[Review] Koss PortaPro

28 years (at the time of writing). That is how old the design is. Born to the world in 1984, the design of this portable headphone has remained relatively unchanged. Even today, this semi-legendary headphone still captures the hearts of many music lovers around the world. Though the launch of the glamorous Beats headphones have dulled the popularity of these nice little portables, it is still well loved by the audiophile community. Does it still stand the test of time?

Retailing at 79.90SGD (66USD at the time of this writing), it is a pretty affordable portable headphone. Being my first "truly serious" equipment back in 2010, I was expecting quite a lot from it, and frankly I was not disappointed.

Packaging is the typical oh-so-irritating bubble packaging, proudly displaying the venerable Koss PortaPro. Well while it looks good, it is difficult to get the headphones out.

Inside the packaging are some accessories that come with this earphone. A nice faux leather pouch is there for you to store these nice little cans. Also included is the 3.5mm to 1/4 inch adapter to plug into a stereo system that supports this. It is a nice little addition, though the iPod crowd might find little use for it.

The looks can be polarizing to many people. On one hand people will love it for its retro styling. On the other hand, some people will think it looks weird and out of place in the 21st century society. In my opinion, these cans do look great, and I love the retro design that has remained unchanged over the last 28 years.

Build quality is pretty good for a 25 year old product. While it might seem to be flimsy to some people, sets that last over 10-20 years shows that it can stand the test of time. The plastic, while feeling cheap does feel solid at the same time. Metal bands are quite durable as well. The cables look pretty thin but it does feel they can last.

Being built for comfort, yes it is really comfortable. Earcups are on a ball joint and free to swivel to fit the shape of your ear. The headband is adjustable can be lengthened or shortened to the user's preferences. What is most unique about the PortaPro is its Comfort Zone system, where the user can set 3 levels of pressure on the temple to reduce the pressure on the ear. The result is a light, comfortable portable can. It is so comfortable that I sometimes forget that they were even there (it happened twice to me).  The only small gripe about the PortaPro is the headband, sometimes hairs can get stuck, making the time when taking out the earphones potentially unenjoyable.

There is no isolation on these headphones. Yes, none. These are designed as open cans, where the noise is not isolated at all. While the result of this is a great soundstage, which will be elaborated on later, it does not isolate the noise of the surroundings, so in public transport you can hear the outside noise. It does not isolate the music from the outside world either, so people can hear your music in quiet places like the library.

Now moving on to the most important part of the headphone, the sound quality. And this does not disappoint. The bass is deep, rumbly and well-controlled for the price, though it might seem muddy compared to higher end headphones. The mids are warm and forward, and at the same time aggressive. They make music exciting and enjoyable to listen. The highs are rolled off at the top, which makes it less sibilant. This makes it less tiring to listen to music for hours. Soundstage is pretty good at is price, pretty large with decent positioning at the price.

All in all, they make great cans at its price. While competition is getting stiff with Sennheiser's younger PX100 and the successor, the PX100-II, making it no longer a no-brainer it once was, its musicality, comfort, and the lifelong warranty provided by Koss makes this a great choice for a portable headphone.