Rating: 
Summary: Great for Travel
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I am weary of having to replace the cheap headphones that came with my portable cd player every few months, as well as, the many in-and-over-the-ear replacement types that are horribly uncomfortable. Almost every pair of these cheap earphones that I have purchased have developed sound distortions after a few months. And for the brief time, when they do work, the sound reproduction sounds like you're listening to a symphony from inside a match box.
I am therefore very happy to report that these Koss PortaPro headphones fit very comfortably on my ears and head (7+1/4" hat size). (Yes, I would not recommend them for people with large heads.) Most importantly, the sound reproduction of these Koss headphones is excellent, both in sonority and clarity. In addition, I am particularly pleased with the spatial presence that the instruments on my recordings, now exhibit. "Bravo Koss!"
Rating:
Summary: My set is 15 years old and still sounds great
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: You will not believe your ears!
Review: In this price range you find very mixed results. Forget most everything else in thisprice range from the far east. These are the smoothest most dynamicset of portables I have ever owned or heard. I have them on almost daily at work and also for my lunch time walk. Don't worry about a demo do yourself a favor and select these for all types of music. They are slightly pronounced in the lower ranges which helps support lower power portables and PC's. Everyone at the office who tries them turns and looks at me and mouthes in silence...W-O-W.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent for the price
Review: These headphones vere designed to offer comfort, portability and good sound. They perform adequately in every account.
Comfort: earpieces are adjustable from very tight clamping of the ear up to not touching the ear surface altoghter. The former setting makes base more pronounced, while the latter is a blessing in hot weather and gives wide and airy feel to music. (If you don't mind ear-mounted phones, you look at Koss KSC-35 - same drivers)
Portability: folded, they are about clutched fist size. While not miniscule, they offer nice compromise. Beware: even folded they will not fit into a pocket and can be easily crushed if carried in that manner. (Better folding phones: Senn's PX100/200). On the other hand, folded they will easily take a short fall undamaged.
Sound: While definitely not audiophile-grade, they present (arguably) the best base (along with KSC-35) this side of $50. Their ajustability of the drivers position allows the wearer to make some corrections on-the fly (closer fit - more pronounced base, looser fit - better imaging and more balanced sound).
Rating:
Summary: For Portable Music Listeners---These Are A Deal!
Review: I bought a set of the Koss Porta Pro headphones based on reviews for my Creative Nomad 2C MP3 player which I also got from Amazon. I don't think that a lot people realize that the limiting factor in listening to the MP3 format beside the size of the file is the set of headphones that you use. Although they are not as accurate as my Grado SR 60 phones, they sound very good and are light enough to be used on the go. For small headphones they sound pretty open and detailed. They bass is very good. So good in fact that I turned down the bass EQ on my MP3 player just a bit to bring the midrange forward and keep the voices from getting tubby. The treble is very clean sounding. If you got an MP3 player, do yourself a favor and replace the stock headphones with these. I am pretty picky about sound quality. The Koss Porta Pro headphones bridge the gap between light weight, portable and delivering a musical experience.
Rating:
Summary: Great for Travel
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Great while they last...
Review: I really like these headphones, but as others point out, they are not very durable. My first pair broke after a year -- and I am very careful with my equipment. I only use them at my computer, they don't travel or get abused. They fell off my desk and the right channel is now shot. Anyway, the sound was great -- very warm with fantastic bass and accurate highs. They sound as good as my Grados, but are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods. But buy two pairs now, or plan on replacing them later.
Rating:
Summary: You won't believe your ears
Review: 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...
Rating:
Summary: A note about some of the reviews
Review: It's Amazon's fault for listing the Koss Portapro headphones under "noise cancelling" - under listening conditions with minimal to low-medium ambient noise, these are extremely good quality headphones, but under no circumstances are they to be used in a noisy environment like a plane. There *is* a set of noise-cancelling headphones that look very similar to Portapros, but have extra parts. In terms of sound quality per cost ratio, however, these really are the best. A simple Google search will yield much information. ;) I suggest buyers also look at the product description for "noise-cancelling."
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