of stock, on my handlebars and its claimed weight of 13.4 oz sounds about right. I also have a mono one that I use for travel and occasionally mount on rented or folding bikes. Indeed the prices are very attractive and the value is great considering what you get. There are different versions of those radios/speakers with the same shells. There seem to be some differences in hardware that is put in, so one needs to read carefully what is provided. E.g. my versions have no NFC. Pricewise the mounts cost me more than the units. The sound is great, the best that I ever had on a bike. My previous radio/player was Tommyca Bike System that listed for $200 and that I got at a discount of $80 or something. These current cheap units have better sound and more functionality, but lack displays so you might not know what music you are playing or what station you are listening to. Bluetooth works fine and from time to time I send messages or make calls using that option. Operating the buttons is a bit awkward at first but you learn after a while.

KraneXL

True under general circumstances, but there are those beat cops (typically in and around tourist attractions) that literally have nothing better to do and need to show something to prove that they're keeping your city safe.

2_i 

For the record, these cops have my full support.

DrIsotope

Then double advantage to me, there's nothing in my locality that could be mistaken for a tourist attraction. All we have is Amazon Fulfillment Warehouses and a non-operational airport. Oh, and like all the cities are bankrupt, so there's half the cops there used to be. If that.

fietsbob

OK for the trainer inside though..

KraneXL

The name Bose gets a lot of hate, but they do somethings very well. Their noise-cancelling headphones are the best in the industry.

DrIsotope

Sony beats Bose at noise cancellation now pretty much across the board, at every price point-- but one-ups them by having good audio quality as well. Bose can cancel noise, but their audio fidelity has always been so-so.