Customer Reviews

Race Tracker Black Passive Noise Cancellation Stereophone

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was looking for a set of headphones to use with my iPod while mowing the lawn. I had used a set of headphones that hook over the ears, but I had to turn the volume up too high to hear over the noise of the mower.

I looked around at a lot of sites (including high-end audiophile sites) and Koss was often suggested as a good company with good products. Their no-questions guarantee was often cited as one of the reasons Koss is a good company.

I decided to try the QZ-5 headphones because they are relatively inexpensive.

As soon as I tried them on, I was impressed. They blocked out a lot of sound without even having them attached to a sound source. I couldn't hear the TV or the phone ring with the headphones on.

When I tried them while mowing I knew I had a winner. I could leave the volume level at the same level I would use if I wasn't mowing the lawn. The noise of the mower was not eliminated, but it was reduced significantly. It became a low hum in the background instead of a roar that overwhelmed the music.

Comfort wise, they are good. I wear glasses and these work well with them. They don't pinch like the over-ear model did. It takes me about two hours to mow my lawn and they don't become uncomfortable during that time.

The sound is good enough that I plan on using the headphones to watch TV without the sound disturbing my wife.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance of these headphones.

I bought these from the manufacturer two weeks ago and I think these are the best things invented since the wheel! Therefore, when I found Amazon offered them I decided to get another pair for my office; and cheaper than than getting them from Koss direct! Anyway, they are the key to my survival because they TOTALLY screen out my next door neighbor's construction, another neighbor's dog (which is continually barking), and annoying leaf and lawn mowers. I now can concentrate on my studying while listening to all kinds (preferably classical) music. Anyone who wants the world to "go away" while trying to concentrate or sleep should get these. I found them to be extremely comfortable and the clarity of sound is excellent. They are superior and they will help to keep your sanity in this noisy world. :-)

Initially I bought these for NASCAR races. After getting an iPod I realized that mowing the lawn could be a little less painfull thanks to these headphones. I now bring them on flights to help me pass the time in quite comfort. These are the same as phones offered by Radio Shack but the Radio Shack product does not have the Stereo/Mono Switch that these have.

Sound quality is great - noise reduction is awesome. Reasonble price and free shipping. Hard to beat.

These totally isolate outside noise passively. Period. I'm not sure what the noise reduction rating is, but it's probably around 20 dB. So, they might be a bit heavy and big, but they are still fairly comfortable. The velcro strap is much more comfortable than a big headband too. You may look like an pilot with big headphones, but you won't hear anybody telling you that when the 'phones are on.

There is a volume control right on the left cup. You'll enjoy the sound quality, it is very clear and you'll be able to hear every note. Bass response isn't perfect, but good enough for the casual listener. You can find a mono/stereo control switch, very handy. These headphones are not just for race scanners, they can be used with anything with a standard headphone jack thanks to the mono/stereo switch. Coiled cord is nice too and has decent length. You really won't want to listen through another pair of headphones once you have tried these.

...Just get them - you will love them!

I bought these headphones to help me study in loud enivronments. They block the majority of noises, including traffic, people yelling, stereo/television noise from next door. They won't block out loud noises in the same room (e.g. loud TV or person yelling), but I think that's good because you want to be aware of dangers nearby!

I'm no audiophile, but the sound that comes through these headphones sounds just like the quality that comes out of my stereo.

They fit a little differently from most headphones, with the connecting bar fitting behind your head rather than sitting on the top of your head. I don't know if this would affect people who wanted to use these headphones while moving (e.g. commuting or exercising), but for those of us sitting down while wearing them, they are very comfortable.

I'm not exactly sure how the manufacture expects you to use this product on an airplane, as the stabilizing bar behind your head prevents you from leaning back into your seat.

I bought this and the Aiwa noise cancelling headphones at the same time. The Koss headphones are going up on eBay.

So I work on airplanes, Im one of those guys you see scurrying around on the pavement at the airport terminal. Ever thought "wow it must be noisy out there." Well it is, let me tell you. So I bought these to listen to music and podcasts on the move at work. Of course being a mechanic Im handy with a screw driver and soldering iron. The first thing I did was shorten the cord on these badboys to about 4 inches. I then secured my IPOD NANO to the inside of the metal band with some velcro, and covered the KOSS logos with black electrical tape. Now I have a wireless, noise canceling headset for thirty four bucks. The nearest industrial equivelent is over fifty, and not as well made.

I estimate that these phones cancel noise as well as a pair of ear defenders, and I think are more comfortable,due to the velcro strap. It conforms to the top of your head better, reducing pressure points. I can also wear a hat over them, or headlight. As long as your neck muscles are stronger than al-dente spaghetti you will be fine. Just understand that these are not casual wear on the plane type headphones, but more specialized to listening to music while cutting wood with a chainsaw, vacuuming the garage with a shop vac, etc.

Anyone who complains about sound quality is an idiot. In a noisy environment sound quality goes out the window anyway. Not to say these are bad, I have a 4000 dollar home theater, 300$ shure ec3 in ear monitors, and consider myself a audio connoisseur, and I don't have any big complaints. Sure the bass is a little flat,but what is there is undistorted. They are better than the stock ipod white ear buds for sure. Other than that the sound is pleasant, clean and without annoying peaks at any frequency. Am I completely satisfied? Absolutely. These things are tough, versatile and an excellent value.

Ok, so I needed something to block out the train and people speaking and so on and so forth as i commute from ct to new york every morning. I tried lots of active noise cancellation head sets , bose qc included. And nothing, i mean nothing, kills off noise like these puppies. They're splantastic. First off everything, not just low noise is muffled out and with a little bit of music, all external noise is gone. The sound quality is not bad either and the construction of these guys seems like it could last as long as the head sets that pilots wear on aircrafts. More importantly, they were $37.56. I tried them on my cell phone(i liisten to music on my cell) the volume was maxed and they were about a level 4 out of 10 compared to my laptop. I haven't tried them with a mp3 player yet. However even with lower volume, the fact that they blocked out all noise made the music the only sound competing for your ear...which is great and my ear drums are giving me high fives because of this. Overall, I'm the happiest camper since charlie brown.If i had one complaint its that they make me look geeky...but who cares because i'm married and good looking which negates the geeky factor ;-)

I will echo vander-reviewers comments about this headset. They don't cancel the roar of my Deere, but they attenuate it to a comfortable level making it possible to enjoy music while I mow. It takes some adjustment to get it to fit comfortably over a ball cap and sunglasses, if not you'll notice some discomfort after an hour or so. (Lucky vander-r, my lawn takes 4 hours on a good day.)

If there was a picture of these headphones, you'd see what I mean. These headphones work by "passive" noise reduction - the pieces that fit over the ear are made of layers and layers of sound absorbing material. These monstrous pieces cover your ears and are pushed hard against your head by an imposing thick behind-the-neck piece which sports the word "KOSS" in large letters across it, so you feel like a billboard. An adjustable velcro two-piece headstrap holds the contraption in place so that its massive weight rests squarely on top of your head. I tried these at work and was mistaken for an air traffic controller. They reduce noise, but after wearing them about 1/2 hour I developed a splitting tension headache -> my neck could not hold up all the weight, and I felt like a vise had been applied to my temples. These are not made for personal use, but rather for industrial high-noise situations. Returned the same day.