Koss KPH14K Side Firing Headphone (Black)

very clear acoustics and great stereo separation, but no bass. perfect when walking, jogging, working out and shopping as you can hear outside noises in case you need to hear something. does not hurt your ears like headphones during polonged wearing as it fits inside your ear. it's true that headband is narrow so it can squeeze and hurt your head but you can stretch out the headband to fit.. it is well made and durable, probably worth twice the price.

I worked for at a Frys electronics around 2002-2005 so the store discounts allowed me to buy the Sony MDR-W08L for around $7.00. one day i go a tip from my manager that sony was discontinuing the headphones and before the store opened he let me buy the left over stock of 22 at $6.00 for $140he thought i was crazy but even as of 2023 the sony MDR-W08L are still the best running headphones ever made. now in 2023 im down to 9x still in box and 2x in various working conditionsso im looking for an alternative, and the Koss is the closest to the sound quality of the original Sony; id say about 98% close to the sony headset quality; and they are affordableonly draw back is they are uncomfortable, very little room for adjustment they grip right into your earsthe SONXTRONIC Xdr-8000 are 2x the price but have the same feel and comfort of the original Sony mdr but plastic frame is brittle and the sound quality is no better than the KossI really don't get this generation, i tried ear buds, you have to jam the things tight in your ear to stick. They either leave your ears sore or you end up loosing them.so take your pick, me i want a time machine back to 2003

These are the only earbuds I buy anymore (and not very often because they last a long time!). I basically use them every day and I am really pleased with the sound quality. They are not noise canceling, but they aren’t supposed to be. This allows you to hear what’s going on around you (like if you’re outside or at the gym).Right out of the box they’re a little tight and can hurt your ears if worn for a long time. I discovered a little trick…I heat up about 3/4 inch or so of water in a bowl in the microwave for a few minutes. Take the hot water out of the microwave and let the very top part of the headband sit in the hot water for a few minutes to soften up the plastic a little bit. Be super careful not to let the earbud part, plug or wire get wet. Once the top of the headband is fairly warm, put them on as if you were using them for several minutes until they cool off a bit. The plastic hardens right back up strong as ever but now you have a custom fit. I’ve done this with 2 sets of these earbuds and it’s worked great both times.I looked for the perfect earbuds for almost 10 years and I love everything about these earbuds! I hope they never stop making this style of earbuds, because I can’t find anything like them!

No flexibility!Don't bother with these if you have a medium to large sized head: The band that fits over the head has a very narrow arc and canNOT be stretched or flexed. And if you don't flex that band, not only does the headphone fit so tightly as to shove the earpieces into your ear, it may also give you a headache. Yup, ours snapped right at the center of that arc. And, unfortunately, it happened 8 days past the return window. Absolutely annoying.

Sound was very acceptable however size was an issue for me and the headband entirely too small even when extended to largest setting and I found the earpieces to be very uncomfortable with no cushioning. Full disclosure I do have a mellon head :) lol (size 7.75 ball cap) . I exchanged them for ones that hook over the ear that came with 3 different size cushions to choose from..

So, I got my KOSS headset yesterday around 4:00 p.m.. The fit is good and the sound is good. Why did I give it 5 stars? It is because of the ease of putting them on ! I only have partial use of one hand and putting in earbuds and keeping them in was hard to do. I would need help and then, if they fell out, and sometime my hand would get caught in the wires and I would pull them out (which frequently happened,) I would need help. I have a LARGE head, so instead of putting them over my head, I slide them from my cheeks back to my ears and then stand them up. The plastic headband is not flexible like the old Sony, so they shouldn't be pulled. I think that I may have a solution. I am ordering a wired girls' headband. I will Gorilla glue the metal headband to the headset band. I will update afterwards !I connected my HonShoop blu-tooth dongle and now I can listen to and control music, call and receive calls and adjust volume with zero help!I am ordering a second headset today to experiment on. Being disabled, I am always looking for ways to make my life easier and morecomfortable : )P.S. Even headsets with earhooks would not stay in !I feel asleep watching videos and listenng with my KOSS headset. I had no ear pain.UPDATE; I had no ear pain for over a week , then I fell asleep and my head had rolled to the right and then, ouch ! I have not been able to experiment with the wire headbands yet. I still like my Koss headset ,but I am more careful. If I am watching TV late, I will take the right side out and let it rest behind my ear.