Koss Pro4AAT Titanium Pro Headphones

I had a pair of Pro-4AAs back in the 70s. At the time, I thought they were the greatest sounding headphones ever made. Short of kilobuck electrostatics, perhaps they were. I wore those old Koss cans for most of the decade, which probably explains the groove across the top of my head, because they are heavy.After a few intervening decades of lightweight headphones, ear buds, and other over-the-ear headphones, all of which sounded like crap, broke quickly, bled sound all over the office, and mostly annoyed more than they overjoyed, I finally decided to return to something I was familiar with.I got the Pro-4AAT rather than the Pro-4AA classics just because the -T has a 3.5mm plug on the end of the cord, and I've had such bad luck with 1/4" to 3.5mm adaptoplugs in the past.They sound pretty much as I remember. In fact, they sound good enough that I've come to realize just how crappy most MP3s sound, and how poor the DAC on my tablet is. Which means going back to FLACs and plugging in a DragonFly DAC. Which sounds great, by the way.One other advantage that doesn't get mentioned much is: Who the heck needs sound deadening headphones when you have these? When I put these on in the office, they isolate me from ambient noise so well, that I've had people walk into my cube, stand behind me and talk, and I've never heard them. Even during the quiet parts.Standard complaints apply: They're incredibly heavy and they'll make your ears sweat. Not recommended for people who live with other people who want to talk. But I'm used to all of that.

Myself being new to the world of higher-end headphones (it seems full of crazy lingo and brand loyalty), I searched the net for several days for what were considered the best brands. I chose these Koss because I knew the name (and the lifetime warranty, and stories of no-hassle returns, are far more than Sony, Sennheiser, or the rest can boast in the same price range) and I wanted an isolating set of headphones to use for studying (while my roommate pounds out Jay-Z and OutKast on his stereo). The Sonys seemed a little gimmicky (90 day warranty?) and overpriced. I looked at some Bose phones, but they were far out of my price-range. The Sennheisers, according to some "purists", provide the best overall sound quality (although I couldn't imagine anything surpassing these by much), but they appeared too bland-looking and fragile for my tastes.When I got these I loved them from the start. I never knew they made headphones that sound better than a quality stereo! The sound detail is excellent with audio CDs and MP3s, and the bass is strong but not overpowering. I haven't yet tried these out on DVDs, but I would imagine they would be awesome. As far as isolating goes, I don't know why you would need any type of noise-cancelling headphones (which sacrifice sound quality for technology), because with these babies on, all you hear is the music. My roommate has to throw something at me to get my attention when I have these on! For the newbies out there: these are not for use with a portable CD player or MP3 player; they fall far short of the amplifying power needed to push these phones. If you want something sensitive enough to use with a portable (look for something with impedence around 32 ohms as compared to 250 ohms for these) buy something from the Sennheiser line, as they are also lightweight. I use these mainly to listen to rock, rap, and R&B, with some classical here and there (when studying). These are ideal for the first three but the quality of the classical is not what I would imagine a "purist" would deem extraordinary.The look and feel of these phones just exude confidence in the craftsmanship and the quality of parts. Simply put, these are some awesome looking headphones. The pads are comfortable but will stick to you in warmer weather. If you don't think you'll be able to handle two extra pounds on your head for an extended period, don't buy these. I only find slight discomfort in my neck after wearing these (and I wear them for 2-3 hours at a time). The 8-foot cord and 1/4" adapter provide ease of use while wheeling around a stereo or computer.I would recommend these phones to anyone who wants some high-end headphones (from Koss, the people that basically created the headphone) for isolation or just overall excellent quality of sound, with a guarantee for the life of the product.**UPDATE** 22 January, 2014. It's been a decade since I was a starry-eyed college freshman writing this review. The headphones are still going strong, although I use them a lot less now. I will echo other reviews knocking the weight and pressure from the headpiece. These factors, combined with the inevitable clamminess caused by the vinyl earpads, have caused me to bump my rating down to 4 stars. I would implore the ergonomics team to go back to the drawing board on these.I still stand by my claim that these have excellent sound reproduction and the build quality is indeed wonderful (as the past ten years can attest). However, as mobile devices and listening habits (both mine and the general population's) have changed drastically since I first bought these, I see this type of headphone (high impedence, heavy) as falling to the wayside in an industry dominated by Beats, Bose, et al.Koss still makes excellent headphones, and my current go-to set are the  Koss PortaPro Headphones with Case . These are much more comfortable and portable (as the name would imply!) but still will give you far superior sound quality to any earbuds. And as always with Koss, come with a lifetime of inexpensive replacement guarantees (already used once).

The sound is amazing. The lows are as low as I need them to go (I am not a Bass-head). The highs are good, but not great. I am listening to Goldfish, Dr. John and Native American Flute Lullabies, the highs are present, but not overly so, the bass is there, but not booming and the mids are fantastic. The sound stage is getting better as I listen, although I am not sure if that is them breaking in or me getting used to it. If any noise is made, these pick it up, it is just not 'in your face'.This is a high quality product that will last a while. There is nothing fragile or flimsy about the frame or construction. Upon first putting it on my head, I could feel the squeeze. I am used to the pressure now, but it does take a while. I have a big head, and at full stretch, these barely fit on my head; that said, I can feel the weight of the headband on the top of my head. These are not light, but I feel that the heavier weight is a give/take with the quality parts and construction.The feel: Other than the weight, the ear cups also seem to be a bit of a burden. It will get hot after just a short time of use. The sound cancellation is not as good as I thought it would be. Others cannot hear what I am listening to, but I can hear them and what they are saying when I have them on not listening to anything. The inside of the cups has a nylon mesh, and because the cups are not deep at all, it is rubbing up against my ears. So there is that to deal with.For the price, you are getting a set of headphones that will last a while. I can tell why Radio professionals would use these. I would purchase them again for the same price (Koss.com offers these for $20 more).

Viel zu leise hohler Klang

Tried about a million different headphones and chose these ones. I also have the Bose noise canceling headsets, which are great on a plane or in a car but when I go to the man cave and sit down to listen to my vinyls nothing beats these in this price class. Hands down the most true to studio quality I have experienced so far.

Après plusieurs achat de casque sois disant "studio" j'ai enfin trouvé cette merveille ! Linéarité, restitution, détail, précision, à acheter les yeux fermés !!! Me sert pour master/moni et écoute audiophile. Contrairement à certains, le produit est très très confortable pour moi : me serre les oreilles sans me compresser la tête, et le fait que je porte des lunettes ne dérange en rien, ce qui, est vraiment un miracle en sois niveau casque audio. Pourtant je m'étais essayé au Koss pro4s, plus cher de la même marque, mais qui m'a déçu de part sa fragilité ainsi que ses performances audio (qui était néanmoins très très linéaire) qui je pense ont été sacrifiés sur l'autel de la mobilité, mobilité dont je n'avais pas besoin.Faites confiance à Koss, ces mecs savent faire du qualité prix exceptionnel, le porta pro que j'ai possédé en est le meilleur exemple.+ = Qualité audio, linéarité, confort, isolation, câble et adaptateur.- = Poids (mais en général, en audio le léger c'est limite suspect), sédentaire, nécessite une source sonore adaptée : oubliez smartphone et compagnie (car pas assez puissant).

Koss un marchio fascinoso, le ho scelte perchè mi ricordavo delle mie prime cuffie di qualità che erano proprio di questa marca.Quando ho aperto la confezione però e le ho toccate con mano sono rimasto sorpreso dall'acuratezza costruttiva . Il suono non delude.

I first had a go on these back in the 70's and was blown away then. They have reissued these, and I was about to buy a set of Bose, then saw these. Tried the Bose out again, they seemed flimsy and the sound seemed too bright so decided to take a chance based on an old memory and got the Koss. I love them the sound quality is excellent, I listen to rock, thrash, gothic and folk, and it is brilliant on all, I particularly liked hearing the double bass on Pentangle, got right into my socks. These are cheaper than Bose, but are as good if not better and come with a lifetime warrenty, they also have a decent length lead and everything adaptor thrown in.