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

I absolutely love these headphones. I picked up the Koss KPH40 Utility On-Ear Headphones and they’ve completely won me over. I did upgrade them with the official Koss oversized replacement cushion ear pads, and that made a huge difference in comfort—highly recommend doing that. I mainly use them with Apple Music on my Mac Mini, while at my desk, and the sound quality is just fantastic for the price. They’re clear, detailed, and have a really enjoyable, natural tuning that makes everything from vocals to instruments shine. They don’t try too hard—they just sound right. They’re also incredibly lightweight, which makes them perfect for long listening sessions. With the upgraded pads, I can wear them for hours without any discomfort. What really surprised me is how much I keep reaching for these over more expensive headphones. There’s just something about the sound and simplicity that makes them so enjoyable. Koss really nailed it with these. Amazing value, great sound, and super comfortable (especially with the upgraded pads). Highly recommend!

I love the sound of the Koss KPH30. An unexpected treat given their low price, they're airy and have great treble balance and clarity. They're not very comfortable for my big head for more than an hour or so, though, due to pressure on my ears. I figured these would have a similar sound but be more comfortable. For the most part, I was right. They are more comfortable in that they rest lighter on my ears (you can almost forget that you're wearing them). I also like that they barely use any plastic.. I could see the '30s plastic getting brittle and cracking over the years (time will tell, though). These look more elegant, and weigh almost nothing. Not using as much plastic also heightens the impression of quality/luxury (not that these are going to be mistaken for $400 Mezes..). The interchangeable cable is appreciated, as my new phone unfortunately doesn't have a 3.5mm. I haven't purchased the C-cord yet, but it's a nice option to have. Sound-wise, the treble is slightly softer and more rolled-off than the '30s. Still plenty of detail, and they're less fatiguing (not that I'd call the '30s fatiguing.. just that these are even less so). Perhaps a smidge less bassy/punchy, but still good for the class. I'd say these are even more spacious-sounding, though. These are the kind of headphones that you close your eyes and throw your head back to be enveloped in sound. That's a marvel at this price point, and something that Koss probably does the best, which is why despite having significantly more expensive headphones from multiple boutique brands in my collection, I still consider Koss one of my favorite brands and keep coming back to them. You get so much quality sound for the money, they embarrass most brands costing 2-4x as much; and when you do find headphones that are truly better, you look at how the Koss are a mere fraction of the price, and you kind of laugh to yourself about the law of diminishing returns.. So ultimately, while I do miss the extra bite of the treble of the Koss KPH30s, the added comfort and even more spacious sound mean these are still the ones I use most. Even for those of you that have much more expensive sets, I still recommend buying these, even if just to use when you travel. I originally bought these/the KPH30s as a cheap travel set, but I like them so much they're pretty much all I use anymore. It's kinda funny--15+ years ago it was the Koss PortaPro that first captivated me and made me obsessed with sound. I wouldn't have guessed that I'd be back to midrange Koss sets all these years later, but here I am. These feel and sound like a contemporary analog to the PortaPros. In a way, it feels like home to me.

The Koss KPH40 headphones are really good for what they are — a lightweight, budget headphone. If you ended up here after watching a glowing review by a tech influencer stating that these compete with $200 cans, you will probably be disappointed. They just don't, especially if you appreciate strong bass. Detail in the mids and highs are outstanding; no notes. Crisp, sparkly, but not fatiguing. The low end lacks any 'oomph.' I suppose that is mostly to do with how open they are. There is none of the sound pressure you feel from over-the-ear sets. If you try to force them with EQ, you get a ton of distortion. Their comfort is amazing. That is what you get in the trade for the bass, and I think the compromise is a fair one in the right usage case. I forget that I'm wearing these. They're a dream. Getting them adjusted properly is a bit fidgety, but it can be done. They're so light, the clamp force is just right, and the ear pads are soft & breathable. No noise cancellation to speak of; you will be very aware of your surroundings. Whether that is a positive or negative is up to you. Avoid using at high volumes in quiet public places, sound bleeding is significant; don't be *that* person. These are great for casual listening. Teleconferencing. I think they would be amazing for gaming. I have headphones that sound better for not a lot more money, but they're big, hot, and uncomfortable. I reach for the Koss KPH40 far more often. They are not "the best headphones under $200!!!!," but they may be the best for you during most points of the day.

I 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!

IMPORTANT DETAIL - the stock earpads are fine, but an instant, OUTRAGEOUSLY GOOD upgrade for them is a pair of yaxxi pads. The ones designed for the Koss Porta Pro's are the ones you want. Get whatever color you want. Orange gives some proper starlord 80's retro cred. *update* I still adore them, but I have found a cheap way to add an in-line mic. Get a replacement cord for something like the bose 700 or QC25, anything with a 2.5 to 3.5mm plug will work. Much, much cheaper than the usb-c or apple cord Koss sells. Side-benefit is it also made the cord a bit longer, which I've found nice. These have no right to sound so legendary. I'm serious. This sound in a $300 pair of headphones would be justifiable. They sound amazing out of everything. Dedicated digital dac? yep. Tube amp? yep. headphone jack on my lame laptop? YEP. They don't have that cramped, squeezy feel of the KPH30's. They sound better than the 30's (which were already amazing) These little guys just disappear on your head. Even if you think you hate headphones that sit on your ears, these (with some yaxxi pads) just might as well not exist on your head. The sound is just fine from the stock earpads, but I bought some yaxxi pads (available here on amazon) in orange for some more retro look and the comfort went up dramatically. Yaxxi's are like $10 and so luxuriously soft and ethereal. As for tuning, they're supremely chill. The same kind of vibe that my $300 Meze Classic 99's have. They're not the sparkly goddess sound that makes people love or hate Grado, but they're not overbearing anywhere in the sound signature, so mids are nice and rich, with deep, punchy sub-bass that you would NEVER expect (beastie boys intergalactic HITS) The treble is gentle and clean, and they're just supremely laid back, enjoyable things to listen to. I find the only area they don't trade punches with $300 headphones on is imaging. It's not bad by any means, but you don't get that "you can point at exactly where in front of you the sound is" level of detail that some Grado sr60's would give you. But the fact that the only place I can start to find a complaint is imaging, and using a pair of headphones that cost twice the money as an example should start to paint a picture that these are truly special. The party piece in the sound stage to me, is that they are tuned superbly for outdoor use too. No, they aren't going to isolate the world, but they don't get drowned out to nothing on the ferry like my Hifiman Hex4's do. I don't necessarily always need headphones outside that isolate the world, but I do need them to sound good if they don't. The only actual gripe I have is the cord doesn't include the nice little in-line microphone and single button control that the KPH30i's have. Since I do use these outdoors a lot (they're just so light and tiny that they can just be chucked in my bag) I would REALLY have liked to see a microphone. And maybe if there was a way to give the earcups a way to swivel and lay flat, I'd like that, as it'd make them even more pack-able. As it is, these are some truly god-tier beater headphones. But seriously, get some Porta Pro yaxxi pads. There's no work involved to swap them, just peel the old ones off and stretch the new ones on.

The short answer is yes. Hi-fi headphone enthusiast for 10+ years. Owned Mr. Speakers Aeon, Audeze LCD-2/3/X, EMU Teak, Senn HD600/650, Sony MDR-Z7M2/Z1R, 1000XM4/1000XM5, Focal Elear, Focal Clear, Hifiman Edition X, Beyerdynamic DT-880/770/990 and spent 1000+ hours with other high end headphones. Primarily listened through Sony TA-ZH1ES and vaious other combos/portable units. Most headphones regardless of price have the 10khz aluminum driver resonance spike of death. Manufacturers try to compensate for this in various ways- dampening, earpads, etc. despite the rest of the frequency response being coherent, 4-10khz just about all headphones regardless of price suffer drastically different colorations as a result. Most high end headphones try to dampen 10hz and push the bump down to the 5-8khz range and tell you its “clarity, detail, refinement” when its really just engineering their way around the physical properties of the driver (usually 40-70mm diameter). The larger the driver, the more problems to mitigate. Some companies use beryllium or a beryllium coating, and some have great success with this, but now you’re gonna pay $1k-4k for these headpones. Add in luxury lamb skin pads, exotic woods etc. If you can drop this kind of cash without thinking about it then more power to you. But you’ll also want an amp/dac to power them adequately. And some headphones (Senn, Audeze, etc.) either have a death vice clamping force or they weigh about as much as a Judd. Then you have Koss. They’ve been successfully using this small driver design since the 80s. Most people have heard the PortaPro. It’s ok but it’s way overrated. Comfort issues and a veiled, mushy sound have always kept it from being great, despite its cheap price. Then you have the KPH-40. It is the best implementation of their design philosophy. It is easily the most comfortable headphone in existence. It’s made with a metal frame. It’s durable despite its slight frame. And you can wear it in various positions on your ears without it getting uncomfortable…indefinitely. This headphone is sonically not dissimilar to the PortaPro, but it is refined in every way. Bass spectrum has impact and depth but is less mushy than the PP. Lower mids still have some fatness and warmth but less so than the PP. Male vocals on the PP are VERY chesty. The problem still exists with the KPH40, but not to the same degree as with the PP. Bass and lower mids make the KPH40 sound very full, almost like a full size headphone, which is incredible for such a small driver. I credit this to the small pads and the short distance from the driver to the ear. Mids and uppers mids continue to sound even and full. There is no 1-3khz nasal/glare/shout that some other headphones have, though these headphones can sound a bit mid-centric (mid-forward, but not glaring or uncomfortable) However, the depression in FR between 3-6khz can add a bit of sonic haze, and make female vocals sound closer than they should in the mix, and a bit less engaging/textured (softened). But they will never fatigue you. At the same, almost strangely, distorted electric guitars have far more bite than the PP. Siamese Dream, The Bends, Downward is Heavenward all present guitars with bite and edge, but unlike the Senn HD600, guitar distortion on the KPH40 NEVER sounds unnaturally edgy, bright, thin, grating or otherwise overly emphasized (unless you’re listening to some poorly recorded 80s glam metal). Highs are MUCH improved over the PP. I can hear reverb trails and inhalations between bars in Shaw’s recording of Rachmaninov’s Vespers that were non-existent with the PP. Cymbal hits are a bit recessed in rock music, but they NEVER blister your ear drums. No angry bees here, thank you. Detail is there but it is not overemphasized for “clarity/air/detail” blah blah blah. The 6-20khz range sounds much more true to life (though admittedly not as zingy and vibrant), especially relative to the rest of the frequency range, than MOST other expensive headphones…honestly, most headphones regardless of price. Sibilance? Really? Hahahahahahahaha. There is none (exagerrated sibilance). Ss, ts, etc sound just as they should (quieter than the actual vocals and not at all distracting). Exagerrated sibilance is why I can’t listen to 90% of headphones (looking at the HD600, Focal line, ANYTHING by Sony 😡). Natural, full, musical and more focused on instrument and voice timbre than neutrality and detail. It is light and comfortable to wear for hours. Koss really gets what a headphone should feel and sound like. Would I choose to listen these rather than the Focal Utopia? Everyday, twice on Sunday. Would I hear every key click in Vaughan William’s Oboe Concerto in A Minor with the KPH40? Would the sound stage be as large, holographic and precise in its instrument placement? Nope. Would I enjoy the overall timbral representation of the instruments and the presentation of the music as a whole, for hours on end? Yes. Yes. Yes. Disbelieve, argue, condescend all you want. For $40 you get a headphone with few shortcomings that are easy to overlook. I can’t overlook shortcomings in Hifiman, Fostex and ZMF headphones for the prices they’re asking (also, no cabinet liners were harmed in the making of the $40 KPH40 🤣). IMO, the next best thing to the KPH40 (IMO) is the Focal Clear MG and the LCD-3, or maybe the X. But the Audeze feel like anchors and the Focals still have some wonkiness in the 6-10khz range, so much that I couldn’t justify making them my main headphone (maybe if I any listened to classical/jazz with no vocals). With the Koss KHP40, I need no justification. I can listen to anything and everything to the KPH40 and enjoy listening for hours. I can’t ask any from a headphone than exactly that. Very highly recommended.

These are Gods headphones. You won't find more amazing sound for the money than with any of the KOSS titanium driver headphones like these! Had these for a year now. They have the same exact drivers as the KTXPro1 and other Koss titanium headphones but the durable and lightweight metal headband is stronger and comfy. Feels almost like your not even wearing headphones. Because the speaker pivots in the center they perfectly angle themselves to fit your ears unlike the KTXPro1 or PortaPro. The cord can be swapped and upgraded to a USB-C version with a built in high res DAC that really improves the already amazing sound when connected to your smartphone or PC. They also now make a bluetooth upgrade module for these! The original cord was damaged when I got it caught on a door knob one day and kept walking. KOSS shipped me a new one within 5 days no questions asked. The USB-C utility cable got snagged at the gym after having it almost a year and again to my surprise KOSS replaced this much more expensive upgrade cable no questions asked and mailed it to me in just a few days. Koss provides their famous Lifetime warranty on these and will replace them with no hassle. I have used the warranty in the past on a pair of KTXPro1 headphones that were 7 years old and they actually honored the warranty. There are also awesome customization accessories available for these online. Besides the USC-C and Bluetooth upgrades I mentioned Koss also sells many different color earpads. Aftermarket companies make speaker housing replacements in many colors, speaker mod and cable upgrade kits from Hundo and even replacement metal headbands on some sites are available in both black and stainless steel. There is even a Koss modding community on Reddit.

I love Kph40s. They're not the best sounding headphones I've ever heard, but as far as quality/cost and quality/comfort ratio goes, they're top notch. I put those medium sized earmuff looking pads on them, and side sleeping becomes more comfortable with them than without. What I don't love is that I've purchased 6 of these bastards in the last 2 years because those little plastic tabs holding the drivers to the headband keep breaking. You can't glue them very well; there's too little surface area in contact, and you lose the articulation. Buying one of the cheaper label bands and switching them doesn't work out either - the extremely thin, minimalist, smooth quality of the kph40 band is why they're so comfortable to lie on. If Koss is going to refuse to fix this long standing, common flaw, they can at least sell the bands separately so people don't have to buy a whole new set because one 1mm plastic tab broke off their headphones.

I had insanely high expectations for these and they surpassed them 10 fold. At such a low cost you literally have nothing to lose

These are a quality headphone that punches above there deceptive looks and price,recommended.

Looks can be deceiving, but your ears will be believing. Great sound quality and arguably out perform many top recommended sets costing much, much more. Questionable build quality only minus

So good are these, and for travelling they are just perfect

Soy muy aficionado a koss desde hace muchos, años. Mis primeros auriculares fueron Koss. Me gusta su sonido y que son ligeros, aunque son demasiado caros. Bajando el precio venderan mas.