Koss plugs-whats the difference? | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

homsar57 · Jan 26, 2009 at 4:09 AM

I need a backup IEM as I blowout alot of mine through constant Black metal abuse, and I've heard these budget Koss models can take quite the beating. So does anyone know the difference between Koss's "the plug" and the Koss "Sparkplug"? They're both around $10 on amazon and look similar, but is there any difference at all besides aesthetics?

quadmaniac · Jan 26, 2009 at 4:54 AM

Well for one, I havent heard good things about these IEMs. If you're expecting KSC75 signature, you'd end up being disappointed.

EFN · Jan 26, 2009 at 5:03 AM

Koss The Plug is the reigning king of "Subwoofer in Your Head" or "Clubhouse in da Head". You will be overwhelmed with massive bass attack.

TheMarchingMule · Jan 26, 2009 at 6:07 AM

Argh, I forgot who heartily recommended them here, but they sure lost credibility in my book. They sound worse than the stock iBuds! They're actually on par with some of those Skullcandy earbuds that I tried last year.

billybob_jcv · Jan 26, 2009 at 6:31 AM

I had both the original Plug and the a couple of pairs of Sparkplugs. I tried different tips on them, including Ety 3 flange and Comply. They were much more comfortable than stock buds - but that's all they have going for them. The original Plug was better than the Sparkplugs - the cable microphonics on the Sparkplugs was really, really bad - it made them almost unusable. The original plug had bass - which could be toned down with a bit of tape to cover the ports - but they were really muddy and had very little high end.

If it were me, I would look elsewhere - the Plugs were OK several years ago as super cheap canal phones - but there's much better available for not much more money. JVC, Sennheiser, Sony, Denon, etc.

BTW - it's not the type of music that blows 'phones. It's usually because they are driven beyond the amp's capability and are distorting like crazy. Either that, or the phones might be damaged by pulling on the cords or other abuse. It's typically easier to blow drivers with too little power than with too much.