Koss EQ50 3-Band Stereo Equalizer

This Product replaces what used to come on most quality personal stereo players back in the day; equalization of sound via bass, midrange and treble tone controls. This product, especially when used in conjunction with a set of high end mini-headphones, can dramatically increase the output and impact of any music from Rap to Classical. My ears had become accustomed to a set of tower speakers in my home and subwoofers in my car and so when I puchased a new personal cassette player it, not surprisingly, sounded weak, flat and lifeless. Enter the Koss EQ50 3-band EQ. Plug one end of the EQ into your personal audio player and plug your headphones into the unit and that is all it takes to dramatically increase the output of a weak audio source. The hiss mentioned in reviews is due to the volume or gain being set on maximum, much like the overdrive on a guitar amp produces inherent noise. The signal to noise ratio of this little device is perfectly acceptable. I am very happy with this product and Koss products in general.

First off... note: I don't use this for my MP3 player. I'm a medical transcriptionist who spends her day immersed in technical dictation by doctors with heavy accents, surrounded by background noise, often speaking nearly inaudibly. This thing has saved the day for me. The EQ on the unit helps allay the inconsistency in sound quality from one dictator's environment to the next. The volume control has made even the quietest dictations perfectly audible.

My accuracy and production have increased measurably in the four or so years I've used this thing, with not a single problem with the unit itself, though I do, of course, go through a lot of batteries.

So the short story is... if you are looking for some fancy high performance gadget for your Ipod, this probably isn't what you want. If you don't need packaging glamour, or if you're looking for something to help you decode quiet spoken word recordings, this is probably what you want.

I use this equalizer for transcribing cassette tapes and digital uploads in my home business. It works like a charm at eliminating most background noises, adjusting bass voices for better audibility, and provides up to 75% volume increase for soft voices. Would be great for secretaries whose bosses dictate on airplanes or in the car, too. It also works well for MP3 players and all kinds of stereo systems. Simply plug your headphone into the equalizer, and the equalizer into the headphone outlet of your stereo or dictation equipment. Great little gadget!!!

Total garbage. No only this thing is huge, bigger than most mp3 players and it doesn't have a belt clip or anything, it sounds awful, absolutely horrible. The hiss others complained about is very loud, it also picks up all sorts of interference resulting in beeping, buzzing and all kinds of high pitched noises. Besides the hiss and the interference the sound is horrible, low dynamics and distorts easily. This is a bad product that should be taken off the market. It's not even worth the price here. Heck, even $1.99 would be a waste of money. Avoid!

There is a little story before this:

I bought a pair of Sony MDR-XD100's (they are full cup headphones) because I lost the earbuds which came with my mp3 player (Sony HD5). I took them out of the package and found that, even at full volume on the player, it cannot drive the headphones sufficently. I went to a few electronics stores then found the KOSS EQ50.

On with the review:

Yes, there is a slight hiss, but I find it alright. The biggest gripe I have is that whenever someone within about 2-3 ft (IE, on a bus or subway) uses a cellphone, this devices picks it up. You can get the same effect by using a cellphone next to an unshielded pair or speakers. I do most of my listening at home so this won't bo too much of an issue.

It also does a great job of amplifying the signal, it works very well, I can now listen to my XD100's properly (and they are very good!). I haven't used the EQ much but what I can say is that it is very, very sensitive. Raising the bass slider a third above normal makes a massive difference. At a half, my headphones start to distort.

If your looking for a nice little EQ and/or preamp this is the product for you. It has its drawbacks though, mainly the problem with cellphone interference and of course, the hiss but it isn't too loud & I can live with it.

I reccomend this product if your looking for a budget portable equalizer or headphone amplifer.