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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a foldable, bass-forward, travel-friendly headphone with an inline volume dial and a lifetime warranty, choose Koss 183773; if you need a big-driver, long-cord, home-listening headphone with a 6.3mm adapter for a stereo or amp, choose JVC HARX700.
• Koss 183773 — biggest strength: collapses into a small protective package with rotating, folding earcups, plus a cord-mounted volume control and closed leatherette pads that seal in bass and keep sound from leaking out.
• Koss 183773 — biggest trade-off: 100-ohm impedance is on the higher side for a portable-style headphone, so weak phone outputs may not drive it as loudly as a low-impedance pair.
• JVC HARX700 — biggest strength: a 50mm Neodymium driver with a ring port structure aimed squarely at deep bass, a wide head pad for comfort, and an 11.48 ft cord that reaches across a desk or sofa.
• JVC HARX700 — biggest trade-off: it's a stationary design — no folding, no inline volume control, no noise isolation, and a cord that long is a nuisance when you're walking around.
• Who each pick is for: Koss 183773 for commuters, students, and anyone who stores gear in a bag; JVC HARX700 for a desk, a stereo receiver, or a couch where the headphones stay put.
The Koss 183773 (UR29) is built around portability and bass. The earcups rotate and fold inward so the whole thing collapses into a compact bundle you can drop into a backpack pocket or a console drawer. That single design choice separates it from most full-size over-ears, which are meant to live on a stand at home.
Inside, Koss uses 1.4mm Mylar dynamic elements for rigidity and lower mechanical distortion, anisotropic ferrite magnets to keep output up even from low-voltage portable devices, and oxygen-free copper voice coils for cleaner signal conduction. The stated frequency range is 18 Hz to 20 kHz, so the low end extends a touch deeper on paper than the JVC's 20 Hz figure. The closed leatherette earcushions do double duty: they seal around the ear to reinforce bass and block outside noise, and they keep your music from leaking into the room — genuinely useful in a dorm or a shared office.
Two details matter for daily use. First, there's a volume control on the cord, so you're not fishing your phone out of a pocket every time you want to nudge the level. Second, sensitivity is listed at 101 dB, which is reasonably efficient — helpful, because the 100-ohm impedance is higher than typical portable headphones and rewards a source with a bit of output. On a decent laptop, portable player, or small amp it should be fine.
Who should buy it: travelers, students, gamers who want a wired set that tucks away, and anyone who wants a closed, isolating over-ear with a fold-flat footprint. Koss also backs it with a lifetime warranty, which is unusual at this tier and worth knowing if you're hard on your gear.
Who should skip it: if you want a permanently set-up home headphone with a long cable and a quarter-inch adapter for a receiver, the Koss isn't aimed at you. And if your only source is a very weak headphone jack, the 100-ohm load is something to think about.
The JVC HARX700 is the opposite philosophy: a full-size, music-first headphone designed to sit in one place and sound big. Its headline feature is a 50mm Neodymium driver paired with a ring port structure, a combination JVC describes as delivering deep bass and high-quality dynamic sound. A 50mm driver is large for this class, and the ring port is there to help the low end breathe rather than sound boxed-in.
Comfort gets real attention too. There's a wide head pad across the top, and the earpieces use circular or oval padding that surrounds the ear rather than pressing on it. The enclosure is ABS plastic in black, which keeps the weight down for longer sessions — useful, because this is a headphone you'll wear for albums, not for a ten-minute commute.
The cable is the giveaway about intended use: 11.48 ft (3.5m) with a gold-plated plug, plus a 6.3mm adapter in the box. That length is ideal for reaching from a TV, a stereo receiver, an amp, or a desktop interface to your chair. The adapter means you can plug straight into full-size hi-fi gear without hunting for a dongle. Frequency response is stated as 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, impedance is a low 32 ohms, so it will play loudly from almost anything with a headphone jack — including a phone, even though that's not really the point.
Where it gives ground: there's no folding mechanism, no inline volume control, and the noise control field lists none — these are open, breathable, stationary headphones, not isolation tools. The long cord is a plus at a desk and a tangle everywhere else.
Who should buy it: home listeners, movie watchers, vinyl and receiver users, and anyone who wants a big, bass-leaning over-ear they can leave plugged into a system. The 1-year parts and labor warranty reflects its consumer-electronics positioning.
Who should skip it: if you need something that folds into a bag, blocks office chatter, or lets you change volume without touching the source, this isn't it.
• Best for portability → Koss 183773. Rotating, folding earcups collapse into a protective package; the JVC doesn't fold at all.
• Best for home hi-fi and receivers → JVC HARX700. The 3.5m cord and included 6.3mm adapter are made for amps, stereos, and TVs.
• Best for bass on paper → Koss 183773, narrowly, on stated low-end extension (18 Hz vs 20 Hz) — though the JVC's 50mm driver and ring port are purpose-built for deep bass, so don't read too much into a 2 Hz difference.
• Best for quiet environments → Koss 183773. Closed leatherette pads isolate and prevent leakage; the JVC lists no noise control.
• Best for long listening sessions at a desk → JVC HARX700. Wide head pad and low 32-ohm impedance make it easy to drive and comfortable to wear for hours.
• Best for weak sources → JVC HARX700. 32 ohms is far easier to drive than 100 ohms.
• Best for on-the-fly volume changes → Koss 183773. The inline volume control is the practical winner for daily phone or laptop use.
• Best for long-term ownership confidence → Koss 183773. A lifetime warranty versus JVC's one year.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Koss 183773. In my opinion, the folding design, closed isolating pads, inline volume control, and lifetime warranty make it the more versatile headphone — it works at a desk and still disappears into a bag. I'd only steer you to the JVC HARX700 if your headphones are going to live plugged into a stereo, TV, or amp and you want a big 50mm driver with a long cord and a quarter-inch adapter. That's a real, specific use case, and for it the JVC is the better tool.
Before you decide, check the current price on Amazon for both — the page's price button will show you what each costs today, and that gap may settle it for you.
On specs, the Koss reaches slightly lower (18 Hz vs 20 Hz), but the JVC uses a larger 50mm driver with a ring port built specifically for deep bass. For home listening I'd lean JVC; for portable, sealed bass, the Koss's closed pads give it an edge.
Yes. The earcups rotate and fold inward so they collapse into a protective package that fits in small spaces like a bag or console drawer.
Yes. At 32 ohms it's easy to drive from a standard 3.5mm jack. The included 6.3mm adapter is for full-size stereo and amp connections, and the 3.5m cord is really intended for home setups.
The Koss 183773. Its closed leatherette earcushions seal around the ears and its noise control is listed as sound isolation. The JVC HARX700 lists no noise control and is not a sealed, isolating design.
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