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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Koss UR20 Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Apr 26, 2016 at 11:04 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22 am
Koss UR20 Picture
5.2
Mixed Usage
7.0
Neutral Sound
4.9
Commute/Travel
4.4
Sports/Fitness
5.6
Office
4.2
Wireless Gaming
6.1
Wired Gaming
1.6
Phone Call

The Koss UR-20 are below-average headphones that perform poorly in most of our test categories. They are moderately comfortable but have a weak, unexciting sound and leak quite a bit. People around you will hear your audio at high volumes, and they only provide passive isolation from ambient noise.

Our Verdict

5.2 Mixed Usage

The Koss UR20 are not good as everyday headphones. They have a poor sound, poor isolation, and a cheap, fragile design.

Pros
  • Comfortable.
  • Lightweight over-ear design.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
  • leaks a lot.
  • Below-average audio reproduction.
  • No audio controls.
  • Bass and treble delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
7.0 Neutral Sound

Average for neutral listening. They have a decently balanced sound quality but a closed back design that limits their soundstage.

4.9 Commute/Travel

Not designed for commuting. They're cumbersome to carry around and do not isolate from ambient noise effectively. You will easily hear your surroundings, and these are not open back headphones.

4.4 Sports/Fitness

Not made for sports. The Koss UR 20 are bulky and big and don't have a decent control scheme. They will quickly fall off your head during exercise.

5.6 Office

The Koss UR20 are not good for office use. The poor seal of the earcups allows the chatter of even a moderately loud office to seep into your audio. Also, they leak quite a bit

6.1 Wired Gaming
  • 5.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.0 Neutral Sound
  • 4.9 Commute/Travel
  • 4.4 Sports/Fitness
  • 5.6 Office
  • 4.2 Wireless Gaming
  • 6.1 Wired Gaming
  • 1.6 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  5. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  6. Updated Apr 26, 2016: Review published.
  7. Updated Apr 24, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  8. Updated Apr 11, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The Koss UR 20 are a little bulky. They have an all-black color scheme that's a little bland. The large circular ear cups and retro-designed headband may work for some but is not visually appealing.

7.5
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.55 lbs
Clamping Force
0.77 lbs

The Koss UR20 are quite comfortable. They're lightweight and large ear cups easily fit around the ears of most listeners. The headband design is good and the padding of the ear cups is soft. Unfortunately the pressure they apply around the ears, is uneven and can be uncomfortable for some.

0
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use N/A
Feedback N/A
Call/Music Control No
Volume Control No
Microphone Control N/A
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons N/A
not tested
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference N/A
5.2
Design
Portability
L 7.87"
W 7.09"
H 4.33"
Volume 241.64 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The Koss UR20 are not portable. They're big, bulky and don't fold into a smaller format or lay flat to take up less space. They will fit in your backpack but will be too cumbersome to carry around in anything else. They also do not come with a pouch or case, which is disappointing.

0
Design
Case
Type No case
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A
5.0
Design
Build Quality

Build quality is average at best. The all plastic design does not feel very durable. The hinge mechanism is cheaply and poorly made. On the upside, the ear cups are relatively dense and the headband design is flexible. They can handle a fair amount of physical stress but are not as durable as some other headphones.

4.0
Design
Stability

These headphones are not at all stable. They move as you tilt your head, which means they easily fall off your ears if you're performing any moderate activity. They also do not have a detachable cable, which may get hooked on something and pull the headphones off your head, further decreasing stability.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Koss UR-20 Headphones
  • 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
-0.7 dB
Treble Amount
-2.7 dB
6.0
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.93 dB

The frequency response consistency is mediocre-at-best. Our measurements showed some inconsistencies in bass delivery across our human subjects. The maximum amount of deviation in the bass range is about 6dB, which is noticeable. In the treble range, they show some inconsistency and seem to be sensitive to positioning and placement.

Sound
Raw Frequency Response
8.6
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
2.01 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
17.82 Hz
Low-Bass
-0.2 dB
Mid-Bass
1.05 dB
High-Bass
3.46 dB
6.5
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.62 dB
Low-Mid
4.56 dB
Mid-Mid
3.35 dB
High-Mid
-4.6 dB
6.4
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
4.79 dB
Low-Treble
-3.34 dB
Mid-Treble
4.09 dB
High-Treble
-7.27 dB
6.0
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
2.75 dB
Dips
2.3 dB
8.5
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.22
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.65
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
1.95
Weighted Phase Mismatch
6.3
7.1
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
3.51 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
6.93 dB
PRTF Distance
17.6 dB
Openness
6.4
Acoustic Space Excitation
4.6
7.4
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.224
WHD @ 100
0.255
Isolation
3.6
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-8.68 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.61 dB
Mid
-4.39 dB
Treble
-22.55 dB

Poor isolation. These non-noise cancelling headphones block very little noise in the bass and mid regions. In the treble range, they provide a decent amount of isolation, reaching the maximum of -28dB at 8KHz.

6.3
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
43.31 dB

Poor leakage. The overall level of leakage is on the high side and the leakage happens throughout a broad frequency range, from 300Hz to 4KHz.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
N/A
In-line
N/A
Boom
N/A
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic No
0
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
N/A
LFE
N/A
FR Std. Dev.
N/A
HFE
N/A
Weighted THD
N/A
Gain
N/A
0
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise N/A
Speech + Subway Noise N/A
SpNR
N/A
Active Features
not tested
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
N/A
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power Saving Feature
N/A
Audio While Charging
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
Charging Port N/A
0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

No compatible app.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.0
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable No
Length 8.33 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio Only
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio Only
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A