[Clincher09]

I saw some new koss earbuds in walmart today. I guess they just came out because I can't find any information about them. They come in all different colors and have an in line volume control. The model number was like KA29 or something. Anyone else seen these?

 

[Clincher09]

Anyone?

 

[funniecow]

fake? because it's not on the site?

 

[Clincher09]

I held the box in my hands, so unless I was hallicunating they aren't fake. This is the first time I've ever seen then though so I'm guessing they just came out.

 

[MDDrew]

at walmart said the do all 10 octaves

 

[oicdn]

I know what you're talking about. They're wal-mart EXCLUSIVES. They have the Koss sticker saying so as well, with a phone number saying "If you see these in any other retail location please call..."

They're $29.99 IINM...they look pretty promising. I was going to pick some up, but was going to see if anybody here had any info on them and kept forgetting to post. I may pick them up tomorrow....

I think it was KA24...but KA29 could be right as well...K something for sure. Looks like the KEB24, but not them.

 

[nickdawg]

Must be brand new. A quick Google search only brought up this page.

What kind of buds were they? Stanard "sit on the ear" or actual in the ear?

 

[tennisplyr3]

Yeah, my friend said she saw them at another Walmart when she was shopping for headphones. I tried looking them up online, but the hits that kept coming up were from the UK -- strange, I know. I couldn't find any information on them.

 

[oicdn]

Yeah, I was doing a pretty hard search and forgot about it. But they are Wally-World exclusives. They're not on the Koss site or even on the Wal-Mart website. Only in store, which is also, definitely weird. I remember thinkin "$30 is a large risk to take when the headphones might suck, and they're not on the Koss website. They might replace them with something like those KEBs.."

 

[Libertad]

I just so happen to have these I picked them up like a month ago and i burned them in pretty well and use to use them alot

ill give you my thoughts enjoy

( i did remove the filter which i recommend as it makes them less muddy)

Build

Out of the box they feel cheap but solid. They definitely arn't going to turn heads but they dont look bad either. They look exactly like the KEB/24's with a different color scheme. The cord is definitely not its strong suit the card feels flimsy and lack of any slider to take care of the slack that coupled with the j cord makes these thinks more or a hassle to use if you ask me. The HJE300's had a much beefier cord that felt solid and was of a symmetrical design. They did both however have that small jack that will fit in the iphone which is a plus

They also have a volume control which i like even though if felt slapped on but it works really good i don't know if it add more resistance and it doesn't seem to give any boosts in SQ but as a volume controller it works well and this might be handy if your not into fiddling with you players volume and it is very small and does not weigh down the cord like i thought it would

Sound
This is were they loose points in my book they have basically a very congested/narrow sound stage and have very exaggerated bass it reminds me the Sony's but its has WAY MORE control and depth to it and alot of punch. However this is at a cost the bass mixes alot with the mids and makes the midds muddy to. Vocals seem okay but they feel very veiled to my ears and the highs roll off but they sound sweet and these do articulate better than the sonys. The HJE300's squarely beat it in every regard sonically but they are a better fair sound wise than the sony buds ( this is after removing the filer which actually made things clear up a bit but not enough)

isolation
these koss buds use a unique tip the have a lager opening than most and the bottom were they connect to the tube of the buds is larger. I tried using these tips on some of my other buds and they are somewhat loose because they are so loose fitting on them (you can't really swap the tips). But these do provide a GOOD deal of isolation id say just a tad under the FX-33 but much better than either the sonys or the HJE300's for that matter. This is because they are also much thicker than your usual tips with helps alot and they are pretty comfy but nothing special to note. Although i though the isolation on these to be pretty good despite the fact that these have a hole in the back which i found impressive.

Final word
They arn't bad and they arn't great they are definitely better than your standard buds and sonys buds and have a good bass punch that i thought was nice and some sweet highs but they are way to rolled of the make them feel present to me. They do isolate alot and have a volume control which i found useful but their j cord and well flimsy cord make me worry about durability but id say isolation and bass wise there pretty good but the HJE300 i use now are sonically superior to these in every respect at the same price. Id guess these are those looking for volume control and a step up from the sonys but the FX-33s and the RP-HJE300s i feel is a better deal. But they arn't to bad you can do better however.

And thats my 2 cents

 

[nickdawg]

I'm surprised these are not up online. I searched the Wallyworld website for "Koss" and only the KEB24 came up in various colors. Maybe they're in-store only or since they're similar to the KEB24 they're not doing a double post.

 

[Libertad]

It is odd i guess but not surprising as i have looked up information on Koss site before on already released products only to find it saying on the site that its coming out soon

go figures but yeah they are defiantly real and not fake. Not there best effort but i can see how compilation in the sub $30 is going to heat up as these squarely beat the sonyex71's

plus the colors are pretty cool they come in metallic pink,light blue, pupal, and silver which is the color that i own.

I just gave them a listen and realized how muddy they here but the killers drummer on the song "When you were young" sounded pretty good to me

there not half bad

 

[nickdawg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Libertad /img/forum/go_quote.gif Not there best effort but i can see how compilation in the sub $30 is going to heat up as these squarely beat the sonyex71's

I have noticed more inexpensive IEMs on the market just over the last year or so. I remember they used to be high-end brands and they were expensive. The first time they caught my eye was about 4 or 5 years ago when I saw the Etymotic with the tri-flange tips that looked like my earplugs. I thought that was a great idea since earplugs reduce so much noise why not use the same idea on headphones. Of course they were close to $200, nowhere near my price range. Then around last year checking out websites I came across JVC marshmallows as well as some of the Koss ones. I decided on the marshmellows(since they were around $20-perfect for a broke college student). Glad I did. In-ear cannot be beat. As soon as money improves I hope to upgrade.

 

[Libertad]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickdawg /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have noticed more inexpensive IEMs on the market just over the last year or so. I remember they used to be high-end brands and they were expensive. The first time they caught my eye was about 4 or 5 years ago when I saw the Etymotic with the tri-flange tips that looked like my earplugs. I thought that was a great idea since earplugs reduce so much noise why not use the same idea on headphones. Of course they were close to $200, nowhere near my price range. Then around last year checking out websites I came across JVC marshmallows as well as some of the Koss ones. I decided on the marshmellows(since they were around $20-perfect for a broke college student). Glad I did. In-ear cannot be beat. As soon as money improves I hope to upgrade.

I loved the FX-33 to death but after the tips wore out i looked at a replacement and saw the RP-HJE300 and i using them to this day you should try them out if you like the FX-33 its the best sounding $20 IEM i have ever used

 

[nickdawg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Libertad /img/forum/go_quote.gif I loved the FX-33 to death but after the tips wore out i looked at a replacement and saw the RP-HJE300 and i using them to this day you should try them out if you like the FX-33 its the best sounding $20 IEM i have ever used

I think I will. I ecently bought another pair of marshmallows(in case my current ones broke) and was disappointed that they were FX-34 instead of FX-33. The 34 is nowhere near as good as the 33 in fit. The foam is completely changed. Instead of four large, pointy shaped tips you get two smaller tips and two larger tips. Both are more rounded and do not sit as deep in the ear canal. The isolation was OK but the fit didn't feel as good as the 33. I liked the deeper canal fit b/c of isolation and comfort. The 33s almost never feel like they'll come out.

I do like the way the RP-HJE300 looks. Looks like the ear tip kinda bends where it goes into the ear for a snug, deep fit. Plus they have the rubber/silicone tips.