Not so. I taped the holes before using but i don?t think it mattered. Can?t wait to take it outside to see how it changes colors. I like that they are narrow as well. even though she?s an 11. These are cute but dont put them on a water bottle youre going to wash consistently. You can also have your music extremely loud! Ive purchased probably 4 or 5 Bose branded replacements over the last decade, and theyve predictably fallen apart. End of story. This pair is a waste of money for this amount.