Koss "Porta Pro" On Ear Headphones

Product Information

It’s because these new headphones are the latest to feature the much-discussed, decades-old, iconic 60 Ohm, 35 mm driver found in the Porta Pro, Sporta Pro, KSC35, and the KPH30i. Overall the KSC75 come across as being on the brighter side of neutral, with very limited sub-bass and average high-end extension. I’m not easily fazed by the idea of wearing ugly headphones for their quality, but the thing that bugs me with the Porta Pro Wireless is that I feel like there was room for them to be better designed. We don’t dish out five-star reviews simply due to a market bereft of competitors, nor even because something is decent ‘for the money’. Its distinctive retro aesthetic, lightweight design and adjustable headband ensure a snug fit, while the foam ear cushions provide long-lasting comfort during extended listening sessions.

Only in music filled with instruments can one notice a lack of highs, but this is corrected by an equalizer. The minimal low-end means impact and dynamics are somewhat subdued, but they avoid sounding too thin for the most part.Some enterprising DIY folks out there have designed 3D printed replacement brackets to modify the KSC75 with MMCX sockets for use with detachable cables. Like the Porta Pro® Classic headphones, the Porta Pro® Wireless Bluetooth headphones have adjustable temporal pads to relieve pressure on the ears.

Obviously, given their construction, you can’t expect much in the way of real bass, but that doesn’t mean you’ll feel bass-deprived either. Overall, they’re light enough to be brought along on trips, but can only be used in more quiet environments due to their open-backed nature.They allow plenty of noise in and out, so you aren’t likely to miss hearing an oncoming car, home run ball, or angry canine. The clamping force of the KPH30i is also much more evenly distributed, unlike the Porta Pro’s more focused force on the temples. All these headphones are on-ear, and as such, are extremely dependent on clamping force and wearing position for their sound quality. The KPH30i is the modern version of the Porta Pro, and I dare say, it’s a more mature take on the venerated classic.

This extraordinary driver defines this legendary series of headphones and has been in constant production and daily use for almost four decades! More powerful amplification can open them up a bit, but don’t expect miracles if you plug these headphones into a source costing 20 times more.At under half the cost of our cheapest Award winners, the AKG Y50s, there are inevitably going to be compromises made in certain areas. Eschewing the ear-clip style of the KSC35 and 75, the KPH30i are a traditional on-ear style with a plastic headband. Their design looks frightfully unimpressive even by 1998 standards, never mind our elevated 2018 expectations. These headphones are not that hard to drive, at 60Ω, and 101dB SPL, I can even drive them off a smartphone.