Huh, what did you say?

I had a set of Phillips SHE9500s for about two months before they shorted and I needed to get a new set of headphones. So in the last 6 months I've gone through about four pair of headphones either because I didn't like the fit or they just died on me. After paying a fair price for the Phillips set, I decided to go back to the under $20 rack and see what I could come back with. I had previously been using the Koss sparkplug headphones before the Phillips, so I'll compare this set of Koss headphones to both of those headphones. I'll break this review down into four areas, cost, comfort, construction, and sound quality.


Cost-

These were a few dollars more expensive than the sparkplugs, and about $15 less than the Phillips, so still in the inexpensive range. There were several similar headphones that were cheaper, but didn't look as sturdy or were from no-name vendors. For what you get (the headphones and three sizes of earbud cushions), it's a good buy, but a little carrying case (which both the cheaper sparkplug set and the more expensive SHEs came with) would have been nice.

Overall verdict: definitely in the inexpensive category, with no perks other than what is required in the package. Grade: B


Comfort-

The different size cushions make it a lot more likely that you'll find something that fits well in your ear and is comfortable over time. I started out with the medium sized cushions, tried the smaller ones, and then moved back to the medium sized ones because the left ear seemed like it wanted to come out when the smallest cushion was in place. I guess I could have different cushions for each ear, but that makes me feel like a bit of a mutant:-) One thing I will mention is that the cushions for these and the Phillips look to be the same size, so you could probably use cushions from different headsets if you have a specific cushion set that you really love (maybe a specific color you like or a certain construction material). With the right cushions in place, I can easily wear these headphones for several hours without noticing them. That's a huge plus for me considering other headsets have been so uncomfortable that wearing them for more than an hour or so was completely out of the question. Unlike the Koss sparkplugs or other marshmallow plugs, you don't have to shape the plug before putting it in your ear, so you can insert the headphones with one hand (very useful for outdoor activities or if you don't always have both hands free).

Overall verdict: taking a moment to try out all of the cushions and pick the ones that fit snuggly but not too tight will save you a lot of ear aches. At least with these headphones you have that option, and once you get the right cushions, things are great. Grade- B+


Construction-

The headphones claim to be 4ft. long, but that length is a little misleading. They use the popular (although I think not very useful) asymmetrical headset design, so the distance from the junction of the right and left earplug cables to the audio jack is just at 3 and a half feet, and the cable going to the left earplug is about 6 inches, giving you a total length of 4 feet. The cable going to the right earplug though is about 2 ft. So technically if you go from tip to tip, the headphones are about 6 ft. in length. What that means then is that there is 2 ft. of extra cable dangling there, and there isn't any type of built in slider to keep that excess cable out of the way. That could be useful for some and a problem for others.

The main cable running from the junction of the earplug cables to the jack is a bit thicker than the cable running from the junction out to each earplug. My estimation is that the main cable is about twice as thick as those cables after the junction. It makes sense I guess if you consider the main cable as holding two cables that split at the junction. What it leads me to believe though is that you're a little more likely to get shorts and breaks at or after that junction, since the cable is smaller and could probably take less mechanical stress as a result. The cables are pretty stiff (so far they have been in use for three days and still have not relaxed from their coiled, in-the-box- form), and are not "sticky" like the Phillips cable (being sticky was actually a "feature" for that headset).

The audio connector is a straight connector, not an L-shaped connector, so that is something to be aware of also. It does seem shorter than what I am used to, with the plastic portion of the connector being maybe 3/4 of an inch long. It looks like they shortened it by reducing the amount of flexible, protective plastic that makes up the plug. That could reduce the lifespan of the headphones a little, since the jack is an obvious point for shorts and breaks too and now it is a little less protected. This is a one piece cable unlike the SHE9500s which is two pieces. I would say that having a two piece cable is an advantage because you might only have to replace part instead of the whole thing, but my experience with the SHE9500s leads me to believe otherwise, so no real difference I think between a one piece and a two piece cable.

Lastly, the picture for this item shows it in black and silver, but the pair I purchased came in black and blue (kind of a North Carolina Tar Heels blue). They stand out a bit more than the black and silver, so something to keep in mind. Since these are isolation earbuds, that might come in handy, since it would be obvious to someone else that you have them in your ear and probably can't hear other people trying to talk to you!

Overall verdict: It feels like they did cut a few corners in the construction area to get the price down, with the main areas of concern being spots that would reduce the chances of getting breaks and shorts in the wire. I guess though at under $20 per pair, if you have to buy a pair every few years it works out the same monetarily as purchasing more expensive headphones that might be better designed to reduce chances of breaks. Koss does provide a lifetime warranty on these headphones, so in theory you could just keep getting them replaced and paying the shipping charge for getting them back to Koss. Grade- B


Sound quality-

This is probably the most important aspect of any set of headphones, so let's get to it! Keep in mind that I'm not an audio technician/ audiophile, just a regular listener. Mainly I listen to popular music and podcasts on my iPod, so a wide range of sound quality right there.

What I have found is that these headphones do a fair job of reproducing sound, with a bias away from high frequencies and towards lower frequencies. As a result, everything is a lot deeper, but not necessarily "richer" in sound. Basically, music with heavier bass lines will sound great, while more "airy" music will not sound as crisp as what you may be used to. The Koss sparkplugs are similar, with even more bass and less treble. The KEB24's have a frequency response of 15,000-20,000Hz, and I think the Phillips had a frequency response of 6,000-23,000Hz, and you can definitely hear that difference. Using the same settings on my iPod, these headphones are "louder" with more bass, but the Phillips headphones are "richer" with a better range of sounds.

The "isolation" factor does help in the sound quality area, since notes that might have been masked by background noise are now audible. I wouldn't pay extra for this though, considering half of the earbuds on the market now have this same design and would therefore be "isolation" earbuds. Unless you are getting true noise-cancelling technology (and willing to pay substantially more for that ability), I wouldn't consider isolation to be more than a natural by-product of the cushion design, not a special feature that you should pay a lot extra for.

Overall verdict: You get what you pay for in this area. I mentioned construction being part of the low price, but I would say the sound quality is also part of the bump down in price. If you want richer sounds, pay a little more for the Phillips or something along those lines. If you have a budget you want to stay within (or like me are just tired of buying headphones every couple of months), this is an adequate option. Grade: B-

Final verdict: From the standpoint of sound quality, the SHE9500s win almost hands down. The KEB24s and the sparkplugs have similar sound quality, so there it comes down to the other options and construction qualities. I think the KEB24s are made a little better than the sparkplugs; they are easier to use when you are on the go (one hand insertion instead of two), and designed better (no annoying mute button dangling in the middle in the headphone cable). The sparkplugs do block more background noise than the KEB24s and the SHE9500s, but now that I'm not a frequent train rider anymore, I don't have THAT much background noise needing to be eliminated! For now, I'll stick with the KEB24s until I come across a replacement cable for the SHE9500s. Final Grade: B-