KOSS TD85 Home Stereophones

 (11 customer reviews)

These are replacing the TD80's at the station, and they're good enough that I may decide to leave my Sennheiser HD-497's at home. The TD80's individual volume controls were a nuisance and the fit was somewhat tight. The TD85's, by contrast, have dropped the individual volume wheels and, if anything, tend to be too loose-fitting. Not recommended if you move your head vigorously while listening with phones. On the other hand, the improved definition in the bass frequencies along with the highly present and responsive mid- and high-range frequencies make the loose fit a comfort issue only: the listener is as "close" to the sound as he could hope to be. In fact, the mid-range is perhaps a little too pronounced and unforgiving, bringing out a certain amount of unwanted harshness in performers' voices. (Some of this effect is undoubtedly due to the extremely high efficiency of these phones. After the Sennheiser's, I'm not used to ratcheting down on the volume control.)...Read more

I made the mistake of ordering these and taking the previous review lightly. I ordered these for my laptop, and they have the same kind of boxy sound (as if you are listening through a seashell) quality I was afraid of. I just dont understand all the decible range stuff. I have tried other [cheaper] KOSS models and was satisfied. These, on the other hand, must hold some other uses aside from personal leisure listening.

Good side:
However, they are very durable (the most durable Ive seen) and may suffice for professional studios.
These headphones also do a good job of concelling outside noise, and sound much much better when listening to rock or metal as opposed to orchestral music.

Been a fan of the TD series of Koss headphones for going on 20 years, and the 85s are a quality successor. Rating the sound of headphones is a subjective business at best, but I've enjoyed very much the quality output on these cans. I've always found Koss to be the best bang-for-your-buck headphone manufacturer. Their lifetime warranty and the fact that they are made in the USA (Milwaukee FTW) are huge bonuses. But again, the quality is unfailing.

These headphones are pretty light for full-ear, solidly-built cans, and I've had no problem with comfort. I've used them for leisure listening, radio dj work, and travel, and they've been great on all fronts.