Koss SPARKPLUG - Stereo In Ear Ear Plugs Reviews

• Best for the money.

  
  By ADH3O5YXPUHN2 on 2005-05-13
  Being somewhat of an audiophile, I went researching for a good pair of headphones. I was looking at the product lines from Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Grado, Shure, and Etymotic.
  
  I considered what I wanted these headphones for and it was to study in places like starbucks or barnes and nobles. So naturally, I decided on sound isolating headphones. This left me with either closed full-size over the ear headphones or earbuds. If you haven't seen them, full-size headphones are huge! They pretty much cover the entire sides of your head, we're talking Princess Leah hair buns (star wars). Besides that, the higher quality headphones require an additional portable amplifier to sound good because most portable devices aren't powerful enough to drive them.
  
  Now I focused on earbuds. After reading review upon review about Shure and Etymotic, I would always come across reference to Koss "The Plug" and Sony's isolating earbuds (forgot the model) from an audio forum. Out of the box, the Sony is supposed to be better than the Koss model. However, what I found was that for a fraction of the price of Shure and Etymotic brands (I think the top model is $500) and a bit of elbow grease, the less expensive Koss earbuds could sound better than the Sony's and nearly as good as the Shure and Etymotic. Doing a search resulted in many websites referring to methods of "modifying" the Koss earbuds.
  
  I was convinced and went looking back in April. However, when i got to the store, I couldn't find any "The Plug". All I found was "Spark Plug". I was confused but I bought them anyway. I searched amazon and realized that they must be the 3rd iteration of Koss's earbuds because I only came up with one result, and it said it was added to amazon only 2 days before I bought it locally. Since I've never heard the 2nd iteration (purple/silver) I can't comment on sound. However, aesthetic wise, this new version was definitely designed for use with the Ipod (which I don't own, but that's okay, it matches my stuff anyway) It still has that silver ring with Koss on it, but the rest of the earbuds are all white and more of a retro simplified shape. Looks clean, nothing fancy.
  
  As for fit. No problems here. I read many complaints on the second version about the fast expanding foam. The foam on this version expands slowly. It's quite comfortable and after awhile I forget I'm wearing them. I even wear them in bed sometimes.
  
  Sound wise, out of the box, the bass is really boomy, i prefer a tight bass (as with many audiphiles, thus the mods). If you like to listen to music heavy in bass, like rap or house, or whatever, then you'll like these earbuds straight up. You can feel the bass "pound" in your head.
  
  Unfortunately, for me, I don't listen to that when I study. So, I decided to modify the earbuds. The only mod I felt necessary was the one to tone down and tighten the bass, which is done by covering the ports. Did that with some trimmed clear tape (didn't want to open the earbuds and place eletrical tape inside, as most DIYs state). The result, nice, very nice. With the lower frequencies toned down, I can now hear my mids and highs quite clearly. This is especially important since I listen to mostly light vocal music while studying, such as Sarah Brightman. In fact, after this mod, I can say these are the best headphones I've ever used, especially FOR THE PRICE.
  
  As for sound isolation, the tape mod helped that too. On an airplane it completely drowns at the engine noise on only the 2nd tick of volume (out of 25 or so?!?) Keeping the volume low also cuts back on battery use and distortion. If I study with my friend, he has to wave his hand in my face or shake me to get my attention (again, only 1 or 2 ticks on volume). I've found you don't actually need to compress the foam to get them in your ear, just a little pressure and twisting does it.
  
  I plan to get another pair for my new "workout" mp3 player arriving soon, so then I'll be able to comment on how well it stays in during high activity and sweat.
  
  Pros:
  -Great sound for the money
  -Sound isolation is awesome, even better than the $300 Bose active sound cancelling headphones (I wasn't impressed at all, not even with the sound of those).
  -Looks clean and somewhat stylish (ipod style). Has a sort of classy, expensive look to them, not the traditional black eggshape of most earbuds
  -extra pair of foam buds included (they're backups/replacements, not an alternative size, but I don't think an alternate size is needed)
  
  Cons:
  -Boomy bass out of the box. Drowns out the mids and highs. This is easily solved by the tape mod, i.e., covering the ports. (porting is a trick used by companies to make bass more "bassy") although this isn't a problem if you like the "feel" of heavy bass.
  -no case included. (hey, it probably cuts down on cost)
  
  Concerns:
  -earwax (no problem here since I keep clean)
  -wires are thin and COULD become tangled b/c no case included (i've had no problem with this actually, because I found the perfect sized case for it from an old mini rectangular shaped flashlight. I've read some people use a 35 mm film roll case/tube to hold it, which would be good too)
  -you may have to "play" with the placement in your ear for the best sound quality, I've found what works best for me, just be patient. Depending on placement, the sound may be muddy. For me, that means i have them too deep in the ear.
  
  

• Very happy with these in-ear phones

  
  By AOOS9WXCDPC5Y on 2006-02-03
  The ear buds that come with the iPod won't stay in my ears and those little foam slip covers always come off and they just generally drive me crazy. So I normally use good over-the-ear headphones. But I needed some in-ear phones to wear at certain times. These Koss ear phones have been great, and you could buy 10 pairs or more for the price of some others!
  
  I'm not an extreme audiophile, but I do demand good clean sound. I like medium-strong bass (but not as much as many people), but it has to be clean and not muddy and not overpower the rest of the frequencies. The bass in these Koss plugs might be just a bit too much, but certainly not enough that I'm going to bother trying to modify them with straws, duct tape, WD-40, and whatever. You can adjust the position of the phones in your ear to reduce the bass, too. Overall, the sound is quite good, but not as clear and bright as I would expect from very expensive phones.
  
  Someone said they look funny in your ears - I don't think so. Besides, who cares?
  
  In summary, they sound very good (but not excellent), they are comfortable and stay in my ears, and they are incredibly cheap! Highly recommended. (P.S. please be careful with volume levels to avoid long-term ear damage. Really. Can you imagine not being able to enjoy music when you're 40 years old? How horrible! Turn down the volume and your ears will adjust to the lower level.)
  
  

• Good enough for $12

  
  By AC8E3L5ZM01P on 2007-05-11
  I don't demand the utmost in sound fidelity, but like so many others have commented I also found the bass on these earplugs to be overwhelming. I put tape over the back of the plugs, and that helped muffle the bass so that I can hear the higher frequencies.
  
  Still, these are cheap earplugs, so don't expect top sound quality. I find that the foam tips on these earplugs fit my ears better than a pair of more expensive Sony earplugs that take those replaceable foam covers. Granted, the sound quality is less than those higher-priced earplugs, but I can wear these Koss earplugs for far longer in comfort.
  
  

• Best Headphones Ive Ever Had

  
  By A3J5N5YTKR1PRC on 2005-04-29
  Theses Headphones are one of the best. Ive used the regular Koss "The Plug" and it blocks out all outside noise. These new Spark Plugs are even better in which the foam is now expands Slower. I would highly recomend these headphones to anyone who wants some exclusion from society.These headphones are also extremely comfortable. I once fell asleep with them on and when I woke up, they were still on! A good thing about these headphones are also the low price. If they break, you could either send it back for the repair covered by the lifetime warranty or buy a new pair.
  
  Pros:
  Low Price
  Best Isolation from outside noises
  Allows Cd Player/Mp3 player to play at a lower volume conserving battery length
  Great Quality
  Deep Bass
  Very comfortable
  Lifetime Warrranty
  
  Cons:
  Takes longer than average to put these headphones on.
  While eating with these, you hear yourself chew.
  Not very safe in which you cant hear warnings.
  Not advised to share with friends if they have ear wax.
  
  

• 20 bucks gets you more than what 300 will.

  
  By A3B365S1Z0ASZ1 on 2005-09-22
  wow.
  very very impressive. paid 20 bucks including shipping, and these headphones put my bose, sonys(DJ and fontopia) to absolute shame....treble response drops out a little early for my liking (not hearing much of the 16+kHz range, even the 14k band on the eq has little effect, but i have yet to hear a pair of truly full-range headphones...except the shure 2 way's, you;re not gonna get it.) midrange response is very clean, bass response is actually not muddy at all....perhaps they changed something? many of the other reviews that i found helpful in making a choice mention muddy bass.....im not experiencing it at all honestly...I'm an audiophile and im a straight up prick about audio....spent thousands of dollars in my life on audio electronics (im 20)...and although it's no rocket science, im a junior in the e.e. curriculum at school, and ive managed to aquire a decent amount of know-what about what can be expected what differnt headphone designs...and i am simply amazed by these headphones. main idea is, simplicity and efficient design. number one thing i look for with ear bud headphones is shape, efficient headphones will establish an airtight space between your eardrum and the driver (speaker) of the headphones; that way, no (generally) sound energy is wasted at all. these headphones defintley do that, the music also seems considerably louder, which is expected after pulling the foam off to see that there's a tube piping the sound straight to your ear drum, i have over 4kilowatts of audio power in my car and i listen to that mighty loud, yet when i crank these headphones, they are loud, very very loud.
  
  havent had them in my ears for more than 20 minutes but they seem like theyd be plenty comfortable to wear for many hours....
  
  hope this review could help somone decide as the others helped me alot.
  
  PROS:
  small
  awesome midrange and bass
  um.....can you say CHEAP!
  efficient, i.e. loud.
  
  CONS:
  i could ask for more high-end trble
  thin cord im sure will be prone to tangling
  you'll look like the rest of the world with white heapdhones lol
  ...cant think of aything else....
  perhaps the foam pads will get dirty....thats always a pain with in ears 'phones...
  
  hope it helped.
  -pat
  
  
• Over-powering sloppy bass does not good headphones make!
  By A30OH55FK5HN3U on 2006-02-17
  Here in the Czech Republic, electronics are insanely over-priced. These earplugs, for instance, were roughly the equivalent of $40 USD. And having had good experience with Koss headphones in the past, I was really expecting high quality from them.
  
  I was surprised by how much bass these things kicked out - and at 112 dB! But to make room for all that throbbing, totally unresolved bass, the mid-range was pushed all the way back and the treble was sacrificed COMPLETELY! There were no more highs in any of my music. What should have sounded bright and open was reproduced obscured, blurred, muffled and buried under sloppy, sloppy bass.
  
  I normally listen to all my music with a Flat EQ setting, trusting the musicians and their production engineers to have recorded and provided the sound of their talents as they meant for me to experience them. That proved impossible to do with these earplugs. Selecting either the Bass Reduction or Treble Booster EQ settings on my iPod didn't help. Neither did any of the other EQ settings. These earplugs simply don't reproduce sound anywhere close to the source material.
  
  If all you listen to is bass-heavy rumbling of some kind or other, then these plugs are for you. But if you value high-fidelity (even mid-fidelity!) of ANY kind whatsoever, then avoid these earplugs at all costs. You'd hear your music better through a set of ear muffs!
  
  These ear plugs are TERRIBLE! I'm only giving them one Star because I'm required to. Frankly, zero Stars isn't a low enough rating. Hey, Amazon! Could you add Black Holes to the rating system? I'd give these ear plugs two Black Holes. Okay, one Black Hole: they were pretty comfy. :-)
  
  
• Eh...
  By A3OZVZJJF8V8DY on 2005-05-20
  I have used Koss' "The Plug" earphones for the past couple months - they are a great addition to my ipod shuffle/armband combo for exercise. So far, the original "The Plug" headphones had been the best headphones - hands down - for exercise. They sound great and generally stay put no matter what. However, I have trouble once in a while with the original plug's buds staying in my ears. Once in a while when I am running, one of them pops out - think a watermelon seed pinched between two fingers, and once a sweaty foam earbud is out of the ear, there's no way to get it to stay back in. Enter Koss' "The SPARK Plug," which seems to be an updated version of the plug. The most important improvement is the material that is used on the actual in-ear bud - instead of the quick-expanding (and somewhat slippery) foam that was used on the original plug, the new spark plug ear buds are a tougher, more slowly expanding (and therefore more likely to stick in your ear) foam material.
  
  This is good.
  
  However, there are some drawbacks to this version of the plug, most of which were not present in the (more) original incarnation. For example, the sound quality is M-U-D-D-Y. There is absolutely no comparison between this version and the original (the original was much better). I am no audiophile, but there is absolutely no denying that the sound on this version of the plug is muddled and boomy. Also, although the new spark plugs are ipod-white, they look pretty rediculous. They are rather big, and you'll look like Frankenstein if you walk around with these white "bolts" sticking outside the side of your head.
  
  Anyway, although the concept of the plug is a great one, it seems that Koss simply still hasn't gotten the formula right. I'd recommend sticking with the original. Although you might have some frustration getting them to stay in your ears, they are generally just a better buy.
  
  
• The best $15 headphones _Ever_
  By A3HI2YBMWEW4HC on 2005-11-16
  I bought these things because I needed a replacement for my broken earbuds.. I have owned some nice Koss studiophones, and I know they make good gear.. So I decided to grab their earbuds off the shelf instead of Sony's.. Wow! These things are incredible! Hearing is believing.
  
  My only complaint is that they are a bit bass heavy. EQ is kind of a must. Also, I like to trim a bit off the end of the "plug" with some scissors. I have listened to all kinds of music through these things, nothing is muddy, not deep house, not trance, not trip-hop, not bluegrass, not anything. Clean and crisp. Amazing.
  
  
• Great Value, Excellent Sound Isolation
  By A33ZYFE8XMKKR1 on 2006-04-02
  A year ago, I stumbled across the Koss Sparkplugs while seeking to replace the original headphones that came with my inexpensive RIO mp3 player. The sponge sound-isolating earpieces seemed novel, but were not a compelling reason to purchase. Basically, they were cheaper than the high-end models offered in the store. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by both the sound quality and isolation capabilities of these headphones.
  
  Similar to disposal ear plugs, they work by expanding into the ear canal after being compressed and inserted by the user. As the foam earpieces are not disposal and go into the ear canal, they need to be frequently cleaned. This basically turns into a maintenance issue, which is tolerable.
  
  What is more troubling than the cleaning regimen, however, is that the earpieces can be easily lost. Moreover, there does not appear to be an aftermarket source of the earpieces. Unlike other headphones, the Koss Sparkplugs are unusable without their earpieces. Fortunately, they come with a second set but this is simply insufficient.
  
  Now that I have upgraded to an Ipod Nano, I opted for these headphones again. In a health club setting, airplane or noisy cafe, they provide the necessary sound isolation to block out the ambient sounds. As such, they can act as regular earplugs when you simply turn off the music and leave the headphones in your ears. This is quite useful when are you are listening to music while trying to deeply concentrate on work and need to become even more focused.
  
  
  Pros
  Great noise isolation
  Excellent bass
  Great sound quality
  Inexpensive
  
  Cons
  Ear pieces get dirty quickly
  Losing the earpieces renders headphones useless
  Bass might be a bit overwhelming for audiophiles
  Replacement inserts not readily available
  
  
  
  
• Muddy sound, but at least they stay in my ears
  By A3H8M7JUJ3K9EU on 2005-12-02
  I purchased these to replace the ear buds that came with my ipod shuffle which are too large for my ears and won't stay in place.
  
  With the squishy foam that expands after you insert them in your ear, these do indeed stay in place.
  
  I discounted other reviewers' reports of muddy sound quality because I am not an audiophile. I did not expect to be able to tell the difference. I was wrong. The sound is quite bad. I suppose if you listen to a lot of loud heavy bass music they might be OK. I listen to a lot of accoustic music that sounds muffled through these.
  
  
• Best value, Durable, Very efficient, Good sound quality.
  By AYC7L2YJMZOOC on 2006-01-09
  I've been using Koss Plugs for about a year. I forgot them in my pants pocket once and sent them through the washing machine. At first the high frequency was a little messed up, but after a few days they returned to normal.
  
  I threw away the foam pads that came with them almost immediately and fitted them with a pair of normal squishy earplugs. These are the kind of earplugs that are made of memory foam that you roll between your fingers and let them slowly expand in your ears. To prepare the earplugs you have to shorten them a bit with some scissors then "drill" or actually melt a hole through them with a hot piece of coat hanger. Then you fit them over the plastic tubes that come out of the Koss Plugs. To me the prepared ear plugs are much more comfortable and seal much better than the foam pieces that come with the Koss Plugs.
  
  I have a Sony active noise canceling headset, which is good for environments with low levels of back ground noise, but are not adequate for very noisy environments, such as when you are using a leaf blower or working around heavy equipment. In this type of situation I use the Koss Plugs and a pair of muff style hearing protectors. When using them like this however you must be very careful because the sound isolation is so great that even persons shouting will have a very difficult time getting your attention.
  
  The Koss Plugs take much less energy to run compared to other headsets. You must use a much lower volume setting. The sound quality is excellent. They are cheap and durable; unlike ear buds they stay in your ears when you are working or playing.
  
  
  
• Cheap and somewhat works
  By A3KO0313NVNM7S on 2006-02-11
  I got the 1st pair from Amazon.com with a buzz in the right channel, returned it and Amazon.com gave me a 2nd pair fast. 5 stars for Amazon.com.
  
  Now the earbuds. The thing about it is that they are cheaply made, and sounds awful.
  
  Because of the meterial used, the cable tangles alot and has a tendency to "rebound" to their original shipped shape(folded tightly togther), even after 4 months of usage and tweaking they still has kinks all over.
  
  The cable is ver thin and it seems like you'd get whatever color cable they had leftover in the part bin when it's manufactured. My 1st pair came in white, and the 2nd pair came with light grey. Fit and finish is also very poor at where the cable meets the plug.
  
  Sound-wise it's a joke. Heavy, muddy bass and non-existen highs. I had to crank up the treble on my HP iPaq all the way too the max and bass ends to min just to have it sounding normal like my Sennheiser MX400 earbud and my Pro.2 PH560 headphones used on the same iPaq. It's not because my other headphones are extremely sharp of anything like that. It's because these Koss sound like I am hearing the music thru a ear muff whilwe uunderwater.
  
  And about that life-time warranty? Koss will only provide warranty service if you enclose $6 on top of your return postage.
  
  
• The best headphone I've ever had
  By A3JEAE6UF6LF80 on 2005-09-12
  I'm a typical teenager that ride the bus to school. The Bus, it's always so loud, with the engines and people talking, etc. I could barely hear my music with those regular earbud headphones. I decided to look for noise cancelling headphones, so I can have a better listening experience. Most of them were in the $20-$60 range. I couldn't have the Bose, because it was too big and pricey, I couldn't have the phillips because of bad reviews, and the price.
  
  And then I read about Sound isolating headphones. I decided to look for them, and had no luck. The one's I found cost about 200-300 bucks, for "optimum listening experience".
  
  Then I found the Sparkplug. It was 15 dollars, cheaper than regular headphones. It was well with in my budget, too. It was sound isolating, so I decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did. They were wonderful. First time I tried it, it drowned out most of the outside noise. The Bass was great, Rock, Hip-hop, Rap, anything goes with it. It fit perfectly, and didn't fall off. I was confortable wearing it for hours and hours and hours. I noticed that it was even good for earmuffs. I could put it on and go to sleep, eliminating noise.
  
  The only thing I didn't like about it was it's design. When you put it on the little white things stick out of your ears like horns. And it has a very thin wire. And, you should clean your ear for earwax on occasion, because they do sort of build up in the foam. Not a good thing to see. :(
  
  Pros:
  
  GREAT noise cancellation
  great fit
  Confortable
  BARGAIN. 15 bucks!
  
  Cons:
  
  Earwax
  Thin Wire
  
  
  conclusion: It's a great sound isolating headphone that's also cheap. Much better than those rip-off "noise cancelling" headphones.
  
  
• Lousy muddy sound. Lots of bass but nothing else
  By A2HR3N6VN0NCC5 on 2005-10-14
  I had read good things about these phones (on this site and others), but I found these headphones to be basically unusable (especially if using an iPod shuffle which has no EQ). There is no upper mid range at all and the bass is totally booming. The sound on these is akin to plugging a stereo into a bass amp (I could barely make out the vocals). It is very muddy sounding as well (and I am no real audiophile). The only good thing they do is blot out the outside sound, but then a set of earplugs will do that job much more cheaply.
  
  Mine are going back to the store.
  
  
• $20.00 Price with $200.00 Sound
  By A1M06OVKXUA513 on 2005-10-19
  I bought these for a replacement for the standard ear bubs that come with the IPOD. I could not be happier. I have uses these every day for the last 4 months and I think the sound is great. I have had more expensive ear phones in the past and I honestly can not tell the difference. Why pay alot for great sound. The trick to great sound is placement with in the ear canal. I alway squish my plugs down and insert then. You can actually feel the plugs expand to an air tight fit with in your ear canal. The closer to the ear drum the better the sound. Also remember that if something does not sound good, do not belame the headset. The original source recording could be poor.
  
  As many have said, the cord is thin and does tend to tangle alot. The foam pads do get dirty and waxy often. My solution is to use warm water an alcohol swab to clean then and the small plastic tube. I do this weekly and I have not damaged them a bit. I still using the original bud that came with the phones. I am very happy with these and if these break an going to buy these again. They are cheap enough!!!
  
  
• NICE SOUND & GOOD Adjustability for FIT... but PRESSURE can cause PROBLEMs for Some of us with SMALL EARs!
  By ADBV30AX9BBI3 on 2006-03-19
  I have been searching for a reasonable pair of earbuds that were either smaller than most or of squishier texture to wear when my Sennheisers are inconvenient (especially to go to sleep or when my hair is still damp after washing, cuz we all know what Headphone-Hair looks like!). I have tried several different brands & styles but all were too large/plastic to be comfortable in my smallish ears. I am critical of sound too, Bigtime! I ordered both a pair of these KOSS SPARK PLUGS & a pair of JVC GUMY PHONES (figuring that the texture would be squishy & more comfy & because they were both reasonably priced with fairly good reviews). The Spark Plugs have GREAT sound (BASS is a tiny bit heavy); They are pretty comfortable til they snug up on you, & these actually made me a bit naucious after wearing them for about half-an-hour, even after I loosened them up (?-maybe I had too many ear infections as a kid or something?)! I don't think that this would be a problem for most people but can't say for sure.
  I actually thought that the JVC's would be more squishy & a little smaller than they are, but if worn loosely, they are not Uncomfortable as most & the sound is GREAT, quite a bit better than any of my other buds that I've put up with over the years!
  Overall, I am happy with both pair but have to wear them loosely to be comfortable in my smaller ears. The sound quality & volume is good enough on both types that they still let you enjoy good sound without jamming them in. I think that some of these major electronics companies need to realize that there are plenty of petite-eared folks out here looking to enjoy thier jams too without making thier ears sore. ROCK ON!
  
  
• Don't use these unless your player has an EQ
  By A2S8QK9A1A0PLW on 2006-07-26
  This set of earbuds has some very interesting characteristics to it. It has some very big ups and downs.
  
  First I'll talk about the great things about these ear buds. They are probably the most comfortable ear buds I have ever worn. I absolutely love the special foam. Others have mentioned that they fall out, but for me, I could wear these ear buds inside a clothes dryer and they wouldn't go anywhere. The sound isolation is very good too. I wore these at night with the fan right next to me, (I live in CA and we have a crazy heat wave) and once the earbuds were in, I couldn't even hear the fan anymore. Another great plus is the lifetime warranty. I haven't had the pleasure of testing this out yet, but hopefully it will be easy to replace them should something happen. They are also very loud due to the fact that there is little air loss because they fit so snugly.
  
  Now the bad thing. There's only one for me but it's a BIGGIE. I'm not impressed with the sound quality. For starters the bass is insanely loud. I listen to everything from metal to classical, and I find that unless you have an EQ, or unless you are listening to music that has no sound frequencies below 500 hz, you will find these unacceptible. I don't listen to R&B and rap so I can't say how it does with thumping bass, but even for music like metal with heavy distorted bass, it just completely drowns everything else out. I literally have to turn the bass down almost all the way in my winamp EQ just so it doesn't drown everything else out. Once it's EQd properly it still sounds somewhat muddy. This is probably due to the incredible insulation job it does around your ear. There's something about the way that ear buds block off your ear from the outside world that make music seem to lack brightness. And since these block your ears off better, they lack more brightness.
  
  My conclusion: If you need comfortable headphones and you have an EQ, these are nice. If you need great sound or you don't have an EQ, stay away from these.
  
  
• For $12 I shouldn't complain . . . but I will.
  By A2B17T4ZDMD9F3 on 2007-01-27
  Okay, they only cost $12, so I can't complain too much - however, I'm don't ever use them anymore, so while I only wasted $12, I did WASTE $12.
  1. Noise isolation is okay. When they stayed in my ears, they did a pretty good job of blocking out external noise. The problem was that the foam earpieces fit in my ear 80% of the time - I didn't have to adjust them too often, just often enough to be irritating. If they had better sound, I might have been willing to live with it. Forget about jogging or running, as they fall out every minute or two.
  2. Koss claims you can reverse the earpieces for a more "custom fit", but the foam pieces wouldn't snap on in the reverse for me. Small gripe, but don't advertise an option that doesn't exist.
  3. The sound quality is VERY poor. The earbuds that came with my ipod have better sound quality than this. The noise isolating foam only accentuates this - with the background noise gone, you can hear the 'phones crappy sound in all its undiluted glory. I like music with bass, but describing them as having "heavy bass" is like describing an apartment with no roof as having a skylight; the sound is so fuzzy as to make the high end nearly incomprehensable - I could barely hear the lyrics to songs, and everything in the mid-range is just gone. Taping over the airholes helped, as the "bass" was no longer drowning out everything else, but it was still all fuzzy and muddled. Yeah, I know I was getting a cheap pair of headphones, but I could have just stuck with a free pair!
  
  
• pretty good
  By A33PYC76MDB6CB on 2005-12-16
  it took me 3 days of getting used to. i'd never worn plugs in my ears before, so my ears felt like burning for a couple of days. it feels great in my ears now. i'm a classical musician strapped for cash, and i find it to have exceptional sound quality--probably due to it blocking out the ouside noises. i don't know how long the plugs will last--but Koss says 'life time warranty' on their website. guess you can't beat that.
  
  
• Just got them
  By A32DLL6IH65N4D on 2005-12-23
  I have had all manner of trouble with earphones because my ears are so tiny, nothing fits. The ones that came with my iPod were a complete disaster, I couldn't even begin to get them in my ears. The Sony ones fit a bit better but the sound was marginal and one ear piece blew just a few months after I got them. The Koss ones are perfect. They sound great and fit like a glove because they mold to your ear canal. Very comfy. And even if they don't last very long, they are so inexpensive I wouldn't hesitate to keep buying new ones. Yay! Finally!!!
  
  
• Good Application for Motorcycle Headphones
  By A61S4GZXUII2S on 2006-01-09
  I have been riding for more than 5 years now, and while I don't like listening to music most of the time, I occasionally ride interstates and want music to break the monotony. I have used in-the-helmet speakers and find them useless at speeds over 40 or so because of the wind noise. By combining a ear plug and ear bud, these units block the noise and deliver the sound directly to the ear. The fit is good, not as good as typical squishy ear plugs but if your are patient the units expand to a good fit. Sliding the helmet over slowly seems to work so they don't fall out, but I did experience discomfort removing the helmet. They are "bassy" as others have noted. All-in-all a good buy for $15.
  
  
• I love these
  By A2KN7BNCEE7R8D on 2006-02-27
  I was looking for some earbuds that would block out most outside noise so that I can focus on the music-----and these do a pretty good job. Don't expect them to block out 100% of outside noise though. Just follow the directions on the box----squeeze the buds with index finger and thumb then try to put them deep into your ear canal.....then hold them there just for a few seconds so it molds into your ear canal. The bass is just right in my opinion. I think its worth the money--much much better than the regular earbuds they sell with MP3's. They will block out crying babies on a airplane flight---lol---
  
  
• No weak spots...
  By A2N9F3776N4MGF on 2006-04-08
  Just as the topic suggests, these earbuds rule! I'm nothing of an audiophile, I'm not even close, but still I love listening to music...a wide variety of music... I bought the Spark Plug after my "fantastic" Sony MDR-E818LP earbuds broke down...after roughly 2 months of use...I'm never going to buy anything branded "SONY" but that's another story. The first song I listened to was "Immortality" recorded by a Polish deathmetal band "Hate". I've listened to it hundreds of times on my Unitra-Amped-Computer and let me tell you one thing - these plugs beat the crap out of my audio system. Never before had I heard bass so powerful but at the same time the treble was crystal clear. Some of the comments say that the Spark Plug's sound is gloomy/muddy or whatever, and that equalizer changes nothing - my reply would be - there's something terribly wrong with your equalizer ;]. On my mp3 player (one of these sticks based upon the SigmaTel's STMP3500) when I set the eq to FULL BASS the sound was gloomy but when I switched to the Rock or Jazz settings the sound was simply perfect. As I said before, I listen to a wide spectrum of music and that's why right after the "test drive" with "Hate" I listened to songs like "Comfortably Numb" (Pink Floyd), "La Villa Strangiato" (Rush), "Lines in The Sand" (Dream Theater) or "Conga Fury" (Juno Reactor), and every one of these (and many others) sounded brilliant.
  
  To sum up, The Spark Plugs are incredible earbuds, I was shocked to discover what they could do, and after seeing prices of Shure or Etymotic products, I realized that they're also DIRT CHEAP, especially when you take into account the quality which they provide. If you want great earbuds at a great price, Spark Plug is the answer!
  
  
• Solid Headphones; Great Bass; Some flaws
  By ADWRHLHXOD73U on 2006-06-01
  I recently bought these headphones at Fred Meyer for a whopping price of 12.99, a definite steal
  
  First when you open the headphones there are two options for headphones. You can use the ones that area already on there or use the other pair. The other pair is the same although dosen't have suppporters to assure the foam dosen't crumple up
  
  It takes a little while to get used to these headphones, so make sure you feel comfortable with them before making a preconcieved notion about the quality.
  
  To insert the headphones you have to take your thumb and pointer finger and squish the earbud foam down (instructions are on back of package) and insert it into your ear. It will then fit to the mold of your ear and feel more comfortable.
  
  Make sure that when you put them on they are as far into your ears as they can go (to assure best sound quality).
  
  As for the pro's and cons they are as follows:
  
  Pros:
  
  Great deep bass (had to put the treble booster eq on my ipod on)
  Decent Treble (the treble isn't its best part although is better than the average stereophone)
  Comfortable fit
  
  Cons:
  
  Wires get tangled very easily
  They can come out easily if you wear them to the gym or at any physically engaging activity
  A pain to put in and out sometimes
  
  Overall I would give the Koss Sparkplug Stereophone a 4 out of 5 stars
  
  
• Wow!!
  By AIIW7WEBW43QM on 2006-08-08
  After reading many reviews online about earbuds, I concluded that I needed to seriously consider a pair of Koss "Plugs". I was ready to get a pair but gave up trying to find them after going to many stores and coming up short. I went to Frisco(San Francisco) this weekend and stumbled upon a pair of Koss "Spark plugs"....the bonus was that they didn't have the purple band on them!! I got them, of course, but I couldn't test them out until I got home last night. I never imagined earbuds could give so much bass! The only thing I don't like is that the mids/highs aren't as crisp and clean as I'd like, but it's certainly tolerable......I'm listening to them as I write this and R.Kelly's "Seems like you're ready" just came on and blew me away!!! The bass is strong and clear, the vocals are clear and smooth, and the mids/highs have a seemingly perfect balance. I'm amazed, these are the second pair of Koss headphones I've ever owned and as was the case the first time, Koss has impressed me at the bass they are able to get out of their product. I'm a believer!!
  
  Audiophiles will not be impressed, but then again, most audiophiles won't be looking for products in this price range either. Excellent product, and with mods you can tune them to your liking. Can't go wrong!
  
  
• not good for small ears
  By AOT0QOH9QU3RS on 2006-08-19
  I thought that I would love these earphones, after talking to a friend who liked his. But, they don't fit properly in my ears. I have small ears and thought the squishability of the plugs would be perfect. Alas, the squishy part was ok, but the driver part wouldn't sit properly. So, they never felt like they were in properly, and never felt settled. And, as a result, did not keep ambient noise out. I am now in the market for some better ear buds, and will certainly pony up more cash for a better product.
  
  
• KOSS Ear Plugs
  By AEGJ4FPBEP2PU on 2006-11-10
  I find these to be a very good set of ear plugs. I
  wear them while mowing (under a set of ear muffs)and
  the music is very clear. They also help to drown out
  external noises.
  
  
• Save your money
  By A1P8SZWMW0MGZW on 2006-11-20
  Unfortunately the quality of sound with these ear plugs is extremely poor.
  
  The experience is one of being in a cave or barrel with severely
  accentuated low frequency response and no mids or highs.
  
  The fit within the ear canal is terrible with severe irritation of the
  skin surface within the ear after short use.
  
  External noise blocking seems absent, so I doubt these ear plugs will be
  of any help in diminishing aircraft flight noise.
  
  
• Inexpensive and it shows
  By A2YEHH6O0R68QE on 2007-02-27
  I'm amazed at the people who thought this was a good product. They didn't fit well and the sound was mushy. I gave up on them in a hurry.
  
  
• too many flaws, even for the price
  By A25GCWMIPO6YRL on 2007-04-03
  let's face it, the price is a huge attraction here. and with koss' track record with inexpensive phones that sound good (see the KSC75's), it's logical to think they may deliver again with the sparkplug.
  
  well, i'm afraid it's just not in the cards for the sparkplug. let's look at a few things:
  
  the cord: i never thought i'd actually have a complaint about a cord, but this managed to do it. the finishing on this cord has almost a sticky surface to it. i mean it's not actually sticky, but it creates friction with everything it touches. it's rubbery. from clothing, to your body, to something you're walking past - the cord seems to want to stick to everything. the result? the plugs fall out of your ears. this cord also gets tangled much more often than i've seen in the past. so strangely enough this is an irritating factor.
  
  the construction: these are actually very comfortable, and the foam padding fits in the ear easily. i was concerned about the durability of it at first, but it doesn't seem to be an issue. one thing of note - when i wore these while exercising the small plastic tube inside the foam seemed to shift around and create a crackling sound in my ear. the plugs block out some ambient noise, but are by no means fully isolating.
  
  last but not least, the sound: this is where these really fall flat. these are all bass, and what middles and highs are there are very muddy. even with a treble boosting EQ, almost all my music is bass heavy and muddy. it just sucks the life out of it. as for the modification you see people discussing here - taping the bass ports - this works to an extent. the outside of the earpiece has about 12 small holes in it, and if you cover them up with your fingers while you're listening, you'll notice the bass decrease considerably. so you could put superglue or some type of tape over these holes. the problem is that the sound you're left with remains is poor. there's just less bass to go along with your boring middles and highs. i should say that i'm in no way an audiophile who thinks you have to spend big bucks to get good sound - there are $20 headphones that sound a lot better than these.
  
  so overall these are comfortable and really, really cheap. but i found that the super annoying cord combined with the truly poor sound just doesn't make saving the ten or twenty bucks worth it. i recommend looking around for a better option.
  
  

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