Musicians know the essential value of a great pair of headphones, and Lisa of BLACKPINK is the latest performer to embrace the big-name headphone collab. Lisa teamed up for a new partnership with Bose to create a limited edition version of their Ultra Open Earbuds, complete with Lisa's iconic rockstar style. (She even wears them in her music video for “WHEN I'M WITH YOU" featuring Tyla.)
“After falling in love with the Ultra Open Earbuds, I wanted to bring my fans a reimagined design that is as bold as my music and style,” Lisa said in a press release. “Music and fashion are how I express myself, so creating a custom pair was such a natural fit and evolution of my partnership with Bose. My earbuds are always with me, so I never have to sacrifice exceptional sound for style.”
So, how do the Lisa x Bose Ultra Open Earbuds actually sound, look, and feel? And are they worth the fairly steep $399 price point? Teen Vogue's associate culture director P. Claire Dodson and associate style editor Donya Momenian put them to the test.
How do the Lisa x Bose headphones look?
Donya Momenian: These headphones look cooler than any other pair I've had. I was worried at first, but when I put them on and did an outfit check, I felt like they actually elevated the look. They're super sleek and look almost like edgy, chunky jewelry. But for those who wear headphones in hopes of not being spoken to, you might need to tuck your hair behind your ears.
P. Claire Dodson: I agree with Donya, the look is a big selling point for me. While wearing them, I was stopped on the train by a friend who clocked them immediately as the Lisa pair. The fit and metallic chrome and black color is scheme is really striking, it does give a jewelry effect. Nice change-up from my over-ear headphones, especially in this heat.
How do the Lisa x Bose headphones sound?
Donya: I've heard people say that these types of headphones are better so you can be more aware of you're surroundings, but I wouldn't count on that. To hear the music, I had to turn it up quite a bit, but then I wouldn't hear my surroundings very well. And on the flip side, if I turned them down, I wouldn't hear the music over the outside noise. So you might have to make some compromise there. The quality was totally fine though, and I enjoyed listening to my music on them.
Claire: The sound made me feel like a main character in a movie, with that kind of background music cinematic feel. The sound quality was good as well, and I think I would enjoy these in quieter settings or even walking around on the street. On the subway, however, they were a no-go — too quiet to really be heard over the subway roar, and I found myself turning the volume up super high. These are not noise-cancelling headphones, so that's to be expected, but it did affect how much I used these in my day-to-day life. They were great sitting at my desk, when I needed to be somewhat aware of what my coworkers were up to but also wanted the comfort of these gently resting in my ears.
How do the Lisa x Bose headphones feel?
Donya: It took me a day or two to get used to the feeling of these headphones since they wrap around the edges of the ear. I kept feeling like they would fall out, especially while walking around carrying bags in New York City. But I saw a TikTok of someone wearing them and rocking their head back and forth and they didn't fall out, so that helped me qualm my worries. In stark contrast to my AirPods which fall out pretty easily, I feel much more assured. They're a bit heavier, so I feel them in my ear, but they don't hurt and after a while, I'm not too bothered by it.
Claire: I struggled to make the fit work; the silver buds rest in your ears, while the black weighted backing wraps around the back to hold it in place. This can create an insecure feeling, especially when I was riding my bike, though the earbuds thankfully never actually fell out. It's something I could get used to with longer term use, but I'm not sure in the short term if the effort is worth it to me. Also, this is a minor thing, but they were kind of annoying to put back correctly in the case (though this might be more user error). But again, they look verrrrry cool tucked in there.
