Koss KE29E Isolating Earbud (Ebony)

by Koss

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 2.3 x 1 inches ; 2.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001S0PWV8
• Item model number: KE29E
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2004

Product Description

The Koss KE29E is a portable isolation earbud stereophone. With a dynamic element for extended frequency response of 15-20,000 Hz. This compact design provides a robust sound. The KE29E is a lightweight, in-the-ear earbud for music on-the-go. The straight, dual entry 4 foot cord includes an inline volume control. A convenient carrying case provides protective storage and the small, medium and large silicone ear cushions included allow for a customized fit.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best!, October 26, 2009

By 

M. A. Stuart (midwest, usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Koss KE29E Isolating Earbud (Ebony) (Electronics)

Unbelievable! First off, I want to say all the positive reviews here is why I bought these and that they are true. The one negative one must have been a fluke. I have several pairs of relatively decent headphones/earphones, ear buds, etc. now, and these little beauties are the best.

I got them because I wanted more bass and more noise canceling in an in-ear style and I got that with these, and a lot more.

The bass is simply remarkable. I never heard better bass in ANY headphone, and other in-ear/ear bud types don't even come close! We're talking the difference from a mono AM transistor radio to a stereo with subwoofers here.

These also do an amazing job blocking out sound. When I got them, (at Wal Mart just for speed and convenience) I tried them in the parking lot next to a major 6 lane highway, and they blocked out all the traffic noise. The first night I had them, I had a pair of genuine Noise Canceling headphones on - you know, the ones with the battery just for noise canceling, but I could still hear our bird chirping upstairs, so I thought I'd compare these and I couldn't hear him at all!

And, loud. If you like volume, these are the phones for you. I normally would play my iPod just about wide open on other phones but don't even want to come close with these little powerhouses.

So, that brings us to comfort... all of the above wouldn't matter if they were not comfortable. But, they are so comfortable, I can't hardly tell I even have them on.

The in line small volume control is also nice.

If there's just one minor thing I would possibly like to be different about these phones is if the wires from both ears were equal, unlike the shorter side left. They do sound perfectly balanced anyway, and maybe it's a psychological thing from all my other sets being that way.

I really wish I had discovered these first. If I had, I wouldn't had bothered with the others because these are all the headphones I need.

The price can't be beat as I feel these are of higher quality than sets I've paid 3 times as much for.

Highly recommended.

p.s. These come with 3 different sizes of cushions. I found that if I used the largest ones, I got more bass.

p.p.s. The bass is also excellent at low volumes, too.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Enjoy them while they last..., November 28, 2009

By 

Aku (A little yellow sock puppet.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Koss KE29E Isolating Earbud (Ebony) (Electronics)

I've burned through three of these headphones within the last year. I've put up with it since they were only 12 bucks a pop, but now they're $25 at the local Walmart...

But let's rewind to all the good times before they die. These headphones are the definition of cozy, with multiple earpiece sizes to fit your tiny mouse or elephant ears. They do a great job at blocking out noise around you, and the sound quality is excellent for what you're paying. I found no real need for a burn-in period, as they sounded excellent fresh out of the box.

My headphones were used in tame conditions, when I was either working in a prone position, or just lounging on the bed with the iPod. So remember that in the upcoming paragraphs.

The first sign of aging was the little black foam peeled and fell off. This reduced the sound quality from great to a smidge impaired on the bass end. The next issue was the volume switch. I never used it, yet I eventually had to tweak the "max" end back and forward to have the sound level on the left equal up to the right...tapping the box could nearly mute the volume on the left side. This can take anywhere from two seconds to five minutes of struggling to fix.

Either the plastic insulation or the wires themselves began to...atrophy, I guess. The wires lost any looseness and felt more like thin copper. This is so bad on my last surviving pair that the earpiece ends can stand straight up with no support. All in all this didn't bother me too much, but for those who actively move while wearing this, it may be a cause for concern.

I guess this got so bad that the insulation failed on my last set, and I can now see the bare wire on the right earpiece cord. This was likely hastened from the constant "straightening" required for the headphones to sit comfortably. It hasn't affected performance, but it looks very ugly...

Since work is not as steady as it once was, I've discontinued my use of these headphones and will hunt around for some that last longer than a few months. If you see these on sale for like ten bucks, give them a go with an optimistic outlook; anything more and I'm paying for longevity that's simply not available in these headphones.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect companion for your iPod or any other MP3 player, November 10, 2009

By 

B. T. Threlkeld (Deckerville, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Koss KE29E Isolating Earbud (Ebony) (Electronics)

Where to begin...if you've ever bought an iPod then you know the "earbuds" that come along in the package. Now I'm not saying that those aren't functional, they're just nowhere as good as these earbuds from KOSS.

When I bought these, they were just a fix because my previous pair (the generic iPod pair) had fallen apart and were beyond use. I was surprised to find the different cushions and carrying case that came along with the earbuds. At first when I tried them out, they didn't make much of a difference to me, but now that I've had them for nearly a year, I wouldn't use any other type of earbud. After you find the comfortable fit for your earbuds, they have a great quality to deafen outside noise, like if your on a school bus and you put these in your ear, the once loud and obnoxious voices become almost whispers. If you have your music up loud enough then you won't be able to hear any outside noise at all.

The one thing that has stood out the most for me was their durability; sure they stood up to my everyday life being in my back pocket, but one evening I was doing laundry and I'd forgotten that they were still in my back pants pocket. So unknowingly, I started up our Washer and headed upstairs. When the load of clothes were finished, I went down and began to unload the clothes into our Dryer. When my eyes fell upon the earbuds, resting on top of a hoodie of mine, my heart sank. Quickly I snatched them and raced upstairs to my bedroom, where my iPod is usually found. I undid the tangle and plugged them into my iPod's headphone jack and selected the "Gears of War 2 Soundtrack". Two or three seconds passed, which felt almost like an eternity, the symphony that is the Gears of War 2 Soundtrack came in crystal clear like it has done before.

To this day I am still totally surprised that my earbuds went through a wash cycle and came out working perfectly. Now I don't recommend you try that at home, because you may end up screwing up a perfectly good pair of headphones.

Other than their comfort, durability and great music control, which by the way the handy switch on the cord has come in handy a time or two, there's not a whole lot more I can say about these earbuds. I would highly recommend them if you're looking for a good way to isolate outside noise or just looking to upgrade from the cheap pair that you receive with your iPod.

Two thumbs way up!!