Koss KPH40 Utility On-Ear Headphones, Detachable Interchangeable Cord System, Retro Style, Ultra Lightweight Design (Stealth Black)

Great Koss sound! Found the perfect cable extension.
wanted a lightweight & comfortable, affordable, yet great-sounding pair of on-hear headphones to sit at my desk (not travel) with. Fortunately, Koss came up in one of my many searches and I suddenly remembered my very first pair of headphones for my very first stereo back in the late 70’s. They surprisingly blew away all the competition back then, even Pioneer, Panasonic and Sony headphones. Sounded like you were right in the concert hall!
So I looked at all the latest offerings by Koss, and really appreciated the long review for this pair by the top reviewer ‘Ender’—comparing different models of Koss & other headphones. (I don’t have time to be an audiophile, I just want to enjoy my music collection in iTunes while sitting at the computer). I immediately ordered these headphones.
I knew I would also want to extend the cable, but waited until after they arrived to see the size and types of plugs they were fitted with. (The Q&A for this product in regard to that was too technical & confusing to follow.)
These headphone did not disappoint! They have that great Koss sound, with a comfortable lightweight band on my head, which gratefully doesn’t get snagged in my thick curly hair. Don’t let the appearance of the thin foam earpads fool you— they are comfy, secured well and transmit the audio clearly.
(UPDATE: I had initially tried adding a pair of Yaxi pads as suggested by another helpful reviewer, but those would not stay on, and were so thick the sound was being muffled. Stick with the OEM earpads!)
Next up was to find a longer extension cable that fit. Curious that Koss doesn’t offer anything—even on their website. I first noted that the tip that plugs into the cable that is permanently attached to the headphones is 2.5mm (male) and the other plug that goes into your computer, music device, etc. is 3.5mm (thicker plug), also male.
Then I had to learn the difference between TRRS (3 black rings on the tip of the plug) and TRS (2 black rings).
So the search was on for a quality extension cable with a 2.5mm male TRRS plug and a 3.5mm male TRS plug—which is exactly what these headphones require. I found only one such cable on Amazon—ASIN: B08MX53T1T and took a chance despite the ridiculous product name. Turns out it is of solid build and does not diminish the sound quality of these Koss headphones. Total length of combined straight & coiled cord is 51 inches, not stretched.
Minimal upgrade costs and these headphones are customized for my comfort & listening pleasure! I recommend all of these parts, but probably not as a mobile on-the-go setup—I’m not sure the headphones would hold up to that, they seem too fragile for traveling with. (The extension cable would certainly hold up, though.) Enjoy, and I hope this helped!

Despite having a collection of headphones, some audiophile ones, I’ve been using the Koss KPH40 headphones the most frequently since purchasing them. I already own the Koss Porta Pro, which I really enjoy listening too but really don’t like the expandable headband and its hair pulling “feature”. I also have the KPH30i, which I didn’t quite like and found the rigid earcups were not comfortable. These KPH40 seemed like a good balance between my other 2 Koss headphones as it has a rigid headband but small open design earcups that pivot and can conform to different ear shapes like the Porta Pros. The KPH40 is incredibly lightweight and almost feel like nothing on your head. I find I can wear these for hours without discomfort. Even the foam pads are a bit denser and thicker than the ones on Porta Pros. However, I will probably purchase some Yaxi pads to replace the stock ones like I did for my Porta Pros.
The KPH40 is a simple, no frills design and the Utility name comes from the cable being interchangeable. It comes with a 3.5mm to 2.5mmc cable but you can get a Lightning cable and USB-C cable. Those cables also come with a microphone so you can use the KPH40 for calls, but last I checked, each cable costs more than the headphones itself! So not the best value if you require a cable other than the standard 3.5mm audio jack.
The sound quality of the KPH40 is well balanced and is just a fun and energetic headphone to listen to. The KPH40 has an airy quality to it with great stereo imaging and a decent sound stage. The highs are present but not piercing, while the mids are forward and detailed. Vocals and speech have a nice clarity without being overly analytical or shouty. The bass is present and is controlled and I find it to be a tad tighter than the Porta Pros, which can extend lower but can also sound boomy on certain tracks. You can turn up the volume without distorting and the low end doesn’t bleed too much into the mids and highs, which the Porta Pros can do. I really enjoy listening to different genres with the KPH40, but I find it does perform better with faster beat, higher energy music. While it’s not as smooth and detailed as my Sennheiser HD6XX, it’s hard to try to compare a $50 headphone with one that costs several hundred dollars. At the $50 price point, I can’t think of a better sounding and comfortable set of headphones. Highly recommended.

Ce casque a une très bonne bande de fréquences, est léger et très agréable à utiliser. Qualité audio remarquable pour cette taille. Parfois les contrebasses de l’orchestre paraissent quelque peu envahissantes et manquent de clarté, mais ce n’est pas forcément la faute du casque seul. Je recommande cet article.