[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch I use mine at home as well, with no sense of shame ... some aspects of the sound are "high end" (soundstaging in particular) and some (lack of detail) are not, but they always sound musical to me. Only with certain music though, acoustic stuff can sound really 'off' because of the tonal balance.

No!!! No shame intended, just that I have the CD3000 for home use, and it makes no sense to use it...but I like the way they sound directly out of any portable CD player....

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sovkiller No!!! No shame intended, just that I have the CD3000 for home use, and it makes no sense to use it...but I like the way they sound directly out of any portable CD player....

Try it amped sometime (portable amp?), IMO it improves 100%. Still not quite up to the level of Grado SR-60, but has some aspects I like better than SR-60 (better soundstage, less fatiguing).

 

[Sovkiller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fewtch Try it amped sometime (portable amp?), IMO it improves 100%. Still not quite up to the level of Grado SR-60, but has some aspects I like better than SR-60 (better soundstage, less fatiguing).

I had the NKK-01 for some time here, and it works fine with it, of course there is an improvment, also I'm using old CD players with good output jacks, but the problem is that portable to me, means that "portable", one device (as small as possible, and the headphones, to carry extra amps and cables etc...that makes the portable word for me to loose the sense a little bit, it will be better to call it transportable

 

[BigBadWolf]

Bought my PortaPro's from AudioVideo 2001 during Boxing week after a couple of months looking around online. Had bought Panasonic's RP-HT455 at Walmart months earlier for $40 CDN and thought it was great, although I kept trying to milk it for bass but always came up short. They're great for their highs: very airy, very clear. But the lower frequencies were non-existent! WANTED to like them, but couldn't, so.....

... ended up purchasing the PortaPros! SUPRISE, SHAZAAM! The bass is ever-so-present and the music is lively and cheerful-sounding. I'm on my second pair since I was clumsy and broke them at the Comfort Zone area in March, but no-questions-asked is how Koss treated me when I received a new pair. And now I've gone so far as to dress the ear-abutting surface of the drivers in pantyhose, with Continental Airlines earpads on top with holes in the middle to let in the highs which by the way WORKS WONDERS!!

They were released in the 80's? Must've been hibenating or something...


Purchase Recommendation (in Canada):
As a side note (and help for you fellow Torontonians wanting a deal) around Boxing Week go to the Audio/Video 2001 store and Kennedy and Ellesmere and you can haggle with the owner. I brought the retail price of it down from $69 to $55!! Purchasing $40 US cans + shipping + duties from an online US vendor is another option, but not as immediate!

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBadWolf And now I've gone so far as to dress the ear-abutting surface of the drivers in pantyhose, with Continental Airlines earpads on top with holes in the middle to let in the highs which by the way WORKS WONDERS!!

I tried this mod and it does help the sound, but I found myself getting Grado-like ear fatigue after a fairly short listening period so I decided to go with unmodded earpads. They still sound great unmodded, just weighted more toward the bass and a little less detailed. I think the perceived improvement in detail from the mod is more from increased treble than anything else.

 

[HiWire]

My Koss Sportapros are good beater cans. I found out their sound can be improved by using Circuit City (Radio Shack) pads, standard size. The pads are too small and stretch, causing them to make a bowl shape on the ear... this improves the overall sound by reducing the bass dominance.

 

[fewtch]

I'm not so sure it's reduced bass dominance as much as increased treble. This will make the bass seem lighter, but any increase in treble tends to bring on ear fatigue sooner. Not everyone is susceptible to this so mods will be an improvement for many. I prefer to be able to listen for hours (if desired) without any fatigue. Of course, keep in mind I'm a Sennheiser guy

.

 

[BigBadWolf]

Isn't that what people want in modding the PortaPros? Increase the perceived treble, and tone-down the bass, and voila, some self-defined balancing. I've demoed the SR60 and SR80, and I can see where the treble can get fatiguing over time. I guess I'll have to see whether they tire me or not.

One thing though, aren't Grados more attuned sonically (esp. in the upper range) than Portas? I would assume Grado attenuated noise and brought out the acoustic qualities inherent in recordings, especially for something as refined as their offerings, at least that's what I've been reading on these forums (paraphrase: ...with Grado's you get that live-in-the-centre-of-the-action sound than with Sennheiser's sitting a few rows back sound). In that case, when you listen to Grado's you are in effect, sitting behind the singer, and in front of the band. I don't believe my Portas bring me to this place, although I think it's soundstage is very good.

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBadWolf One thing though, aren't Grados more attuned sonically (esp. in the upper range) than Portas? I would assume Grado attenuated noise and brought out the acoustic qualities inherent in recordings, especially for something as refined as their offerings, at least that's what I've been reading on these forums (paraphrase: ...with Grado's you get that live-in-the-centre-of-the-action sound than with Sennheiser's sitting a few rows back sound). In that case, when you listen to Grado's you are in effect, sitting behind the singer, and in front of the band. I don't believe my Portas bring me to this place, although I think it's soundstage is very good.

The Grado SR-60 (cheapest model) is definitely better than the Portapro (IMO), but not a lot better. It's also "worse" in certain ways: Smaller soundstage, fatiguing highs and tendency toward harshness. The fact that Portapros don't have the "center of the action" effect of Grados is not reflective of their overall SQ, just a matter of personal preference.

 

[amartignano]

Here another very happy owner of the little great Koss PortaPro.
Good, punchy, fun sound with a classy respectful timbre of the instruments. Nice!

bye
Andrea

 

[BigBadWolf]

I guess I should have elaborated a little more. What I'm saying is, I don't get that fatigue (maybe I have wax in my ears?) on my Portas with the holes in the pads. They just sound clearer and I very much enjoy having brought out the treble, and by doing so have balanced the sound out more. The bass can be TOO heavy at times, and it CAN drown out the mids (at least to my ears); becomes hard to appreciate some music.

If doing so makes you get "Grado-fatigue", then you gotta go with what you like!

 

[fewtch]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigBadWolf I guess I should have elaborated a little more. What I'm saying is, I don't get that fatigue (maybe I have wax in my ears?) on my Portas with the holes in the pads. They just sound clearer and I very much enjoy having brought out the treble, and by doing so have balanced the sound out more.

Perhaps as a Sennheiser guy, I have a liking for "softer" treble. I don't hear anything tonally wrong with the Portapro treble with the unmodded pads. Modded, they sound more balanced (bass especially) but just tire out my ears and I can't listen hour after hour anymore.

 

[BigBadWolf]

Just an update. Those Continental Airlines pads were a little bigger than the stock pads of the Portas and thicker, which muted the base too much and even caused the mids to sound recessed. Needless to say I went back to the stock ones with the holes in them. I think quarter-size holes is too big: they keep shifting around to much, especially floating above the nylons!

I would never have cut holes in the stock pads but for the fraying I detected around the outer perimeter where the housing is kinda thin. I'm going to replace them eventually, right?!

 

[HiWire]

Try the Radio Shack pad mod... it puts some distance between your ears and the driver, reducing the bass. You can safely turn the volume up a little bit and enjoy clearer treble and midrange.

 

[kramer5150]

I just scored a sportapro on ebay for $7... shipped!!

Woohoo!!
Garrett