Koss KDE250 Dual Element Stereophone (Black/Silver)

Overview:

Two dynamic speakers in a side firing/clip on hybrid. Aluminum earclips go over the ear like glasses, the bass element is hugged by your anti-helix, and the treble piece goes into your (hopefully large) ear canal. Hinge pivots and clips adjust the height.

Value 5/5

2 Dynamic Speakers

Lifetime Warranty

Audio Quality 4.5/5

Simply put, I have never heard a more heart-rendering representation of my music, ever. Two speakers, a tweeter and a woofer, provide timbre accurate sound. Treble can shine, vocals can sing, and bass, plenty and deep, accompanies them, all pristine and clear, separate, but complimentary. Turn it up and EQ the woofer till just before the point of distortion, and you hear more bass, clear and pounding, impacting, deep, conducted through the air,  but  where is the treble? Listening closely, the vocals are still there, exactly as they where left, pristine, and unaffected, as is the treble, shining and smooth. The sound is in no way neutral, balanced, or, in other words, sterile. If a drum plays, it plays, emphatically hard and crisp, if a strings plays, it is extremely full and nuanced. Each instrument shines through, not in a musical balancing act, but a talent show, each expressive, emphasized, emotional.

Design 4/5

Unique, and appealing to the eye, functionally takes the sound from two speakers, puts it into a relatively compact package, and ports all of it to you ear canal. Never have I seen a design so completely different in the headphone world, perpendicular speakers, bass porting and front firing treble.

Comfort 2.5/5

If your ear canal and anti-helix are large enough to accept these headphones, they will fit; if not they won't. Obviously an earphone that does not go into your ear correctly will sound terrible. (try taking an IEM and holding it 1/4 inch from your ear... It doesn't work) That said, they fit me, and are neither comfortable, nor uncomfortable, they are for playing music, not feeling nice.

Overall 4.5/5

I have yet to hear an earphone or headphone that sounds this good, at any price (I have gone up to $300, trying the Beats by Dre, Bose QC15's, ect.) They are not perfect, but the sound is as close to perfect as I have ever experienced.