The media could not be loaded. Update (10/16/2023): After having tried another brand of earphone I can say the audio quality is fairly balanced. Compared to SoundPeats the bass is inferior but at this price point Koss did a good job. I have had these less than a year and the silicone/rubber on the controls has either caved in or come out of the housing. This has caused the '+' and '-' on the effected side to become completely nonfunctional. One set randomly disconnects bluetooth (I have to go into the phone settings and tap to reconnect, even though it says it's still 'connected' then adjust the volume again). I've bought a replacement set because this is the best option I've found under $50. Update: As of yesterday (2/4/2023) the left earhook joint on the other headphone set has developed the same squeak. Given my issues with loud/higher pitched noises, this is going to be a problem. I've edited the media in this review with a video of the sound. The charging plug 'door' has long since broken off of the first set. First off, as a warning: pay attention to the volume settings once it's connected!! I don't know if it's just the ones I've gotten and/or my phone but, no matter what volume it was set to previously or what volume my phone is at, it always connects at almost full volume! I've hurt my ears several times as I was learning this. I bought this as a replacement for the Marathon headset that kept breaking on me and because I needed something I could use on just one ear for migraine issues. The sound is about what you'd expect. Mostly flat, tinny, and with a tendency towards mid and treble. While you can hear the bass, it's mostly an afterthought. I'm an audiophile but it's exceptionally hard to find anything other than this quality at this price if you can't deal with in-ear designs (even those are debatable). I was surprised at the low-end quality since a little research into Koss revealed that it's a decent audio brand. The earpieces hinge like a door so you can make them as tight or loose as you need. They are hard plastic. I haven't had the issues with the ear pads tearing but I haven't had is for that long. One the hinges has started to make a grating plastic on plastic sort of odd screeching noise when moved. Battery life is okay. I use them most of the day and can get away with one charge until evening if I don't take phone calls. I've got a backup if I need it, which I have several times. The 'low battery' sound is loud and obnoxious (it comes through better than the audio). The charger is micro USB, not USB-C. If you love definition when listening, you're not going to get it with this. But it's a good option for casual podcast listening, audiobooks, and the like. The cords seem flimsy (one came with slight bends at the ends of the controls). While there's a sturdier piece bridging into the controls, for whatever reason the company opted to have it go directly in the ear pieces with no reinforcement. The controls are easy enough to use. One button for play/pause/off/on/answer/hang up. Off/on is the only thing that takes a long press and that's indicated by a tone (once again, obnoxious and much louder than the audio). Volume control is a raised '+' and '-' but you do have to press a bit to the inside of those to get it to register. Phone call quality is 'meh.' I usually have to switch to the handset/speakphone to not be muffled or sound like I'm 'down a hallway.' It's the same on my end, especially if the person I'm talking to drops the volume of their voice. If there's ambient noise, it will be heard, and this headset doesn't separate out sounds so hearing a person if their end is picking up sounds is almost impossible. Leaving voicemails with it is not an option. But most of the people I talk to are used to sub-optimal call sound quality (if it's not the headset, it's the location/reception) so it's not a big deal. I only had a little issue connecting it but that could have been my phone. You push down and hold on the middle button (raised dot). It'll come up on your phone and connecting it usually easy at that point. Once you turn it on, it takes a moment to connect (once again, indicated by a super loud noise!). As for using it on just one ear, I turn it into a 'necklace'. This may only work because I have a more slender neck. I'll loop the cord around the back of my neck and hook the unused earhook over the cord. While I have to be careful about the tightness, I've even been able to use it like this bundled up for cold weather walks.
