9 reviews for Elevate Sound: Koss KPH30iK On-Ear Headphones with Remote!

1. 

   Margaret – November 25, 2025

   Buying A Second Pair!
   As so many others have mentioned, these ‘phones offer an exceptional experience for little cost; in fact, I’m very much reminded of the classic Sennheiser HD-414 headphones from many years ago, both in the quality of their natural reproduction of acoustic instruments, and the very comfortable fit.The non-isolating design lends a bit of “air” to Jazz and Classical music, where the distinctive characteristics of unamplified instruments in space is rendered in a non-intrusive manner, with an excellent bass response, but lacking an artificial heaviness, something that even the best closed-back designs can find difficult to accomplish. That these headphones virtually float with very little pressure is just about the next best thing to being completely unencumbered by gear; adjustability is excellent, and the contact between the pad and ear is very comfortable, even when wearing glasses – there’s no interference at all.There’s been some criticism of build quality, but that probably goes to the lightweight plastic used in construction. To be clear, it wouldn’t be difficult to damage these headphones through carelessness or accident, but a more robust build would result in a heavier & probably bulkier product, which would eliminate their intrinsic lightness and overall feel. That said, everything about the KPH30iK feels well-designed, with an excellent parts fit and a solid, locked-in adjustment. The Koss warranty is also to be commended, especially for such an inexpensive model.Packing is in an underwhelming plastic & cardboard blister-pack, with a printed, mini-instruction sheet – be careful removing the cord from its compartment in the packing to avoid damaging it.This is a remarkably fine headphone, with a very pleasing sonic performance, and outstanding comfort – at $30.00, I’m buying a second pair, just in case they should be discontinued!

2. 

   Zac – November 25, 2025

   Stellar at this price, truly.
   I was skeptical. These are fantastic. Super lightweight construction, so they are very comfortable and barely noticeable when wearing. They sound amazing and I think are a great value. I am using them to A/B my mixes (chill out, it’s just a home studio) against other headphones/monitors, and I honestly prefer the sound of my mixes in these above any other option I currently have.

3. 

   Memo – November 25, 2025

   BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
   I’m actually satisfied, & quite impressed with the sound quality of these $30 headphones. They are very light, & mostly comfortable, though the fit could be a bit fatiguing on the ears, & I blame it on the headband — which I’ve read is interchangeable, so that’s a plus.The sound signature is balanced, and quite deep (I own the beige ones), so I opted to carefully remove the foam backing inside the earcups, & now it’s like the veil has been lifted, providing a more pleasant, natural tone, much more suitable for my liking — which is funny, since I later found out the clear version of the KPH30i doesn’t come with the foam, meaning I could’ve saved myself the trouble of disassembling anything. However, I love the beige pair, & I wouldn’t exchange them.Overall, these headphones do their job splendidly well, & certainly sound above their price tag, so I’m content with this purchase.

4. 

   HobbyJumper – November 25, 2025

   Best purchase in audio bar none. EVERYONE should own a pair, 20$ or less is literally theft.
   Like high-quality music? See these on sale for 20$? Buy them without question, then buy whatever else you want. 30$? Still buy them. Seriously, budget audiophiles and teenagers listen up: these are THE best purchase in Portable Audio, barring NONE.If they weren’t literally MADE to deliver the best sound with the cheapest price, they would compete in the 200$+ headphone market EASILY. There is nothing under 80$ that sounds remotely as good as these. Even above that price, I only divert in specific situations.They may not suit your exact need just yet, but I promise you won’t regret the purchase over time. I’ve owned them for about 8 months now and use them daily, unlike any other headphones I own.As a hobbyist pseudo-audiophile, these have blown my mind in terms of sound quality, even ignoring the cheap 30$ price. (20$ on sale every now and again, snatch some up!)I legitimately have bought 5 of them. I use them as my primary headset for my phone and calls, their low-profile design makes them perfect for wearing under a helmet when I go longboarding, and the audio experience is just fantastic for walking around the house and music discovery.These headphones are extremely ‘fun’ sounding. Treble is clear and crisp, but not sibilant. Mids are present and effective, though not entirely a focus. The bass response is deep, quick, and punchy. I enjoy them the most with bouncy styles of EDM and similar, but they have paired well with everything really.Their open-back design gives them a wide soundstage that can be further widened by pad swaps (Grado pad swap or Yaxi pads). I use a pair with the Grado swap sometimes, and the Yaxi pair other times.They react well with all of my amps, including tube amps, but also work great with integrated amps like phones.They arent extremely detailed, but they are my instant pickup when wanting to listen to music I already like, or new music that I don’t need to resolve all the nuances in.Great for gaming on the go, and for awkward setups where you join discord calls on a phone or move around your house alot. Work well with my Oculus Rift.Everyone should own a pair. I prefer these to my SHP9500s, and especially over my AKG 7xx(200$…).Overall, these fit a variety of purposes and every single music listener should own a pair. At the sale price of 20$, I would suggest owning two. Igift these to my friends and family to show them how silly high-quality audio can be; sometimes it comes in a 300$ package, sometimes it comes in a 20-30$ pair of odd library-looking headphones. Don’t knock on them; I wish they were my first audio purchase, but comparing them to my multiple 200+$ headphones and headsets, and I still often favor the sound of these on top of their any-situation use-case.NEGATIVES:-They do bleed alot of sound, as they are open-back. I could hear most of my friend’s phonecall sitting near him yesterday. They also let a ton of noise in, which I prefer as they are open-back, but it does make me raise the volume alot when on-the-go.-They sometimes sound like they are a but distorted or buzz at certain specific frequencies, like on phone calls. I’ve found that to be caused by bits of vibrating hair inside various parts of the housing, but have always been able to resolve it with a quick cleaning (easy to clean and remove housing/drivers).-The comfort can be an issue sometimes. Yaxi pads are the best upgrade for this, for sure. -The Grado pads arent the best for practical use, but are fun and better for gaming/movies in my opinion. The standard pads can be made better by crushing them and breaking them in, but will never be as nice as the Yaxis.-The mic is not the best obviously, but it does sound good. Better than alot of gaming headsets to be honest.-The cable twists and tangles near the Y split often. A little annoying, but you could even recable these for MMCX or another style of 3.5MM if you like. Overall the cable is nicely rubberized but not the best of course.BEST USE-CASES FOR THESE:-Under-helmet audio, lightweight openback listening for things like running, skating, etc.-Taking phone calls, short term gaming headset.-Modding without fear, learning to modify headphones without risk of high costs in detroying them.-Gifts, for literally anyone you know.-IEM replacement in terms of usage (if you find in-ears uncomfortable but over-ears or on-ears too bulky, and don’t need the sound isolation).-Baseline for audio comparisons with any other item in the ‘budget’ or ‘any-situation’ market space.-EDM, Rock, Metal, Pop, Synth, Hyperpop, etc genres where highs/vocals are not the specific focus.DEVISION TREE:If I listen to music, these are my first consideration. I switch to other options only in these cases…-Needing long-term gaming headset, better mic, SUPER BOOMY BASS, extreme long-term comfort, or closed back? I switch to my Beyerdynamic MMX300g2.-Listening to vocal-heavy, classical, or other treble-focused music, and dont need a mic? Switch to my SHP9500s, sometimes.-Needing an open-back headset with a separated mic for PC usage and other gaming needs? Switch to my AKG K7XX+Modmic.-Needing to go on a plane? Switch to modified clones of Beats Studios (drivers replaced).-Needing forward-focus, no imaging or soundstage? Switch to ATH M50s.-Needing detail and zen? Switch to IEMs: BlonBL-03 or Moondrop Starfields.In every other situation, these are what are on my ears.

5. 

   ComCons – November 25, 2025

   These sound stunning. They punch WAY above their price bracket in terms of clarity, technicality, tonal colour. The soundstaging is pretty eh..they are open backs so I would not wear them on transport but they are SO light and they feel like nothing. They are on ear headphones so for me at least, after a while the clamping becomes quite unbearable especially because it pushes the ear onto my head and my it starts to hurt.I modded mine with the KOSS foam pads and I removed the foam from infront of the speaker unit and from inside the headphone and it improved clarity so much. it also helped just a little bit with soundstaging but not a lot.Overall an amazing headphone. The build quality is a bit budget but in my book thats actually a really good thing. It’s light and when you fiddle around or try to mod it, you dont feel stressed you might break something. you can see where things are clipped and attached therefore you can see how you can open it up. New and premium headphones love to hide and glue and seal the seams and it just makes modding or repairing so much harder. These remind me of the days when music players were a dedicated device and the fact that they still sound so amazing is so nice.

6. 

   Ivan Teo – November 25, 2025

   This is a very light headset. This clear version is as close as we can get to a budget open back headphone. Easy to listen to. Great for both music and gaming.

7. 

   Angel García – November 25, 2025

   Por el precio tienes un sonido muy bonito. En películas revive los diferentes sonidos. Son bonitos y de buenos materiales. He teñido audífonos de más de 5 mil pesos y me quedo con estos, de los cuales tengo 3 pares.

8. 

   Vegetal – November 25, 2025

   Tout d’abord, je mets fin au suspense: ce casque est bien meilleur que le Porta Pro: scène sonore plus ample, grave profond, aigu doux et précis, bon rendement, moins de distorsion, il va plus loin que son illustre ancêtre et fatigue beaucoup moins. Il est neutre et musical!Le confort est excellent et il tient parfaitement sur la tête (je l’écoute beaucoup en marchant).De plus, il intègre le micro pour les appels vocaux.Beau look vintage (certes pas aussi beau que le porta Pro).Seul bémol, l’arceau est fragile sur les côtés (j’en ai cassé plusieurs).

9. 

   Lala Isasi Rion – November 25, 2025

   Nada se le acerca en esta categoría de precio, el único inconveniente es el material ya que parecen auriculares de avión, pero la verdad por como suenan podrían ser mucho más incómodos y aún valdrían la pena.