Customer Reviews

Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case

5 star:		(706)
4 star:		(254)
3 star:		(73)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I couldn't decide between the Sennhauser PX100 and the Koss Portapro headphones. I bought both, so I could take them home and compare at my leisure. Result: They are both excellent choices! You will be pleased with either. But to distinguish between them:

The PX100 are more comfortable because of the foam cushions which rest on the top of your head. The Portapro are also comfortable, but I do notice the metal band on the top of my head, which sometimes pulls some strands of hair out.

The PX100 look better when on. The Portapro look kinda dorky -- especially at first -- but they are easy to get used to.

The PX100 are also more durable. Once you get the hang of it, it's quite easy to collapse the headphones and put them in their plastic carrying case. They are not going to get squished while they're in that! The Portapro can be collapsed into a ball, but if I'm not really careful, they spring open all when I touch them. It's also very difficult to get the Portapro headphones and cord into the accompanying bag.

The Portapro headphones have more bass, and to my ears, the music sounds more alive than with the PX100. The PX100 sound really good, but the Portapro sound just a tad bit better.

The Portapro feel more comfortable when under a wool hat (important for my winter walks with the dog).

Both leak sound -- there's no difference there. If that's a huge concern for you, then you might want a closed system for your headphones.

In the end, I couldn't which I liked better and kept both, rationalizing that my husband needs a pair of headphones too. Both are used regularly, although I take only the PX100 when I travel because I think it'd be much easy to accidentally break the Portapro.

I'm always on the lookout for the best sounding portable phones, and these are the best I've found yet. They have the smoothest, wide-range sound I've heard from any portable headset. I'd expected that in the 13 years since I bout them, that someone would have come up with something better. However, I've yet to find anything that comes close.

These phones may sound a little bass-heavy to some, but this unit has temple-pads that lift the elements away from your ears. This not only improves comfort, but also attenuates the bass, leading to a nice mix of comfort and sound quality.

Also, since I tend to be a bit rough on phones, the lifetime warranty has come in handy a few times.

I've worn out two pair of these phones in the last decade. The sound quality was great. Wonderful bass--the only phones with better have been phones that fully cover my ears--and aren't really "portable." These stayed comfortable for the excruciatingly long flights from SoCal to northern Norway, even while wearing glasses. They fold up nice and small, easy to tuck away. They also performed adequately while watching airline movies ... more than saved the price of the phones over several trips!

I have two complaints: 1) hair easily penetrates the "speaker grill" and makes irritating noise against the actual speaker membrane. 2) The speaker, while reproducing sound well, can develop tears in the membrane easily. BE CAREFUL! Nothing is more annoying than a buzzing speaker at 33,000 feet (well, perhaps sudden cabin depressurization ...)!

My second pair wore out about the same time as my vintage walkman. I replaced the setup with a Nomad II MG & a pair of noise cancelling headphones--they make a _huge_ difference!

Five stars for sound quality. Five stars for comfort. Five stars for portability. Five stars for durability. If you're not going to spring for noise cancellation and you need a folding pair of phones, then get a pair of PortaPros.

These phones collapse into a package tight enough to fit in a jacket pocket, yet they expand enough to comfortably fit my size-13 head. The earpieces loop around the upperedge of the ear and are quite comfortable. They have the best sound of any portable headphones I've ever used -- well worth spending extra to replace the crappy ones that come with most Walkmans. One complaint: the hook that is supposed to hold them into a ball springs open much too easily, and the cord snarls if it's wrapped around them.

The first thing that needs to be said about these headphones is that they are really ugly. There can be no denying it. The weird earpieces with the bar atop is just ugly, ugly, ugly. That said, these are easily the most comfortable portables I've worn, a situation largely a product of the very features that make the set ugly. Additionally, the sound is good. I don't feel the sound is as orgasmically supreme as other reviewers suggest, but the sound is very good. If you listen to a lot of Jazz or classical, some senns might serve you better. If you listen to more rock and hip hop, you'll be pleased with the portapros, if only for the comfort, which is truly exceptional. I use them with my iPod, and am well pleased.

After reading a few of these reviews which say these headphones are cheaply constructed, I had to post. As I type this I am listening to my set of Koss Porta-Pro I headphones which I purchased in 1989 and have been carrying all over the world with me ever since. They still sound awesome, and the only reason I logged onto Amazon.com to purchase a replacement is that the two large pieces of foam, which rest against the temples, have long since worn away and I thought it might be interesting to have that foam back.

While they might look fragile, I don't believe they are. When folded up, they seem to resist destruction very well indeed! Mine came with some kind of carrying case but I lost this over a decade ago and the headphones are usually just chucked in my bag and away we go. Or they are lying around my room, or tossed in a drawer full of junk with no protection. I use them constantly and the only thing I've done to them is to replace the ear foam numerous times over the years with earpiece foam from Radio Shack.

I have found that if one side or another begins buzzing, the problem has always been debris between the speaker and the inside of the foam earpieces. This begins to happen when the foam deteriorates and breaks up, but all that is required to restore sound quality is to remove the foam, vacuum the debris (crumbled foam or bits of human hair (gross)) out of the earpieces and reassemble with new foam for best results.

These headphones are awesome. People are always telling me they're the best sounding headphones those people have ever encountered, and it's a fact. You will not be the least bit unhappy with these.

BTW I do not listen to music quietly, I blare it. I suppose they are not as good as some other headphones at confining the sound to just the wearer, and for this they might not be the best choice on a plane or train. But as many times as I have overloaded them in 15 years of use, they have not blown.

Take what other reviewers have said about these headphones, believe them, and then multiply it by 100. I received a pair of Koss UR-20s as a gift years ago and loved them so naturally I looked to Koss again when replacing my portable/on-the-go headphones. After buying a pair of KSC-55s, which sounded great but were uncomfortable for me personally, I hopped on Amazon and found everyone raving about the PortaPros. I figured they were good, especially considering that the design seems unchanged since the 1980s (which has to mean something), but I also figured that this was one of those things that was just too good to be true. However, these are bar-none the most amazing headphones I have ever put on my head. Listening to some of my favorite songs for the first time was one of those 'wow' moments where you realize you have found something that changes your expectations completely. The bar will be raised the instant you hear the bass response and incredible acoustic qualities of these light, comfortable headphones.

I don't know what I'm impressed with the most: the amazing bass, the excellent stereo division, or how loud they can get! These things are just as amazing as most of the reviews show them to be and then a lot more... I was worried about the eighties styling, but in person they don't look bad at all. I hate headphones that scream for attention, but these don't look like that when you have them on and I have already been wearing them in public (something I didn't think I would do after only seeing the picture of them online). And even if they're a bit outdated in appearance, the design is so functional you won't even give looks a second thought after you put them on.

One thing is for sure: these things have plenty of bass! Not too much (not "boomy"), but they seem properly tuned for listening to things without "bass booster" turned on, which I like. Even with the bass settings adjusted high, the bass remains clear and crisp. I'm not sure how much power these can handle without damaging them, but I listen to them very loud and they do not sound distorted or stressed at all. After a few days my left speaker began making some weird noises and it ended up being a hair stuck inside the headphones that I cleared out with canned air. Something important to consider is that these are very open and airy headphones and the treble carries very well outside the headphones (so someone nearby could definitely hear what you're listening to if you have the volume up loud).

Others have mentioned that they felt the headphones were too tight feeling, but I have a very large head and they fit me without a problem. However, if I will be wearing them for an extended period of time I always set them to the "Light" setting on the comfortZone control (which divides the side pressure of the headphones with your temples rather than just on your ears).

I already had headphones I was pleased with (Sony MDR-G52s and Koss UR-20s) but I wanted a set of small, portable headphones for use with my laptop and these are perfect. The folding design isn't something I necessarily wanted, but it is nice. The carrying case they come with (a leatherette bag) is a slightly tight fit and I probably won't end up using it much since it is not a hard case that would protect them from shock or crushing. Some others have mentioned that they feel delicate or are easily broken, but compared to other small headphones I have had they seem very well built and equally strong considering their light weight.

While I wouldn't say these are bad things about the PortaPros, it is worth mentioning that the headband is metal and will occasionally snag a hair as you adjust it on your head, and that they don't fold down as small as you might think they would so don't expect to put them in your pants pocket or something. Considering these are the worst things I can come up with to say about the PortaPros, they are nearly perfect in my book.

I can't say enough good things about these PortaPros! They're simply amazing. These are the first headphones (or speakers) I've had that sound absolutely awesome without adjusting the equalizer or pumping up the bass. They sound good on everything from R&B to Country and everything in-between. I've been especially impressed that they pull the bass and highs out of a song without getting that shrill, tinny treble that plagues so many headphones. If there ever was a question about the quality of Koss stereophones in my mind, these PortaPros have put it to rest and made me into a lifetime customer! If you're like me you'll wish you had discovered these legendary headphones (haha! how often is that said?) years ago...

My Experience.
For years I had been using the cheap type of headphones that come with most music playing devices. I listen to complex music with many layers of sound, and was never satisfied with the poor sound from cheap headphones. Most headphones for <$50 sacrifice in some way, either by having a whiny high pitch sound with no bass or by artificially enhancing the bass and distorting the high frequencies. Don't be fooled by headphones claiming to boost the bass. Usually they do this by making all of your music sound sickeningly flat. You lose all the richness and breadth in your music.

The Sound
After reading many outstanding reviews for Koss's current line of headphones I decided to take a risk and spend $40 on the Koss PortaPro. These headphones are incredible! I didn't think headphones in this price range could possibly sound so good. I'm hearing layers of detail in my music that I've never heard with other headphones. These headphones provide a broad and rich sound. For anyone who knows how music is supposed to sound (this excludes those of you who abuse bass boosters and subwoofers) you'll be happy with the Koss PortaPro. If portability isn't an issue for you, you can get the same sound for less money from some of Koss's other headphones (they use the same sound drivers).

Ergonomics
One nice feature of these headphones is their flexibility and ability to be adjusted in several ways. I have a large head, so I appreciate being able to easily lengthen the flexible metal overhead strap and widen the placement of the earphones themselves. The PortaPro has a slider on each earphone allowing three different width settings for different size heads and tension preferences. Because I use these on walks, at the office, on planes etc. I appreciate the PortaPro's compact collapsible design. The headphones easily fold up into a fist-sized ball, making it easy to tuck them in a backpack or the included leather carrying bag.

Positives and Negatives
If I had to think of something negative about these headphones I'd say that when collapsed they sometimes spring open when jostled. Soundwise I have no complaints. I love Apple and their iPod, but the in-ear headphones that come with the iPod are abysmal. Sure, they're ok for free in-ear headphones. But if you spend hundreds of dollars on a music player you should get a complementary set of headphones. You probably can't get a better sounding headphone for less than $50, and their portability makes them an ideal fit for the iPod.

I've been looking for a good pair of supra-aural headphones under $50 - the problem is that circum-aural ones are too big, and normal supra-aurals hurt my ears after a while because I wear glasses and they pinch. These babies not only sound rich and full, they're so comfy with the extra stress pads. Very light. Highly recommended

after reading most customer reviews and a few technical reviews on portable headphones the two names with the most positive comments were koss portapro and sennheiser px100 i bought both pairs to do my own comparisons after 1 week i submitted a review giving the portapros a definite edge although not a dramatic one after a full month of listening i no longer use the px100's i hear things on the portapros you don't even notice on the 100's i would like to amend my original opinion to say the portapros are significantly better and provide a lifetime warranty