KPH30i Retro Style On-Ear Headphones, Grey, Microphone, Wired

While I wouldn't classify myself as being an audio snob, I do have decent collection of various headphones (some are good, some are meh), which include but are not limited to the Sennheiser HD598 & HD700, Epos G6 Pro, HE400se, V-Moda Crossfade Wireless and two generations of Skullcandy Crushers (1st + Evo). Most of my wired audio is hooked up to the Sennheiser GSX 1000 DAC/AMP, nothing fancy but geared towards computer use (Music, Gaming and productivity use). The Koss KPH30i headphones are by far one of my favorite. I'd put them up their with my Sennheiser HD598s in terms of sound, not the same but they hit in the same general ball park. If I had to explain the difference between the two, the Senns are more punchy and warm, while the Koss headphones are buttery smooth and warm. They work extremely well for gaming with the GSX 1000's virtual surround, and for music the audio just melts into your ears assuming its the right genre. I'm talking about new retrowave and anything with a bit of synth in it. Lo-fi is great. 80s Metal works well. In fact almost everything from the 80s will sound awesome. Some examples include Michael Jackson's Billie Jean, Wang Chung's Dance Hall Days, Duran Duran's Rio, Oingo Boingo's Weird Science and Billy Idol's White Wedding to name a few. Comfort wise, they are so light I forget that I am wearing them. Default pads are uncomfortable, so I highly recommend slapping some Yaxi pads on them OR Grado G cushions. In short, I highly recommend these. They are not going to be the best headphone money can buy, but they will hit well above their weight class, so much so I find myself wearing using them more than any of the other headphones I have on hand. If I was in the market for a pair of Sennheiser open backs, I would buy these first as they get you close to that territory for very little money, and more importantly they are addictingly fun. They lose a bit of detail, but offer up a buttery smooth experience that is both warm and slightly intimate. Note: The headband is not the most sturdy. It will probably break at some point. If that happens, or the wire goes out, before you chuck them in the trash remember you can replace the headband and even mod the cables to be detachable. Its extremely easy and cheap to do, and there is a ton of content available showing how to do this. These are heavily moddable headphones.

It's so stupid and crazy that this is probably one of the best quality-to-value headphones I've ever purchased. I have had dozens of headphones, my current round is a Shure 840A, Hifiman he400se, and the DT 990 pro (mostly for recording), and I've been stunned by how ridiculous good these KOSS headphones are compared to these 100 to 200 USD headphones. It's that ridiculous. I typically use a autoeq on my android phone or EQ on my desktop, but I still cannot say enough good things about this headphone. They're extremely comfortable, I've worn them for hours at a time. I've only adjusted the band ONE time, it fits perfectly and they do not fall of my head. I've used them for playing games on Playstation 4 via the controller's headphone plug in, I've cleaned my house with them on, I've plugged them into several USB DAC's without issue. I've never been so impressed by such a cheap pair of headphones. Tonality-wise, they compare with many IEM's, and I would prefer them over IEM's in most cases just because they're so simple to wear or use. IEM's hurt my ears so I'm unlucky in that respect, but these are a perfect alternative to those. If you can pay between 20 or 30 dollars to get a pair of headphones that punches this high? Just do it. They are that good for what you're paying. It must have something do with the design of the driver inside these headphone, because they look like they can't do anything when you first take them out of the package, but I've listened to loads of genres without issue. These sound warm, but it can handle bass on IDM or electronic music, the mid's are good, the treble is good, overall I really enjoy how versatile these are. They sort of remind me of those BLON B.L. 03's that came out in the IEM world years ago. Just a really fun pair of headphones. I bought my dad the KSC75 for father's day, but honestly I want a pair now too!

I’m actually satisfied, & quite impressed with the sound quality of these $30 headphones. They are very light, & mostly comfortable, though the fit could be a bit fatiguing on the ears, & I blame it on the headband — which I’ve read is interchangeable, so that’s a plus. The sound signature is balanced, and quite deep (I own the beige ones), so I opted to carefully remove the foam backing inside the earcups, & now it’s like the veil has been lifted, providing a more pleasant, natural tone, much more suitable for my liking — which is funny, since I later found out the clear version of the KPH30i doesn’t come with the foam, meaning I could’ve saved myself the trouble of disassembling anything. However, I love the beige pair, & I wouldn’t exchange them. Overall, these headphones do their job splendidly well, & certainly sound above their price tag, so I’m content with this purchase.

I've bought a half-dozen of these over the years, in different colorways, for different personal uses. I also love to give them out as gifts – they're so good! They sound absolutely fantastic for all sorts of music, are useful (and more comfortable and reliable than wireless earbuds) for calls/video conferencing, and are nice and non-fatiguing for podcast/audiobook listening. They work well with mobile devices if you can live with a corded headphone, but I find they're best used for music listening at your desk. They look awesome in every colorway, with a sort of Modernist sculptural, almost Eero Saarinen quality to them: the white and blue ones have a great late-70s hifi or Pan Am telephone operator vibe, the Rhythm Beige ones look like something from a 1960s public library in the best way possible, and the clear ones are 1980s all the way. The grey/black colorway is the most understated but looks handsome in a quiet, late 90s sort of way – if you're into this colorway, the KPH40s are a lot sharper looking. You certainly don't need to use these with an amp, but if you happen to use one with your system, they just sound that much more wonderful when driven with the extra power. Seriously, for $30-ish bucks, these really are the best bargain buy in audio: they're neutral, pleasing and sound good across most genres of music, like a cheap, minimalist Sennheiser HD650s. If you can only have one pair of wired headphones for under $100, these are easily the best-sounding, most well-rounded things around, including Koss' other endearing, enduring models like the classic wired PortaPros or the newer KPH40, also highly reccommended for slightly different reasons. Only two minor drawbacks, one not necessarily a negative thing: 1) they're open-back, and so won't isolate you from outside noise or keep the entire room you're in from hearing what you're listening to. This is a key part of its design and really more of a feature than a bug, but they're not ideal for music in co-working environments or if you like to jam out to embarrassing stuff you don't want to share with your friends. :) 2) the places where the side pieces connect to the headband can be prone to cracking after prolonged use – the Rhythm Beige colorway seems most susceptible to cracking, and the clear seems least prone to it, though my experience is far from scientific. This only happens after many months of extended, regular use and has never happened to pairs I've left perched on my desk. You can always fix a crack with a little electrical tape at the cost of adjustability and style, or send them off to Koss for a free lifetime repair!

After reading positive reviews, including one by Cnet's Steve Guttenberg, I purchased these headphones to add to my collection of low-cost semi-open-back headphones (Koss Porta Pro, Koss KTX-PRO1, Superlux HD681 Evo, original Austrian-manufactured AKG K240). I'll focus on comparing this with the highly acclaimed Koss Porta Pro. Both headsets are new, so they haven't been "burned in" by having hours of music played through them, which many audio experts claim can open up the sound to be even better than when new. (Instead of my 20-year-old Porta Pro, I'm using a brand new Porta Pro Limited Edition, so that neither headset has benefited from burn in.) COMFORT: Initially the KPH30i is more comfortable than the Porta Pro. for 2 reasons: 1) its kidney-shaped earpieces are larger than the round earpieces of the Porta Pro, so the pressure is more distributed. 2) The KPH30i has a soft rubber suspension band that sits atop the head, while the Porta Pro has a narrow, unpadded metal band that sits atop the head. The clamping force is reasonable, just enough to keep the earpieces from slipping. I wore these headphones comfortable over my eyeglasses. It doesn't appear that the foam cushions are replaceable; they may be, but I don't want to risk pulling the cushions if they're glued on. The Porta Pro cushions are replaceable. SOUND: Excellent, especially at this price which is about $15-25 less than various versions of the Porta Pro. If you love the famous sound signature of the Porta Pros, you'll probably love the sound of the KPH30i, because the drivers are probably very similar, if not identical (both are rated at 60 ohms impedance, frequency response of 15-25,000 hertz, efficiency of 101 dB SPL. Both headsets produced the same ample loudness from my Samsung S8+ cellphone.) Both headsets being semi-open designs, they both offer a large "soundstage", which means that the voices and instruments don't sound entirely as if inside your head, but also sound as if the sound sources are around you, with broad stereo imaging. I played the same music on both headsets, and the KPH30i sounded nearly identical to my non-audiophile ears. Steve Guttenberg wrote that the Porta Pro is more transparent and clear, while with this KPH30i: "Treble detail is soft, the KPH30i isn't by any stretch a high-resolution headphone. There's a fuzziness to the sound to be sure, but it didn't intrude or detract from the music." He still loves the KPH30i, and I do, too. Like the Porta Pro, this KPH30i has a 4-foot, non-removable cord. The cord is thicker than the one on the Porta Pro. The KPH30i has a straight plug; I wish it were angled so that it wouldn't protrude 90 degrees coming out of the cellphone. A nice feature is that the plug has a spring-like coil that offers strain relief where the cord joins the plug. Overall, th KPH30i appears very well constructed and I'm guessing it will be durable if handled carefully. November 21st, 2018: I see that the Koss website sells replacement cushions for the KPH30i. Five dollars for 2 pairs, available in either gray or blue colors. The blue version is for the white KPH30i, but why not go crazy and place them on your gray KPH30i? ;-) March 10th, 2020 update: I improved the comfort and sound with 2 products available on Amazon: Yaxi earpads for Koss PortaPro (they also fit on these KPH30i) which bring more comfort and audio improvement, and HIDIZS S3 Portable Headphone Amp/USB C DAC/Audio Amplifier which plugs directly into the USB Type-C jack of my Samsung S9+ cellphone.

So I'm a hi-end headphone user. Over the years, I've spent thousands of dollars on hi-end headphones, so I have a good idea what is good and what is just mediocre. There are a lot of headphones that cost two grand that don't sound as good as something you can buy for five hundred dollars. That's just how the audiophile world works. So having what I consider to be one of the best headphones in the five hundred dollar price range, I borrowed my neighbor's Koss KPH 30 headphones for making phone calls, it having an inline mic and all. I decided to put on my music playlist between calls and I was stunned. That's not hyperbole. I was truly taken aback by the sound. The clarity and sparkle of this headphone is astounding. the base response was what mostly caught my attention. Of course, for full disclosure, I was running the Koss headset through my DAC, so consider that. I no longer take my half a grand headphones with me when driving, simply to reduce the chance of them becoming damaged. My Koss headset goes everywhere with me. Now I am not saying they are as good as my expensive set, but it is so freaking close to it. And for thirty bucks? If you are gonna go cheap, this is the headphone for you. On the downside These are open back design so on a bus or in public, you need to watch your volume. Not everyone may appreciate your music tastes. The build quality of these Koss headphones is what you would expect for thirty bucks. The cable is not replaceable so if you damage it, you have to replace the whole unit, and it is prone to breakage if you are not careful. They are also made of nothing but plastic, so the headband is prone to breaking if you are not careful with them. You cannot just throw these in a backpack and expect them to stand up to that treatment, but other than that, these headphones are astounding for the price. I've owned two hundred dollar headphones that do not sound even close to as good as these Koss.

Like high-quality music? See these on sale for 20$? Buy them without question, then buy whatever else you want. 30$? Still buy them. Seriously, budget audiophiles and teenagers listen up: these are THE best purchase in Portable Audio, barring NONE. If they weren't literally MADE to deliver the best sound with the cheapest price, they would compete in the 200$+ headphone market EASILY. There is nothing under 80$ that sounds remotely as good as these. Even above that price, I only divert in specific situations. They may not suit your exact need just yet, but I promise you won't regret the purchase over time. I've owned them for about 8 months now and use them daily, unlike any other headphones I own. As a hobbyist pseudo-audiophile, these have blown my mind in terms of sound quality, even ignoring the cheap 30$ price. (20$ on sale every now and again, snatch some up!) I legitimately have bought 5 of them. I use them as my primary headset for my phone and calls, their low-profile design makes them perfect for wearing under a helmet when I go longboarding, and the audio experience is just fantastic for walking around the house and music discovery. These headphones are extremely 'fun' sounding. Treble is clear and crisp, but not sibilant. Mids are present and effective, though not entirely a focus. The bass response is deep, quick, and punchy. I enjoy them the most with bouncy styles of EDM and similar, but they have paired well with everything really. Their open-back design gives them a wide soundstage that can be further widened by pad swaps (Grado pad swap or Yaxi pads). I use a pair with the Grado swap sometimes, and the Yaxi pair other times. They react well with all of my amps, including tube amps, but also work great with integrated amps like phones. They arent extremely detailed, but they are my instant pickup when wanting to listen to music I already like, or new music that I don't need to resolve all the nuances in. Great for gaming on the go, and for awkward setups where you join discord calls on a phone or move around your house alot. Work well with my Oculus Rift. Everyone should own a pair. I prefer these to my SHP9500s, and especially over my AKG 7xx(200$...). Overall, these fit a variety of purposes and every single music listener should own a pair. At the sale price of 20$, I would suggest owning two. Igift these to my friends and family to show them how silly high-quality audio can be; sometimes it comes in a 300$ package, sometimes it comes in a 20-30$ pair of odd library-looking headphones. Don't knock on them; I wish they were my first audio purchase, but comparing them to my multiple 200+$ headphones and headsets, and I still often favor the sound of these on top of their any-situation use-case. NEGATIVES: -They do bleed alot of sound, as they are open-back. I could hear most of my friend's phonecall sitting near him yesterday. They also let a ton of noise in, which I prefer as they are open-back, but it does make me raise the volume alot when on-the-go. -They sometimes sound like they are a but distorted or buzz at certain specific frequencies, like on phone calls. I've found that to be caused by bits of vibrating hair inside various parts of the housing, but have always been able to resolve it with a quick cleaning (easy to clean and remove housing/drivers). -The comfort can be an issue sometimes. Yaxi pads are the best upgrade for this, for sure. -The Grado pads arent the best for practical use, but are fun and better for gaming/movies in my opinion. The standard pads can be made better by crushing them and breaking them in, but will never be as nice as the Yaxis. -The mic is not the best obviously, but it does sound good. Better than alot of gaming headsets to be honest. -The cable twists and tangles near the Y split often. A little annoying, but you could even recable these for MMCX or another style of 3.5MM if you like. Overall the cable is nicely rubberized but not the best of course. BEST USE-CASES FOR THESE: -Under-helmet audio, lightweight openback listening for things like running, skating, etc. -Taking phone calls, short term gaming headset. -Modding without fear, learning to modify headphones without risk of high costs in detroying them. -Gifts, for literally anyone you know. -IEM replacement in terms of usage (if you find in-ears uncomfortable but over-ears or on-ears too bulky, and don't need the sound isolation). -Baseline for audio comparisons with any other item in the 'budget' or 'any-situation' market space. -EDM, Rock, Metal, Pop, Synth, Hyperpop, etc genres where highs/vocals are not the specific focus. DEVISION TREE: If I listen to music, these are my first consideration. I switch to other options only in these cases... -Needing long-term gaming headset, better mic, SUPER BOOMY BASS, extreme long-term comfort, or closed back? I switch to my Beyerdynamic MMX300g2. -Listening to vocal-heavy, classical, or other treble-focused music, and dont need a mic? Switch to my SHP9500s, sometimes. -Needing an open-back headset with a separated mic for PC usage and other gaming needs? Switch to my AKG K7XX+Modmic. -Needing to go on a plane? Switch to modified clones of Beats Studios (drivers replaced). -Needing forward-focus, no imaging or soundstage? Switch to ATH M50s. -Needing detail and zen? Switch to IEMs: BlonBL-03 or Moondrop Starfields. In every other situation, these are what are on my ears.

I bought these about 6 months ago as an alternative to heavier over/on ear devices which were starting to give me neck pain. For that purpose they were fantastically light weight. 2nd, with home meetings and such, they were wonderful for not "sealing" my ears so I could still be aware of what was going on inside the house. 3rd, the sound quality was excellent. it was clear, loud enough, for the price they were wonderful, to the point I did not miss the higher end monitors I had. The only problem was the plastic they are designed with is somewhat brittle. To be fair I was putting these on and off many times per hour, so I think the plastic fatigued over time. I saw the initial crack, then the full split, then the opposite side just completely split in one go as I went to put it on my head (which is on the average to smaller size. The other thing I noticed was a whitish film that seemed to be coming off the silicone head piece. At first I thought it was just from my hair product, but it is a little tacky and is on both sides of the band (even the side against the plastic band). It only started when the weather got colder and I am wondering if it is something along the lines of a plasticizer that separates from the base material when the weather gets cold. Overall they are great headphones. If your usage is less frequent on and off like mine, they are probably a great choice for a lightweight set of headphones. If you do expect to take them on and off frequently, then maybe invest in one with a heavier duty band.

So, I admit it, I went down the Koss rabbit hole. Read the reviews, watched the videos, changed my mind a dozen times, then bought the KPH30i. I have used Flare and Sony in-ear phones for ages but my ears never felt happy...they shifted, were uncomfortable (I have small ears) or the sound just wasn't warm enough for me...or it was too harsh. I have decent over ear headphones that are lush but I wanted something small and lightweight to just throw on and not worry about. Hense the Koss. I chose the 30i because reviews suggested they were comfortable and had a good 'warm' sound without being too base heavy but without muddying the mids. Plus they weren't so expensive that I would be gutted if they weren't all that good. In fact they are fabulous! They are a 'warm' sound so don't expect sparkly high tones, but they sound cosy and intimate and don't hurt my ears with high notes. I did use EQ to balance the highs and mids a bit more which made the difference, and added yaxi pads for extra comfort but you don't really need to (I liked the colour!). Overall I've found they are very easy to wear and you forget you've got them on half the time. I have a smaller head and find they fit perfectly with no pinching or overt pressure on my ears. I can wear them for hours with no affect at all. They are on-ear with an open back so they don't isolate noise, but after in-ear phones where you can't hear anything else, it's quite nice to do things without having to take headphones off or in-ear phones out when going into a shop etc. You can hear the world around you, though that means that the person sitting next to you on the bus or train can also hear what your listening to. I have checked it though, and honestly it's not that noticeable. I love these things! My only fear is that I now want more Koss headphones to try... maybe the porta pros next.

These sound stunning. They punch WAY above their price bracket in terms of clarity, technicality, tonal colour. The soundstaging is pretty eh.. they are open backs so I would not wear them on transport but they are SO light and they feel like nothing. They are on ear headphones so for me at least, after a while the clamping becomes quite unbearable especially because it pushes the ear onto my head and my it starts to hurt. I modded mine with the KOSS foam pads and I removed the foam from infront of the speaker unit and from inside the headphone and it improved clarity so much. it also helped just a little bit with soundstaging but not a lot. Overall an amazing headphone. The build quality is a bit budget but in my book thats actually a really good thing. It's light and when you fiddle around or try to mod it, you dont feel stressed you might break something. you can see where things are clipped and attached therefore you can see how you can open it up. New and premium headphones love to hide and glue and seal the seams and it just makes modding or repairing so much harder. These remind me of the days when music players were a dedicated device and the fact that they still sound so amazing is so nice.

Tout d'abord, je mets fin au suspense: ce casque est bien meilleur que le Porta Pro: scène sonore plus ample, grave profond, aigu doux et précis, bon rendement, moins de distorsion, il va plus loin que son illustre ancêtre et fatigue beaucoup moins. Il est neutre et musical! Le confort est excellent et il tient parfaitement sur la tête (je l'écoute beaucoup en marchant). De plus, il intègre le micro pour les appels vocaux. Beau look vintage (certes pas aussi beau que le porta Pro). Seul bémol, l'arceau est fragile sur les côtés (j'en ai cassé plusieurs).

Nada se le acerca en esta categoría de precio, el único inconveniente es el material ya que parecen auriculares de avión, pero la verdad por como suenan podrían ser mucho más incómodos y aún valdrían la pena.

Amazon's delivery service is fast and considerate. The only complaint I have is that the color of the product received is not the same as the color ordered. I'm personally disappointed in this aspect. Amazon needs to improve on this. As for the sound quality of Kors KPH30i headphones, just like some reviews on the Internet, it is unbeatable in terms of cost performance, and I will fully recommend this headset.