Koss SB49 Communication Stereophone

EDIT: Its now just over 6 months that I've owned these and the plastic that holds the ear piece to the head strap broke, rendering the headset unusable. I looked into the warranty and it would cost about $10 to replace them (about a 3rd the cost of new) so I think I'm going to end up just getting a different brand instead.ORIGINAL REVIEW:I have owned these headphones for 4 months now and would consider myself a heavy user. I use them on a daily basis, typically for anywhere between 30 minutes to several hours in a sitting and use them for voice communication, music, movies, games, etc. I also have had a lot of experience with lower-end headsets breaking frequently so the lifetime warranty really sealed the deal for me for this particular headset.Comfort (4 out of 5): This headset definitely has a snug fit, its tight enough to block outside noises fairly well yet not so tight as to cause any real pain or discomfort (I've used headsets in the past that are almost unbearable to wear for more than 30 minutes at a time). If you do plan to wear these at length then you'll probably need to adjust them from time to time or take them off to allow your ears to 'stretch' out a little as they will be pressed to the side of your head while wearing these.Ease of Use(4 out of 5): These are very easy to use, just plug them in and go. There is a simple volume slider attached about 1 foot down the cord from where it connects to the headset. The only thing that is lacking is a way to mute the microphone on the headset itself.Sound Quality (5 out of 5): The sound quality in my opinion is very good. Everything comes to me as crisp and clear. The snug fit of the headset helps to cut down on some room/background noise and really focuses the sound right into your ear.Microphone (3 out of 5): This is where the headset fails a little for me and I have mixed feelings about this. For most people this is a non-issue and the mic quality is adequate for general use, gaming chat, etc. However, if you're going to be using the headset for voice recording, voice recognition programs, or voice chat programs and need good voice isolation then you may want to pass on this headset and go for something with a better mic.

After using this product for a few weeks, I feel I've gotten to know it well enough to give my impressions. I can't speak for the long term durability of the headset, but it feels solid enough. My overall impression is that this is a good headset for gaming/skype, but if you're looking for something that will give you a quality music listening experience too, look elsewhere.Comfort:The ear cups seem a little shallow and a bit large, so over long periods of gaming I'll have to adjust the headset a few times an hour. Not as comfortable as other circumaural headphones I've used, but acceptable for multiple hour sessions. The headband is broad and soft and as such hasn't bothered me at all.Isolation:Minimal, but not nonexistent. This headset neither isolates you from any ambient noise nor does it prevent much sound leaking into the environment. At reasonable volumes, though, the sound coming from the headset will not reach very far. Don't buy this headset if you're looking for good sound isolation.Sound quality:The bass tones are slightly muddy and understated, but they mix well with the mids and highs. There isn't much sub-bass to speak of, though the headset is rated down to 18 Hz. It gives decent instrument separation, but nothing spectacular. Really, this headset was designed for two-way communication not listening to music, so it's not surprising that it doesn't stand out in any way on the music front. As far as gaming goes, it won't immerse you as well as some other headphones might, but it gives all the directional cues it needs to for an acceptable gaming headset.Microphone quality:This will be the reason you should get this headset. It's got good microphone quality for the price. You can buy much better music listening headphones at this price point without a microphone, but this headset has the best overall balance for microphone and sound quality. If you use Skype a lot, or want to communicate with your team/clan in Vent, Mumble or a game, I can safely recommend this product.Other:The cable is a good length and I appreciate the volume slider along the cord. The colors of the plugs might confuse some (they're grey and black instead of green and red), but just be careful and it won't be an issue. The headset folds neatly into a more compact shape.

These were £22.49 when I bought them back near the end of 2010. I wouldn't buy them again.They were very heavy, which is fine by me, but might not be for others.They do not accommodate smaller heads such as mine. I didn't notice, until I got my  Sennheiser HD201 Closed Back Headphones , but these headphones were completely not covering the bottoms of my ears. I can scratch my ear without removing the headphones. Not good for audio isolation.They _snapped_. Heavy use for just over a year. Something like 9 hours a day average. The right can broke off at the headband, leaving a sharp bit of plastic to stick in my head. By that time, they'd more than paid their way, so I'm not counting that as a mark against them.Sound quality from the headphones was acceptable for a headset, though it is definitely impacted by the inline volume control. Sound quality from the microphone was surprisingly good, but nothing to write home about.I will compare them to Siberia V2 headphones in most areas:They both snap. The Siberias did not last long enough for price.The Siberias don't accommodate bigger heads.The Siberias have good sound quality from the headphones, but ridiculously high bass.The Siberias have awful quality from the mic, with only treble. No mids or bass.I do all this to point out the mixed bag that headsets are.I would instead recommend separating the headphones and microphone. The HD201s linked earlier are stunning, especially for the price, and you can get a desk or clip mic with comparable sound quality to these for under £10. Sennheiser HD201 Closed Back Headphones

Had these for several weeks now, the sound is excellent and the "foldability" is very handy when travelling etc.I spend much of my working time on Skype... and when I am not on the phone I am listening to music. This product does both perfectly.The mic sound (according to people on the other end of the phone) is also faultless.I marked it down by one star since I think that it really should have a mic-mute feature on the volume control to be perfect.Highly recommended (if you don't mind not having a mute button).

one disadvantage for me would be not enough flexibility on the mic, other than that very comfortable head set, with good sound quality and noise isolation. Using mainly for PC and very happy with the choice so far

This headset was purchased in December 2010. Just over 12 months later they have broken. Has anybody designed a headset whereby the the parts connecting the ear piece to the head band don't snap after being worn for a while, as this seems to be a very common problem with with all makes of headset?The actual comfort and sound quality were good.

Great headphones, used in a school ICT lab