An inline volume control is a great idea - we've used Sony headphones in the past that offered this, but the headphone quality was poor. When I saw the Koss Volume control, I was happy I could get back the control, while still using my high quality 'phones.Unfortunately, the max volume with the Koss installed is diminished quite a bit. I'd say about 20% lower than regular headphones alone.Another issue is the small size of the slider - I find myself fumbling to find the slider and use it. Something with a bit more of a 'thumb switch' would be better. I understand you don't want something that can be easily bumped accidentally, but the tiny slider bar this unit currently has is just not adequate.Because there's no other options I've found for something like this, I'll stick with the Koss Volume control, but if there were other options, I'd jump in an instant!