KPH30 Wireless Bluetooth Retro Style On-Ear Headphones, 20+ Hour Battery Life, USB-C Charging, Microphone, Stealth Grey

About 20 years ago, Koss Porta Pros kicked off my infatuation with headphones. Up to that point, I didn't know headphones could sound so airy, expansive, detailed, and balanced. I've owned many, many headphones since then, some costing up to $500, but Koss was always my comfort food. A taste of home. My preferences eventually started to lean toward bright and revealing treble and the PortaPros, while legendary, were beginning to sound too warm and muffled. Fortunately Koss had me covered with the KPH30 which seemed tailor-made for me. Comfortable, affordable, still have that quirky charm, but add some sparkly treble and clean up the midbass a bit versus the Porta Pro. To this day I think they're uncontested for best value in on-ear headphones, and despite sitting next to a pair of headphones that cost literally 10x as much, the Koss are almost always the ones I grab. Bonus, they're so affordable that you don't worry when taking them places. I truly think everyone with even a passing interest in audio quality should own a pair. I reluctantly jumped on the wireless headphones bandwagon in the last couple years. I tried the wireless Porta Pros but couldn't go back to the warmer veiled sound. I didn't expect them to make a wireless version of these, but then I got the email about the release. I put them in my cart right away. Enough unnecessary backstory, here's what I think: Compared to the wired version, they look and feel about 35% chunkier, but in a good way (better durability, hopefully). The weight is well-balanced and actually slightly more comfortable in my opinion. You notice them more, but not in a bad way. The ear pads are slightly larger for better pressure distribution. Fatigue is fairly low, even for my oversized noggin, but they're not the most comfortable headphones, either (a little too much pressure, and the pads a bit thin). I still consider them comfortable for on-ear headphones. Max volume is strong, among the strongest I've tried. I'm thinking they updated the firmware because I wasn't initially impressed, but they go irresponsibly, even painfully loud (source permitting). More important to me, the volume control is very good. I've noticed a lot of wireless headphones/speakers have wonky volume control where nothing happens for the first 50%, but the steps in volume suddenly become too big above that.. these do not do that. The differences in steps are perfect and uniformly distributed, you'll always find the volume you're looking for. Koss did it right, other brands should take note. Controls are tactile, identifiable, and no-nonsense. You get what you need, no feature buttons to accidentally press when you're just trying to pause or find the track skip. Connectivity has been flawless so far. Latency is very good. Battery life so far is excellent. I can't say for sure what it'll do, but after listening at moderate volume for a while, they're on track to at least meet Koss's claim. Sound quality is slightly warmer and less airy than my wired model, but I'm almost certain they'll break in. When I first got the wired ones my impression went from "hey, these are pretty good" to "wow, these are remarkable!" over the course of about 30 hours of use. Upon getting a second set, I was initially disappointed in comparison, but again, they eventually made strides and sound fantastic. I've long been on the fence about whether 'burn in' is really as much of a phenomenon as some people claim, but I'm fully convinced they are for these. The highs get less stale/shy and the soundstage broadens a bit more. These wireless ones sound very much like I remember the wired ones sounding when they were new, so I'm confident that they'll wear in appropriately and give that authentic KPH30 sound signature that I (and so many others) adore. If not, I'll try to remember to update this review. If you haven't heard the wired models, it's worth cautioning the bass heads out there that while the bass is very balanced, satisfying, and extends deep, these are still open-back, non-sealing headphones which almost never punch as hard or have as much authority in the sub-bass as the bassier closed-back, sealing, over-ear headphones out there. I consider the bass in these excellent for their class, and I don't find them lacking at all; but I know a lot of people prioritize heavy bass and this design of headphones just isn't for those people. With these, it's more about the quality of the bass than the quantity. As for the rest of the sound, a few qualities come to mind: balanced, agreeable (slight mids scoop), unveiled treble (once broken in), expansive and deep soundstage. If you've never owned a good open-back headphone, these will likely be an ear-opening treat. They're technically semi-open back, but the benefits are there. So I'm thrilled with these so far. I'm still slightly shocked that Koss decided to make these their next wireless model, but it's exactly what I was waiting for. All that said, if there was something they could improve, it's offering an app and adjustable parametric EQ like many brands do these days. Again, the KPH30 are extremely close to my preferred sound out of the box, but it'd be nice to be able to boost the 14-18khz range a decibel or two (and have it be saved in the headphone regardless of the source), just for that little extra sharpness that most people would probably find excessive but I crave. And they could be even more comfortable. Even as they are, though, they're still an easy 5 stars. In terms of value, I consider the wired ones impeccable, these are pretty much right there too. They're definitely more expensive than the wired ones, but they still punch so far above their price class it's a no-brainer. Once in a while I look at Koss's lineup and think they're falling behind, but products like this are what make me keep coming back. It's a brand of cult-classics. This takes one of their best and adds just enough modern convenience.

Ok so I collect headphones and have since well before the days of head-fi.com. So based on my taste of music which is some Beatles up to EDM and let's not forget jazz here's my mixed up review!! Every pair I've ever owned from the dt990 pro 250 ohms to my ath-m50's and then into the old SR225's I've found that they all have that gnarly signature sound that can kill it on songs that others can't seem to make memorable but that's why I collect. The Koss sound to me has always been fun and I started listening to their products since my dad gave me his porta pros... And I still have them. And onto the KPH30 wireless now I can see that same signature punchy but neutral sound. In the design of these, you can honestly tell that they knew that the bass might be lacking because of the Bluetooths compression. So they compromised by adding to the bass I've noticed on these verses the old pair of wired KPH30's that I have. I wish I had the DAC inline cable however to see if they improve further with amplification. But I would say that in my honest option if you are looking for a mobile soundstage with a nice amount of punch and in a wireless headset you may want to seriously consider these. The other contenders out there (haaaaack Bose Sony Skull candy) cent touch the sound these offer at this price. The build quality is really nice although they do clamp a little bit hard on my massive cranium at least but they stay put and the charge was really good and with a nice sleek look to boot. I love my black finish it's just very Batman. But they're worth the purchase at the price point they ask. Do it and put on your best punchy beat! You'll not regret your purchase! I once again tip my hat to Koss!

TL;DR - Retro Vibes, Modern Sound Quality...and wireless! Would buy again. Before we start...I'm a Koss guy. Huge fan. Designed and engineered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Love it. Go Midwest. Please know then I've got a slight bias. But these headphones are great. Not...amazing; just great. I'm a tech guy so let's cover that first. And, honestly, it's the biggest knock on them...lack of multipoint connectivity. It's 2026. The gear two rungs below these have that feature. Which means you're gonna be bouncing back and forth depending on your usage. Which, given my love of Koss, I'm willing to do. Not everyone will. They sound awesome given the hardware. Audiophiles will complain about certain frequency loss or underwhelming in some bands...but if you're buying wireless headphones for audiophile use at a $60 price point (at time of writing)...I question your creds. FOR THE NORMAL USER...they sound awesome. If you want to picture how it would look on an equalizer...semi-flat. Maybe a dip in the mid-range. But again, unless you're an audiophile type you aren't gonna notice. Bluetooth connection is quick...not 100% stable in a city environment. I walk through downtown Chicago for work and if I reach a particularly busy intersection signal wise (cell towers, police/fire radio relays, various other electronics) you're gonna notice real quick with the phone in your pocket...even on my chest on the Bluetooth receiver side it got crunchy. Simple 3 button control with not alot of options, which is fine. I use my phone to control playback and volume anyway. And I don't think I have ever used button control to activate digital assistants on a phone anyway. Ok, Aesthetics. Bruh. Love a retro design. Rhythm Beige all day for me now. It started with the older brother of these the KPH30i wired...never going back. If Koss has a beige option I am always picking it. And these are comfy out of the box. I wear them upwards of 10 hours a day (oh yeah, the battery lasts a LOONG time) and only around 9.5 hours do I start to feel fatigue. They sit comfortably, the stock pads feel nice. If you have/had the KPH30i you may be wondering about build quality, it's upgraded. It's not made of steel...but it feels more solid. If you DIDN'T have the KPH30i...don't let your 2-year-old play with it and you should be fine. All this at $60 (at time of writing). I feel like I paid maybe $10 more than I should have had to. But, like I said in the opening...I'm a Koss guy. I'm paying for the name I want. At least I'm not buying Beats...

I want to love these so badly for a number of reasons but connectivity issues hold me back. Too many times I've frantically tried to turn the volume down to no success. Too many times I've had to turn Bluetooth off and back on on my phone, and turned the headset off and on in order to connect. They are comfortable and much more durable than the original non-bluetooth version, but held back from greatness by connectivity issues. Great sound, average battery life. Longevity is TBD, I'm a bit worried about sweating with the foam pads, but I'm also grateful that there's a manufacturer out there making Bluetooth headphones with foam ear pads. I still use them and love them but there's room for improvement.

Alright let me preface my review by saying I may be jumping the gun a little as it's only my first day with them, but: - You do get the Koss sound with these. Tangible soundstage. Really decent sound for the money. - They're incredibly light for an over ear bluetooth headphone. - Do you get KPH30i wired sound with these?...... In my opinion, no. The KPH30i wired sound noticeably superior, to me. BUT, I'm running mine through a FiiO BTR5 (which does its own software hocus pocus to the sound), using a balanced cable I soldered on. With the balanced cable, the BTR5 does like 400mW of amplification, that's oodles of power for a 60 ohm headphone - that power itself does things to the drivers that nothing else can really replicate. So is it a fair comparison? Not really. I'm also too cheap to buy the USB-C to 3.5mm adapter to try the wireless ones with a wire... That said, these are bluetooth & wireless. I will admit I was a little bit disappointed to hear my wired ones outperform them, but not so disappointed, because they're damn close. And the insane convenience of bluetooth is ridiculous. With my wired ones, it's a whole thing... I have to get the headphones, get the headphone amp, make sure the amp is charged, turn it on, pair it to the phone, etc. And then I'm stuck with a wire and a DAC/AMP coming along with me. These you just turn em on and bam. The only thing I would note (and I won't change my 5 star because I love these things) is that there are some issues with the bluetooth regarding volume... Sometimes if you turn it on... the volume is stuck & even though it looks like you're changing it on the phone - you're not, the volume is the same. Turning them off and back on again has fixed it every time for me.

The Koss KPH30 Wireless are a well priced set of Bluetooth headphones. They’re light, convenient, sound good and are easy to throw into your a bag for transport. BT connection has been solid. I do wish that they had an accompanying app. Comfort could also be a touch better. Still, a solid product.

They were right. They're so light and unassuming when you first get them. Then you easily pair them up with your phone and put on Purple Sun by Cannons and I don't know how bout What a Feeling by Collie Budz ft. Paul Wall. Oh, and crank it up. I'm curious if anyone else has the same wtf moment I did. The slate gray color is sleek. The power button plays and paused a song of you're playing music. And it acts as an answer/end call button if your phone rings. The volume buttons adjust the volume one click at a time. If you hold down the volume up button it will skip to the next track in your playlist. And holding the volume down button will start the song you're listening to at beginning. Hold it down again and it will go to the previous track in your playlists. I love the controls. They're perfectly positioned and the power button has a little bump on it so it's easy to discern the 3 buttons. They're surprisingly comfortable. And I'm usually extremely sensitive to on ear designs but these seem to angle outward at the same angle as my ears. They're open back headphones which means if you go out with them you will be able to hear your surroundings. Which imo is safe. The only caveat is that depending on how quiet your location is and how loud your music is playing the people around you will be able to hear it potentially. But these things sound clean and clear, have punching base and a bonus that I didn't see come in is they actually sound good for phone calls. My best friend thought I was on my regular earbuds that I used to talk to him all the time. And the Bluetooth connectivity is solid. You really can't beat these for 60 bucks. Now I see what all the fuss was about regarding the wired ones. But I definitely like the way these ones look better. The ear pads are bigger. They're a beefier version of the wired ones and apparently the headband more durable. Trust me, if you on the fence, hop over!

These sounded great for a week and then snapped, what a waste of money. I have a normal sized head and wasn’t crazy tough on them too.