[Steve999]

Hello all --

I was at a Borders book store the other day and noticed the Koss KTX Pro 1s. They look like an update (if not upgrade?) to the old KTX Pros. They had much prettier colors and looked more comfortable than the old KTX Pros. The specs made it look like they have the Koss KSC-35 family drivers. I'm guessing it's the same old song -- a little too boomy without the KSC-35 looser fit. But I was wondering -- has anyone tried these, with the pretty purple-blue headband? At Borders they cost $20.

Steve

 

[Steve999]

It seems no one is interested KTX PRO 1s. The earpieces to these purple-blue and silver updates to the KTX PROs are silvery and look smaller than the KTX PROs. They also look a lot more open to me -- I took another good long look at them today. So no one's tried them? Maybe I'll have to plunk down 20 bucks...

 

[Steve999]

Alright, since everyone was SO interested, I went ahead and bought these at Borders books. 20 bucks. They are obviously a brand new model -- they are not even on Koss' web site yet, but they have that new flashy new silver Koss look. I have only ever seen them at Borders books.

The driver sounds an awful lot like the KSC 35 driver (it says titanium on the label, has the 60 ohm etc. specs, and, well, it just sounds like it).

Um... are they better than the porta pros, the UR40s, the KSC-55s, the KSC 50s..... I would guess yes. I have the KSC 50s and these are better to my taste. I have listened to the rat shack Pro 35s and these are better.

Are these better than the KSC 35s (I have the KSC 35s)? They are CERTAINLY more comfortable. I mean they are super comfortable, they are super light, they are super open. The earpieces are so small you can shift them around on your ears to change the bass/treble/openness balance quite a bit, but all in great comfort. The backs look almost totally open with no foam/insulaiton etc. The pressure on the ears is light.

So I will have to think about whether these are better than the KSC 35s. But they're in the same league, for my taste. You can get them sounding an awful lot like the KSC 35s without too much effort. They're one hell of a lot more comfortable and convenient though. You want KSC 35s on an ultra-light headband? Here they are.

I am thrilled.

 

[Steve999]

I was at a Borders book store the other day and noticed the Koss KTX Pro 1s. They look like an update (if not upgrade?) to the old KTX Pros. They had much prettier colors and looked more comfortable than the old KTX Pros. The earpieces to these purple-blue and silver updates to the KTX PROs are silvery and look smaller than the KTX PROs. They also look a lot more open to me.

I went ahead and bought these at Borders books. 20 bucks. They are obviously a brand new model -- they are not even on Koss' web site yet, but they have that new flashy new silver Koss look. I have only ever seen them at Borders books.

The driver sounds an awful lot like the KSC 35 driver (it says titanium on the label, has the 60 ohm etc. specs, and, well, it just sounds like it).

Um... are they better than the porta pros, the UR40s, the KSC-55s, the KSC 50s..... I would guess yes. I have the KSC 50s and these are better to my taste. I have listened to the rat shack Pro 35s and these are better.

Are these better than the KSC 35s (I have the KSC 35s)? They are CERTAINLY more comfortable. I mean they are super comfortable, they are super light, they are super open. The earpieces are so small you can shift them around on your ears to change the bass/treble/openness balance quite a bit, but all in great comfort. The backs look almost totally open with no foam/insulaiton etc. The pressure on the ears is light.

So I will have to think about whether these are better than the KSC 35s. But they're in the same league, for my taste. You can get them sounding an awful lot like the KSC 35s without too much effort. They're one hell of a lot more comfortable and convenient though. You want KSC 35s on an ultra-light headband? Here they are.

I am thrilled.

 

[jerikl]

Wow seriously? Hmm.. may have to check this stuff out. Hopefully some more people will buy them and report before I actually go out and buy them... because it'll probably be a while. Wait a minute. Come to think of it. I don't really need these. Damn obsession.

 

[Steve999]

Yeah, obsession is what got me to buy them. My wife looked at me like I was insane. I'd go to Borders every day at lunch and stare at them. Yep they're tiny.... yep theyr'e open and look hollow inside the tiny backs... yep they're the KSC-35 drivers. These are so worth 20 bucks.

I didn't mention, the small silvery earpieces swivel, and there is a bright blue translucent rubbery thing that nestles gently on top of your head, below the headband. I can't take these off -- they sound so good and are so comfortable.

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve999 Are these better than the KSC 35s (I have the KSC 35s)? They are CERTAINLY more comfortable. I mean they are super comfortable, they are super light, they are super open. The earpieces are so small you can shift them around on your ears to change the bass/treble/openness balance quite a bit, but all in great comfort. The backs look almost totally open with no foam/insulaiton etc. The pressure on the ears is light.

I'll take that with a grain of salt, since I think the KSC-35 are the most comfortable headphones I've ever tried -- the clip design fits me perfectly

But it's good to know Koss has another great portable design out there. Have you tried the PortaPros?

P.S. I've merged this thread with the new one you started -- there's no reason to post the same thing in two places. Thanks.

 

[Steve999]

Sorry about that. Got a little carried away. Once I bought the KTX Pro 1s and discovered I liked them so much, I wanted to give the thread a snappier name, thus the second thread (KSC 35s on an ultra light headband). As it is, I guess the subject will devolve into obscurity, with such a lame thread title.

Anyway, I wish I could just say I never heard the portapros, it would be a lot simpler, but I think my friend had some years ago and was very proud of them, but they just didn't have quite enough high end for me. These have just enough high end to keep me interested. If I bring up the treble one notch on my sony MZ-N707 minidisc recorder it's about perfect.

I suppose comfort is awfully subjective.

Anyway, comparing these to my KSC 35s, these are not quite as smooth and the highs are not quite as good and and the bass is a little stronger. But for sound, I don't think you're going to improve on the KSC 35s with the titanium driver. This is the best I've heard of that driver on a headband and it keeps pace with the KSC 50.

I'd love to see what the new KTX Pro 1s look like on the inside if anyone has the time, resources and inclination.

 

[Budgie]

Interesting. I wish there was a picture. I guess I will have to stop at borders this weekend annd have a look. Crap, that means I will buy a book or two also. Poof goes the money!

 

[kenchi1983]

i remember someone just said that :

with the money u have spent on a couple of 20 dollar phones....it adds up.....so please decide on a grado sr80.

Like a did, Bjork sounds astounishingly super good, u'll just have to hear her super high vocals in one of the tracks in her Homogenic album.

with my sportas or ksc50s,........i dont get any of the describe sounds.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

I have owned the KSC-35's, 50's and the UR40's (briefly). I have also made my Franken50's (the drivers for a KSC-50 transplanted and put into the housing of a Sony MDR-301LP portable headphone.

I am of the opinion that these universal drivers that Koss has stuck into myriad housings sound best when pulled a little away from the ear. The Porta/Sporta/50/35/KTX Pro and most others press the driver at varying degrees directly against the ear. IMO, the soundstage collapses and the sound is too warm, with little definition. In my Franken50's, I added a ring of foam cut from a Grado bowl pad around the ear-shaped plastic housing, placing the driver about 1/8"-1/4" away from the ear. This has make all the difference in the world. The warmth of the driver is tamed, the high frequency details are better represented, and the soundstage opens up remarkably well for a portable phone.

If I had a driverless housing for a Sony MDR-V6, I would love to transplant these drivers into it and play around with damping and distance from the ear. I think these would make for a VERY good closed headphone, so long as the materials for the housing were in the same league as the V6.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

Caveat: I tend to agree with kenchi1983. Many others have mentioned that they could/would have saved a lot of money if they had just gotten a better, more expensive headphone to begin with. If you are looking for a good quality portable headphone, then the Koss line is a good choice. That's what they are designed for, and that's what they're good at.

But if you are looking for a great sounding headphone for a particular music type, spend as much as you need to get the best possible sound. Yeah, the Grado's may set you back 5X as much as a Koss, but if they get you off, then they're worth it.

 

[Steve999]

Right you are dear sirs!

You CAN get the new Koss KTX Pro 1s away from your ears a little, because the earpieces are so small and so light, you can set them on a part of your year that gets them a little away from your ear-hole, almost like the way the KSC 35s are. But these you can whip on and off your head in a jiffy. And they sound pretty nice. I have fallen asleep with these (and the KSC 35s) on.

These satisfy my need for very small light portable phones, better than the KSC 35s (which do sound a little better) and the KSC 50s. They do get a +1 for treble on my MZ-N101 minidisc recorder. But now I have the KSC 35s, the KSC 50s, and the new KTX Pro 1s, which cost a total of $55. So I think I'll terminate this little obsession before it's too late!

AS for home listening, my phones of choice are my Grado SR 60s, My Sennheiser HD 497s, and my Sony MDR V6s. That's been as much as I've been willing to spend for a pair of phones. These are all very nice indeed. The SR 60s get a +1 for bass on my MZ-N707 minidisc recorder, the others are great as is. Each of these I woudn't trade for a Koss phone for the world.

That being said, I'm going to Hirsch's this afternoon to hear what some REAL headhpones sound like! I'm so excited!

 

[Steve999]

I'm with LTUCCI (see his thread) -- these are very interesting phones. Can we get some more information and opinions on these?

 

[hokiefritz]

I went ahead and picked a pair of these up out of curiosity. I originally ordered a pair of PortaPros at half price from Koss, but UPS left them by my gate and someone stole them, which in turn prompted me to try the KTX pro 1.

They are quite small, cheaply built and flimsy which is ok since they actually are cheap. They come with an inline volume control which is quite large and easy to adjust. The KTX pro 1 are terminated with a gold [colored?] 1/8" plug and come with a gold 1/4" adapter which is nice bonus, especially for a $20 package.

I find these a tiny bit less comfortable than the KSC35-35 but they have plenty of comfort to spare. It's just that after I put the 35s on it's like I'm not even wearing them. The KTX pro also make my ears a tiny bit warmer than the 35, which was expected since the fit more snugly.

I compared both phones by playing the Yes album "90125" using an iPod at 192 VBR mp3 and also off CD using an AH! Njoe Tjoeb CDP with a Sugden Headmaster just for kicks.

Placement of the KTX pro makes a big difference as Steve999 mentioned. If they are placed forward touching your jaw they are too warm and the bass is muddy. If placed much farther back on the ear they sound quite good. In this position I think the midrange is less overwhelmed by the bass compared to the KSC-35, providing better detail and at the same time they seem to have even more bass energy and extension than the KSC-35. Bass freaks go out and get these if you've only got 20 bucks! Hit the megabass and you'll be in heaven. The high frequencies sound very similar to the 35 but are more prominent.

The KTX pros are not burned in except for the hour or so I've been listening to them, so I don't know if there will be drastic change over time or not. They sound very good out of the box though. At this point I would say I prefer their sound to the KSC-35 slightly and might try using them at work alternating with the Grado SR80, as they are very easy to put on an off and much more comfortable than the Grados for extended periods. I tried using the KSC-35 at work but got tired of constantly taking them off and on. The pros are snap to wear of course.

For $20 these are awesome! The slightly more expensive KSC-35 still wins for ultra-portable use because you can stuff them in any pocket and won't fall off no matter what you're doing.

The Koss KTX pro 1 are a fantastic upgrade to stock phones that come with most portable equipment. They would make good gifts for your friends that listen to crappy phones too, except that they are so flimsy and cheap looking. But once they have a listen I don't think they'll care about how cheap they are.