Great sound at a price?

Author's Rating:

Pros: Sound isolation. Great sound reproduction. Terrific bass.

Cons: Synthetic foam padding very weak. Hard to get used to. Might be uncomfortable.

The Bottom Line: 
Great sound - no doubt about it. However, it has severe flaws in the weak foam and the flimsy, tangly wires. Some might find it uncomfortable.

Author's Review
The pair that I bought from the Radioshack was fairly expensive. However, I had to try it out because it just looked so comfortable to wear. I could almost feel the soft cushiony buds inside my ear, isolating all sound, while shooting the audio of my desire into my ears. I had to try them!

At first glance, they seem to be an odd pair of headphones. It's essentially made up of a rubber/plastic tube with a foam padding around it. The instructions in the package say that you have to squeeze the foam, twist it and then insert it into your ear. Then, hold it in place till the foam expands within your ear, isolating all sound from outside, but shooting the audio directly into your eardrum. Awesome concept! Sounds a little scary, but let's give it a shot, I thought.

So I did...to great results. It takes a while getting used to stuffing the buds into your ears. However, within a few days I had gotten the hang of it. One BIG flaw with the foam is that constant squeezing, twisting and manipulation of the foam causes a lot of material stress on it. Which means that after a week or so of usage, you can clearly see that the material is weakening and then eventually, a piece came off. This would normally be a cause of worry but...the package comes with around 4 other pairs of foam that can be used as replacements. Uh oh! They are all different shapes! So, if you had found a comfortable pair in, say the pointy pair, and if it tore, then you are stuck with using an uncomfy hexaganol pair or a cylindrical pair.

Kudos to KOSS for an excellent pair of headphones otherwise. It provides very strong bass and great sound reproduction. When you are wearing them, there is absolutely no ambient noise. So, say a couple of noisy kids walk into the bus. While everyone is cringing at the noise the kids are producing, you won't hear a thing because The Plug totally blocks out all noise.

Which brings me to a word of warning. Since The Plug blocks out ALL noise, it is extremely hazardous for one to use this pair of headphones outdoors, especially in the city. You will NOT hear a car honk at you with this pair of headphones on. BE CAREFUL. It's best used in a commute on the bus or subway or for in-home use. PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS PAIR OF HEADPHONES OUTDOORS, ESPECIALLY WHEN BIKING.

Final word: The bass is the strong point of this set of phones. However, some people may find it too strong and might have to adjust the bass on their CD player. It's light, it's unique..but comes at a price.

What's the price? A set of foams that tear easily, flimsy wires that tangle easily, and an uncomfortable set up mechanism inside your ear.