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Koss The Plug review

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CNET Editors' Rating

Review Date:

Average User Rating

3.5 stars 57 user reviews

The good: Lightweight and compact design; comparatively secure fit; supplied with multiple sets of earpiece covers; gold-plated miniplug.

The bad: Plastic in-ear tubes sometimes uncomfortable; tangle-prone, dual-entry cord; doesn't include carrying case.

The bottom line: Koss's The Plug earbuds have a firm-fitting, earplug-like design, but they sometimes feel a little too invasive.

Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more.

Koss' s blue-and-gray The Plug ($14.99 list) earbud headphones incorporate squishy foam-rubber earpieces that form to your ear canals like earplugs. In addition to providing a snug fit, The Plug's unique earpieces help block out background noise and contribute to better-than-average bass response. Unfortunately, The Plug's earpieces aren't always comfortable.

Aside from its unique design, The Plug doesn't have many standout features. Although the 'phones have a tangle-prone, dual-sided cord (one cord is attached to each earpiece), Koss doesn't supply a carrying case. The Plug does include four sets of various-size foam earpieces that can be interchanged to facilitate a snug fit in virtually any pair of ears. The hollow, hard plastic sound tubes in the center of the squishy earpieces tended to unpleasantly scratch our ear canals whenever we put on or adjusted The Plug.

The Plug's 4-foot cord is long enough to comfortably connect with a portable audio player, but it's short enough not to cause much tugging during workout sessions. We took The Plug for a 30-minute treadmill run and were pleasantly surprised by the results. Only once during our jaunt did The Plug pop out of our ears. In comparison, it's almost impossible to run with standard, loose-fitting earbuds such as Sony's MDR-E827Gs ($19.99 list).

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Quick Specifications

  • Release date04/21/12
  • Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
  • Product type Headphones
  • Design Ear-bud
  • Weight 0.2 oz
  • Sound output mode [Sep 14, 2011 from CDS: Audio Output] Stereo
  • Connector type Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
  • Additional features L-shaped plug
  • Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Lifetime
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