KossThe Plug' In-Ear Headphones (Black)

LOVE KOSS THE PLUG! Don't love that my favorite colors of it (white & green) are more expensive than the least expensive basic black (by only a couple of bucks or so). Still, it's my favorite brand. Great bass sound (if you get the real deal, not a Chinese knockoff that sounds tinny, which happened once on eBay) & if cared for decently will last far longer than other comparably-priced brands I've tried.I prefer the foam plugs of these which for me fit more securely & comfortably than plastic or silicone tips that slide out, fall out, don't maintain a seal & it gets very annoying to repeatedly adjust them in the ear canal & to constantly clean them of greasy ear wax (eww). Wax collects on the foam too but requires less frequent wiping with a soft towel (I use microfiber or tissue) & comes with replacement foam tips that can be switched out (I don't usually need to, so I've collected several extra pairs over the yrs, not to mention the foam tips aren't always as easy to replace as you'd expect, so I avoid doing it unless necessary).With good care & regular cleaning these last with frequent use for at least 1 maybe 2 years, longer if not used daily. Usually what would break on me is one ear bud (either the wire in the casing or the sound tube holding the foam would break off completely - bye bye, music), but only with rough use, usually if I wear them often in bed for sleep (which I've stopped doing). Pillows & these don't get along too well, unless my head is propped up higher with an extra cushion. Excellent sound quality for hooking up to TV - brings out every unnoticed background sound (birds, traffic, etc) which I love, & enhances inaudible whispers otherwise missed (& often omitted from subtitles).I have to say I used to love the rubber surface of the cord (it's soft, smooth, doesn't kink & doesn't create friction noise) but ever since getting my current touch-activated phone the rubber cord can actually acts as a stylus and whenever it touches the screen (which happens constantly during use) my phone responds like I'm touching it & all sorts of irritating functions & apps are activated (& accidental changes made! Not good). Nuisance! (not the earphones, it's touchscreen phones that I hate). The struggle to keep the cord from touching the screen is a constant burden & frequently a failure. Oh well. I think not all phone brands are touch activated to use, but LG phones are. It's a very good but also highly annoying feature.I still love & prefer these earphones for the quality of bass they give. I've paid as much as $50 for (used) Klipsch earphones that were good quality & incredibly durable (took 5 yrs of gym abuse before they broke) but I didn't like those better than these. I wouldn't dream of spending $250+ for Bose or Beats or Dyson or whatever high-end brand, only to probably lose them after the insane investment (story of my life). I'm happy in my relationship with Koss The Plug as long as they don't change quality or discontinue manufacture (another story of my life).

The sound is very crisp and exceptional clear with good bass ! You would think these would cost over $100. dollars. The memory foam (not rubber) can stay in your ears for hours with no irritation. The more you insert in ear the deeper the bass and outer outside sounds drop off. I use these while grass cutting with a loud diesel engine running fast and it mainly eliminates motor noise! I chose wired for the danger of Bluetooth use ! The price is really good & life time warranty. Enjoy !

I wanted to update my review to say that I DID finally get used to having the earbuds in for long periods of time, (see further down my review) and my ears stopped feeling so achy after wearing them, or when I would take them out.I also finally broke down and did what others suggested, and made my own 'seal' out of earplugs. I have a gazillion lying around, so I figured, why not? I simply took a small pair of pointy scissors, opened them up so that I was using only one blade, and (carefully) slid the earplug through to the end of the blade. It took quite a bit of pressure, but it slowly went through. Then, I took it off the blade, closed the blades, and then pushed the earplug through again, this time on both blades (closed). This time I needed to pull them out a bit to find the hole at end as I was pushing the blades through. It had closed right up and was hard to spot. After I pushed it through, I opened up the blades and held them there for a second or two, then I pulled the earplug off the scissors, and at the same time, I sorta turned it inside out, not all the way, but as much as possible.This was the only way that I could get it onto the end of the little rod that comes out of the earplugs. It bends easily and obviously I'm afraid of breaking it, or any of the tiny wires that may be inside. Once i got it on, I pushed it all the way through to the end, and very carefully snipped around the hole to make it fit well, but be slightly open for sound (Being careful not to cut the white rod.) Then, I inserted the earplug/bud and I find that it seals much better and it stays in my ears better. The size that it came with did work in my little ear canals, but they always felt like they were going to come out, and a gentle tug would pop them out. These fit much more snugly. The sound is impressive. Good bass.---- ---- ----Old ReviewI have small ears, so shopping for earbuds can be a challenge. I'd read that you can squish these down, so I'd hoped that by being able to do so would help these earbuds to fit into the limited space of my ear canals. It did!Like earplugs, you simply squish and roll these between your fingers and insert them into your ear canal. I find that if I tug back slightly on my ear while I am inserting the earbud (or plug), that it helps open up the already tight space and makes insertion a little bit easier. Like an earplug, they then re-expand and fill your ear canal, which is how they are held in place.The upside to this is that it creates kind of a seal - or a noise barrier - isolating the noise of the outside world from entering in and bothering you - just like an ear plug. Unlike an ear plug, it does not create that perfect seal, so noise does get through.The downside, like an earplug, it gets bothersome to have something inside your ear canal after awhile. Your ears get full and achy, and that achy feeling can persist for hours, even after you take the earbud out. But for some of us, it's worth it.I would have loved to have had an inline volume control on them. I'd actually thought I was ordering a pair with the inline volume. I was looking at a bunch of earbuds, most of them by Koss, my go-to brand, and the one I thought I was going with had an in-line volume control. (Turns out that one was slightly more expensive than this one, so bonus for me.) I had ordered this one by accident, because I do not usually order earbuds without an in-line volume control. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I received these. I didn't send them back because I liked them so much. (I also found an in-line volume control that I can order as an add-on to these earbuds that I plan on ordering in the near future.)The range on these is fantastic. My playlist cracks most people up by it's variety, so range is something I find important. They play bass with ease - you can actually FEEL it - and higher tones come through with crystal clear clarity.They come with a second set of foam ear pieces, which seem to be the same size, so no variety for those of us with different ear sizes, but good if we ruin a pair.Cord is a decent length. It isn't already self split, so you do so yourself to a pre-measured mark. (I like the runner's earbuds, with the off-sided cords. Where one side is longer than the other to prevent the cord from beating against your chest while you are running. Koss is good about making those. This set does NOT have these. But, they are long enough that you can slip them behind you, which I do. Especially while exercising - or sleeping.)They work fantastic in my iPod, in my tablet, in my computer, in my phone (but not with my phone case.) They sound great - cut the noise well (not great, but well). All in all, I'm very happy with my purchase. I like them a lot. I'd recommend them to anyone looking for a decent pair of earbuds at a great price. But, if you're looking for something with a lot of noise-isolation/cancellation, you might want to try something else.I've been using Koss earbuds for years, so I'm familiar with them, and I highly recommend Koss brand.