Rating: 
Summary: A good way to get more volume with the Rio 500
Review: I found that the Rio 500 did not produce enough volume, especially while I was in the gym. With the Plug I keep the volume under 10 while before I was using 18-20. I find the Plug to be very comfortable, but this is very subjective.
Rating: 
Summary: Sound is good - actual plug foam is bad
Review: they claim you can mash the foam, then place in ear; not unless you are extremely quick--the foam puffs back up too fast. Go out and buy over-the-counter foam earplugs and cut a hole in the middle. Works great on airplanes.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for noisy environments
Review: I work in a jewelry studio with 7 other people, and the constant chatter as well as hammering drives me batty. I often put on headphones to drown out the sound, but I usually have to turn the cd player up super loud to avoid hearing everyone's conversations. While these headphones are a bit awkward to put in, once you get the hang of it, they're great! I can turn the volume up a fraction of what I used to, and I can't hear all the outside chatter. And even when I am not listening to music it muffles the noise. I do worry if its bad for my ears having these things in so far...but its better for my sanity!
Rating: 
Summary: don't bother!
Review: First of all, the logistics. It takes some intense acrobatics to get these things in your ear. They're definitely not something you want to slip on and off too frequently, and they do collect earwax. Soundwise, while the "plug" technique does create impressive bass (although not a very crisp sound, just brute), there is a serious lack of balance in the sound. The upper frequencies are tinny and bland. Save your money and get something better. This is just a gimmick.
Rating:
Summary: Best earbuds around
Review: If you follow the instructions and make sure you squish up the foam cushion on the earphone before inserting it will expand to form a perfect fit to your ear canal. And since they fit into the ear canal itself you get dynamite bass from them as well. Without a doubt the most comforable and best sounding earbuds on the market.
Rating:
Summary: Impossible to get into ears-impractical
Review: I sent these back immediately. They were impossible to get into my ears. I would not recommend these to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Good product but with some flaws, worked nice with a mod.
Review: The rubber cilinder that comes with this product is just not flexible enough to keep compressed until you put them on your ears, and most of the people complain about the ear pieces "gets out" of their ears.(...)
Rating:
Summary: Edited -- don't forget the little plastic tubes!
Review: Edited 7/13/04: I'm editing my review because I discovered (completely by accident) the little plastic "tubes" that are supposed to be inserted into the foam plugs (before putting them in your ears) which are absolutely essential for proper usage! I found them in a different set of the foam plugs included in the package. Yeah, I'm an idiot. I can't recall if they were inside the default size plugs when I opened the package or what but, regardless, they are required to get the most out of The Plug. You see, these plastic tubes make a world of difference because they add a bit of rigidity to the foam plugs which
a) makes them much easier to insert
b) makes them stay in *much* better, primarily because you can set them deeper into the ear canal
c) makes them sound fantastic! I can't believe I didn't see these things before. Anyway, I'm changing my rating from 2 stars to 4. My edited comments are in-line with my "old" review, below. ---- original review ----- I bought The Plug to replace my (broken) Creative "behind-the-head" headphones that came with my old Nomad II MP3 player. I had reservations about using an "ear plug" style for use with my semi-brisk applications (exercising, cutting the grass, kayaking) but the combination of good "sound performance" reviews and low price was enough to convince me to give them a test drive. After using them for a few weeks I've discovered that the "ear plug" style is definitely not for me, primarily due to the following reasons: 1) Constant adjustment. For optimum performance The Plug requires a lot of fiddling around. First, you have to roll the foam in your fingers to compress it and then quickly insert it into your ear before it expands. This is much easier said than done (especially on a kayak) and it usually took me a few tries to get it *just right*. To add insult to injury, the plugs would slowly creep out of my ears so that I'd get to do the entire process again every 10 minutes or so. Oh joy. Edit: The little plastic tubes were the answer to this complaint. The added rigidity of the tubes allows for much better/easier insertion. They can still creep out with heavy activity but pushing them back in is really a cinch with the tubes. 2) No case or clip. There were times when I needed to remove the plugs for a short time and do other stuff and during that time there's nowhere to put the things so they just ended up hanging there and getting in the way. A method to clip or hook them to a shirt or something would have been helpful. Edit: Still an issue for me but now that my #1 complaint is essentially gone, I'm going to work with these things and buy some sort of clip or case. 3) Foam requires cleaning. I don't care how clean your ear is, you're going to want to (have to!) clean these off at some point. Personally, I don't want to be bothered. Edit: Still an issue. Anything you regularly stick in your ear is gross. 4) Replacements?! Lastly, with all this squeezing, rolling, squishing, and cleaning, I imagine the plugs are going to need to be replaced. I suppose this would require a "MOD" as described by other reviewers or an order directly with Koss. Again, I don't want to be bothered... Edit: Still a concern. The bottom line is, I'm not a fiddler. I don't want headphones I have to fuss with constantly during usage and then think about cleaning them afterwards. I want headphones I can: - fit in (or over) my ears and just get on with my activity
- remove/refit quickly and easily during the activity (like for the dozen or so times my kids/wife want to talk to me when I'm trying to cut the grass!)
- easily hook or hang it up somewhere so I can have my hands free for other things
- just toss on the shelf when I'm done and not worry about cleaning the things off (yuck) So if you're like me and are having similar reservations about The Plug, you may want to reconsider. Personally, I'm going back to the "fuss-free" behind-the-head style and calling it a day. On the plus side of things, The Plug sounds good (heavy on bass, though) and does indeed block out nearly all *background* sound but outside noises tend to slowly creep in as The Plugs slowly creep out...over and over again...
Rating:
Summary: All right out of the box, great with a little work
Review: For the price, these earbuds are great. My ears are big enough that I could usually get the buds to fit okay with the included foam pads. Having said that, as several reviewers have mentioned, it can still be a pain to get them to feel like they fit perfectly. If you're willing to do a little modification work (I know, extra work is a pain), they can be great. If not, I would guess the $40 sony's would be a nice choice, though I've not tried them personally. I'm a broke student, and the price was the major attractant for me. I did a google search for "koss plug mod", and checked out the "headwize" link (I have no idea who the guy is, I have no vested interest in his site, he just has good photos). I used cheap foam earplugs for it ($3 or so at your local drugstore), and they work great. They block out the noise (I can't hear a thing going on around me with my music on) and the sound is quite good. Plus, I can keep my volume a good bit lower, thereby saving my ears somewhat.
Rating: 
Summary: For Bass-heads ONLY
Review: "The Plug" offers VERY poor balance across the sound spectrum, they are very bass heavy/boomy, resulting in a very muddy sound. Unless you listen to your music with the bass turned ALL the way up, I suggest looking elsewhere. Also, the acoustic tube is far too rigid and can scratch/gouge your ear canal. Overall, a poor choice.
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