Just buy it… seriously
Recently, my dad had been complaining about his ear buds not fitting him correctly and constantly falling out. This had curtailed his music listening enjoyment, so in an effort to help him appreciate good music again I bought him a pair of Koss Porta Pros.
These are on-ear headphones, and thus aren’t going to fall off nearly as easily as a pair of IEMs. Furthermore, I had heard great things about the Porta Pros, lauded as one of the best sub-£50 headphones that you can find on the market today. I was sure he was going to notice the increase in sound quality (and comfort), but a couple hours later he handed them back to me with a disappointed look and said he didn’t like them.
I have my theories for that, which I’ll touch on in this review, but I decided to just keep the Porta Pros for myself and see (or listen) to what all the fuss was about. And lo and behold, I was immediately taken aback by the sheer value that these on-ear headphones present to the industry. Let’s dig deeper!
Comfort and Build
The Koss Porta Pro was designed in the 80s, and you can see that in its retro look. It’s crazy to know that Koss are churning these out new even to this day. Unfortunately, the retro influence stretches to its build too, with an almost all-plastic housing and thin metal headband. You can’t afford to be too rough with these cans.
Nevertheless, I found comfort surprisingly good with the Porta Pros. Weighing a mere 60 grams including the non-detachable cable, I find that they simply disappear on your head. Since the clamp isn’t too loose or too tight, the lack of padding on both the ears and headband don’t cause any comfort issues. I didn’t find myself ever using the “ComfortZone” toggle on the sides, but I guess that’s an added benefit to have.
The mechanism for adjusting the size of the headband is a weird one; let me explain how I found was the best way to fit the Porta Pros correctly on your head. First of all, adjust the black sliders on the headband to maximum size and put the headphones on your head. Then simply slide them in the opposite direction to reduce the size until it is secure. Just try not to get any hairs stuck in the gap between the metal sheets of the headband; trust me it hurts!
Sound
Expectations were low for such a cheap pair of headphones which look like they could come out of a McDonald’s Happy Meal, but these blow all assumptions out of the water as soon as you hit play on your favourite tunes. Of course, there are a few shortcomings, but they’re really only noticeable if you go searching for these faults.
Bass
The drivers found on the Koss Porta Pro were designed and first manufactured in 1984, so it is of no surprise that they don’t quite extend down to the lowest frequencies. This will lead to some genres, such as grime and EDM, to sound somewhat lacking.
Strangely enough however, bass is one of the redeeming aspects of the Porta Pro. There is a significant mid-bass bump which gives a satisfying level of kick and thump to instruments that demand it, such as drums and bass guitar. It also contributes to an overall warm tonality, which results in a thick and full-bodied weight to the music. I tend to prefer a warmer sound signature so I like this characteristic of the Porta Pro, but I understand it is not for everyone.
Midrange
Honestly I don’t have a whole lot to say about the midrange. Despite the mid-bass emphasis, the mids don’t feel recessed whatsoever and have a naturalistic timbre that bodes well for the vast majority of instruments.
The upper midrange does come across as “shouty” on some tracks, but that has more to do with the recessed treble region that I will get onto in a little bit. For this reason, female vocals can seem to overpower the rest of the mix. This, along with the proximity of the drivers to the ear canal results in listening fatigue for me personally, but it does take a few hours to kick in.
Treble
The recessed treble is probably the reason why my father disliked the Porta Pro’s sound, which is understandable. What I would describe as “warm and relaxed”, he would call “muddy” and lacking in absolute detail.
It’s crazy how some songs sound completely different with the Porta Pros. Those sparkly notes, cymbals and such are so incredibly blunted as to make you do a double take in certain passages of music. But for the £35 I spent on them, I can look past this flaw.
Soundstage and Imaging
This ain’t no three-blob affair. Imaging is actually decent on the Koss Porta Pro. Every note and instrument feels as though it has it’s own defined space in the room, but said room does feel kind of small. I’m talking about the soundstage of course; it’s relatively narrow. But the focussed imaging is one of the first merits I noticed about the Porta Pro, as its leaps and bounds ahead of any other headphone I’ve heard at this price point outside of the Koss ecosystem.
Detail
Due to how close your eardrum is to the drivers, you get an impressive level of attack and decay on the edges of notes, which is perceivable as detail. Music sounds sharp and each note well defined, except maybe in the treble region which as mentioned before, is quite recessed and therefore muffled.
On very busy sections of certain tracks however, the driver seemingly has too much to do and gets a little lost, losing out a bit on resolution. Totally excusable at sub-£50, however.
Overall Verdict
The Koss Porta Pro deserves to be merited on its sound quality alone, not just on its absurdly low price tag. But at such an affordable cost this is an easy recommendation for any audiophile, from the beginner to the serious collector. Prepare to be surprised, in a good way.
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