***UPDATES WILL COME AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF BURN-IN***
I recently ordered the Koss Pro4s and PortaPros to add to my collection. Both of them arrived today (3 days for shipping) and immediately I ran into some quite difficult packaging. The covering over the box had been glued to the box, making it extremely difficult to preserve the outer covering when trying to open it. After managing to cut the cover off and open the inner box, the user is greeted with a nice intro letter and signature from the chairman of Koss. The headphones come packed in a very nice carrying case (like the PRODJ200s) and with a nice coiled cable + a 1/4" adapter.
Design/Build Quality/Functionality:
These headphones look and feel really good and quite durable. The construction seems very solid and they should last a very long time. They do clamp a bit tight at first but its nothing I can't get used to and the cushions are very comfortable. They definitely isolate better than the PRODJ200s do. One of the main things I like about these headphones is that the cable can be plugged into either side, and the other jack can be used as an output to other headphones which is an awesome feature to have, especially in studio environments. I can definitely see these becoming popular in professional environments and even for casual listening. They also fold flat for transport in the included carrying case.
SOUND:
Out of the box, these headphones have quite a bit of low-end bass (quite a bit more bass than my well worn PRO-DJ200s do and THOSE were advertised as "extreme bass headphones"), but the bass of the Pro4s is definitely quick and punchy. As of right now, my PRO-DJ200s sound more balanced. I'm guessing the bass of the Pro4s will eventually quiet down after several hours of burn in (much like the PRODJ200s did.) One slight benefit of the PRODJ200 when it comes to sound is the slightly wider soundstage. But there is definite gain in clarity with upper-mids and treble when going from the PRODJ200 to the Pro4s, even though the mids may not be quite as forward as they are in the PRODJ200s. The Pro4s can definitely handle loud volumes without much distortion and they feel and sound very solid. I've been listening to all kinds of music (even as I write this review.) The more I hear these things, the more I fall in love with them, and It will be my pleasure to put some miles on these and provide updates as the burn-in begins to settle.
Here are some albums I have played through these so far:
(Mostly CD or Flac/MP3 @ at least 320kbps, Through my computer or CD player, and into a vintage NIKKO NR-819 receiver.)
Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves A Happy Ending - One of my favorites for overall quality and good mastering, and it sounds great in these headphones.
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (I love how the Drums really stand out + crisp and crunchy guitar tones.)
Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits - Very good vocal clarity... Quite a bit of bass (still burning them in and the recording is pretty bassy) so hopefully it will balance out eventually.
Trigger Hippy - Trigger Hippy (2014) - Awesome guitar tones and very nice mid-treble detail especially with vocals.
Yes - The Yes Album - The 60s/70s - style panning and mixing makes for a fun listening experience.
Sound City - Reel To Reel - Nice punchy bass and crunchy/sharp guitar tones.
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon (Always a good album for testing audio systems) - Again, The 60s/70s - style panning and mixing on this type of album sounds really good in these headphones.
+ DVD Concerts including; Frank Zappa - A Token of His Extreme and Steve Winwood - Live In Concert (2005?)
***UPDATES WILL COME AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF BURN-IN***
I recently ordered the Koss Pro4s and PortaPros to add to my collection. Both of them arrived today (3 days for shipping) and immediately I ran into some quite difficult packaging. The covering over the box had been glued to the box, making it extremely difficult to preserve the outer covering when trying to open it. After managing to cut the cover off and open the inner box, the user is greeted with a nice intro letter and signature from the chairman of Koss. The headphones come packed in a very nice carrying case (like the PRODJ200s) and with a nice coiled cable + a 1/4" adapter.
Design/Build Quality/Functionality:
These headphones look and feel really good and quite durable. The construction seems very solid and they should last a very long time. They do clamp a bit tight at first but its nothing I can't get used to and the cushions are very comfortable. They definitely isolate better than the PRODJ200s do. One of the main things I like about these headphones is that the cable can be plugged into either side, and the other jack can be used as an output to other headphones which is an awesome feature to have, especially in studio environments. I can definitely see these becoming popular in professional environments and even for casual listening. They also fold flat for transport in the included carrying case.
SOUND:
Out of the box, these headphones have quite a bit of low-end bass (quite a bit more bass than my well worn PRO-DJ200s do and THOSE were advertised as "extreme bass headphones"), but the bass of the Pro4s is definitely quick and punchy. As of right now, my PRO-DJ200s sound more balanced. I'm guessing the bass of the Pro4s will eventually quiet down after several hours of burn in (much like the PRODJ200s did.) One slight benefit of the PRODJ200 when it comes to sound is the slightly wider soundstage. But there is definite gain in clarity with upper-mids and treble when going from the PRODJ200 to the Pro4s, even though the mids may not be quite as forward as they are in the PRODJ200s. The Pro4s can definitely handle loud volumes without much distortion and they feel and sound very solid. I've been listening to all kinds of music (even as I write this review.) The more I hear these things, the more I fall in love with them, and It will be my pleasure to put some miles on these and provide updates as the burn-in begins to settle.
Here are some albums I have played through these so far:
(Mostly CD or Flac/MP3 @ at least 320kbps, Through my computer or CD player, and into a vintage NIKKO NR-819 receiver.)
Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves A Happy Ending - One of my favorites for overall quality and good mastering, and it sounds great in these headphones.
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (I love how the Drums really stand out + crisp and crunchy guitar tones.)
Lake Street Dive - Bad Self Portraits - Very good vocal clarity... Quite a bit of bass (still burning them in and the recording is pretty bassy) so hopefully it will balance out eventually.
Trigger Hippy - Trigger Hippy (2014) - Awesome guitar tones and very nice mid-treble detail especially with vocals.
Yes - The Yes Album - The 60s/70s - style panning and mixing makes for a fun listening experience.
Sound City - Reel To Reel - Nice punchy bass and crunchy/sharp guitar tones.
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon (Always a good album for testing audio systems) - Again, The 60s/70s - style panning and mixing on this type of album sounds really good in these headphones.
+ DVD Concerts including; Frank Zappa - A Token of His Extreme and Steve Winwood - Live In Concert (2005?)
***UPDATES WILL COME AFTER SEVERAL DAYS OF BURN-IN***