Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
by Koss
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
Customer Review: Headphone Wunderkind
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1985 I was in need of a replacement for the crummy headphones that came with my FM/cassette Walkman. I grabbed the Porta Pros because they looked comfortable and were on sale. What a grab. I am on my third pair of Porta Pros now due to my world class level of klutziness in accidently destroying the first two pairs. I still won't even look at another pair of portable headphones. Such is the love affair I have had all these years with the sound of these little wonders.
I currently employ the Porta Pros for streaming audio, CD's and movies via my laptop. In order to let the Porta Pros perform at their glorious best, a Firestone Audio headphone amp ([...]) drives them via a USB port. I have had several highly regarded high end headphones for serious listening over the last thirty years which has shown me just how truly exceptional the little Koss really are. The Porta Pros do have some sonic shortcomings of course such as a tad too much bass and mid bass and the extreme highs are rolled off a bit, but what they get right, especially at the price, is what makes them the best portable headphones on the market. Tone, timbre and overall clarity are excellent. Instruments and voices have a three dimensional fullness, richness and body while still exhibiting exceptional transparency. The Porta Pros also produce a large soundfield with a nice sense of width and depth and they have lively dynamics as well. It all just sounds "right" and compares well with the best high end headphones. Rather astonishing given the sub $40.00 price. The bass and midbass are well defined and taut but are a bit elevated in level. The extreme highs are somewhat soft and a little less defined. The Porta Pros are very lightweight and comfortable for extended listening sessions. I can go up to six hours before I need to take them off.
All in all, the Koss Porta Pros just might be the alltime bargain in consumer audio. Kudos to Koss for keeping them on the market at such a great price and for not screwing around with the original driver design. Many companies produce a product that sounds great then commence to fiddling and destroy, in spectacular fashion, something truly special.
D. W. Whitlock
Customer Review: Koss for Life?
Summary: 5 Stars
Over the past seven years, I have predominantly used Sony MDR-V300 and Bose In-Ear Headphones with my 2nd-Generation iPod and now my 1st-Generation iPod Touch. I loved switching from the Sony's which I found uncomfortable to wear for long periods to the Bose which I could wear all day. I used the Bose headphones almost everyday from May 2007 to March 2010 when I came across the Koss PortaPro headphones on CNET. I had been looking at potentially buying noise-cancelling headphones for an impending trip to Australia. CNET's Top 5 Best Headphone article included some familiar names: Bose QuietComfort, Shure, Klipsch, but the PortaPros definitely caught my eye. Here were headphones an order of magnitude cheaper than all the others. I had to try them out. I figured with such a long trip I would either love or hate them by the end. Plus, my Bose headphones were starting to tear on the cord and I never enjoyed wearing them outside. Besides, who can lose at $30-35 for a pair of headphones?
Believe every positive review you read about the Koss Portapros. They are that good. You will not find a better sounding pair of headphones in this price range. They provide more balanced sound than my Bose In-Ears with astounding clarity. The bass response is surprisingly crisp for headphones that were designed in the mid-1980s. In fact, I am surprised that these have been around this long and I only just came across them, 25 years after they were originally released. While I do not think the Portapros are as comfortable to wear as the Bose In-Ears, it is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. For over-the-ear headphones, the Portapros are substantially more comfortable than my old Sony's. The difference, really, is the price. I cannot justify paying three times the money anymore for headphones that are not three times better. Noise-cancelling headphones will always be worth the money for frequent fliers and commuters. For the rest of us, though, we can only hope that Koss produces the Portapros for another 25 years.
Like my other reviews, I will try to follow-up after six months to one year of owning the headphones to see how they wear over time. If other reviews are an indication, these should last just fine.
Customer Review: Portable sound quality !!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bougt my KOSS Porta Pro in 1992 for usage on a Walkman.
The day I bought it I believe must have changed my life ;-)
Up to now (16 years !!) I did not find any portable headphone that delivers more sound.
What makes this headphone so special is the dynamic it reproduces.
The bass and treble that comes from this tiny package sounds like you are in front of a speakerwall.
There are no words to describe the atmosphere it creates.
When listening to classic music concerts its like you are there.
When listening to a singer its like the stage is in front of you.
When listening to pop, rock, disco, dancefloor, techno - you name it - it delivers the pump you would expect from BIG speakers.
The clear vibrant trebles and the full deep bass it produces are just stunning.
I still remember the first time I used those, the sound was so amazing it gave me this warm fuzzy feeling in the upper stomach area and left me speechless for a moment.
Note that over time the earpads and the pads which are supposed to hold the headphone in place will wear out and eventually come off. This can be a major turnoff when you want to go jogging with it.
I dont recommend wearing them long time or when you want to sleep (because of the pressure on the ears).
The little blue "comfortzone" switch is supposed to set how firm the headphone is attached to your head. I don't think that's working as advertised, whatever the settings it didn't feel any different for me. The headphone is very light and foldable. When folded they are the size of a small apple.
The headphone comes with a softcase.
Summary:
The speakers are not as compact as in-ear plugs but definitely have a better form factor than most pro headphones.
The fact that mine are worn out after many years of usage but still used confirms that the sound itself is well worth the price.
When listening - especially first time - be prepared to be left speechless. As mentioned above they have a few short comings (which product doesnt ?) but it is still a product with well deserved 5 Stars !!
Customer Review: Best headphones under $75 if you can get over the 80s design
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had many sub-$100 headphones from $5 Panasonic to $100 Sony, with Sennheiser HD 433, 202, PX100 II (I really wanted to like these PX100-II, they were so very well designed), and even a Grado SR60 for awhile. And what it basically comes down to is value. I have never heard sound as good as these headphones in the $35 range, easily the best under $75. I can't believe they're over 25 years old.
It's hard to describe how much detail these headphones bring out without making it too harsh or dull. I listen to every type of music from classical to hip hop to electronic to country, and these headphones are suitable for all types of music. The only fault in the sound is the bass. It's just a *slight* bit boomy, but you get to like it after a while to be honest.
The design is from the 80s as you all have probably figured out. It could use a update but it seems like Koss has tried to perfect this formula and failed in the past. I don't really care about the looks or the way it folds up or the fact that my hair gets caught up in it (I have very short hair, even for a male).
But despite it's design flaws, it's the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn, and the best part is that it's also the best sounding pair of headphones I have ever heard under $75.
If you can get over the design flaws or if sound is the most important feature of headphones for you, there is nothing even close to this at this price range.
This one is an absolute GEM. I loved these so much I ordered two of the 25th Anniversary ones for a bit more.
Update: I read some reviews about the PX100-II being much improved and better sounding than the PortaPro. Since the PX100-II is relatively new, I thought I'd give it another listen. This time I noticed something different. The sound is warm, mellow, and neutral, but it loses a lot of detail at the expense of these attributes. I still prefer higher-detail Portapro, but some may prefer the more mellow sound of the PX100-II.
Oh by the way the Portapro comes in the straight plug now, not the angled plug anymore. It's supposed to be for better compatibility with the iPods and iPhones out there.
Customer Review: KOSS PortaPro HEAVY METAL LISTENING REVIEW
Summary: 5 Stars
First of all, this design has been around since 1984 and the sound quality hasn't changed much. This means if it lasted this long without people not buying them it wouldn't still be here correct? It's an amazing set of headphones and well priced actually. (They might be a little light/small) but they pack great sound, especially for 80's obscure thrash metal and black metal.
I myself am a True Metal listener, nothing that goes "boom boom chugging death metal crap riff" plays in these headphones because 1. the headphones are already packed with a S*%# load of bass, 2. death metal especially modern instant gratification metal from these days suck, because there's too much bass.
The treble might be a little off if you like your metal raw and dirty, but you can easily change that by loosening the size of the headphones and/or easily select a treble EQ from your mp3 player. Other than the treble, everything else: Mids/Lows/Background noises you normally wouldn't hear are enhanced drastically compared to any other set of phones for this price even higher.
All in all, if you listen to rock/hard rock/metal then get these; they are great!
I wouldn't be too surprised if they worked well with Rap/Hip Hop since they are packed with a lot of bass.
don't really know about other genres of music, sorry if this didn't help you, but i'm a die-hard metal fan and i know there are metalheads out there reading reviews for this product and NO ONE that listens to metal can say a thing about it. EXCEPT ME, so buy these things and stop searching!
Pros: great crisp sound (especially if you listen to a whole album and let it run til the end and it warms up the speakers/breaks them in and it sounds totally better) "also if you are overwhelmed by the bass at first, don't hate them right away seriously take my word for it and listen to the whole album and the sound will enhance and clear up.
,,,great style(i'm an oldskool type of guy) f&*% the mainstream over your ears stupid crap, get these! sacrifice "looks" for "SOUND"
cons: NONE, maybe if you are a little whiner about it, they are "too small" but if they were bigger it would be MORE to break.