[tdockweiler]

Today I was at a local store and I came across these. They're on the ear headphones and portable, but not exactly that small. I never heard of this model before and think it may be new or a re-release of an older headphone. I think there was an old model with 55 in the name. TNT-55 I think. Those headphones (if it's the one I'm thinking of) were some old favorites when I was 15 or so.
 
Of course since I have an addiction to headphones I figured i'd give them a try. They were only $40 on sale. Strangely I've only found them locally, so it may be an exclusive model or something.
 
So far I think they sound very good for a $40 headphone. They have a very natural sound except for a LOT of bass, but it doesn't bother me. So far I have no complaints yet about the sound quality. So far I like them more then my KSC75. Not sure how it compares to the Porta Pro since mine went missing.
 
So far I'm impressed with the sound for just $40. I may end up keeping them. I really like the bass on them, especially since they're so small.
 
Has anyone else tried them? Anyone know if it's just a renamed model of a different headphone from Koss?

 

[sirhibernac]

I just purchased a set today over at Best Buy.  First impressions are they sound warm, but seem to handle ranges pretty well across the board.  Are they the best for the price, eh.  But they definitely sound good.  They are pretty comfortable to wear for an extended amount of time as well.  I was a bit concerned that they wouldn't feel comfortable after about and hour, but they seem to do very well so far in that area too.  I would recommend giving them a try and seeing if you like them for the price range.
 
One big gripe though I do have out of the gate is that the packaging advertises them as a set of Studio headphones and yet they come only with a short cord and mini stereo jack connector.  I realize that to keep the price around the $40 I paid they can't "afford" to put a $.25 large stereo connector/converter in the box, but geesh.  It's not like it'll break the bank for Koss to throw it in there for free.  Not everyone likes to tie themselves to the computer directly for the headphone if they're buying ones that are advertised as "studio".  Then again I can't see a $40 pair of headphones to be "studio" quality.  I wouldn't think of being in that range until I'm paying at the barest minimum $100+ for the upper brands.  And if I were a professional at least the barest minimum of $300+ for the upper selections.
 
Other than that as said I'd recommend the purchase.  I ended up paying $39 for the phones and $10 more for a 20 foot converter cord so I could plug them directly into my receiver.  A good bang for the buck.
 
I'll be interested as well to hear many more opinions on this set of headphones.  It seems to me they're new to the market.  So new in fact that Koss hasn't even put them on their website yet.  At least not that I could find today while contemplating the purchase and seeing if I could find any reviews online before buying.

 

[tdockweiler]

Well I've had these for a few more days and have to say I really like them. I actually can think of very few negatives of them. I've actually been kind of addicted to listening to them and can't put them down! With some headphones I usually listen to them a couple days and then get rid of them or just don't listen to them any more. It was that way unfortunately for me with the RE0 earphones I bought a week ago.
 
Last night I was planning on going to bed at 12 but ended up doing side by side comparisons between the Audio Technica M50, Sennheiser HD-600 and Koss UR-55. Until 3am! Of course I removed the HD-600 from the testing after realizing it just wasn't fair to do that.
 
When I listen to a song with the M50's and then the UR-55 I can't immediately say "this sounds better" when I put on the M50's. On the UR-55's voices are much clearer and more forward to the listening position then on the M50's. It's much easier to hear what's being said.
 
The bass is what I like the most about these headphones. It's just about perfect and not bloated like on the M50's. On the M50's it somehow just doesn't sound all that natural. Like why is my Cantonese pop music boomy? That's just not right.
 
It's just funny that i'm even comparing them to a $100 headphone in the first place. I'd say these are right now some of the best sounding headphones under $100 i've tried. Even better then my Sennheiser HD-555 and Grado SR-80.
 
Another thing about them is the highs are never annoying for me. On a high percentage of headphones they will usually just fatigue my ears after an hour or so. With these (like the HD-600) I never experienced this.
 
The one strange thing I've found is that when I switch to "Acoustic" EQ setting on my Ipod touch they sound about 10% better. I'm not sure what this setting actually boosts, but I almost always leave my EQ off.
 
The design is perfect for me. I thought the foam would be scratchy, but it's not bad at all. I found these headphones to be very comfortable. The fit is perfect on my head.
 
I have a feeling these will be pretty popular within a year! They're an even better deal then the KSC75 and PortaPro. I own both of them and these sound even better. Hopefully some reviews of them pop up soon. They're a steal at $40 really. I just wish I knew if they were a new model or just a re-release of an older one. Perhaps they are a re-release of my old favorite the TNT-55 from Koss? I doubt it since the drivers look too huge.

 

[marko93101]

Are you sure they are called, Koss UR-55? I cannot seem to find anything on them, care to post pictures or something?

 

[rhfactor1]

These actually look to be a Bestbuy exclusive from Koss. There is no info. on these in Koss' website. These look to be a better built, better looking UR-40. May be a big Giant Killer after more exposure. Are they actually that sturdy and well built that they can be tossed in a back pack without to many problems? I've always had problems with breakage and Koss products being to plasticky. Happy Listening.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

These actually look to be a Bestbuy exclusive from Koss.

That's what I was afraid of. Back years ago Koss I think Koss made headphones I believe for Radio Shack and sold them under another brand (Optimus?!). I'm not sure if this is true or not. I remember a Koss TNT-55 in the past, but the UR-55 looks completely different.
 
I contacted Koss from their website to ask them about these but got no reply. Even on the Best Buy website it lists them as "Coming Soon"!
 
These are in the new "Pulse" series. There are also pulse earphones.
 
So far they seem very well built. The headband has actual metal in it. I was a bit worried about the part where the earpad attaches to the side of the headband, but I don't think it's going to snap off like my old BOSE Triports did (back when I didn't know as much about audio!). Even the padding that rests on your head looks like it has hard plastic or metal inside it. The foam also doesn't seem to be as bad as what some cheap headphones come with. It's actually softer then it looks inside the box.
 
Also worth pointing out is that the earpads rotate. I guess one could tell this from the box itself. I guess if anything breaks, they come with a lifetime warranty.
 

 

[Stevie B]

I picked up a pair today and after about 4 hours of use I have to say I'm very impressed. I'm listening to these with a sansa clip+ and a corda 3move. The bass is pretty good, great impact and okay on the extension. The mids are forward similar to my grado SR80's, which is what I prefer (I hate resessed mids). The highs seem to be very slightly rolled off and not piercing which is great. They reming me of the lower end grados which makes me wonder how much of that sound signature is due to the foam pads (very close to grado bowls). Soundstage is fairly small which I prefer even though most like it large. The pads are pretty stiff out of the box but the ones I tried in the store were much softer so I guess they will soften up with use and maybe some washing with warm water and soap. The build quality is solid and they are comfortable for a few hours (probably longer after the pads soften up). I like them much better than my portapros and am very glad I picked them up at $50!

 

[tdockweiler]

Thanks for the mini-review and comments! It's nice to know I'm not deaf. I was wondering if I was going to be the only one who liked these headphones so much. I'm pretty picky about sound quality and I generally can't stand most cheap headphones. I've been listening to mine for probably a week or more straight and have no complaints at all still. At first they seemed a tad muffled, but now that's went away. Strangely they keep sound better every day. Right now tonight i've been listening to them for four hours straight connected to my PC with a NuForce mobile. I was comparing them to the M50's for the first half hour, but got tired of listening to those. I just prefer the sound of these better. The sound is just more natural and accurate. Nothing sounds "off".
 
Basically you described exactly what I would say about them. I like how the highs are on these. They're similar to how my Sennheiser HD-600's are, in that the highs never fatigue me. I keep comparing these side by side to my M50's and I still can't honestly say my M50's sound better. The midrange on the M50's is a bit more recessed then these. I will say the UR-55's are not excessively detailed. I'm not a huge fan of headphones that overdo all the details, such as the DT-990's. Although all the details are still there of course.
 
I was actually comparing the soundstage on the UR-55's vs the M50s and I think the UR-55 actually has a BIGGER soundstage then those. It's not super huge, but it's easier to spot some things on the UR-55's. I also am often sitting here feeling as if something is outside my house banging on my door or something and it's just something strange in my music I never noticed before. Kind of like a surround sound effect like I noticed on my old DT-990s. It's also easier to spot the position of instruments on the UR-55.
 
The bass is also not as boomy on the UR-55s as the M50's and I find it much better and more accurate.
 
If I could compare the UR-55's to any headphone, the closest match might be the M50's. For being twice as expensive, it should be easier to determine if the M50's are really better, but I really can't.
 
What's weird is that they're only 36 ohm, but actually sound way better with an amp. It's easy to spot the differences. They sound great out of my NuForce mobile and Total Airhead. I rarely use them straight out of my Ipod.
 
Hopefully more people review these soon! They deserve more attention.
 

 

[rhfactor1]

Does anyone have anymore detailed info. about Koss' new "Pulse" Series?

 

[revolink24]

Quote:

That's what I was afraid of. Back years ago Koss I think Koss made headphones I believe for Radio Shack and sold them under another brand (Optimus?!). I'm not sure if this is true or not. I remember a Koss TNT-55 in the past, but the UR-55 looks completely different.
 
 

 
Don't you mean the TNT fivvve fiiivvveeee?
 
 
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2f0cd86cb3/koss-can-t-be-beat
 

 

 

[tdockweiler]

That's just a painful video to watch in every way. I actually managed to sit through it until they mentioned the TNT five five.
Back then if I saw that video i'd avoid Koss headphones. It actually reminds me of the old MS DOS "rap" video Microsoft did once.

 

[wualta]

Good news: if you can't find the UR55 locally, it's now available on Koss' website.

 

[tdockweiler]

Quote:

Good news: if you can't find the UR55 locally, it's now available on Koss' website.

That's good to hear. I emailed them and they told me it's a Best Buy exclusive. Koss also now has a bunch of new IEMs and headphones out.
 
Two IEMs, retailing for $79.99 and $99.99. Strangely the more expensive one was much more ugly and cheap looking.
 
The other is the Koss Pro DJ100. I picked up a pair today in Grand Rapids, MI. I actually drove like a total of two hours for a pair. Kind of stupid. If they sound even 10% better then the UR-55's then I'll still be impressed.

 

[tdockweiler]

Well that two hour trip was well worth it. The Koss Pro DJ100's are one awesome pair of headphones. I don't like to use that word, but that's what they are! Right now these are far better then the M50's and it's like a night and day difference. Everything is much more clear and the bass is more accurate and they only cost $80 retail! They have cheaper materials in several areas compared to the M50's, but they're still built well. They feel pretty solid. They're also MUCH lighter then the M50's. The fit and comfort is also better.
 
I was impressed with the UR-55's, but these are a definite upgrade. I'm almost going to say they're better then the SRH-840s, but I haven't listened to them long enough yet. The UR-55 had a lot of detail, but these are one step up in this area.
 
I think I may end up doing a review of them soon. I've been listening to them for about 3 hours only so far.

 

[nickweed]

Holy crap that was hilarious!  Thanks for that one

 
Quote:

 
Don't you mean the TNT fivvve fiiivvveeee?
 
 
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2f0cd86cb3/koss-can-t-be-beat