Pressure "pops" in some settings, material issues, clumsy controls

I am a frequent international traveler, and have owned the headphones since Jan 2017 for noise canceling at the office and on trips, and for music/phone/podcasts. They offer great noise control on airplanes, and otherwise sufficiently dull ambient hum and office chatter to allow you to focus (but they do not create "silence" or anything near it). The noise canceling is good enough to allow me to listen to podcasts and music while vacuuming. But there are several important issues with the product: 1) There is a subtle popping when used on buses and trains and sometimes when walking (or at least this is the case for my product). I think it has something to do with the noise canceling feature when the product is vibrated or exposed to small pressure changes. I had noticed this once or twice in the first year of use, but it didn't both me since I wasn't using it in those settings. But as my usage increased in these settings it became unbearable. Now I am taking the bus weekly and the product is effectively unusable. The warranty expired before I realized this might be covered, and I resent that Bose offers a default 2-year warranty in Europe but not in the U.S. 2) The ear-cuff material has degraded (cracking, flaking) despite careful use on my part. I take pains to keep the material clean and away from chemicals (always storing in the case when not wearing it), and I am disappointed that it seems this is not a product that will last for a long time after all. 3) The controls and software are clumsy and distracting. The advent of the app has allowed me to turn off the very annoying robot repeatedly listing the devices I am connected to (or not). The beeps however cannot be turned off nor can their volume be adjusted, resulting in loud noises that are unwelcome and frustrating. 4) The microphone design picks up ambient noise and amplifies it for a person on the other end of phone calls. Consequently, distant barking and ambulances can be louder than you to the listener. This is particularly a problem with crinkling sounds, which I have been told are extremely vivid to those on the other end of the line. I have not tried out the Bose competitors, but until these issues are resolved I'm planning to for my next purchase.

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