KPH40 Utility On-Ear Headphones, Rhythm Beige, Interchangeable Cord | Lightweight, Ultra-Wide Frequency Response, Stainless Steel Adjustable Headband

I love the sound of the Koss KPH30. An unexpected treat given their low price, they're airy and have great treble balance and clarity. They're not very comfortable for my big head for more than an hour or so, though, due to pressure on my ears. I figured these would have a similar sound but be more comfortable. For the most part, I was right.They are more comfortable in that they rest lighter on my ears (you can almost forget that you're wearing them). I also like that they barely use any plastic.. I could see the '30s plastic getting brittle and cracking over the years (time will tell, though). These look more elegant, and weigh almost nothing. Not using as much plastic also heightens the impression of quality/luxury (not that these are going to be mistaken for $400 Mezes..). The interchangeable cable is appreciated, as my new phone unfortunately doesn't have a 3.5mm. I haven't purchased the C-cord yet, but it's a nice option to have.Sound-wise, the treble is slightly softer and more rolled-off than the '30s. Still plenty of detail, and they're less fatiguing (not that I'd call the '30s fatiguing.. just that these are even less so). Perhaps a smidge less bassy/punchy, but still good for the class. I'd say these are even more spacious-sounding, though. These are the kind of headphones that you close your eyes and throw your head back to be enveloped in sound. That's a marvel at this price point, and something that Koss probably does the best, which is why despite having significantly more expensive headphones from multiple boutique brands in my collection, I still consider Koss one of my favorite brands and keep coming back to them. You get so much quality sound for the money, they embarrass most brands costing 2-4x as much; and when you do find headphones that are truly better, you look at how the Koss are a mere fraction of the price, and you kind of laugh to yourself about the law of diminishing returns..So ultimately, while I do miss the extra bite of the treble of the Koss KPH30s, the added comfort and even more spacious sound mean these are still the ones I use most. Even for those of you that have much more expensive sets, I still recommend buying these, even if just to use when you travel. I originally bought these/the KPH30s as a cheap travel set, but I like them so much they're pretty much all I use anymore.It's kinda funny--15+ years ago it was the Koss PortaPro that first captivated me and made me obsessed with sound. I wouldn't have guessed that I'd be back to midrange Koss sets all these years later, but here I am. These feel and sound like a contemporary analog to the PortaPros. In a way, it feels like home to me.

I absolutely love these headphones.I picked up the Koss KPH40 Utility On-Ear Headphones and they’ve completely won me over. I did upgrade them with the official Koss oversized replacement cushion ear pads, and that made a huge difference in comfort—highly recommend doing that.I mainly use them with Apple Music on my Mac Mini, while at my desk, and the sound quality is just fantastic for the price. They’re clear, detailed, and have a really enjoyable, natural tuning that makes everything from vocals to instruments shine. They don’t try too hard—they just sound right.They’re also incredibly lightweight, which makes them perfect for long listening sessions. With the upgraded pads, I can wear them for hours without any discomfort.What really surprised me is how much I keep reaching for these over more expensive headphones. There’s just something about the sound and simplicity that makes them so enjoyable.Koss really nailed it with these. Amazing value, great sound, and super comfortable (especially with the upgraded pads). Highly recommend!

When I first got these I got them out of the box and started listening to music, and music for these is pretty good for the price range. Not much sub-bass to speak of, but it's a small driver open back unit. The bass that is there is pretty strong. There's a little bit of bloat in the upper bass range that can be distracting for me right at first, but I find that as I listen longer my ears/brain adjust and it's not too much of a problem. Kick drums and floor toms have a lot of impact, but I don't hear much resonance in them like you might through better headphones. Mids and highs are smooth enough that I don't notice any distracting peaks in tone.Resolution gets better than what these offer, but again, they are 40 dollars. All in all, not a bad sounding unit at all and they are definitely good enough to just relax on the couch, drink a drink, turn your brain off and enjoy music. They are also great if you need to wear something while you are working, doing chores, running errands, or whatever because they aren't so detailed you start to get overly analytical with the music and get distracted. They are also crazy open in terms of sound isolation, so you won't miss out on anything happening in the real world. Sound leak is real though, so I would avoid wearing them anywhere where you might be bothering someone else if they could hear them (libraries, planes, etc.).The soundstage on these, though? *chef's kiss* I was listening to a song where the volume starts low and slowly increases over the first part of the track and I took them off for a second because I thought I had forgotten to switch my source from my living-room speakers to the headphones. It didn't sound like the music was being pumped straight into my ears, it sounded like the music was in the room with me. At full volume, this effect is less noticeable, but the soundstage and imaging are pretty great for headphones at this price range. I'm always hearing sounds that have me looking around the room. You really feel surrounded by what you are listening to.I don't know how many people are going to use these for watching movies, but they are crazy good. I like to use headphones to watch movies at night so I can turn them up loud without disturbing my duplex neighbor. I just watched Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City with these (first movie I've used them with), while running the headphones off of a Fiio BTR5 (bluetooth adapter) connected to my media computer. I took the headphones off probably 4 or 5 times during the movie thinking that I heard something in the room with me, or something happening outside my house. Little faint noises don't just sound quiet, they sound like they are actually around you spatially. The effect is honestly pretty striking.I have other gear that technically sounds better if I really want to get analytical with my listening session, but these really do deliver at this price point. If you're an audiophile you probably have gear better than this, but I would still recommend them just for the reminder that you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy what you are listening to. For anyone else, or anyone new to the hobby, this is an awesome place to start. For 40 bucks, how can you lose?

IMPORTANT DETAIL - the stock earpads are fine, but an instant, OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD upgrade for them is a pair of yaxxi pads. The ones designed for the Koss Porta Pro's are the ones you want. Get whatever color you want. Orange gives some proper starlord 80's retro cred.*update* I still adore them, but I have found a cheap way to add an in-line mic. Get a replacement cord for something like the bose 700 or QC25, anything with a 2.5 to 3.5mm plug will work. Much, much cheaper than the usb-c or apple cord Koss sells. Side-benefit is it also made the cord a bit longer, which I've found nice.These have no right to sound so legendary. I'm serious. This sound in a $300 pair of headphones would be justifiable. They sound amazing out of everything. Dedicated digital dac? yep. Tube amp? yep. headphone jack on my lame laptop? YEP.They don't have that cramped, squeezy feel of the KPH30's. They sound better than the 30's (which were already amazing) These little guys just disappear on your head. Even if you think you hate headphones that sit on your ears, these (with some yaxxi pads) just might as well not exist on your head.The sound is just fine from the stock earpads, but I bought some yaxxi pads (available here on amazon) in orange for some more retro look and the comfort went up dramatically. Yaxxi's are like $10 and so luxuriously soft and ethereal.As for tuning, they're supremely chill. The same kind of vibe that my $300 Meze Classic 99's have. They're not the sparkly goddess sound that makes people love or hate Grado, but they're not overbearing anywhere in the sound signature, so mids are nice and rich, with deep, punchy sub-bass that you would NEVER expect (beastie boys intergalactic HITS) The treble is gentle and clean, and they're just supremely laid back, enjoyable things to listen to.I find the only area they don't trade punches with $300 headphones on is imaging. It's not bad by any means, but you don't get that "you can point at exactly where in front of you the sound is" level of detail that some Grado sr60's would give you.But the fact that the only place I can start to find a complaint is imaging, and using a pair of headphones that cost twice the money as an example should start to paint a picture that these are truly special.The party piece in the sound stage to me, is that they are tuned superbly for outdoor use too. No, they aren't going to isolate the world, but they don't get drowned out to nothing on the ferry like my Hifiman Hex4's do. I don't necessarily always need headphones outside that isolate the world, but I do need them to sound good if they don't.The only actual gripe I have is the cord doesn't include the nice little in-line microphone and single button control that the KPH30i's have. Since I do use these outdoors a lot (they're just so light and tiny that they can just be chucked in my bag) I would REALLY have liked to see a microphone. And maybe if there was a way to give the earcups a way to swivel and lay flat, I'd like that, as it'd make them even more pack-able.As it is, these are some truly god-tier beater headphones. But seriously, get some Porta Pro yaxxi pads. There's no work involved to swap them, just peel the old ones off and stretch the new ones on.

The short answer is yes. Hi-fi headphone enthusiast for 10+ years. Owned Mr. Speakers Aeon, Audeze LCD-2/3/X, EMU Teak, Senn HD600/650, Sony MDR-Z7M2/Z1R, 1000XM4/1000XM5, Focal Elear, Focal Clear, Hifiman Edition X, Beyerdynamic DT-880/770/990 and spent 1000+ hours with other high end headphones. Primarily listened through Sony TA-ZH1ES and vaious other combos/portable units.Most headphones regardless of price have the 10khz aluminum driver resonance spike of death. Manufacturers try to compensate for this in various ways- dampening, earpads, etc. despite the rest of the frequency response being coherent, 4-10khz just about all headphones regardless of price suffer drastically different colorations as a result. Most high end headphones try to dampen 10hz and push the bump down to the 5-8khz range and tell you its “clarity, detail, refinement” when its really just engineering their way around the physical properties of the driver (usually 40-70mm diameter). The larger the driver, the more problems to mitigate. Some companies use beryllium or a beryllium coating, and some have great success with this, but now you’re gonna pay $1k-4k for these headpones. Add in luxury lamb skin pads, exotic woods etc. If you can drop this kind of cash without thinking about it then more power to you. But you’ll also want an amp/dac to power them adequately. And some headphones (Senn, Audeze, etc.) either have a death vice clamping force or they weigh about as much as a Judd.Then you have Koss. They’ve been successfully using this small driver design since the 80s. Most people have heard the PortaPro. It’s ok but it’s way overrated. Comfort issues and a veiled, mushy sound have always kept it from being great, despite its cheap price.Then you have the KPH-40. It is the best implementation of their design philosophy. It is easily the most comfortable headphone in existence. It’s made with a metal frame. It’s durable despite its slight frame. And you can wear it in various positions on your ears without it getting uncomfortable…indefinitely.This headphone is sonically not dissimilar to the PortaPro, but it is refined in every way. Bass spectrum has impact and depth but is less mushy than the PP. Lower mids still have some fatness and warmth but less so than the PP. Male vocals on the PP are VERY chesty. The problem still exists with the KPH40, but not to the same degree as with the PP. Bass and lower mids make the KPH40 sound very full, almost like a full size headphone, which is incredible for such a small driver. I credit this to the small pads and the short distance from the driver to the ear.Mids and uppers mids continue to sound even and full. There is no 1-3khz nasal/glare/shout that some other headphones have, though these headphones can sound a bit mid-centric (mid-forward, but not glaring or uncomfortable) However, the depression in FR between 3-6khz can add a bit of sonic haze, and make female vocals sound closer than they should in the mix, and a bit less engaging/textured (softened). But they will never fatigue you. At the same, almost strangely, distorted electric guitars have far more bite than the PP. Siamese Dream, The Bends, Downward is Heavenward all present guitars with bite and edge, but unlike the Senn HD600, guitar distortion on the KPH40 NEVER sounds unnaturally edgy, bright, thin, grating or otherwise overly emphasized (unless you’re listening to some poorly recorded 80s glam metal).Highs are MUCH improved over the PP. I can hear reverb trails and inhalations between bars in Shaw’s recording of Rachmaninov’s Vespers that were non-existent with the PP. Cymbal hits are a bit recessed in rock music, but they NEVER blister your ear drums. No angry bees here, thank you. Detail is there but it is not overemphasized for “clarity/air/detail” blah blah blah. The 6-20khz range sounds much more true to life (though admittedly not as zingy and vibrant), especially relative to the rest of the frequency range, than MOST other expensive headphones…honestly, most headphones regardless of price.Sibilance? Really? Hahahahahahahaha. There is none (exagerrated sibilance). Ss, ts, etc sound just as they should (quieter than the actual vocals and not at all distracting). Exagerrated sibilance is why I can’t listen to 90% of headphones (looking at the HD600, Focal line, ANYTHING by Sony 😡).Natural, full, musical and more focused on instrument and voice timbre than neutrality and detail. It is light and comfortable to wear for hours.Koss really gets what a headphone should feel and sound like. Would I choose to listen these rather than the Focal Utopia? Everyday, twice on Sunday. Would I hear every key click in Vaughan William’s Oboe Concerto in A Minor with the KPH40? Would the sound stage be as large, holographic and precise in its instrument placement? Nope. Would I enjoy the overall timbral representation of the instruments and the presentation of the music as a whole, for hours on end? Yes. Yes. Yes.Disbelieve, argue, condescend all you want. For $40 you get a headphone with few shortcomings that are easy to overlook. I can’t overlook shortcomings in Hifiman, Fostex and ZMF headphones for the prices they’re asking (also, no cabinet liners were harmed in the making of the $40 KPH40 🤣).IMO, the next best thing to the KPH40 (IMO) is the Focal Clear MG and the LCD-3, or maybe the X. But the Audeze feel like anchors and the Focals still have some wonkiness in the 6-10khz range, so much that I couldn’t justify making them my main headphone (maybe if I any listened to classical/jazz with no vocals). With the Koss KHP40, I need no justification. I can listen to anything and everything to the KPH40 and enjoy listening for hours. I can’t ask any from a headphone than exactly that.Very highly recommended.

So... I wanted a decent set of modern on-ear headpones with a retro style to use with some vintage Walkmans I have. The reviews gush over these KPH40s. They use all the catch words and emotional descriptors. A few do mention that they are a little bass heavy (hey, I like bass!) and that the highs are a touch "recessed".Well, let me tell you exactly what these sound like. They sound like a cassette tape recorded without any Dolby played through an early 90s Walkman with Megabass on "mid" and the Dolby B switch turned on. That's it in a nutshell. For people who have no frame of reference with that (very understandable), they have decent bass but there is a WIDE Q hump around 100 hz. The mids are alright but the treble region is something of a mess and dull. That 100 hz "bass" boost is a deal killer for me. It's nasty and overshadows the decent bit of lower bass (50 hz or so) that these are capable of.So, for use with my cell phone, running poweramp EQ with a simple parametric correction reducing the 100 hz swell and adding some upper mids and a treble shelf... I actually rather like these. BUT, I did not buy these to use with my cell phone so let's try with a few pieces of vintage portable audio...The very first thing I tried was an old Discman D-11 from ( I think 1991). I picked this because it is brutally precise. It has an old-school DAC with a brick wall filter. The bits come out as they were written, no messing about with oversampling or smoothing. Immediately I knew I was not going to like these a ton. Everything I mentioned in the previous paragraph was obvious to me. That nasty mid-bass boost just jumps out at you and never gets out of the way.Anyhow, I also tried a WM2, WM-F18/f28 and a WM-F2085 from 1990. First off, let me warn you if you try the same... NEVER turn on Megabass! Ugh. So anyhow, I will say that out of all of them, the WM-F18 actually was able to sound somewhat alright due to its old 3 band EQ. The low band is mid bass so I pulled that back a little and pushed the high band. With this setup... I didn't hate these headphones. So there is that. I guess I have a single decent vintage-style setup now.Oh, to really let it sink in, overall, I actually preferred listening with a pair of old Sony MDR-023 headphones. These were their cheap $5 headphones that they threw in with low end walkmans back then. Yeah... those were better overall to me. That's bad.Anyhow, you can find professionally done frequency response graphs for these headphones out there which I found after my initial listening test and they 100% back up what I heard. It's real. These are flawed. Take the gushing hype reviews with a grain of salt.Oh and don't fall for any of the "Oh man, just replace the pad with xxxxxxxx, it totally fixes the problems" talk. The amount the pads influence the sound is very small. I did go with the orange for the look. The sound is still a mid-bass mess.

These won my budget headphone shoot-out! I highly recommend you buy them. A very detailed review is below. I recommend yaxi pads for these, but its not really necessary. They are quite comfy on their own. I also modded it with a silicone comfort band from my KPH30i's. These are now my favorite sounding and feeling headphones. Good job Koss!---MY HUNT FOR THE BEST BUDGET HEAPHONES:(I use my headphones for 80's Rock, 90's Alternative, Oldies, Classical, and plenty of TV and Movies)-SHORT VERSION...BUY THE KOSS KPH40'S AND SOME YAXI PADS!LONG VERSION...FIRST I HAD THE PX-100-i's for like 10 years. Loved them, but the connector broke a few years back. THEN I got the PX-100-ii's. I didn't like it as much as the first iteration. Way too much Bass! And the bass bled like crazy. They sounded super muddy. But everything else sounded like my old px-100's. Then a few months ago, THOSE broke at the connector (I'm nice to my headphones, they get plugged into my computer and stay there, there's really no reason for those connectors to go faulty, just bad manufacturing). Then I found out that Sennheiser was no longer making ANY PX-100's anymore, so I had some research to do...NEXT WERE THE KOSS PORTAPROShttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001P4ZH/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1-The sound is 'soft' for the mids and uppers, and a slightly boomy bass. Very easy-listening. The bass was a little too boomy for my taste, but it wasn't bad. The high's weren't sibilant, which I loved. I missed some clarity from my px-100's, but it was worth it. What I didn't like about it was that the bass bled into the mids, which made some things sound weird. Still, I liked them better than my original sennheiser PX-100-i's which is saying something. The PX-100-i's have highs that are harsh on my ears, too much sibilance. The Bass on the PX-100-i's can be a little to boomy also, but no bleeding. It had an accurate, clear sound I loved. But overall I considered the Portapro's a nice upgrade.For those of you who have trouble with it pulling your hair, my remedy was to wrap painters tape (blue to match the highlights on the headphones) around the middle section of the headband. It also keeps the headband the perfect length so I didn't have to constantly adjust it every time I took it off. This DOES make it less portable for pocket carry, but I never used that anyway. The temple pads were giving me migraines so I ripped them off. Then I replaced the foam earpads with the YAXI ones. Now they feel great!KOSS KPH30ihttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075FBRYM1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1-I didn't like the bleeding bass of the Portapro's, so I kept hunting. I tried the Koss KPH30i's next. VERY nice. I consider them better than the Portapro's. Slightly more clarity in the highs and the bass didn't bleed. The high's were only a little more powerful than the Portapro's, pretty much had the same 'soft' sound quality I liked in the Portapro's. The bass was a little underwhelming. I could tell where the bass was meant to be, which was nice, but it wasn't boomy at all. Like HEARING the bass, but not FEELING it. At first I really appreciated that, especially for classical, but after a few days I kind of missed the bass punch of the Portapro's. The biggest problem with the KPH30i's were they were uncomfortable! The earpads are huge and they press on my ears hard. Its not just the compression strength causing it, its the flat earcups that press against the entire ear. I could only wear it for 10 min before taking them off. So I tried the Grado Ear Pad mod, put it around the earcups and it was MUCH better. Warning, do NOT remove the original foam of the headphones. They tear and you cant get them back on. I made that mistake and now my KPH30i's high's hurt my ears because there is nothing between my ear and the driver. I wished I would have kept the original foam on, and THEN put the Grado pads over them. Instead I had to use the paper towel mod and now the high's don't hurt my ears. The hole in the pad still make a tunnel effect and I feel like that creates a pressure chamber that hurts my ears over time. I DO love the silicone resting band on this set. With that and the Grado pads, these became a lot more comfy, but I still would have to take them off after a couple hours, from my ears over-heating and the firm pressure on the ears. That combined with the lack of bass punch, I decided to keep looking.KOSS KPH40https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KZC94X1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1-I had heard that the KPH40 was the sound 'sweet spot' between Portapro's and KPH30i's, and they were right! These are currently my favorite headphones, even more than my less-than-budget-friendly Sennheiser HD599's (see below). The KPH40's are my Goldilocks Headphones. The KPH40's sound profile are a LITTLE more V-shape than the Portapro's and the KPH30i's. A little more bass than the KPH30i's and a little more high's than the Portapro's. Perfect. The bass is just right, and very accurate. The mids are there, but not overpowering. The high's are clear but still have that 'soft', 'easy-listening' sound I enjoy from the Koss drivers. Honestly I don't think a lot of people will hear a difference between the 3 Koss headphones I tried, its very subtle. They all have the same basic sound. But the differences were enough for me to recommend the KPH40's over the others.The koss headphones I tried aren't as clear and accurate as my HD599's but I enjoy listening to music on them more. It's just more laid back while still being clear and accurate enough. It has a pleasant 'cloudiness' to the whole sound image. I think some people call this 'veiled'. That's a good description. It's just not as harsh on the ears, I could listen to them all day without pain or fatigue. I put the YAXI pads I bought for my Portapro's on them and they fit fine. Super comfy. It didn't really need it because Koss learned from the KPH30i's mistake and made these earcups small. They sit right on the ear where it needs to and it doesnt hurt. The headband is also metal instead of plastic, so you can adjust it to exactly the clamping force and shape that you want. At first, I found the metal headband too skinny, it felt like it was cutting into my scalp. It wasn't, It just felt that way. So I actually took the silicone band I loved from the KPH30i's and taped it to the inside of the metal head band. LOL, I'm not fancy. I bet you could tape some rolled up paper towel to the inside and get a similarly comfy effect. This mimics the all day comfort I always got from my PX-100's. I think any future iteration's should still keep the metal band, but maybe include the silicone comfort band from the KPH30i's, don't touch the drivers or earcups, they are great. I LOVE the ribbon style cable that doesn't tangle. I don't really need the "utility series" connector, especially when the utlity cables cost $45, so if removing that makes these headphones $30 instead of $40, please do so and make these headphones an even more ridiculous bargain!SENNHEISER HD599https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-599-Open-Headphone/dp/B01L1IICR2?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1-At $150, I almost didn't want to mention these as budget headphones, but for those looking to become Audiophiles, I think they are the cheapest Audiophile-quality option. Some recommend the Grado SR60's or SR80's, but I don't. They have zero bass, ear canal piercing highs, and are VERY uncomfortable to wear. The earcups are flat, high compression, and unyielding. I couldn't wear them for more than 3 minutes. The sound profile of those Grado's might be good for monitoring high's and mids, but not bass, so what's the point of them? Vocals and violins only? No thanks. The HD599's, on the other hand, have a very neutral profile with a SLIGHTLY elevated bass, perfect for monitoring, IMO. The bass is present, a little punchy, but not muddy or boomy at all. While the headphones were comfy on my ears, I found that it created weird air pressure differences in my ear canal. This became very fatiguing after an hour, even at the lowest possible volume to hear the music. Probably because of the bigger, more powerful drivers. I think they started to damage my ears. After a few weeks I couldnt wear them for more than 10 minutes without my ears hurting again. The only time any budget Koss driver did that was when I had the tunnel effect going on with the Grado Cushion Mod, and even then it was at a much lesser degree.---A NOTE ON AUDIOPHILIA...-But mostly I just recommend people don't become Audiophiles. It sucks.What a music-lover like me didn't understand was that Audiophiles don't listen to music, they monitor it. They don't absorb the entire composition, they nit-pick specific parts of it. This robs the listener of any enjoyment of the music. It kind of bother's me that they have stolen the title of "Audiophile". I think that belongs to music-lovers and music-makers. What we call "Audiophilia" should actually be called "Audiomonitoring". Calling it Audiophilia compels music-lovers like me to spend massive amounts of money on "better" headphones and audio setups to rob of us of any listening enjoyment we previously had with our $40 budget headphones, and rob our wallet while they are at it. I don't mean to insult or begrudge Audiophiles for a hobby they enjoy, I just don't like it when they are propped up as experts of the best sounding equipment. They aren't. They are experts for the best MONITORING equipment for sound engineers. If you enjoy music, I recommend you get a "consumer" headphone. I recommend you get the Koss KPH40.I like my KPH40's the best for listening to Music, TV, and Movies. Even over my Sennheiser HD599's. Its true that the HD599's have better clarity, but I enjoy music more with my KPH40's because I'm not hearing harshness or noises that the sound engineers never meant people to hear. Sometimes I felt like I was hearing TOO MUCH accuracy on the HD599's, like things the orchestra didn't want us to hear. I couldn't ENJOY my music because I was MONITORING it too much. I heard too much noise, not enough music. And I didn't have a CHOICE to enjoy the music, I HAD to monitor it. Audiophiles are nit-picky sound analysts, so take their hard-earned advice with that in mind.OK, A short message on Amp/DAC's. Don't bother.I have a Dragonfly Cobalt Amp/DAC. It costs $330. While it DOES make all my headphones sound better, it's practically negligable. MAYBE a 3-5% improvement in sound. Not really worth spending any kind of money on. The DAC on my computer is fine, same with my iphone. Especially with the Koss budget headphones. It's recommended that you have an amp for heaphones that have an impedance of 50 ohms or higher. If its higher than 50 ohms you might want an amp just so the drivers are poperly driven, or it will sound real quiet. But test it first at full volume, you might not need it. If you do, there are Amp/DAC's in the $60 range that should do just fine. You definately don't need it with the KPH40's. So unless you can get it for free like I did (VERY nice friend), then I wouldn't bother with it.What about special cables? Not needed with the KPH40's alone. I had trouble with distortion running headphones from my amp using a cheap amazon 3.5mm extension cable, so I just got a USB extension cable instead and ran the headphones driectly from the amp. Problem solved. If your still having problems with distortion, there's guides online on how to make quality cables on the cheap. But you shouldn't need them. Please don't spend more than $20, the cost-to-sound improvement ratio is the worst here.OK, rant against the heaphone consumer industry over...and thank heaven for Koss!---THE BOTTOM LINE-So for normal people (99.9% of the population), I recommend you forget the expensive monitor stuff and get the KPH-40's for the $40. :DOther than the modifications I mentioned, you can also use the Kramer Mod to further fine tune the sound profile, but I don't think it's necessary with the KPH40's. Guides for the Kramer Mod can be found online.LINKS TO STUFF I MENTIONED-Here's the YAXI pads I used on the Portapro's and the KPH40'shttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQVHX84/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1Here's the Grado Pads I used on the KPH30i'shttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TGCDHL2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1Here's some painters tape for the Portapro's. It doesn't leave residue if you change your mind later, and it matches the blue in the headphones nicely! :Dhttps://www.amazon.com/Duck-Painters-1-5-Inch-1-41-Inch-240194/dp/B0025KUSW8?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1A cheaper $7 3.5mm-to-lightning adapter so you don't have to buy the $45 one from Koss, (COUGH!)https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Lightning-Headphone-Jack-Adapter/dp/B01LXJFMGF?ref_=ast_sto_dpA popular budget Amp/DAC you don't need.https://www.amazon.com/Fosi-Audio-Headphone-Digital-Analog/dp/B07VDQQY95?ref_=ast_sto_dpIf you made it to the end, thanks for listening, and enjoy those heaphones!**UPDATE 8/9/2023I have to add a note here. Since this review I have noticed that the Koss KPH40 headphones do tend to "bloom" in the upper-mid Bass range. What does that mean? There is a mildly loud reverberation when the Bass hits a certain frequency, and ONLY that frequency. As the sound gets lower the bloom goes away. For this reason I have gone back to my repaired Sennheiser PX-100 (originals) as my main headphone. But I still love these headphones!

The Koss KPH40 headphones are really good for what they are — a lightweight, budget headphone. If you ended up here after watching a glowing review by a tech influencer stating that these compete with $200 cans, you will probably be disappointed. They just don't, especially if you appreciate strong bass.Detail in the mids and highs are outstanding; no notes. Crisp, sparkly, but not fatiguing.The low end lacks any 'oomph.' I suppose that is mostly to do with how open they are. There is none of the sound pressure you feel from over-the-ear sets. If you try to force them with EQ, you get a ton of distortion.Their comfort is amazing. That is what you get in the trade for the bass, and I think the compromise is a fair one in the right usage case. I forget that I'm wearing these. They're a dream. Getting them adjusted properly is a bit fidgety, but it can be done. They're so light, the clamp force is just right, and the ear pads are soft & breathable.No noise cancellation to speak of; you will be very aware of your surroundings. Whether that is a positive or negative is up to you. Avoid using at high volumes in quiet public places, sound bleeding is significant; don't be *that* person.These are great for casual listening. Teleconferencing. I think they would be amazing for gaming. I have headphones that sound better for not a lot more money, but they're big, hot, and uncomfortable. I reach for the Koss KPH40 far more often. They are not "the best headphones under $200!!!!," but they may be the best for you during most points of the day.

I feel like I cheated Koss - genuinely. Price to performance comparison just doesn’t tally.Backstory to my purchase decision: My last DAP was well over two decades ago, I’ve been streaming music since then and cycled through most of the music streaming platforms pairing with popular comfort bluetooth headphones and earbuds. It was recently I thought I’d break the cycle of music subscription and actually own my music once again (and forever) and I invested in a DAP for that purpose.Since audiophile headphones brings out the best in Hi-Res DAPs, I wanted to ease myself in and use a reference headphone first instead of outrightly purchasing a headphone like the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro. I read reviews about this particular headphone and thought I’d give it a go. I’m no audiophile with technical sonic knowledge but like a lot of people, I enjoy decent music and strive to hear every single detail as they were recorded in the studio and intended to be heard. Wow! This small, unassuming weightless thing weighs a lot in raw output. it’s not perfect, neither is it in the same rank as a higher end audiophile headphones but at £41.99 price point? If the exact drivers in this headphones were to be in a premium housing and there’s a £150 - 200 price tag on it, I’d still think it’s a decent buy.Vocals are clear and crisp, detail retrieval is decent and sound stage is wide. In some live recordings, it actually feels like I’m in the midst of the performance. There’s no way I won’t own more than one of this unit. They’re passive as passive can get - no DAC, amp or DSP and will retain its value for a very long time for this reason. I’d even gift them to friends and family.The only niggle is - cable is short but for me personally? that's negligible and won't receive a star less because of that. You may forget this thing is on your head, it's that light in weight. You can do other activities, work-out etc with this on as it clamps on your head without compromising on comfort. Something to bear in mind is - it's an open-back headphone which means it relies on air for sound to travel freely, that means sounds from your surroundings will bleed into your music and people around you will hear your music, so it's not the type to use on public transport, on a plane or on a busy street.Finally, if you’re on the fence, just pick one up! Your ears will be happy and your wallet will approve.

I had insanely high expectations for these and they surpassed them 10 fold. At such a low cost you literally have nothing to lose

Pessime, sono arrivate con la scatola rovinata è un miracolo che funzionino. Spedizione terribile per delle cuffie così fragili.

So good are these, and for travelling they are just perfect

Soy muy aficionado a koss desde hace muchos, años. Mis primeros auriculares fueron Koss. Me gusta su sonido y que son ligeros, aunque son demasiado caros. Bajando el precio venderan mas.