Koss PortaPro

25th Anniversary Collectors' Edition

A 25th Anniversary Collectors' Edition of the PortaPro is now available but, to be honest, it's a bit of a marketing ploy!

All it actually means is that the original colour has changed from blue to grey, the cable has been slightly redesigned and a kind of commemorative badge has been stuck on. Plus, the collectors' edition isn't even limited edition.

A quick look online soon shows the real difference between the anniversary edition and the standard PortaPro, like the one we're testing here. Whereas the standard model can be picked up for around £20, the 25th anniversary edition is nearer £40.

The PortaPro is in many ways the dinosaur of the headphones market! That's actually something of a compliment though, and Koss is even celebrating its star product's coming-of-age with a 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition (see insert). So, a quarter of a century down the line, can one of the world's best-selling pairs of headphones still cut the mustard in 2010?

Design: better to be bald

The PortaPro is a very open pair of headphones that's also very light. These headphones may not weigh much but they're not exactly discreet, as their semi-industrial, semi-retro design certainly stands out. At the same time though, these headphones have been seen on the streets for 25 years already, so chances are we're all pretty much used to them by now.

Due to their open design, your fellow travellers will either love or hate the PortaPro, depending on your choice of music. That's because the sponge that rests against your ears isn't really up to much, and lets the sound escape. The headband has a special system for adjusting its tightness, but as it's now a bit archaic, the settings don't hold in place for very long.

However, the biggest weakness of the PortaPro has got to be the headband itself. It's made from two metal bands that slide over one another to fit the size of the user's head. It's certainly very sturdy but it's terrible for trapping hair. In fact, it rips a few hairs out each time you take the headphones off. Grrrr! Watch out for the cable too, its durability is definitely debatable.

Audio Quality: big on bass

Delicacy and subtlety aren't exactly words we'd use to describe the PortaPro's sound output. Bass and lower frequencies abound, mediums are highly dynamic and higher frequencies sound masked. The first time you listen it can be rather surprising.

Once we got used to it, we actually started to like the heavy dynamics. Plus, the overall accuracy is decent in spite of the bulky sound that's far too heavy in the lower end of the spectrum.

The sound stage is a little on the tight side and the PortaPro could certainly get more out of its very open design.

On the whole, this model has aged well, and after 25 years on the market and a decent drop in price, the PortaPro is still selling well. However, for just a little more cash, you could find a more comfortable model with even better performances.