This is a review of several sets of headphones that I’ve tried in attempt to listen to music while at the same time being able to hear my kids If something bad happens and to not use a speaker so that my wife, who is working in the room down the hall isn’t disturbed by the music. Basically, Pandemic headphones. I wanted to keep this purchase in the realm of one hundred bucks.
There are basically two ways that you can do this, one is called ambient aware or hear through technology, different companies have different names for it, but it uses either the microphone for talking or the noise cancellation microphone to bring the outside sound in to the headphone. The other is to just use an open backed headphone. I also wanted to this to be a Bluetooth setup because I usually listen to music when I am cleaning or exercising.
What I ended up finding was that many companies implement the ambient sound as a button that also brings down the volume, which doesn’t work for what I’m doing. I don’t want to push a button when I’m ready to hear things outside, I want to listen to music while hearing what’s going on around me. The other thing that is an issue with this technology is that, with earbuds and on-ear designs the ambient sound cuts out when the volume gets to about half way. I think this is because above that volume it would start to feed back and potentially damage your hearing. So the better way to do this is to use an open backed headphone.
Because of this the winners ended up being the Koss porta pro headphones, the only open backed headphones I could find. They are pretty preposterous looking. But they are comfortable and they are the only open backed Bluetooth headphone under $100, the next most expensive and only other one is the Grado wireless which is $250, there is not a lot of options in this category. It took me a long time to stumble upon the Porta Pros. Apparently they have quite a cult following, the same since 1983 I think. They do sound reasonably good, I’ve read some reviews that the bass is a bit muddy, and I would agree, there are other headphones with a cleaner sounding low end. But, overall, they sound really good, no complaints. The Bluetooth addition to the headphones seems like five years out of date in its implementation, it has the same boop boop beep sound when powering up that my five-year old $35 skull candy's have, the amount of engineering that went into this part was obviously very minimal. I haven't had any trouble with the range though or them cutting out, they seem to be able to be as far away as any of the others. In closing, if you want to rock out but also be able to hear around you these are the best thing that I found. They are very comfortable, however as a bald guy, I’m going to buy a head band pad to put on them.
The runner up was the Sony hear on 2, H900N. You can get these around one hundred dollars renewed from Amazon. At this price point these headphones are a very good value. The ones I got had very minimal scratches and no problems. They have many more bells and whistles than the porta pros. They have spoken word announcements when powering on and off and an app that has an equalizer and a few other sound adjustments including the 360 support. You can select the hear through mode or noise cancellation, wind noise reduction or nothing. Of the headphones that I tried with this feature, these had the clearest sounding ambient noise. The JBL live 400s were almost as good in that department but I think the Sony’s were even better. I downloaded Tidal and did the ear picture thing and tried out the Sony 360 feature. I like it. Of all the headphones I tried these created the best soundstage. You can also listen to the 360 tracks on any headphones and they still sound different and, I think, better. However, there are not very many tracks that have been made with this type of recording. Overall though these headphones had the best sound and the best ambient noise feature. But I preferred the Porta Pro’s because you can still hear more ambient noise with those, and I prefer the on ear in general, and especially when I want to hear what is going on around me.
In third place I am putting the Plantronics Fit 6100. These are very comfortable over ear headphones. More comfortable than the Sony’s in my opinion. I could wear them for hours. I think the sound is very good and I found the volume is loud enough, which is a problem some reviewers have mentioned. There is app support and you have a couple of different eq preset options to choose from. The ambient sound though, is definitely not as good, it has a hiss and seems faint and in the background. You can not listen to these with a wire, there is no jack. The touch controls, they work ok, but I prefer buttons. The touch controls on these are exactly the same as the Sony’s. I didn’t have any problems with accidental inputs. These are the only headphones that are water resistant, as far as I can tell they are the only non-ear bud headphones in this price range that offer ambient sound and water resistance.
Fourth place goes to the JBL live 400. These have a very crisp ambient sound, all the way up to about 60 percent of the volume, where it seems to cut out. There is support for wired listening and pretty satisfying controls. I thought the sound was very good, perhaps not quite as good as the Plantronics 6100 but still very good. No complaints in that department. My only complaint with these headphones is they are not very comfortable, the head band isn’t very soft and neither are the ear cups, the clamping force is on the stronger end. I could wear them for a while, but they end up below the other options because of that.
Bringing up last place is the AKG Y500. Still not a terrible set of headphones. But for my purposes they didn’t work because the volume is capped too low with ambient sound turned on. I thought these headphones sounded ok, but perhaps not quite as good as some of the others. I found the controls to be nice to use, and I thought they were comfortable. If I weren’t looking for this specific feature I would have been fine with these.
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From the brand
The Original American Stereophone Company
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In 1958 John C. Koss changed the way we all listen to music when he invented the world's first SP/3 stereophone.
Koss sought to replicate the excitement of a live musical performance, allowing listeners to experience sound as they had never before, bringing them closer to the music they love. Music lovers around the world recognize that dedication to accuracy in sound reproduction as: The Sound of Koss
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Birth of the Stereophone
Before the world's first SP/3 Stereophone in 1958, John C. Koss developed a portable stereo photograph player with side-wing speakers.
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World's First SP/3 Stereophone
in 1958 John C. Koss invented the world's first SP/3 Stereophone introducing personal stereo audio to the world.
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SP/3X
In 1960 Koss released the predecessor to the SP/3 with a lighter design, more comfortable headband and superior sound quality.
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Pro/4AA
In 1970 Pro/4AA set the standard for full-size professional headphones delivering true full frequency performance.
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Koss World Headquarters
On June 25, 1971 John C. Koss unveiled the new Koss World Headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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HV/1A
In 1974, Koss released the HV/1A the first dynamic headphone capable of reproducing all 10 audible octaves.
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Porta Pro
In 1984 the acclaimed Porta Pro was released and set performance and comfort standards worldwide for decades to come.
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JCK/300 Kordless System
In 1989 the JCK/300 Kordless Headphone system set the standard for infrared wireless headphones.
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ESP/950
In 1990 Koss's revolutionary ESP/950 electrostatic headphones introduced breakthrough high-fidelity sound.
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Pro4S Studio
Carrying on the legacy of the Pro/4 line, 2014's Pro4S Studio Headphone was specifically designed for audio professionals.
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KPH30i
In 2017 Koss released the acclaimed KPH30i featuring an ultra-light weight design with remarkable high-fidelity sound.
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Utility Series
In 2021 Koss Utility Series introduced three new headphones allowing listeners to connect via Lightning, USB-C and 3.5mm.
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True Wireless Earbuds
In 2023 Koss continued it's evolution of wireless headphones with the TWS250i True Wireless Earbuds.
Product Description
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Legendary Sound
Porta Pro Wireless takes the legendary sound and design of the original and adds Bluetooth.
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High-Fidelity Audio
Koss engineered 60 Ohm drivers deliver remarkable high-fidelity audio via the aptX Bluetooth codec.
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Control Everything
Pause/Play/Skip tracks, adjust volume and answer/end calls with intuitive in-line controls.
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The Perfect Fit
Adjustable headband and ComfortZone temporal pads provide a comfortable listening experience.
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Time to Play
Get up to an incredible 12+ hours of talk/play time with Porta Pro Wireless.
1 Porta Pro Wireless 2 aptX 3 In-Line Controls 4 Comfort Zone 5 12+ Hour Battery Life
Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX
Porta Pro Wireless takes the legendary sound and design of the original and adds wireless Bluetooth with aptX and in-line controls.
The Sound of Koss
Koss engineered 60 Ohm drivers deliver remarkable high-fidelity audio at 15-25,000Hz producing deep bass, crisp highs and superior midrange.
Collapsable Design
Porta Pro Wireless features a unique collapsible design for easy storage and ultimate portability.
12+ Hour Battery Life
Get up to an incredible 12+ hours of talk/play time with Porta Pro Wireless.
Legendary Sound. Now Wireless.
The Sound of Koss
True to the original, Porta Pro Wireless remains virtually unchanged using the same 60 Ohm drivers, producing deep bass, crisp highs and superior midrange now with Wireless Bluetooth and aptX.
Classic Design
The acclaimed Koss Porta Pro was introduced in 1984 and continues to be one of the most popular headphones around the world today.
Comfort Zone
Adjustable headband and ComfortZone temporal pads provide a comfortable listening experience for hours of use.
In-Line Controls
Pause/Play/Skip tracks, adjust volume as well as answer/end calls with intuitive in-line controls and microphone.
The Perfect Fit
Porta Pro Wireless features the same adjustable headband as the original giving listeners the flexibility to adjust fit on-the-go.
Perfectly Portable
Porta Pro Wireless includes a hardshell case with a premium soft matte black finish with Koss branding and blue zipper with a soft rubber zipper pull.
More Products From Koss
 Porta Pro Wireless |  Porta Pro |  Porta Pro Limited Edition |  Porta Pro Utility |  KPH40 Utility |  KPH30i | 
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Customer Reviews
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15,885
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167
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3,328
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8,019
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Price
| — | $39.99 | $59.99 | $49.99 | $39.99 | $29.99 | $19.99 |
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Headphone Type
| On Ear | On Ear | On Ear | On Ear | On Ear | On Ear | Ear Clip |
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Connection
| Bluetooth | 3.5mm | 3.5mm | Utility Series | Utility Series | 3.5mm | 3.5mm |
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Utility Series
| — | — | — | 3.5mm, USB-C & Lightning | 3.5mm, USB-C & Lightning | — | — |
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Audio Controls
| In-Line Remote | — | In-Line Remote | Utility Cord Remote | Utility Cord Remote | In-Line Remote | — |
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Microphone
| In-Line Remote | — | In-Line Remote | Utility Cord Remote | Utility Cord Remote | In-Line Remote | — |
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Noise Cancelling
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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Adjustable Headband
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
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Collapsible
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — | — | — |
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Carrying Case/Pouch
| Hardshell Case | Carrying Pouch | Hardshell Case | Carrying Pouch | — | — | — |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Koss Porta Pro Wireless Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones, in-Line Microphone, Volume Control and Touch Remote, Adjustable Headband with Multi-Pivoting Ear Plates, Black |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | Currently unavailable. | $50.00 | $32.00 | $39.99 | -20% $23.99 List: $29.99 | -20% $23.99 List: $29.99 |
| Delivery | — | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 | Get it as soon as Friday, May 17 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Noise cancellation | ||||||
| Comfort | ||||||
| Battery life | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | — | Koss Stereophones | Retrospekt | Koss Stereophones | RORSOU | RORSOU |
| connectivity tech | Bluetooth | Wireless | Wired | Wired | Wireless | Wireless |
| headphones form factor | On Ear | Over Ear | On Ear | On Ear | On Ear | On Ear |
| connector type | wireless | wireless | 3.5mm Jack | USB Type C | wireless | wireless |
| headphones jack | — | — | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack | 3.5 mm Jack |
| cable feature | Wireless Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones Bluetooth 4.1 with aptX™ 12+ Hour Battery Life (recharageable) In-Line Controls (Play/Pause, Start/Stop, Volume, Answer/End, etc.) Integrated Microphone Comfort Zone setting on temporal pad Collapsible design for compact storage Porta Pro® Hard Case included | Full size, Wireless Bluetooth® Over-Ear Headphones Bluetooth® 4.0 Technology D-Profile Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Up to 12 hours of playtime (at moderate volume) on one charge Up to 40 hours of standby time on one charge Detachable cord Fold flat for travel Available in dark grey or white Free hard shell case (with purchase at koss.com only) | Retractable | Detachable | Without Cable, Retractable | Without Cable, Retractable |
| control type | Volume Control | Touch Control | Media Control | Media Control | Volume Control | Volume Control |
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Koss Porta Pro Wireless Unboxing
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Koss Porta Pro Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Features
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Reviews with images
Chile
Muy buen artículo. Llegó a Chile antes de lo esperado, funciona a la perfección, su estuche es de muy buena calidad y sobre todo tiene muy buen sonido. Muchas gracias. Felicitaciones al proveedor.
