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).
