Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
by Koss
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List Price: Our Price: Calculated in a shopping cart Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Speakers See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case
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.
Customer Review: The best computer/mp3 player headphones for the money
Summary: 5 Stars
I was little skeptical about buying this one. Portapros are produced all the way since the 80s and have a flimsy look. My doubts continued as I was unpacking my Portapros. Could this little, flimsy, plastic set of headphones be that good? All of my doubts have evaporated once I have tried using them. These headphones have two big pros:
1. Sound quality: One thing you should be aware of is that these headphones are _loud_. I have compared them to my Sennheiser HD201 and Sony MDR-A34. There is no comparison. Portapro is much louder. Of course, if you don't like it, you can turn down the volume. However, despite the loudness, the sound is excellent. I can pick a lot of details in my music CDs that were nearly undetected with the MDR-A34 and barely audible with the HD201. When I play first person shooter games, I am getting excellent directional sound.
2. Comfort: The comfort is excellent. The headphones sit very tightly on my head and yet they don't apply much pressure to my ears. I can wear my Portapros for hours without feeling any discomfort. The reason for this, is that these headphones come with extra cushions the sit above your ears and shift some pressure to your head leaving very little pressure on ears. You can also choose how much pressure you want to have applied to your ears. If the default is too much, you can shift some of that pressure to the auxiliary cushions by changing the "Comfort Zone" settings (the blue buttons above the driver, it's best to start playing with them once you already wear the headphones). Since the headphones sit tight on your head, they're suitable for outdoor or gym use. The cable length is just right to reach your PC speaker or mp3 player (about 3 feet), but I suppose that some people will find it too short. Finally, the set folds easily and fits into a small leather bag provided for portability.
And, have I mentioned lifetime warranty? If they ever break, just send them to Koss with a $6 check. They'll fix or replace them for you. Overall I am very satisfied and would recommend these headphones to anyone who needs cheap, reliable headphones with good sound quality for either indoor or outdoor use.
Customer Review: Surprisingly, the best headphones I've owned yet.
Summary: 5 Stars
Prior to the Koss PortaPro, I owned the Icemat Siberia V1, and prior to that, the Audio-Technica ATHM30's.
While the M30's had incredible sound, they were also incredibly uncomfortable; I couldn't wear them for longer than an hour without severe pain. Naturally, the level of comfort when moving to the Siberia's was immense, and I felt like I could wear them forever without problem. It wasn't long, however, that I noticed the Siberia's too simply did not live up to my comfort expectations. Being an eyeglasses-wearer, the trouble I had with the Siberia's was the fact that they would press my glasses arms into the side of my head, causing discomfort over time.
So, I scoured the internet, researching which headphones would provide me both exceptional comfort and sound. When first coming across the Koss PortaPro, I felt reluctant, for sure. Looking at how ridiculously inexpensive they were compared to the other headphones I'd been trying to decide between, I thought there was no way they could be the headphones "for me". Regardless, I made the plunge and decided to give them a shot--afterall, with such a low price, I wouldn't be losing much if I decided I didn't like them.
Let me just say that I cannot recommend these headphones enough to anyone looking not only for comfort, but great sound quality. I can honestly say I don't miss my M30's or Siberia's at all. My only complaints with the headphones are: 1) the fact that they are spring-loaded, meaning you have to re-adjust them everytime you take them off and put them back on, and 2) the "cheap" feel of the comfortZone switches. These two things pale in comparison with the actual comfort they provide, however. Because of the comfortZone, any pressure on your ears or temples can easily be shifted. As a result, these headphones are perfect for anyone wearing eyeglasses.
As a side note, I don't take the headphones anywhere, but they seem perfectly portable because they are not only lightweight, but fold to an extremely compact size, as well. Overall, a great product, and once again I recommend them to anyone in the market for affordable, comfortable, and great-sounding headphones.
Customer Review: Superb, above the competition.
Summary: 5 Stars
I was seeking new headphones to replace my iPod nano headphones which are pathetic. I had some Koss earbud headphones that I loved but lost, so I needed new ones. So I came on here to find reviews of other headphones and saw that the reviews for the PortaPro were great. Since I had a great experience with Koss in the past (they replaced my earbuds on my old phones for free, no questions asked), I decided to try these. The reviews are right-on.
I'd describe the sound of these phones as if two of the best speakers you've ever heard were on both sides of your head. The sound is great at all volumes. The clarity is such that I can hear parts of songs that I never heard before. The lows, mids, and highs are perfect. Some headphones sound bad at high volumes, and the sound gets muddy and the bass sort of shakes in your ear. Well you don't get that with these. It's like you're in the studio recording with the band. You can tell the difference between a 160kbps, 192kbps, and a 256kbps mp3 file with these headphones. The only thing I don't like about them is that I can hear outside noise, like cars whizzing by (a good thing, I guess) or the engine on the bus. This can be kept to a minimum by turning the volume up.
The headphones look big because of the "headrests" they have, but they are ergonomic. I was playing a video game while listening to these phones at forgot they were on because I didn't feel them on my head. They have three comfort settings: light, medium, and firm. They also come with a little case which is nice. The phones fold up to the size of a baseball, and both speakers fold inward. A small clip exists on the bottom of each phone, which attaches both sides together when you fold them. You then wrap the cord up and go. They can fit into a typical pocket. These are portable headphones, and I don't know why people say otherwise.
They are some of the best headphones I've ever heard. No surprise Koss makes them. They are also manufactured in Milwaukee, Wisconsin so there is no outsourcing of jobs with these phones. I can understand why these phones have been on the market since the 1980s. They're fantastic.