Customer Reviews

Koss UR-20 Home Headphones

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(30)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

These headphones are great. You can't find anything else that sounds this good in this price range. Koss does stereophones right!

I have had my UR-20s for more than a year. They still sound great and have been stuffed into my backpack almost every day since i bought them. One of my size adjuster clips has broken, but it is no doubt due to my reckless use. Even broken, they fit comfortably on the head.

The ear cups are big enough for anyone's ears. They cover your ear completely and do not "crowd" your ear like the smaller UR-29s do.

The bass is amazing and the insulating ring makes such a close seal with your head that you will not hear anything while you have these headphones on. I don't like listening to music while I sleep, but I have used these headphones as noise reducers (without playing any music) on many occasions and bus rides.

Note that these headphones are larger than most. This is probably why they sound so great. I especially like that the headband is made of rubber coated metal to keep the phones close to your head, with a cloth balancing strap below that to make it comfortable in any situation.

Koss is the king as far as affordable, amazing stereophones go. Buy the UR-20s and you'll be glad you did. I have had no problems.

I've had mine for three years now, and I find the UR20s indispensible, since I live in an apartment and can't turn the TV up to a decent level otherwise. There's reasonable bass; you would expect so for the size of them. Always look at the specs. The low number is the bass, the high number (usually in the tens of thousands) is the treble. This set's bass is 30 Hertz. That's That's not a bad number; 20 is average, 12 would be phenomenal. The treble is set at 20,000 Hertz. Theoretically, only dogs can hear frequencies above that, but I think a headphone with a figure over that just seems to sound brighter in the treble, which is what I like. I hate unclear treble and muddy, distorted bass. Another number you look at is sensitivity; the better ones are always over 100. So, I guess based on the specs, these 'phones are about average.

The cord length is excellent at 8 feet. I can be a reasonable distance away from the TV without straining the cord; I've even slept with them on without ear fatigue.

These headphones make movie watching a whole new experience...you get surround sound without the expense!

I've had a great experience with the UR20s and I recommend them for use with home theater, even if you just have a 20" portable like mine. You need an adapter to plug them into a home stereo, and there's plenty of cord where you can be either reasonably mobile or you can sit in your favorite chair some distance away. I think they're great. The only thing that would make them the best is better specs, and that's hard to find at this price range.

The Koss R-80 headphones have great sound and eliminate most external noise.
They're also reasonably comfortable. But if you're looking for headphones that
will last a long time, keep looking. The earpieces attach to the headband with
plastic connectors that weaken and snap after a relatively brief time period,
leaving the earpiece dangling by a thin wire. My set broke under warranty,
and were replaced without a hassle, but the new ones died the same death.
Really a shame.

I'm more than a little disturbed that the UR-20 and R-80 Koss headphones appear to link to the same 90 reviews...

I don't know if I agree with the reviewer that had a problem with the durability of the UR20's. I am a college student in Iowa, and anyone who lives in Iowa knows that the temperature extremes are the worst part of living in the state. I use a portable CD player to walk to class on nearly a daily basis and take my CD player wherever I go, which makes it a 'multiple time per day' basis. The Koss UR20's have put up with temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and as low as -20 degrees, in addition to being stuffed into a tightly packed backpack for an hour or more once I actually get to class. The UR20's put up with the abuse better than any headphone I have ever owned with the exception of the Sony MDR-V150, but with vastly greater sound quality.

Since the UR20's have become unavailable, I have been searching and searching for a replacement brand but am continually disappointed by the new models I try. All attempts either provide poor sound or woefully short durability. I currently alternate between the Sony MDR-V150 and the Koss UR19 but both of those headphones keep me from turning my music volume all the way up on my CD player due to bass distortion at those high volumes; in addition the UR19 breaks frequently (I have gone through 3-4 pairs of UR19's in the span my original pair of UR20's lasted me).

The only knock I have on this product is a feature most reviewers rave about: the long cord. As I mentioned, I most frequently take this pair of headphones out walking, and the 8 ft. cord is cumbersome and can create accidents. That's how I finally broke my pair: I stepped on the cord when I was walking and ripped it out of the earpiece. That is, however, expected in a pair of headphones advertised for "home audio."

The bottom line: An excellent pair of headphones at a reasonable price. If you are a big music fan but not neccessarily a 'professional,' BUY THESE HEADPHONES IF YOU CAN.

I basically bought these because they were cheap. Cheap things are not always bad and these headphones are a great example. The UR-20 provides excellent sound for both music and movies. It has excellent bass and sound isolation. I am by no means an audiophile but I know good sound when I hear it and these headphones produce great sound, especially for its price.

I've enjoyed Koss products before and thought these headphones would also be good but unfortunately they're not. They're quite comfortable but the sound is somewhat tinny. Something just seems missing from the sound that I can't put my finger on. It seems somewhat "distant" if that makes sense. Doesn't seem to be "right there".

I also have a pair of Radio Shack Pro 25 Titanium headphones that I bought on sale for which are much better.

I'd recommend trying other headphones before you buy these the Koss R/10.

I'm writing a review on the Koss R-80. First off I had a pair of Koss UR20. These Koss R-80 off the bat feels the same in the material but it has a different design. The headband will stay in its adjusted form when if you take it off your head. It has a coiled cord which can be removed. The cord is connected like a phone card.

Right when I put these headphones on I heard immediate sound difference. I use these on my computer through my Audiy 2zs. Very nice strong midbass and low bass. It hits the notes clean and clear. Never thought how great these would sound for the price. A very clean sound and strong bass. It's also very light. The only thing I dont like is the shape of the earpieces. The design needs to slim the headphones down a bit. For the price this is one nice headphone that will LAST. My Koss UR20 still work after 4-5 yrs of abuse. I just needed to replace them. Get this Koss R-80 and you will be glad. Super fast Amazon free shipping also!

I'm not a audio-hound. I bought these headphones to watch movies as I don't listen to much music. These phones have a great sound. Like others who have noted the enhanced bass, I love the bass. I view them as no-nonsense headphones. They delvier great sound but do not have the extra bells and whistles of more expensive models (as these are very reasonably priced). For example, they do not have the sound adjustment switch on the cord and the cord is coiled so you're not always dragging around cord that's continuously getting hung up on something. The only down side I have noticed is fairly peculiar to people with, how shall we say, over-sized heads. They are comfortable. The foam totally encloses the ear so that there's no sound loss or outside sound distractions. But I do have to occasionally readjust their position when listening to long movies to avoid feeling cramped. The head band does adjust but does not offer a wide range of expansion. To put this in perspective, I have a pair of PhillipsSBC HP250s that I can't wear for more than 30 minutes without getting a headache. I also have a pair of Panasonic RP-HT355S that are far more comfortable but aren't as comfortable as these. Other than that small inconvenience, I would highly recommend these phones, particularly to people who don't place high demands on audio tolerances but just want to watch a movie with great sound. As a matter of fact, I am considering getting a second set to take to work to listen to talk radio.

KOSS R80 REVIEW

When my 30 year old high-end headphones died a few months ago, I went on the hunt for a replacement pair.

In all things, my preference is to buy American made, or at least American designed and owned, so I looked first at Koss. Bose and several others qualify too.

I have a bunch of very high end speakers and amplifiers rounding out at $8K for my primary system, so my ears are spoiled. See my review of AKG 702 headphones for listing of my test system and CDs. I bought the AKGs for best sound quality available for less than $1000

Akg K702 Reference Class Open-Back Headphone

MY REQUIREMENTS WERE:

* Fits big noggin
* Comfortable for hours of use
* sounds great
* less than $400
* eliminates noise from dishwasher, vacuum and significant other when I am listening
* For use at home in my favorite chair
* No leakage so my daughter can sit next to me reading or doing her homework

REQUIREMENTS TRANSLATED INTO FEATURES:

* Over the ear cups that completely encase the ear
* Adjustable headband that fits big heads, not giant
* Sling configuration headbands are the best for long wearing comfort and rest on the head as opposed to clamping on the head and ears. If you move around a lot with headphones on, slings are not for you.
* Closed cans, to isolate outside sounds. No leakage in or out
* Long straight cable, preferably replaceable

KOSS R80 REVIEW

Why R80:

Same drivers as highly acclaimed Koss Porta Pro open headphones, replaceable cord, closed cans, US company made in Korea, adjustable headband, familiar name from the old days who made Audiophile quality headphones. Available straight or coiled cord.

PROS

* Semi sling adjustable headband
* Closed cans and ear pad do eliminate leakage
* Sound quality is good but not great, if the AKG 702s are a 99% of perfection, these are an 85-90%
* Price, these are very affordable headphones that should last a long time
* Build quality appears to be good, time is the best judge for reliability
* The drivers should last forever
* Replaceable ear pads and cords

CONS

* Fit is good for medium and small noggins, a bit tight for my large noggin.
* Closed cans and ear pads do not breath and can get very hot with a tight fit, it may be the material the ear pads are made of, possibly Koss could add some venting to the closed cans to alleviate the heat buildup
* Sound quality is good, not great; but for the price, 1 tenth of the AKGs, hard to argue with
* Sound stage is a bit narrow compared to AKG 702s and Audio Technica open and closed 700s, both 3x to 4x more money. Narrow sound stage may be a result of the closed can damping implementation and the materiel in the pads

SUMMARY

In reading the other Koss reviews, if you are looking for stationary listening affordable Koss headphones, the UR40 open backs may be a very good option since they both breath and allow the drivers to move freely without damping concerns. Leakage would be a factor, but the sound stage should be bigger and heat gone.

Koss UR40 Collapsible Over-Ear Headphones

My impression is that that from a design point of view the R80 was a good first effort by the Koss designers who should follow up by moving the R80 drivers and replaceable cord config to the R20 sling and bigger rounded ear pads configuration and offer the R80 in open and closed back cans like the AT 700. If the sling and ear pad materials on the R20 config can be significantly upgraded for a few bucks the designers should do it. Until Koss addresses the heat build up issue, they will always be at a significant disadvantage with an easily correctable problem. Koss should benchmark their Ur20, UR 40 and R80 vs the AT 700 for fit and comfort and continue to use their existing high-volume highly-acclaimed drivers.

closed can
Closed-back dynamic audiophile headphones, 53 mm drivers with neodymium magnet systems, 3.5 mm connector w/ 1/4" adapter

open can
Audio Technica ATH-AD700 Open-air Dynamic Audiophile Headphones with 53mm Drivers with Neodymium Magnet Systems

Koss needs to decide the target market customer for each product and clearly state the applications on their web site, commerce sites and packaging, otherwise one is left guessing what the Koss designers were thinking when they designed the unit.

Simply buying the units to see what they sound like and how they fit is both expensive and time consuming. Head size recommendations would be giant plus on their web site. There must be several attractive people already working at Koss that could model their headphones on their web site with different views showing the connected equipment and applications, the cost to Koss for providing more and better photos would be $zero. Alternatively, Koss could go all out and pay a professional photographer a few hundred for a photo shoot using Koss employees wearing the headphones and jacked into the target equipment like: i-pod, chair next to expensive stereo, next to sampling kiosk in store, sitting in an airplane pilots seat, ham radio etc.

In the end, I gave the R80s to my 10 year old since her head is smaller than mine, the clamping is not as tight resulting in less heat buildup. For listening to her I-pod nano, Nintendo game and pc applications the headphones are perfect. They are her early Christmas gift. I had planned to use them with my PC but too tight and too hot, stereo and movie listening was a long shot based on the drivers that didn't work out.

RECOMMENDATION

If your head isn't big, and you are looking for some good-sounding inexpensive-headphones this might be the pair for you for all stationary applications including sitting at your work cube jacked in. Noise isolation is good. Cans don't fold and they are not echo-noise canceling so using them on the commuter train or airplane may not work. If you wear them walking around the neighborhood, make sure you have great insurance since you would be likely to walk in front of a car or truck.