Koss BT221i Wireless Bluetooth Ear Clips, In-Line Microphone, Volume Control and Touch Remote, Sweat Resistant, Black

These are not KSC75s so no they are not the wireless version of that. The KSC75 is in its own category. Their sound quality is without equal in the audio space--especially at the price they go for. These BT221is have great sound quality for what they are which is great portable bluetooth headphones great for an active person. Let's go over all of the negatives first.1) The bluetooth connectivity is the weirdest I have ever seen. I have been using bluetooth stereo headphones since 2008 when the iPhone 3GS gained the ability to play stereo over bluetooth. So I am very aware of how bluetooth works. The iPhone remembers the volume that was last used on every headphone you connect. So when you disconnect a device and come back to that same device, it will be at the perfect volume that you last used. Well this device throws that idea out the window and reconnects at 80% volume always. You can literally see the device increasing the volume from where you last set it to 80% volume right after connecting so this is BY DESIGN. These headphones are really not that loud so the person complaining about getting deafened by the headphones is full to it! Also these headphones take a ridiculous amount of time to reconnect to my phone. Around 15 to 20 seconds every time! I have never seen any bluetooth device that worked like this. I have used dozens of BT devices and they all connect in 3 to 4 seconds at the most!2) They feel really cheap and plasticky.3) They let all sound in as they don't even cover your ear opening. They perch at the top oj your ears so you will hear everything going on around you which is also a positive actually as you are going to be aware of your surrounding if walking or hiking(which is what I use them for.Here are the positives1) They sound great. They have the Koss sound! Sure they lack bass but honestly your ears will adapt and after about 10 minutes, they sound just as good as any other pair of decent headphones. Great clarity and awesome midrange.2) They are able to activate Siri which Koss doesn't even advertise. Just click the center button twice for Siri3) The microphone is pretty good. I talked to my brother for a few hours and he never mentioned that he was not able to hear me fine.4) Battery life is better than advertised. I get about 8 hours which is 2 hours more than claimed.5) Charges quickly. Takes about an hour and a half for full charge6) The controls are easy to use. They spaced the volume buttons far enough from the play pause that you are able to use the controls without fumbling really quickly. Much better control than the Koss Ports Pro wireless.7) So comfortable! they disappear on. your ears! They are so light you will forget that they are there.8) They also have a really nice open sound stage due to their above the ear design. It is some weird kind of magic going on. How can a headphone which does not get near your ear opening provide any kind of decent sound?One of the common complaints is that the ear clip breaks off. I believe this is because people are trying to push the headphones down to ge the driver close to their ears. This is also why some people are saying they are uncomfortable as they try to jam the things down their ears instead of just leaving them up on the ear where they belong. The best way to put these on to be comfortable and secure is to rotate the clips out and place on the ears and then push the drivers close to your ear. This might also be why some people have the cushions fall off. If they leave the clip close and shove the clip on your ears, this might lead to quick wear of the cushions. I have only had them for a week but I have worn then for 14 hours or so and so far there is no indication that the cushions want to come off.Anyway, I love these headphones and I recommend them despite their idiosyncracies

My go-to headphones are wired porta pros, but I wanted something wireless for listening to podcasts and music while walking around home or at the gym.For twenty bucks they are certainly better than anything you'd pick up at Walmart or Dollar General for the same price.Pros:* Good sound* You can hear your surroundings* Comfortable semi-adjustable ear clips* Wire is good for taking the headphones off and wearing them around your neck* Good tactile buttons* Easy to pairCons:* Always connects to phone at way to loud of a volume (might be an Android issue)* Sound is probably the best you can get for $20 and wireless, but it's still noticeably worse than $40 wired porta pros* Mic quality is meh.* Micro USB portThese are good for low movement exercising like weight lifting, but I am not sure if they would do well on runs.

The media could not be loaded. Update (10/16/2023): After having tried another brand of earphone I can say the audio quality is fairly balanced. Compared to SoundPeats the bass is inferior but at this price point Koss did a good job. I have had these less than a year and the silicone/rubber on the controls has either caved in or come out of the housing. This has caused the '+' and '-' on the effected side to become completely nonfunctional. One set randomly disconnects bluetooth (I have to go into the phone settings and tap to reconnect, even though it says it's still 'connected' then adjust the volume again). I've bought a replacement set because this is the best option I've found under $50.Update: As of yesterday (2/4/2023) the left earhook joint on the other headphone set has developed the same squeak. Given my issues with loud/higher pitched noises, this is going to be a problem. I've edited the media in this review with a video of the sound. The charging plug 'door' has long since broken off of the first set.First off, as a warning: pay attention to the volume settings once it's connected!! I don't know if it's just the ones I've gotten and/or my phone but, no matter what volume it was set to previously or what volume my phone is at, it always connects at almost full volume! I've hurt my ears several times as I was learning this.I bought this as a replacement for the Marathon headset that kept breaking on me and because I needed something I could use on just one ear for migraine issues. The sound is about what you'd expect. Mostly flat, tinny, and with a tendency towards mid and treble. While you can hear the bass, it's mostly an afterthought. I'm an audiophile but it's exceptionally hard to find anything other than this quality at this price if you can't deal with in-ear designs (even those are debatable). I was surprised at the low-end quality since a little research into Koss revealed that it's a decent audio brand.The earpieces hinge like a door so you can make them as tight or loose as you need. They are hard plastic. I haven't had the issues with the ear pads tearing but I haven't had is for that long. One the hinges has started to make a grating plastic on plastic sort of odd screeching noise when moved.Battery life is okay. I use them most of the day and can get away with one charge until evening if I don't take phone calls. I've got a backup if I need it, which I have several times. The 'low battery' sound is loud and obnoxious (it comes through better than the audio). The charger is micro USB, not USB-C.If you love definition when listening, you're not going to get it with this. But it's a good option for casual podcast listening, audiobooks, and the like.The cords seem flimsy (one came with slight bends at the ends of the controls). While there's a sturdier piece bridging into the controls, for whatever reason the company opted to have it go directly in the ear pieces with no reinforcement.The controls are easy enough to use. One button for play/pause/off/on/answer/hang up. Off/on is the only thing that takes a long press and that's indicated by a tone (once again, obnoxious and much louder than the audio). Volume control is a raised '+' and '-' but you do have to press a bit to the inside of those to get it to register.Phone call quality is 'meh.' I usually have to switch to the handset/speakphone to not be muffled or sound like I'm 'down a hallway.' It's the same on my end, especially if the person I'm talking to drops the volume of their voice. If there's ambient noise, it will be heard, and this headset doesn't separate out sounds so hearing a person if their end is picking up sounds is almost impossible. Leaving voicemails with it is not an option. But most of the people I talk to are used to sub-optimal call sound quality (if it's not the headset, it's the location/reception) so it's not a big deal.I only had a little issue connecting it but that could have been my phone. You push down and hold on the middle button (raised dot). It'll come up on your phone and connecting it usually easy at that point. Once you turn it on, it takes a moment to connect (once again, indicated by a super loud noise!).As for using it on just one ear, I turn it into a 'necklace'. This may only work because I have a more slender neck. I'll loop the cord around the back of my neck and hook the unused earhook over the cord. While I have to be careful about the tightness, I've even been able to use it like this bundled up for cold weather walks.

Initial impression: They stay on my ears well, are relatively comfortable and lightweight, and the sound quality is decent. What I don't like is that the foam falls off very easily. It is super annoying as they fall off multiple times throughout the day. Also they seem to lack an automatic shut off which wastes the battery. Sometimes has trouble connecting to my phone.Update: I have tied the foam pieces on and that seems to be working ok.Edit 3/31/23: I bought these at the end of December 2022 and they broke yesterday. The part that holds the ear clip on broke. I was using them most days and I am not hard on them. I'm not even sure what caused them to break. I picked them up and they were broken. I do not recommend.