With his Frames Tenor audio glasses, Bose plays a good score

Tik Tech: We tested to see Bose audio sunglasses -

• After a test run in 2019, Bose is back with a new version of its Frames audio glasses, the Frames Tenor, sold for 279 euros.

• These binoculars, which integrate speakers and a microphone, allow you to listen to music, take calls and call your personal assistant.

• If the Frames Tenor do not replace a good audio headset, they open the field of possibilities for everyday use, especially for urban travel.

It almost looks like a Jamesbondian gadget.

Just for your eyes, Bose delivers a new opus in its Frames saga.

Frames?

This is the name of the sunglasses with integrated speakers that the American manufacturer had launched for the summer of 2019. Thanks to them, you no longer need headphones or headphones to listen to your music.

With the new Tenor Frames that

has tested, make way for a pair of audio glasses with better sound, but also and unfortunately, glasses at a much higher price ...

A bit thicker design, but improved audio quality for the Bose Frames Tenor audio glasses.

- CHRISTOPHE SEFRIN / 20 MINUTES

Bose changes mount.

The new Frames Tenor glasses are more rectangular than their predecessors, the Frames, which with their rounded shape resembled Spectacles, Snapchat's built-in camera glasses.

There is nevertheless a known general appearance.

The black varnished finish, but also the rather wide and thick temples which have not yet operated on a slimming regime are the signature.

The temples of Bose Frames Tenor remain quite thick.

- CHRISTOPHE SEFRIN / 20 MINUTES

This overweight conceals the electronics that allow the glasses to connect to a smartphone, listen to music, make and receive calls and summon your favorite personal assistant.

What Bose calls its

technology

.

Out of their hard storage case, the Frames Tenor pair in Bluetooth (5.0) in two steps three movements.

It will suffice to turn them on with the small button housed under the right branch to send the music (this same button will be used to answer / hang up a phone call).

It is this same right branch that we will use to raise and lower the volume by sliding the tip of the index finger from the back to the front (it's quite reactive), or to summon his personal assistant ( by tapping twice).

Unfortunately, no command is present to change the song during playback.

OK Bose: why is the left branch not dedicated to this feature?

The street, their favorite playground

Connected to an iPhone 11 Pro for our tests, the Frames obviously allowed us to listen to different things (music, radios, podcasts), to make phone calls, to write SMS ... without taking our terminal out of our pocket.

Very practical when you are in the street.

The street, precisely.

This is where the Tenor Frames can find their best use if you are urban.

On foot, by bike or on a scooter, the glasses allow their user to remain fully aware of their sound environment and not to isolate themselves in their bubble.

For safety, they land there.

Frames Tempo glasses are available for sports.

- BOSE

For sports use, Bose has also planned everything with Tempo Frames which are water resistant (IPX4 standard) and can thus secure a running trip in an urban environment.

Richer sound than before

So, what about the listening quality?

Based on our first Frames tests during the summer of 2019, one thing is clear: Bose has really made progress on the audio quality of its glasses.

Of course, the sound reproduction of the Frames Tenor does not equal that of a good pair of headphones or headphones.

To say that we are getting closer would be still an exaggeration.

For now, we would be closer to the rendering of the speaker (s) of a smartphone.

And it's not that bad.

In each branch, a speaker diffuses the sound played by the smartphone.

- CHRISTOPHE SEFRIN / 20 MINUTES

The experience offered by Bose thus gives relative satisfaction.

Admittedly,

by Ibrahim Maalouf loses all its bass, but the rendering of

from Jean-Louis Aubert does not betray the singer's voice.

Admittedly, the double bass on

by Norah Jones seems to quickly run out of steam (just like Renaud Garcia-Fons' cello on the

album

), but the pianos, or violins that accompany these artists that we played for our test almost unscathed from listening ...

Richer sound

Although mostly in the treble and upper midrange, the sound delivered is richer than before, with more nuance and texture.

It is in any case ideal for listening to voices and for telephone calls.

The sound of the microphone of the Frames Reno (still located in the right branch) is also excellent.

When questioned, the interlocutors with whom we spoke while wearing the glasses found it even better than for a classic telephone conversation, the smartphone placed on the cheek!

There remains the price of binoculars.

Surprisingly, the Frames Tenor are sold at 279 euros, where the Frames claimed 229 euros to buy.

The presence of polarized lenses can first explain this increase of 50 euros (they were sold as an option previously).

The additional autonomy, then (5.5 hours, against 3.5 hours previously).

Better audio quality, finally.

But the curious who could have spent a little more than 200 euros to equip themselves will undoubtedly remain on the floor.

And at nearly 300 euros a pair of Tenors, those who can afford it may also prefer a very good headset.

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