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Koss The Plug Earbuds Headphones

Koss The Plug Earbuds Consumer Headphones

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 stars   See 43 reviews  | Write a review
Information: Product details   |   Product accessories
Price Range: $8.00 - $28.00 at 16 stores
 

Product Review

Koss "The Plug" & Possible Allergic Reaction

by   jsbach ,   Aug 22, 2003

Pros:  Excellent sound, fantastic bass response

Cons:  Black Foam "plugs" made of potentially hazardous material

The Bottom Line:  If you don't have allergies to worry about, you'll love them. I'd recommend them for quality and portability, but I'd strongly urge you to be careful.

Overall Rating: 5/5 stars
 

Author's Review

I have a love-hate relationship with these earbuds. I love the sound, I love the way they block out outside noise, I love how small they are. I love them from a technological point of view. Make sure you use these things with some sort of EQ, if you don't have any way of adjusting the bass response, it will overwhelm you in the lower mid range. Also helps if you can ramp up the high trebles a bit. With a little modification on the sound output, they're excellent. They're as durable as can be expected, eventually after wrapping them around things and getting them tangled a few thousand times the wire sheathings start to break down. A little dab of silicone over the exposed wire fixes that. There is fiberglass interwoven with the wiring, so they're strong enough to get by a little tugging and yanking. I've washed these (accidentally) in the laundry, dropped them in sand at the beach, and stepped on them a few times, and my original pair still functions. I bought extra pairs because I misplace them a lot. And they're only around $13 average (they were actually $6 when they first came out) so it's not a big deal to replace them.

I was using these at the gym with an IRiver IFP390T Mp3/WMA player, and other places with a SONY CD/Mp3 Discman, and I was very very happy with them. For a while.

So here's the downside. After owning my two original pairs, I realized these things were the cause of a terrible rash I had developing inside my ear. Eventually the plugs caused notable pain the instant I inserted them, leading me to the conclusion they were at fault. When I stopped using the plugs for a month, the rash was gone. But I still had an earwax buildup for almost a year afterward, which also cleared. SO, as a test, I started using them again, and within a few weeks I was once again suffering stinging pains inside my ears, wax buildup, and a noticeable red rash.

Whatever the black foam is made of, it is causing an allergic reaction. The rash was visible in some photos taken of me, and at one point my ear itself had turned red outside the canal. There are no warnings on the package of any possible reactions, and the package doesn't indicate what the foam is.

Great idea, but some of us can't use them, and I mean we CAN'T use them. There's a potential here for someone to go into anaphylactic shock if they have a latex (?) allergy and use these headphones. Does KOSS have any idea? These things should have a warning on the package.

My solution in the end was to head out to Wal*Mart and get some standard compressible foam earplugs, the bright orange/yellow ones sold for construction workers to use in noise reduction around heavy machinery. They sell these at concerts too, and we use them all the time in live sound reproduction. I just started getting these, burning a little core out with a soldering iron and a very narrow tip, and slipping them on instead of the Koss supplied black foams. Works pretty well. Whatever that black stuff is, it really sucks for me. So be warned.

These are also listed here under
http://www.epinions.com/Koss_The_Plug_In_Ear_Headphones_Headphones
or just search for "Koss Plug"
 

Compare stores & prices  |  All Koss The Plug Earbuds reviews

 

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Stores and Prices

 
Koss The Plug Earbuds Consumer Headphones

Koss The Plug Earbuds Consumer Headphones

New (In stock)
Koss's innovative stereophones are designed to reduce outside noise so that you can enjoy full sounding music at a lower volume. These earphones make ...
eBay
Featured Store 4.0/5.0 store rating Trusted Store
 
FREE SHIPPING
at eBay
Koss Plug Stereo Earbud with 10-20,000 Hz Frequency Response

Koss Plug Stereo Earbud with 10-20,000 Hz Frequency Response

Average Shipping Rate (Stock info not available)
Koss Plug is a Stereo Earbud. The Plug earbud is the first of its kind. It delivers accurate acoustical reproduction and unbelievable isolation typica...
Adorama
Featured Store 4.5/5.0 store rating Trusted Store
 
at Adorama
Koss "The Plug"

Koss "The Plug"

Free Shipping on orders over $100 (In stock)
Unique earbud design directs sound into the ear canal for deep bass and extended frequency performance. Specialty ear cushion material forms slowly in...
MarcusUniforms.com
Featured Store 4.5/5.0 store rating
 
 

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