Koss KPH30i vs Koss KPH40

Short answer: the Koss KPH30i. It ranks #67 of 134 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 3.7/5, at $23.99; the Koss KPH40 ranks #115, rated 2.8/5, and costs $32.99, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff.

The Koss KPH30i is the better-sounding pick. A very low price makes it an easy disposable or backup pair, and the 60 ohm, 101 dB sensitivity runs from any phone. The catch: Sub-bass is nearly 12 dB under target below 60 Hz, so there is no rumble and deep bass is essentially missing.

Why pick the Koss KPH40: It is one of the cheapest options in its class, and the open-back design gives a more airy, spacious feel than most closed budget headsets. Watch for: Sub-bass rolls off about 7 dB below target under 60 Hz, so kick drums and synth bass lack rumble.

Buy the Koss KPH30i. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Koss KPH40 and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.

Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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• HyperX Cloud II vs Koss KPH40

Prices on this page were last checked October 10, 2026 at 5:37 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

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The Two Headphones In Full

Koss KPH30i: $23.99 Amazon eBay

Pros: A very low price makes it an easy disposable or backup pair, and the 60 ohm, 101 dB sensitivity runs from any phone. It has an inline microphone for calls and the open on-ear design is light and airy. Bass from 60 Hz to the upper mids stays within about 0.6 dB of the Harman target, which gives a fairly balanced core.

Cons: Sub-bass is nearly 12 dB under target below 60 Hz, so there is no rumble and deep bass is essentially missing. An 11.8 dB dip near 4.2 kHz makes vocals and detail recede, and treble from 3 to 10 kHz is about 2.8 dB low. The open back leaks sound and offers no isolation, so it suits quiet rooms only.

Full Koss KPH30i review and specifications →

Back	Open
Built-in Microphone	Yes
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.62 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x 35mm dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	15Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	76 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	60 ohms
Sensitivity	101 dB SPL/1mW
Tonal Tilt	-0.38 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+6.8 dB	0.70
Peak	109 Hz	-4.7 dB	0.47
Peak	2,979 Hz	+1.7 dB	0.18
Peak	1,956 Hz	-4.1 dB	2.01
Peak	49 Hz	+2.5 dB	2.08
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.1 dB	0.70
Peak	5,070 Hz	-5.0 dB	5.22
Peak	3,844 Hz	+2.9 dB	5.95
Peak	6,348 Hz	+2.6 dB	5.99
Peak	502 Hz	+0.3 dB	1.44

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Koss KPH30i (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Koss KPH30i vs Koss KSC75

Koss KPH40: $32.99 Amazon eBay

Pros: It is one of the cheapest options in its class, and the open-back design gives a more airy, spacious feel than most closed budget headsets. Bass between 60 and 200 Hz sits about 2 dB above target and the lower mids are slightly full, which suits a warm, relaxed listener. Sensitivity of 101 dB at 60 ohms means a phone can drive it.

Cons: Sub-bass rolls off about 7 dB below target under 60 Hz, so kick drums and synth bass lack rumble. A 14.5 dB dip near 4.4 kHz makes vocals and instrument detail sound distant, and treble is about 4 dB low overall, so the sound is dark and muffled. Open backs also leak sound and offer no isolation.

Full Koss KPH40 review and specifications →

Back	Open
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.35 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Form Factor	Over-ear
Frequency Response	15Hz - 25kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	54 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	60 ohms
Sensitivity	101 dB SPL/1mW
Tonal Tilt	-1.21 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -6.1 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	+7.5 dB	0.70
Peak	79 Hz	-7.6 dB	0.37
Peak	3,725 Hz	+4.9 dB	3.94
Peak	614 Hz	+1.5 dB	2.05
Peak	37 Hz	+3.9 dB	1.16
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+1.9 dB	0.70
Peak	7,429 Hz	+4.0 dB	0.78
Peak	5,445 Hz	-7.7 dB	4.24
Peak	1,941 Hz	-2.0 dB	2.35
Peak	1,012 Hz	+0.3 dB	1.84

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Koss KPH40 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Koss KPH40 vs Koss KSC75
  • Koss KPH40 vs HyperX Cloud II
  • Koss KPH40 vs Koss Porta Pro
  • Koss KPH40 vs Razer BlackShark V2 X