4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
A Great Pair of Headphones!!
Date of Review: Jun 23, 2002
The Bottom Line: This is the best purchase I have ever made. I hope to alleviate any sort of doubts I had about this pair of phones.
Summary
Though I was questioning whether these would be a better choice than Sony's MDR-Q33LP/S W.EAR Headphones, I realized I was comparing apples and oranges. Though the sound quality of the sony's may be slightly crisper, the bass lacks totally and there is far too much sound leakage.
The sound quality of Koss's "The Plug" is great and comparable to that of sony similar but more expensive closed-air column headphones. Before buying them I was slightly worried about the sound quality because I had read many reviews of it being terrible. I took the chance and bought them - turns out that the model I bought was the new model. The new model lacks the mute button (and the carrying pouch), however I believe this is koss's way of meeting customer's demands by increasing the quality of the headphones themselves, keeping the cost of the headphones at the same price. The headphones come with additional foam plugs of different sizes to allow for the comfort of different sorts of individuals.
Fitting them
When I had just opened the package, it took me a little while to fit them on properly. I had not previously read the instructions found when you open the flap of the package. Though the package says to squeeze and twist the foam and then place it in your ears, I find that method to be rather redundant. A good method to place it in is the method that my brother had taught me. He owns a pair of the Sony MDR EX-70 headphones which also offers sound isolation and has had previous experience with fitting headphones. He told me to pull my ear our while placing it in at a horizontal plane. From there, allow the earbud to properly take fit inside your ear before you twist it to a vertical plane (cord facing down). While others complain that it is hard to fit the phones in the ear, I beg to differ. Once you fit it in once or twice the fit is nominal.
After buying these headphones I had read on the net of a method of modifying it to increase the sound quality. I find that process to be ridiculous as it would void your warranty. Keep in mind that the process is only listed for the older version of the headphone. The new model of "The Plug" has already been modified by Koss to provide better sound and higher performance. Personally, I have nothing to complain about. The sound quality is excellent as it is. There is great bass and the treble is reletively good as well.
The only issue i am concerned about is the durability of the headphones. I am guessing that one should not jack up the volume right from the beginning. It is assumed the earbuds require a 'break-in' period. The earbuds seem to handle high-volume really well but I hope it can sustain this quality of sound without starting to buzz.
Well as you can see, these headphones are great. They may be a bit costly for a non-employed student such as myself, but I'm sure there are those who find it relatively cheap. In no way are these earbuds not worth buying.
Koss's The Plug is highly recommended at any respect!
