Koss PortaPro user reviews (with Case)

Pros unmatched sound quality for $ (especially bass)

Cons cord too short

Summary I got my 1st pair in 1988 with a Sony Discman (which was $300 back then). 20 years later that Discman has been replaced by an 8GB iPod nano which holds 15x as much music (at CD bitrates - more like 50x at typical mp3 rates) is ~1/50th the size, ~1/100th the weight, lasts 2x as long on a charge and cost 1/2 as much.

20 years later I'm STILL listening on PortaPro - 'nuff said!

my only complaint is that the cord's kind of short which isn't a problem with the iPod but I have to use an extension cable to plug into my computer at work. one warning too: to really hear the quality these things are capable of you need to stick to lossless transfers off CDs - aac (iTunes) or low-bit mp3s are like hooking a VCR up to a 1080p HDTV (i.e. garbage in/garbage out) though this will be true of any higher-end headphones.

Pros I loved my three pair of Sennheiser PX100's scattered about the house but decided to give the PortaPros a try. I still love the PX100's but find myself using the PortaPros most of the time, especially for the bass response and comfort.

Cons The hair-snagging snafu is real but was solved through high-tech application of one piece of Scotch tape to hold the top slider in place. This might not work for those needing to pack and carry, but it works well for me.

Summary As noted, the bottom line is these small wonders sound superb! I had my doubts when ordering them, but for $35 at Amazon, I figured I couldn't go wrong. From the first listen, I knew I had winners. I'm no audiophile, but I expect excellent sound, and these phones delivered. Once the hair-pulling problem was solved, I noticed they are the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. They sit so lightly I almost don't notice them at all. I love the retro look and find the cutaway design just above the pads makes it easier to don them and to get left-ear/right-ear placement perfect every time. They are so small they don't look nearly so clunky as they appear in the pictures. The article and commenters have said enough about the sound that I have nothing to add. But I do plan to add one or more two more PortaPros s to my collection. BTW, the only reason I didn't give them a full 5-star rating is because of the hair-pulling thing. I still have a bald spot from that first depilation. (j/k) This seems like a defect Koss could somehow correct.

Pros Incredible sound hi's and lo's bass and treble, crystal clear

Cons not noise canceling just like everyone says and they DO look 1983 ha ha

Summary I bought these based on the reviews, they are incredible headphones and they work for everything from my Sony portable DVD player on the airplane to the my iPhone 3G.

Pros *AFFORDABLE* at 39.99 with a lifetime warranty and excellent sound quality that has kept up with over two decades of new audio technology. Very light and compact. Unparalleled sound range for sub-$100 headphones.

Cons Does not cancel out sound (like all non-noise canceling headphones, this pair still allows the listener to hear what's going on around him/her)

Summary i've been looking for a very good set of headphones for a long time. Like most consumers at first, i was sold on the Bose reputation for producing excellent-sounding products and assumed that their products were the best on the market. After listening to the Bose on-ear headphones in the store, I bought them for a little over $170. I went home and listened to them and simply could not accept that the sound justified the 170-dollar pricetag, even after 2 weeks of listening to them. A thing to remember from this experience is that anyone buying headphones should first listen to them *with their own music*. The Bose demo's are nothing like the music that most people listen to (the man on the Bose demos with the deep voice and the rich instrumental background will sound completely different from Coldplay's Viva La Vida). i'm not saying Bose on-ears are terrible. i'm simply saying that if you're looking for the best sound quality for the best price, Koss porta-pros take top honors in that category. i'll go as far as saying that the Koss porta-pros sound equal-to if not better* than the Bose on-ears. the only edge that Bose on-ears have over Koss porta-pros are their soft cushions that help block out surrounding sound. At 39.99 i decided that i could live without the soft Bose cushions.

If you're looking for a pair of headphones with excellent sound quality that's only exceeded by its price value, then get out there and pick up the Porta-Pros!