Koss "Porta Pro" On Ear Headphones

Well, before buying these you need to know a few things:They are open headphones, this means sound will leak so that others will be able to hear what you are listening too (so be sure to remember this before you put that embarrassing album on to play, you know the one I mean!) This works both ways so you will be able to hear the world around you, which can be safer when walking around outside but also means ambient noise may interfere with your listening.They have a very peculiar adjustable headband type thing that can, if you are not careful, snag hairs. This has happened only once to me (when I was adjusting it whilst actually wearing it) but other reviews mention it a lot so I guess it depends on the individual.The build quality does have a fragile feel to it however, assuming you are not in the habit of hurling your headphones at walls or running ear-first into nearby lampposts, I reckon they are durable enough.Now onto the review proper.The packaging my Koss porta pro arrived in was a sleek and classy black box that held the inevitable nasty creaky see-through plastic to which was tied the headphones. Additionally there was a little carry case that, despite all my efforts, I can not get the headphones to actually fit into. I personally put this down to my own incompetence.After taking them out and playing around with the adjustment options (a nice sliding headband and a rather useless set of switches that adjusts how tightly the ear pads squeeze your head) I tried them out using my phone as an audio source...Wow. Sound quality beyond anything I was expecting (despite so many glowing reviews on here) for a £22 set of headphones. Sound quality is of course subjective, but to me these were simply brilliant. Balanced and exquisitely detailed throughout the frequency range. I could wax lyrical here, but there are countless other reviews that do so far more eloquently than I could.Of course Sound quality is only part of how to judge a set of headphones, because if they are not comfortable to wear then they are useless to you. For me (with a fairly average sized head) they fit very well, were very comfortable both for long walks/commutes to work and were so light that, if it were not for the occasional jerk as the wire got caught by my coat, I might have forgotten I was wearing them.In summary:Pros- Outstanding sound quality- Comfortable for long periods- A price point that makes competitors weep (£22 when I purchased them)Cons- Styling might not be to everyone's taste- Sound does leak, both to and from you.- are not durable enough to substitute for a hard hat (yes, this one is a bit silly, but with so many reviews criticizing their durability I feel honor bound to mention it)If you like the styling, enjoy great sound and a comfortable fit from your audio equipment and accept the possible disadvantages then throw your money at the screen now! You will not be disappointed!

Finally, I have found headphones that sound great and feel comfortable. I've bought many different headphones over the past two years, trying to find a pair that don't feel uncomfortable after 30 minutes of continuous listening. Below are two recently purchased headphones I own:Sennheiser PX200: They didn't give their full potential because they sit too light on my ear. They do sound great if you push them close to your ear though.Sony MDR-V300: Sound good with lots of bass, but sometimes I feel like I'm listening to music through a wall and they feel uncomfortable after a 30 mins. For the cheap price they're good.The Koss Porta Pro Stereophones are mind blowing. I really can't express enough in words how good these are and they sound even better now I've run them in. The sound is outstanding with superb clarity and bass. I personally don't think the bass is over done at all, it sounds well balanced. I mainly listen to Progressive, Uplifting, Melodic Trance, for example: Puma White - Copenhagen (Original mix) & Mike Foyle vs. Signalrunners - Love Theme Dusk. These headphones sound great with other genres too and really bring the music alive. The Porta Pro's sound magnificent when used with a computer installed with a decent sound card, but they also sound great with MP3 players. I use these with my Creative Zen Touch and they are far better than the supplied in-ear headphones.These headphones look very retro cool and in my opinion they are very cool indeed. They are the most comfortable headphones I have ever worn (I've had them on for 3 hours and I'm feeling no ear discomfort at all) and I guess thats why the design has never changed since 1984. They look quite fragile at first but they are actually pretty sturdy.The Porta Pro's fold to fit in a small pouch embossed with KOSS which looks rather nice along with a 6.3mm Gold Plated Adapter which is a handy extra.Overall, If your looking for awesome quality and great value portable headphones that sound absolutely fantastic and feel great whether you're travelling, at work or chillin' at home then look no further than the Koss Porta Pro Stereophones.★ UPDATE August 2013 ★I've been meaning to update my review for the last few years and finally here it is.I must have about 5 pairs of these floating around now, along with my preciously preserved KOSS Porta Pro 25th Anniversary edition set stored safely in a secret underground bomb proof safe.I've accumulated quite a large collection of different headphones over the years and have reviewed a few here on Amazon. I no longer use the PortaPro everyday as my main home listening headphone, but they still accompany me on trips abroad, because they're great for the beach, as the unique comfort setting helps alleviate any ear pressure and discomfort caused by sand and seawater, and also allowing me to wear sunglasses comfortably. These are not great for commuting because of their open backed design.For home listening, I decided it was time to move up to some Sennheiser HD650's powered by a Graham Slee SOLO SRGII amp, which is quite a big jump, but they are the perfect headphone for home listening, offering superior quality sound matched with supreme comfort. Obviously, the Porta Pro can't compete with the HD650's, but they have a similar balanced and neutral sound signature which I always desire in headphones. My other recommended headphones, are the well reviewed and great sounding Audio Technica ATH-M50, which I mostly use for travelling.UPDATE Oct 2013: I'm now using the superb sounding Noontec Zoro as my portable headphone of choice, as the M50's are a little bulky for travelling.UPDATE August 2014: I'm now using the superb V-MODA XS. These are amazing!One important omission from my original review is the eventual occurrence of rattling emitting from the drivers (know as Grattle). This is caused by hair becoming trapped in the driver, which then produces annoying rattling sounds. To fix this, you'll need to take off the ear pad, then pop off the plastic driver cover (this is quite hard to do, but be persistent, as the PortaPro are very robust) and then use a rocket blower to remove the hair, you can also use a cloth or soft brush (like a Lenspen brush) if necessary, but be careful not to damage the driver.Even after seven years, the KOSS Porta Pro sit graciously on my headphone wall of fame and I can continue to highly recommend them for those looking for the best sounding, most comfortable and great value ultra-portable headphone money can buy.