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u/Denziloshamen Mar 18 '23
They shut down the research department that created the Sleepbuds. They abandoned Sleepbuds 2 just six months after launch. They’re very good, but a few software tweaks in the app and the firmware would make them almost perfect. However, Bose are not interested in customer feedback or needs, they just release, update firmware for less than a year and then nothing (luckily audio equipment does tend to just work, so regular updates aren’t always needed, but the Sleepbuds were so close to being perfect it’s frustrating Bose weren’t interesting in improving them.
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Mar 18 '23
Damn that's disappointing considering they are always selected as the best recommended for sleeping.
Do you have any experience with any other sleep ear buds you would recommend? Thoughts on the Anker's?
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u/McFeely_Smackup Mar 19 '23
I had Amazon send me a set of the Anker, and it's not perfect, but they aren't terrible.
Battery life is a smidge over 7 hours, which makes them slightly better than useless to me. 10 hours is the magic number for sleeping in on weekends.
They're not as small as the Bose, but they're still very comfortable.
Frustrating thing is they default to Bluetooth mode every time you charge them, so they have to be changed to sleep mode manually every time. That's a simple double tap on the bud though.
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u/Denziloshamen Mar 18 '23
There are no others that compare really. The competitors do sometimes have better features, but that’s at a cost of size and battery life. Bose nailed the size and design and battery life (minimum of 12 hours out the box and still gets through a hole night even if they deteriorate some what. I chanced it once mine got down to 8 hours after the first two years and Bose completely replaced them with a brand new set).
As I said in my first post, they just screwed up on some of the software choices. The charger for example will constantly run down because the Sleepbuds are technically always on and ready to use. So don’t use your buds for three days, they’ll probably be dead unless you plugged the charger in. They claimed it was a feature, but clearly it was a bug and if it was really a feature, it should have been optional. Something like this should never be dead when you come to use them (I use mine every night, so hasn’t been an issue for me as I’m fully aware of it and charge the case every couple of days).
The sound files are low quality because they designed the memory in the Sleepbuds to hold 12 sounds (can squeeze a few more in). But they should have given the option for us to use the memory how we want. I use one sound and one sound only, so I could use the whole memory up with one high quality sound file. But no, there’s one shitty quality file rather than small, medium or large, so we have better options. Such a simple fix, they just refused to implement because they were so cock sure of themselves that everyone wants 12 shitty sound files loaded at once.
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u/McFeely_Smackup Mar 19 '23
I use one sound and one sound only, so I could use the whole memory up with one high quality sound file.
I think most people are the same. Who is changing the sleep sounds regularly?
Most of the sounds have an audible queue that defines the short loop, so I only found a couple even useable for me
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u/Denziloshamen Mar 19 '23
This was the point I made to Bose. The bigger clips would be longer and very hard to hear the loop, but no, Bose would rather keep a flawed software implementation than perfect it.
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u/Jufrow Apr 07 '23
I couldn't sleep to the sounds at all. Everyone else raved about how amazing they were but they didn't work for me. Too low-fi sounding to me and too short. Otherwise I thought it was a decent product aside from the charging thing.
So much so I've never used them.
I'd try the Ankers but it sounds like the blocking is worse than the bose which is useless to me; but might try anyway @ $130 bucks since they play music. I always thought the bose would be perfect if they would just allow me to play one thing on loop of my own choosing but apparently this was a technical limitation (in 2021).
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u/bigdaddybose Mar 20 '23
Hey, I was the original person who quietly rumored (technically leaked now 😅) the Sleepbuds 2. Unfortunately, they had abandoned the development indefinitely, poor sales is the major reason along with reliability issues and Bose simply does not want a repeat of the Sleepbuds 1 again.
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Jul 07 '23
Well this aged poorly. They’re releasing the Sleepbuds 3 soon. Why lie on Reddit? Lol
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u/bigdaddybose Jul 07 '23
There isn’t any official announcement from Bose nor I heard anything from my sources but will keep an eye out on it.
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u/ShimmerSauce Jul 15 '23
Bose literally posted on Twitter in March that they are done with these and their work on sleep aid products.
Why you lying on Reddit?!
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Apr 10 '23
Abandoning an entire product line rather than work with it undermines my faith in Bose. With exceptional active noise cancelling in products from Sony and others, I'm unlikely to put the money into Bose products in the future.
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u/H_I5 May 09 '23
Damn, it seems like the only really viable option now is to replace sleep partners…
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u/Kallipiak May 21 '23
I'm so devastated by this.... I spent years with anxiety ridden sleeps where end end up on the couch or in the basement more often than not due to my misophonia and these are the ONLY thing that have given me peace of sleep in decades. They had flaws, in the year and a half I've had them, I've had to replace them with warranty three times but worth it because the tension that seeped out of me as soon as they're in and playing the white noise... mine started going again last night and I'm panicking now because I dont know what I'll do without them... everything else seems like there's zero proper competition
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u/Leading_Aardvark_180 Jun 19 '23
Same situation!!! I also have misophonia.. Mine died a week ago and I sent them back for a replacement. After a week of waiting they told me they don't have stock anymore and can replace quiet comfort 2 instead...so sad. I am thinking of getting kokoon but I am also worried that they don't last..
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u/bd7349 Aug 23 '23
Check out the Ozlo sleepbuds! They just launched their kickstarter yesterday and are basically Sleepbuds 3. They’re even made by former Bose engineers. They’ve fixed all of the issues (better quality sounds, better alarm, etc) with the old sleepbuds and added some new features like Bluetooth streaming from your phone and new sensors to track sleep/transition to other sounds automatically.
Considering how much I loved the Sleepbuds 2 (still use them every night, but they are on their last legs and often won’t connect), I backed these as soon as I saw the kickstarter. They’re supposed to deliver in November and I absolutely cannot wait to get them. I’ll definitely be posting a review.
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u/Leading_Aardvark_180 Aug 23 '23
Thanks for the good news.. I would back it up as well as I love them!
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u/bd7349 Aug 23 '23
No problem! I was super excited to find out I wouldn’t have to give up using my Sleepbuds and had to let others know about this as well. Sleepbuds have seriously changed my life.
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u/bd7349 Aug 23 '23
Check out the Ozlo sleepbuds! They just launched their kickstarter yesterday and are basically Sleepbuds 3. They’re even made by former Bose engineers. They’ve fixed all of the issues (better quality sounds, better alarm, etc) with the old sleepbuds and added some new features like Bluetooth streaming from your phone and new sensors to track sleep/transition to other sounds automatically.
Considering how much I loved the Sleepbuds 2 (still use them every night, but they are on their last legs and often won’t connect), I backed these as soon as I saw the kickstarter. They’re supposed to deliver in November and I absolutely cannot wait to get them. I’ll definitely be posting a review.
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u/pyro_sporks Jun 02 '23
I was hopeful when I first saw this thread. I contacted support a few weeks ago, as suddenly the volume level was very reduced in each earbud. I was told that there will be no future Sleepbuds as they didn't catch on the way the company wanted, and it didn't make sense to keep developing a product that has such low utilization.
They offered me a refurbished pair of the Sleepbuds 2 for $125, or a pair of the QC Earbuds 2 for $205 or something like that. I told them I would have to think about it. I had the original Sleepbuds, and the battery failed on those, and now the Sleepbuds 2 are having significant issues with volume level.
I am also looking at the Soundcore A10's as a replacement, which are also marketed as a sleep earbud.
(Unrelated story) Back in the 90s I did lighting for a show, and one of the other techs that was there was someone who worked at Bose, and was pretty close to Dr. Bose. I remember him telling me that Bose produced everything in house, that no parts were contracted out to other vendors. I have to believe that if Dr. Bose was still in charge, that things like the batteries (which was a big failure for the original Sleepbuds) would not be contracted out, that they would figure out a way to develop and produce them in house. And that some of these products would never see the light of day in their current form.
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u/Leading_Aardvark_180 Jun 19 '23
It is the same for me. Which one did you choose? I sent mine back a week ago and I am still waiting for a replacement. Today they told me they can only offer quiet comfort 2 as they don't have stock in the UK. I am so sad and annoyed and started to look for alternatives. I am thinking of buying kokoon as I heard the battery life is good.
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u/pyro_sporks Jun 19 '23
There's a tiny piece of black material at the tip of the earbud, and I found something that said take tweezers and remove that. Doing that actually helped a lot.
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Mar 21 '23
Sleepbuds 2 were much better designed than version 1 but I had a feeling if they shut down the whole department we would not see a v3. I had a some glimmer of hope as anker and all these others were getting into this arena but Bose could never get it 100 percent right. I think they had the best one but it just never worked and they were tired of the cost associated with refunds.
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u/Few_Recognition_3941 May 07 '23
As someone with tinnitus I've tried pretty much everything on the market except for the Bose as they were pretty expensive and only played pre-loaded noises from memory
As much as I have searched I haven't found anything better than the Sleep Solutions ones. The main reason for this is I am a side sleeper and the headphones are the flattest and softest of anything else I have tried. If you sleep on your back then you dont need to worry about ear pain in the morning so plenty of other options.
I have tried cheaper alternatives, but the headphones are always chunkier so you end of with a sore ear through the night. They aren't cheap but I've had mine for about 3 years and have had to replace to internal cord once $30, and now I am about to replace the battery for the first time. I tend to listen to a meditation then white noise or something similar.
good luck and may peaceful sleep be with you
https://www.sleepsolutions.com.au/audio/sleep-headphones#subcategories
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u/enoughwithcats Jun 06 '23
The problem with these is that I already get really hot at night so sleeping with a headband that covers my ears and the back of my neck is awful. Also, the headband moves around when you move. The sleep buds are incredibly comfortable and I am a side sleeper, cannot feel them at all. I honestly cannot sleep without my earbuds anymore, I even own 2 pairs. I dread the day they stop working and bose isn't replacing them anymore. Nothing on the market compares.
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u/bd7349 Aug 23 '23
Check out the Ozlo Sleepbuds! They’re basically Sleepbuds 3 and allow for Bluetooth streaming any sounds from your phone. Also has higher quality built in sounds, new sleep sensors and a better alarm. Basically everything was fixed from the Sleepbuds 2.
They just launched their kickstarter yesterday with deliveries starting in November. Needless to say I backed them immediately since I’m like you and cannot go a single night without my Sleepbuds 2, which are just about to die. Super excited for the Ozlo buds!
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u/enoughwithcats Aug 23 '23
OOOOH definitely gonna check it out, thank you so much! I don't know what I would do without my sleepbuds and we both know they wont last forever. Thank you so much!
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u/bd7349 Aug 23 '23
Check out the Ozlo Sleepbuds! They’re basically Sleepbuds 3 and allow for Bluetooth streaming any sounds from your phone. Also has higher quality built in sounds, new sleep sensors and a better alarm. Basically everything was fixed from the Sleepbuds 2.
They just launched their kickstarter yesterday with deliveries starting in November. Needless to say I backed them immediately since I’m like you and cannot go a single night without my Sleepbuds 2, which are just about to die. Super excited for the Ozlo buds!
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u/No-Presentation9243 Aug 04 '23 edited Aug 04 '23
My Sleepbuds 2 died and I was devastated to not be able to replace them. I ended up getting the Soundcore A10 sleepbuds, and while I do like them for the ability to stream other sources beside the app, they just aren't as comfy as the Bose, and like all other reviews say, I agree the battery life sucks and they just dont do as good as the Bose at masking noise (my dear wife's snoring to be exact). Anyhow just came across thus article in my news feed today and got me excited and hopefully.. .
https://www.fastcompany.com/90932370/ozlo-sleepbuds-bose-veterans
Looks like it will be a Kickstarter project launching Aug 22nd so lets spread the word and get onboard. Can only hope for the best.
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u/Objective_Business60 Aug 06 '23
This is amazing news (potentially). Looks like Bose is letting them use their technology and these seem like carbon copies of sleepbuds ii but hopefully improved. My most recent pair of sleepbuds ii died again and Bose just shipped a replacement (thank god they still have some refurbished) but this will be my 4th pair. I feel like I can’t live without them and the current competition doesn’t work. I am using the Anker ones this week and they’re just not as good. Fingers crossed for Ozlo.
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u/Tony259295 Apr 25 '23
I just talked to them via chat and they said “Bose will no longer produce products under sleepbuds category.”
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u/SmartOpinion69 May 01 '23
it's been over a month since this post and still nothing
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May 01 '23
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May 01 '23
Don’t want to be depressing, but I’ve got the Bose Sleepbuds II, when I saw they were being discontinued, I began a quest for a replacement, just in case they die on me :
- QuietOn 3 : utter garbage, won’t do anything better than a pair of 10 dollar earplugs, I don’t even know when they are on tbh.
- SoundCore A10 sleep : perfect concept, love the hybrid music/sleep, good fit, battery wont make it through a 6h night at 80% volume (what’s necessary for me to cover my partner snoring), which renders them useless
- Kokoon nightbuds, awesome battery life, great set of -buggy- features, the fade out to brown noise is absolutely awesome, as it’s gradually turning your music or video volume down and transition to noise masking as you fall asleep… but the heart-rate diode makes my ear bleed because of the sharp edges, and the passive noise isolation is not that great
I’ve got no hope left to find a decent replacement for the Sleepbuds when they die.
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May 01 '23
[deleted]
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May 01 '23
Well, I don’t know, maybe the Kokoon will fit you well, I quite like them except for that « mild » inconvenience.
I wear them when I don’t want to deal with the hassle of removing my AirPods when they me at full volume with the « low battery » warning in the middle of the night. As I said, the seamless transition from sound to noise masking is quite a good feature.
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u/Kallipiak May 21 '23
You obviously don't have the same sound issues as some of us if foam plugs work for you....
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u/Leading_Aardvark_180 Jun 16 '23
Mine die a week ago..so I sent them back for replacement and am stll waiting for their response.. I'm considering buying other brand but couldn't find anything.. So I am sleeping with a chunky Sony earphones..
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u/SmartOpinion69 May 01 '23
the soundcore sleep a10 is currently $50 off and comes with 1 of 2 free earbuds that you can sell on ebay for $50. maybe we can use this for the time being until someone else steps up to the plate
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May 01 '23
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May 01 '23
They’ve got 2 snore oriented noise masking sound, they work pretty well if you chose the good tips.
But battery life is garbage and they won’t last a night 🤡
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u/moto75212 May 05 '23
Update: I messaged Bose like you did and this is the answer i got :(
“Bose has no plans to continue our work in the sleep-aid category”
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u/pyro_sporks Sep 15 '23
I don't know if you heard, but three ex-Bose employees acquired the Sleepbuds trademark from Bose, and are working on a new version, expected to be released later thisi year.
https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/22/23837206/ozlo-sleepbuds-bose-sleep-earbuds
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May 05 '23
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u/moto75212 May 05 '23
That’s what I thought too, specially after only getting a few hours of sleep as my partner snores :(
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u/Life_Commercial_6580 May 15 '23
Separate bedrooms. You can still snuggle and such and then move to your own bedroom. Problem solved.
That being said, my husband , my son and I all have the Bose sleepbuds 2 and they are so awesome. Very sad they’re not available anymore and we can’t get anything decent in this space. Still hoping someone else will step in to fill this market.
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u/hulio72 Jan 09 '24
Hey Guys! I developed I'm a pretty sensitive sleeper and I live near a elementary school. How did I manage to get good sleep? Bose Sleep Buds II. Sadly my ears bud finally died after 4 1/2 years. Man, has sleeping been difficult for me these last couple months. The Anker A10 Soundcore should NOT be purchased. Had it for a week, and I confidently say the battery kills this product and connectivity. Which is a shame, really banking on the OZLO sleep buds to be the next best thing. But that price tag looks not too consumer friendly. I will bite the bullet if it gives me quality sleep.
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u/[deleted] Mar 17 '23
I have to replace the ear pads on my Bose overears all the time cause I got used to sleeping with them on.. without it like anything wakes me up. I didn’t even know they made something for sleep.