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Topic: KOSS PortaPro died (Read 15875 times) previous topic - next topic
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KOSS PortaPro died

Now, I have to get this out somewhere.

Last year, somewhere in October, I bought the first pair of Koss PortaPro. I was amazed with sound, I liked how I was transfered "there" when listening to music. But the luck lasted for three months, then I noticed that there is slight distortion on left channel when playing bass (I listen to a variety of styles, from pop thru electronic to jazz), but I rarely play music loud. I learned to live with that, and used them further - distortion didn't increase with time, but in July this year the cabling near connector died. As I had warranty on them, I returned them, got my money back, got into another shop and bought them again even cheaper. But they lasted even shorter - again the distortion on left channel in three months, and few days ago the cabling died near the connector.

Now I understand that I listen to music much more than an average people do, around 2 hours a day, going to work and back, every single week day except weekends, and I carry my player in my trousers pocket, but for the product that has lifetime warranty I expected them to be more robust.

I don't know what to buy now. It seems to me that PortaPro won't last long, and I don't want to return phones every few months back. I could cut the wires and solder the new connector, but I am not really willing to do that, the cabling isnt really that thick.

I am thinking into investing into PX100, but they are rather expensive, around 70 USD. PX200 are around 80 USD, are they better? For the price of PX100 I can get Grado SR60. But I think that is too expensive for something that is meant to be weared outside. My limit was 50 USD, even 40, and I am limited by things available in my country, Croatia, we are not part of EU, so buying things from outside country would cost me more than paid online.

So, I am open to suggestions. Recommend me models, and I will check out if they are available.

I am just mad. They make so great sounding headphones, and they can't invest in somewhat thicker cable and better connector.
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #1
Quote
but for the product that has lifetime warranty...


OK,  Here's a suggestion...  Perhaps a goofy suggestion...  Buy a 2nd pair, and send the current pair in for service.  By the time the new pair dies, you'll have the repaired as a backup.  Then, you can keep sending them in for repair, and you'll always have a backup on-hand.

I'm only suggesting this if Koss has a service center in Croatia and/or the shipping is not too expensive.

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #2
I'm only suggesting this if Koss has a service center in Croatia and/or the shipping is not too expensive.


  well, that would be great, but I can only give the phones back in the store and expect a refund. The story about Koss ditribution in Croatia is that the first company which distributed it doesn't do that anymore, and these Koss I have were from that distribution. There was a few month long hole, and apparently some other company now handles distribution, but the phones are a bit more expensive now.

Any suggestion about other models which sound as good as these?
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #3
I've not heard the PortaPro's, but I've had a pair of PX200's for a few years now and I think they sound very good. Quite good isolation too, which is something you won't get from the PX100's as they're open back.
Dan

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #4
I've heard there are headphones where you can replace parts - for instance, if cable fails, you can buy cable for that headphone model, and just replace it - plugging it in. That would be nice.
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #5
well, not really "parts", but there are certainly some models where the cable is replacable (for example Ultimate Ears phones). Sennheiser PX100 have good reviews and are also said to be quite sturdy, so if the design fits you, it can be a good choice.

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #6
Sennheiser PX100 and PX200. My subjective impression is that you get more bass with the 100s, unless you really squeeze the 200s against your head. This effect, if real, is obviously a function of head and ear shape, and so you might have a different experience. I don't have an opinion on the isolation of the 200s -- not enough experience with them in noisy environments. I like the 100s.

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #7
I own a pair of a PX100s and they do have some bass to them. Probably not for everyone but I love them.


KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #8
Could be that the two sets you had were from the same bad batch?  If it were me I'd try to get in touch with Koss and find out if it's a known problem, and whether it's known to be resolved in a later batch.  (With most products, there's some way to distinguish between different batches - serial numbers or the like.)

Regarding distortion, I once had a problem with a set of Sennheisers many years ago where it started to have quite a bit of distortion.  It turned out that a hair had somehow made its way through the foam surround and between the plastic casing of the headphone itself and the membrane that produces the sound.  After removing the hair, the problem disappeared completely!

Anyway, good luck, hope you find a solution to your problem that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg.

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #9
I've also had occasional problems with Koss driver variants (including the rebadged ones available from radio shack).  But I use them at the gym.  Mostly, clearing out the salt buildup fixed the problem...

-brendan

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #10
I liked my PortaPros, nice bass response on mobile players, but still, treble was not that good.
On my pair the foam of the ear pads slowly dissolved...

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #11
I am still waiting for response from the dealer... I guess I will get my money back. But I don't know what to buy. I've just checked out PX100 on Amazon, they cost around 35 US$, here, they are 77 US$, darn them.
Well, I will wait and see.
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #12
Still nothing from the dealer - but I went and bought PX100, for 60$.
They sound... quite different from PortaPro. It could be placebo, though.
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #13
Hi,

as a huge fan of the PortaPro, I thought I'd add my comments. I own 3 pairs of PortaPros now, the oldest pair being around 10 years old, still using them daily (I have replaced the cushions 6-7 times ). I also recently bought the red version, and noticed that they changed the miniplug to a straight version, as well as equipping it with a slimmer cable. Don't agree with those decisions.

Anyway, I just wanted to respond to the original comment about distortion. If this is what it is I suspect it is, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the headphones and it can be easily fixed. On my own headphones, hair from my head gets caught quite frequently in the foam, and sometimes the hair pushes through the foam and touches the diaphragm inside the headphone. This gives an ugly distortion whenever a base note is played. All you need to do is remove the cushion and remove any and all hair you see inside the headphone. Blowing usually gets the hair that are completely inside the headphone to stick out so they can be removed. Of course, this doesn't help if the cable breaks loose from the headphone itself as in your case


KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #14
You can always move the point where the cable will be most likely to break down. I've owned several cheap buds and mostly the cable breaks somewhere near the connector. If you put some heat shrink (you need really big ratio to fit it snugly and tight and still get it over the connector) over the cable, it comes little sturdier, but it'll reduce the movement and bending of the cable. This is what I've done if I bought a new pair to replace the older broken one (if I didn't repair the cable my self).
They last a little longer around the connector but nothing lasts forever. You might try this if you experience more cable failures.
Hevay is The Way!

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #15
i've got Sporta Pro. Didn't fail for a year now. Though i have noticed the distortion in the left channel also, but it's not constant. it's there occasionally which leads me to believe it's dust related or something ( i don't use the very much ).

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #16
Well, just to update - one day I went to that shop to see what's up, and they gave me brand new packaged Koss PortaPro headphones    so now I have two of them. I'll stick to the PX100 for now, and Koss, well, I thing there is friend's birthday soon... 
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #17
You could always try the Koss KSC75, which have (nearly) identical drivers to the PortaPro and will sound virtually identical. They are clipons, though.

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #18
I don't really like clipon headphones, I feel uncomfortable, like they will fall off any second.
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #19
I used my PortaPro for over 5 years till the connector got broken, and I got a replacement for free. Replacement still lasts, so I have to replace ear pads.

I also have SportaPro and it seems like it's a bit more durable than PortaPro, and the sound appears to be the same. May be you should give SportaPro a shot?

KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #20
Well, since I have both PX100 and Portapro still in a box, I think I won't be buying headphones for a while now...
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KOSS PortaPro died

Reply #21
I don't really like clipon headphones, I feel uncomfortable, like they will fall off any second.


The nice thing about the KSC75s is that the clips are a metal wire embedded in soft plastic. With some pliers or just patience, you can bend them to fit your ears.

In the US they are 20 USD for retail, 15 for online. Compared to the PX100 which are around 60 USD.