Koss PortaPro 25th Anniversary Edition Headphones

by Koss

Product Details

• Item Weight: 2.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002BA6BNW
• Item model number: PORTAPRO25TH
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 27, 2009

Product Description

"We celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Koss Porta Pro with this special limited edition model to commemorate the vision and leadership of our founder John C. Koss and the development of the sound heard ‘round the world: The Sound of Koss. The Porta Pro 25th Anniversary Limited Edition features dynamic elements that deliver exceptionally rich, deep bass and a remarkably wide frequency response from 15-25,000 Hz to capture every nuance in your favorite movie or musical performance. Constructed from mylar, the elements are extremely rigid, minimizing mechanical distortion and ensuring exceedingly accurate sound reproduction. Neodymium iron boron rare earth magnet structures enable the Porta Pro 25th Anniversary Limited Edition to deliver greater volume so you can hear every note, even when competing against the sounds of a commuter train with a low-voltage MP3 or disc player. Oxygen free copper voice coils improve signal transmission and conduction for cleaner, clearer sound. Foam ear cushions provide an open, hear-through sound that lets you keep in touch with your surroundings perfect to wear while running, at work, or while traveling. Whether you’re listening at home or on the go, the Porta Pro 25th Anniversary Limited Edition will bring the excitement of a live performance to any recording. The PortaPro by Koss is covered by Koss' No Questions Asked Lifetime Warranty."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice idea, but lacking the value of the classic porta-pro, December 12, 2009

By 

K. Swanson (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Koss PortaPro 25th Anniversary Edition Headphones (Electronics)

I've used porta-pros while running, hiking, etc almost every day since they came out in '84. I still remember how they made my little Aiwa walkman suddenly come alive. I guess I've had almost two dozen pairs since, and always marvel at their value.

I also accept that their one major design flaw, the way the cord connects to the diaphragm, will force me to trade them in on the lifetime warranty annually or so. Small price to pay (seven clams for shipping). So the one notable upgrade here does address that issue, more with the cord cover than the connection modality, however. It remains to be seen if that will fix the issue. One hopes so, as this is a limited edition and they won't be replacing these for you, is my guess.

Oh well, back to the soldering iron, which I became accustomed to while living abroad, unable to replace them.

These anniversary model 'pros also have a few touches to glitz them up a bit, and they are perhaps worth the price for longtime porta-pro aficionados...but frankly, the originals offer much more value, at less than half the price.

In any case, they do sound excellent, not noticeably better than the originals, but those are the best lightweight portable 'phones under 60 or so, maybe even 100, so you can't really go too far wrong grabbing these guys.

Koss is a great company, and I thank them for this genius design and the endless joy it has brought me, from floating in the middle of the Pacific to dancing on mountain tops. I doubt this design will ever be topped at the 35 price point, so we'll probably see a 50th anniversary model too.

Many happy returns!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars After 25 Years, I Finally Own A PortaPro!, December 9, 2009

By 

techdad review (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Koss PortaPro 25th Anniversary Edition Headphones (Electronics)

Where were you when the first PortaPro was released in 1984? I was still listening to Van Halen on headphones that came with my gigantor Sony cassette walkman. Can headphones released 25 years ago still succeed today? Amazingly, yes! These 25th Anniversary Edition PortaPro's offer fans a unique treat. And after 25 years, I finally own a pair of PortaPro's of my own!

If you are looking at this special edition, then you are more than likely already familiar with the PortaPro's, but I'll briefly summarize the standard PortaPro. Most headphone connoisseurs agree that the PortaPro is the category leader in sound quality for the price. Frequency range is 15-25,000 Hz. They are very good at driving portables such as iPods and other personal media players. It is an ideal travel can because they fold up for easy storage and are comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, though perhaps not quite as comfortable as the Sennheiser PX100. They have excellent bass and good overall mids and highs. They also offer little to no sound isolation as they are open cans. The earpads are user removable and very inexpensive to replace. Some people have complained about durability and aesthetics but rarely have I heard complaints about performance, especially at the standard PortaPro's, budget price. The only serious competition to the PortaPro is the Sennheiser PX100, which I also own.

25 years after the first PortaPro was introduced, Koss released the Anniversary Edition to commemorate John C. Koss, the founder. The difference between the Anniversary Edition and the standard edition is mostly in packaging and cosmetic, with one important distinction. The 4.5ft straight Y cable has been upgraded to a cloth covered cord. This might address some of those durability issues. The plug has also been changed to a straight plug from a right angle one. The cosmetic changes include a black headband instead of plain silver and the ring is now a polished silver instead of just brushed steel. The ring also says 25th Anniversary on them while the ComfortZone tab has been changed to black from that odd, blue-ish teal color. I REALLY like the new look and think all PortaPro's should look like this. Although, then it would diminish the uniqueness of the Anniversary Edition (reportedly only 25,000 made).

The Anniversary Edition comes in a nice black box with foam cutouts, which you can use to store them in, as well as a leatherette pouch for travel, a commemorative coin, 1/4" adapter, and a Koss history booklet.

The standard PortaPro is a budget audio enthusiast's dream. For the most part, durability complaints can be ignored because Koss offers an incredible lifetime warranty! The 25th Anniversary Edition obviously doesn't quite fall under the same category anymore due to it's much higher price tag (now it's in the Grado SR60 price range). However, for collectors, fans and those fortunate enough to own the Anniversary Edition, I think you will nonetheless be very pleased. I am happy to finally be a proud PortaPro owner.

** 02/10/2010 UPDATE **
I have found non-25th Anniversary Edition PortaPro's at a place that rhymes with Vest Guy, that are identical in appearance except for the badging. If you're looking for the new look and upgraded cloth cord, you can get it for less than the Anniversary Edition but still quite a bit more than the standard PortaPro from Amazon.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great for 2 months, September 10, 2010

By 

Ivan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Koss PortaPro 25th Anniversary Edition Headphones (Electronics)

I'm an huge Koss fan, had the standart PortaPro for almost 2 year and they are still sounding as good as a new one.
I live in Brazil and travelled to US when I saw the 25th Edition of this headset.

I liked it so much that I bought 3 units (one for me and two to give as gifts to some friends) in a gigant NY eletronic store.

The 25th edition is pretty much the same of the stantard edition but has a fancier layout.

After around 2 months the plastic that holds the speakers (just below the crown) broke up!
Told this to my friends and they had exactly the same problem, this happenned on the two sides of the headset.

I really though this strange, 3 headsets breaking exactly the same way. I've never heard of any problems like this on the standart edition...

Calling Koss they asked me to contact Koss in Brazil and Koss Brazil told me that they were not going to replace my headsets because I've bought it in US - a real shame for a company that's known by it's awesome customer service.

Anyways, sending my headset back to US is the same price of buying a new one, so I'll simply buy a new one - definitly not the 25th edition! ;-)