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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want classroom-proof, switchable stereo/mono listening with per-earcup volume control, choose Califone 3068AV; if you need a USB headset with a boom microphone for talking to people through your computer, choose Koss Multimedia.
• Califone 3068AV — biggest strength: A 3.5 mm wired design with dual volume controls (one on each earcup) and a switch that flips between stereo and mono, which makes it unusually flexible for shared listening.
• Califone 3068AV — biggest trade-off: It has no microphone and no USB connection, so it's purely a listening device, not a communication tool.
• Koss Multimedia — biggest strength: A USB plug, an electret microphone with noise-canceling behavior, and an 8 ft cord make it a true hands-free communication headset for a computer.
• Koss Multimedia — biggest trade-off: It depends on a USB port, so it won't plug into a phone, tablet, or media player the way a 3.5 mm headphone will.
• Pick Califone 3068AV if you're outfitting listeners — students, library patrons, test-takers — who need durable, comfortable, wired headphones with mono/stereo flexibility.
• Pick Koss Multimedia if you need to speak as well as listen: gaming voice chat, speech recognition, softphone calls, or online classes where you talk back.
The Califone 3068AV is built around one idea: let each listener control their own sound. There's a volume dial on each earcup, which means the person wearing it can fine-tune the left and right sides independently instead of hunting for a system-wide slider. That alone sets it apart from most basic headphones.
The second thing that stands out is the mono/stereo switch. Monaural mode collapses both channels into one, which is genuinely useful for language labs, listening centers, and any situation where a split audio track would otherwise leave someone hearing only half of what's being played. Flip it back and you're in normal stereo. Add cushioned earcups, a cushioned adjustable headband, and an ABS plastic shell, and you get a headphone designed to survive repeated handling rather than one perfect listening session.
Spec-wise, it runs a 40 mm dynamic driver with a 36 ohm impedance, a 98 dB sensitivity figure, and a 20 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range — a full-range, easy-to-drive design that any standard headphone output can handle. It terminates in a 3.5 mm plug and ships with a 1/4 inch adapter, so it works with laptops, tablets, and full-size audio gear alike. The over-ear oval earcups use sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation.
Buy it if you're equipping a classroom, library, or listening station where multiple people share the same source and each needs their own control. Skip it if you need to talk — there's no mic here, and no USB option.
The Koss Multimedia SB45 USB is the opposite tool. It's a full-size over-ear communication headset with an electret microphone on board, and it connects over USB rather than a headphone jack. Plug it into a computer and you have a complete talk-and-listen setup — no separate mic, no splitter, no adapter.
The microphone side is where the design puts its weight. Koss describes it as a noise-canceling electret mic paired with Clear Voice Technology, aimed at PC voice applications and speech recognition. That's the giveaway about intent: this headset is meant for software that listens to you, whether that's dictation, a softphone call, a video meeting, or in-game voice chat. The "Video Game" theme attached to the model name tells you the same story.
Audio-wise it's a closed-back design with leatherette ear cushions for isolation, a dynamic driver, an 18 Hz–20,000 Hz frequency range, 100 ohm impedance, and 103 dB sensitivity. The 8 ft cord is generous enough to reach a tower PC under a desk, and there's an in-line volume control on the cable so you're not adjusting levels inside the operating system. The plug is USB, and the headset is wired — the wireless technology field is not something to read as a wireless mode, so plan on a cable.
Buy it if you spend your day talking through a computer and want one cable to carry both audio and voice. Skip it if your source is a phone, tablet, or player with only a 3.5 mm output — there's no analog jack here, and no adapter in the box.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for shared or multi-listener setups → Califone 3068AV. Dual earcup volume controls plus a mono/stereo switch are made for listening stations.
• Best for connecting to a phone, tablet, or media player → Califone 3068AV. The 3.5 mm plug travels; USB doesn't.
• Best for plugging straight into a desktop or laptop for calls → Koss Multimedia. One USB connector handles audio in and out.
• Best for tight, isolating fit → Koss Multimedia. Closed leatherette cushions are explicitly designed for maximum isolation.
• Best for comfort over long sessions with a lighter feel → Califone 3068AV. Cushioned earcups and an adjustable cushioned headband, in a notably light plastic build.
• Best for long cable runs to a desk tower → Koss Multimedia. The 8 ft cord reaches where a short cable won't.
• Best for durability against rough handling → Califone 3068AV. The ABS plastic shell is there for a reason.
In my opinion, these two aren't really competitors — they're answers to different questions. If your job is to make sure other people can hear clearly, with their own volume control and a mono option when a track is split, I'd buy the Califone 3068AV. If your job is to be heard on a computer, I'd buy the Koss Multimedia SB45 USB, because the mic and USB connection are the whole point. Buy the Califone for listening rooms and shared audio; buy the Koss for talking through a PC. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, since both are inexpensive enough that buying the right one for the job matters more than saving a few dollars on the wrong one.
FAQ
how to connect wireless headphones
how to use wireless headphones
If you were expecting a wireless setup, these aren't it. The Califone runs in wired mode with a volume dial on each earcup and a switch for mono or stereo. The Koss runs over USB with an in-line volume control on its 8 ft cord and a microphone for hands-free communication. Both are corded by design.
how to wireless headphones work
They don't here — that's the short answer. The Califone uses a 3.5 mm wired connection with a 40 mm dynamic driver and sound isolation rather than active noise cancellation. The Koss uses USB with a 100 ohm impedance, 103 dB sensitivity, and closed leatherette cushions for isolation. Any "wireless" wording on the Koss listing shouldn't be read as a wireless mode; it's a wired USB headset.
The Califone 3068AV, in my opinion. The per-earcup volume controls, the mono/stereo switch, the cushioned headband, and the ABS plastic shell are all aimed at repeated shared use. The Koss is better suited to one person at one computer who needs to speak, not to a room of listeners sharing a source.
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