Koss Porta Pro Consumer Headphones

Pros: Sportswear, comfortable, massive-bass, foldable, portable. They are KOSS
Cons: Bass can get boomy, sound leakage

Note : This is a review about the SPORTApro headphones. I will compare those to the Portapros. Both names are very similar, just to make sure no one gets confused the ones IN questions here are the SPORTApro, the new model from KOSS (2000). The ...

Pros: Koss really delivers an excellent sound with great dynamic range and excellent bass response.
Cons: Classical music is lacking a little something over headphones.

We need headphones. It's hard to bring a quality pair of speakers, an amplifer and CD player with you to the gym or out for a walk or on the subway.  Thus came along the Sony Walkman which has evolved into the Apple iPod.  It seems that ...

Pros: Light, comfortable for hours, cool, folds down, reliable Koss sound quality
Cons: I really like these, always have, but two feet more cord would be nice

A Little Background


I bought my first pair of Koss Porta Pros in 1986 and absolutely loved them. I thought, at the time, that they were quite definitely the best headphones I had ever heard. If I remember correctly I paid about...

Pros: Very good sound, foldable, stylish, good warranty
Cons: Expensive (SRP $49.99), no volume control on the cord

Why I was looking for headphones

I recently purchased these Koss PortaPro headphones after destroying 3 pairs of headphones in a year. I listen to audio I've downloaded to my HP Jornada 548 as I drive to and from work and walk...

Pros: Great sound, extremely portable
Cons: they look funny on my head

I need to start with a small preface, I love sound, I’m obsessed with it, and I listen to sound all day and all night on all different speakers and TV’s and car systems. Due to my audiophile nature it is very possible there are things that would ...

Pros: Inexpensive price, punchy bass, Portability, Great with low powered devices
Cons: May find bass exaggerated, Catches hair easily, Dorky styling

I walked into a J&R and a salesman showed me his personal pair of PortaPro's. I then proceeded to hook my iPod to the portaPro's. Whoa. I was sold like that. Sound Quality: The bass in the beginning seems uneven, and even a little bit exaggerated, ...

Pros: Lightweight, comfortable, long cord, foldable, lifetime warranty, and most important, amazing sound!
Cons: Moderately expensive for portable headphones

I purchased these on the advice of HeadRoom (www.headphone.com), who recommended these as a superior alternative to standard headphones. And for about two years, these things lasted through my time at the gym, work, and traveling to and from. The Koss...

Pros: Sublime sound performance. Light-weight, portable. Durable. Affordable!
Cons: sound leakage, not very fashionable

I bought those headphones 4 years ago and they changed my listening experience for life! I've never heard better sound quality. Not to mention the comfort and ease of use and portability. I paid around 60$ at an electronics local store in Quebec, Canada ...

Pros: Good bass, comfortable, compact folding design
Cons: None as yet

I've been looking for headphones like this for a long time. As an admitted bass-aholic, I've been routinely let down by other headphones. Over the years, I've bought and used so many of the highly recommended headphones. AKG K-240, various Sennheisers, ...

Pros: Pretty solid construction and materials, good sound, lifetime guarantee.
Cons: behind-the-head is awkward for me

I got these for my minidisc player. I wanted something light and not too huge, that would not take a lot of power (which can make headphones deliver low sound levels), and I don't like things that are low-quality construction. I knew I wasn't going to...

Pros: Great sound, reasonable price, folds up, lifetime warranty.
Cons: A little on the pricey side. May not have enough bass response for you.

The KOSS PortaPro headphones are a bit pricier than your average cheapo headphones, that's for sure, but they're really worth the cost. They have about the most consistent frequency response of any headphone at this price range. Full graphs of the...

Pros: Incredibly clear,distinguishable highs+lows,never distort. Foldable.
Cons: Campy, 80's look. Flimsy, badly crafted earpieces. Easy to break. Wire not long enough.

I bought these speakers before going to Cuba when I bought my portable Mp3-Cd Player, made by Koss as well.

When I first attached the phones to the player, it seemed like the maximum volume wasn't very high and even though the bass was clear...

Pros: Comfort. Sound. Comfort. Sound. Did I mention, comfort and sound?
Cons: People will give a double take. Weak cord connection to earpieces. Not good on plane.

The fact that Koss has had the Portapros in their product lineup for well over a decade, without changing, means something. Unlike many reviewers of these types of things, I tried a few headphones here and there, but really spent months looking for ...

Pros: Bass, comfort, small size/light weight
Cons: Styling, distortion

I bought these headphones at Best Buy in 1996 (that superstore no longer carries them) in an attempt to buy a pair of headphones that make my portable audio devices sound better. And I still use these headphones on a regular basis.

When I...

Pros: Comfortable, adjustable, affordable, good sound.
Cons: Probably not the best choice for people who can pay more.

There tends to be two kinds of headphone shoppers. The ones who just buy whatever is at the local electronics store, and those audiophiles who can settle for nothing less than the best.

I, however, fall somewhere in the middle. I'm not an...