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Koss PortaPro Headphones

Manufacturer: Koss Corp. Part number: 155491

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$39.31 - $44.48 at 3 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
4.0 stars Excellent
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 39 reviews

Apr 2008

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Koss hit a home run with the PortaPros. Love or hate the design, there's no denying the sound quality here: they're the ideal companion for mobile audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts.
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Amazon.com Marketplace	Rate this store See store profile	In stock	Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price	$39.31 Shop now as of 12/03/2008
Etronics.com	Rate this store See store profile	In stock	$44.48 Shop now as of 12/05/2008
	Rate this store See store profile	In stock		$42.99 Shop now as of 12/05/2008

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Etronics.com

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*Total price for the Koss PortaPro Headphones are estimated and may vary slightly based on exact tax, shipping, manufacturer rebate or any sale/promotion on the merchant site.

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CNET editors' review

Koss PortaPro Headphones

price range: $39.31 - $44.48

Reviewed by: Justin Yu
Edited by: Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 04/22/2008
Released on: 01/01/1984

The good: The Koss PortaPro Headphones combine a functional design with excellent 3D sound and a low price tag.

The bad: Hair gets caught in the collapsible band; some people will dislike the '80s aesthetic.

The bottom line: Koss hit a home run with the PortaPros. Love or hate the design, there's no denying the sound quality here: they're the ideal companion for mobile audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts.

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With so many funky headphone designs flooding the market right now, it's getting harder and harder to choose which one to buy. Instead of showing you the latest snazzy set of cans, we're taking you back in time to showcase the Koss PortaPros. These headphones are the ultimate in retro chic and are guaranteed to get a few comments, but you won't hear them thanks to the beautiful symphony of sound flooding your ears. For $50, we're hard-pressed to find another set that rivals their sound quality and quirky design.

The first thing you'll notice about the PortaPros is that they look like something from the 1980s. That's because they are--Koss released these exact headphones in 1984 and they became so popular that Koss hasn't changed a thing for 23 years. These headphones retain the same design both internally and externally. The earcups are secured to your head by a thin steel headband that adjusts with two sliders that tighten and loosen the tension. Once you have them in place, the PortaPros are actually very comfortable--they're featherweight and additional cushions on top of the ear pads prevent the headset from slipping. The comfort level is taken a step further with what Koss calls their "Comfort Zone." This feature has three mechanical settings that let you adjust the tension of the earpiece against your head. The downside is that there's no way to lock the headband in place and the sliders like to get caught in your hair as you take them on and off. This also becomes a problem when you want to rest the headphones around your neck--the band immediately tightens up and practically strangles you.

On the plus side, the PortaPros also fold up and clip together for relatively convenient storage. The overall design of the PortaPros is hit or miss. Not everyone will be keen on the design, but we actually love the way the headphones look. The light blue touches and extended hardware conjure fond memories of a time when Marty McFly, Lobot, and Tron ruled the world, and who are we to argue with a 23-year dedicated following?

Looks aside, the real reason why the PortaPros still remain classic (albeit underappreciated) is because of their fantastic sound quality. Just keep in mind that these came out decades before studio-quality sound-isolating headphones became available to the consumer market, so they definitely won't block out the majority of ambient noise. They also started to leak sound at the one-third mark on our iPod's volume bar, but we're not surprised given their open-ear design, just be sure not to crank it up too high around your neighbors. However, aside from that, we have very few complaints.

In our audio test, we compared the PortaPros with another set of foldable cans, Sennheiser's PX100 miniheadphones. We had good things to say about the PX100, but were ultimately unsatisfied with the lack of treble range. In contrast, the PortaPros simply blew us away with their range and ability to maintain quality at a high volume. We pumped several songs in a wide variety of genres through the headphones and each one produced a focused sound in the midrange with detailed resolution in the highs and surprisingly thick, head-shaking bass. Our MP3 of "Fatalist Palmistry" by Why? sounds much better with the PortaPros as well, clearly separating each instrument with equal balance while maintaining sonic realism. According to Koss, the sound output is handled by "neodymium iron boron rare earth magnet structures" that provide a 15-25,000Hz frequency range, which certainly sounds like random vendor jargon, but truth is that for the sub-$50 range, the Koss PortaPros are the headphones to beat.

If all that isn't enough to convince you to snatch up a pair, consider that Koss offers a "no questions asked" lifetime warranty on the PortaPros. If anything happens to them during normal use, Koss will send you a new pair for the cost of shipping ($6.00). Now, that's music to our ears.

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 39 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 39

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10 stars

I registered with Cnet just to tell you how good these are

by dave.i on May 13, 2008

Pros: Incredibly comfortable, GREAT sound!

Cons: Only con is if you don't dig the 80s aesthetic and can't get used to it (I did).

Summary: Cnet has never really steered me wrong when it comes to reviews but for some reason I was still extremely skeptical of these headphones. I'm just as old as ...

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Summary: Cnet has never really steered me wrong when it comes to reviews but for some reason I was still extremely skeptical of these headphones. I'm just as old as the design for these little guys (we're both born in 1984) so the looks definitely threw me for a loop to say the least. Staring at the pictures online is a completely different experience to view and hold them in person. Online they look quirky, bigger, and awkward. In person, the style feels almost ultra-modern, clean, and beautiful. Before I saw these in person I was definitely excited about the idea of the sound quality (not to mention warranty) of these 'phones but the looks definitely had me worried. When they arrived in the mail I fell in love. These headphones sound just as great as the video review here on Cnet suggests. I was extremely surprised to find that the range separation and warmth of these headphones rival that of some Sony studio-quality full-sized headphones that I used to listen to in the past. Without these even being broken in yet, I can honestly say these headphones are THE BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK you can find. No question about it. None. I've been through Denon, Sony, Sennheiser, Ultimate Ears, Shure, and some others (which all sound great depending on the model and headphone style) but none equal in value. These can be used for any application, really. They're cheap, give in and buy these, you won't be disappointed (assuming you realize these aren't noise canceling and won't give you superpowers).

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4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

there's a reason they're still around after 20 yrs

by jakes.dad on April 25, 2008

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 ...

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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.

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3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
7 stars

No better than the better looking Koss UR40 Headphones.

by caponsacchi on September 14, 2008

Pros: Full range, very natural and present sound. As comfortable for long-listening stints as they are appealing sonically.

Cons: Hokey looking. Not the most durable construction.

Summary: Wish C-Net would review the Koss UR-40's, a foldable, more professional set of phones that sounds at least as good as the PortaPros. Neither one is made to hold ...

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Summary: Wish C-Net would review the Koss UR-40's, a foldable, more professional set of phones that sounds at least as good as the PortaPros. Neither one is made to hold up under day-in/day out use. So keep Koss' lifetime guarantee offer close by.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Perfect headphones

by Xardas_1 on April 28, 2008

Pros: Great sound, funky, price to performance ratio

Cons: I can see none

Summary: Sound is better then in my $80 v-moda, paid $36 on eBay including delivery. For all of you with hair pinch problem, cut your hair or go bold and buy ...

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Summary: Sound is better then in my $80 v-moda, paid $36 on eBay including delivery. For all of you with hair pinch problem, cut your hair or go bold and buy this amazing item it so worth it.
I?ll still prefer v-moda for everyday use because of the size, but at home, office and on the bike Koss is much more comfortable.

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

great headphones

by baltesmx on December 3, 2008

Pros: Light, easy to use, and good for people with hearing deficencies; can make them cut out the surrounding noise or allow them to be loose enough to hear what is going on (in case you are wearing them at work and need to hear the phone!).

Cons: they do tend to pull hair

Summary: On my third pair of headphones and find them to be indespensible for my daily use (pulled hairs and all); nothing classy about them - but they are excellent headphones ...

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Summary: On my third pair of headphones and find them to be indespensible for my daily use (pulled hairs and all); nothing classy about them - but they are excellent headphones for listening to music, videos, any type of audio playbacks. Highly recommend them for just about anybody.

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7 stars

Test test test test

by kylejubjub on December 1, 2008

Pros: Test test test test

Cons: Test test test test

Summary: Test test test test

Summary: Test test test test
3 stars

Sound quality is not at all upto the mark

by itwasnoteasy on November 19, 2008

Pros: very good band good grip on head.

Cons: - very bad audio quality

Summary: I got this headphone after reading other users reviews but it did not keep upto my expectations. I have one ordinary Logitech headphone which sounds better than this one. No ...

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Summary: I got this headphone after reading other users reviews but it did not keep upto my expectations. I have one ordinary Logitech headphone which sounds better than this one. No comparison with bose Headphones they sound great!! I was about to get one from Senheiser but then found the reviews good for this headphone and so purchased it as it was low priced. But it is not even worth $30.0 bucks. I am not very particular about sound but this sound cracks can't handle high and low frequencies. I just want to say its an ordinary Headphone with very basic sound. If you crave for quality sound. This is not the way to go.

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4 stars

good sound but the most uncomfortable headphones

by thiek2 on October 20, 2008

Pros: Good sound quality

Cons: Awful to wear, pads over ears are so annoying. Very poor design, would not recommend

Summary: if your used to wearing full cup headphones they might not be a problem, but for casual workout or gym they are a pain

Summary: if your used to wearing full cup headphones they might not be a problem, but for casual workout or gym they are a pain
10 stars

Great product!

by raam259 on October 18, 2008

Pros: Amazing sound

Cons: External noise
6 stars

PortaPro pulls hairs out!

by Omar_Sheriff on October 16, 2008

Pros: I have only tried PortaPro once and I can therefore not say much about the sound so I believe when most people are saying that it's high quality.

Cons: But what happened when I tried to take off the headphones is that my hair got stuck and it pulled some off. This alsohappened to others using them. And same thing with another PortaPro so it has to be general. Not good for medium haired peeps!

Summary: Hairpuller and it hurts!
Everytime I see one wearing a PortaPro I check if they still got hair over the ears lols

Summary: Hairpuller and it hurts!
Everytime I see one wearing a PortaPro I check if they still got hair over the ears lols

Showing opinion 1 to 10 out of 39

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Koss Corp.
Part number: 155491
Description: This high quality portable stereophone set performance and comfort standards for personal listening worldwide. Over the years, much to the delight of devout PortaPro enthusiasts, Koss has preserved the original design and performance that made the PortaPro a portable music icon. Today the PortaPro remains the headphone of choice for the discriminating listener. The PortaPro 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 PortaPro 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 earcushions 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 PortaPro will bring the excitement of a live performance to any recording.

General
Recommended Use The noise canceling feature keeps out ambient sounds on buses and airplanes. Plus, they are portable for easy transport.
Product Type Headphones
Additional Features Foldable
Headphones
Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
Headphones Form Factor Semi-open
Headphones Technology Dynamic
Connectivity Technology Wired
Sound Output Mode Stereo
Response Bandwidth 15 - 25000 Hz
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) 0.2 %
Sensitivity 101 dB/mW
Impedance 60 Ohm
Diaphragm Mylar
Magnet Material Neodymium iron boron
Remote Control
Type None
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )

Miscellaneous
Cables Included 1 x Headphones cable - 4 ft
Power
Power Device None
Battery None
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support Limited lifetime warranty
Service & Support Details Limited warranty - Lifetime

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