New Koss Porta Pro with iPhone Remote | Headphone Reviews and Discussion - Head-Fi.org

minusfive · Jan 30, 2012 at 12:09 PM

Just saw this on Engadget:

Koss revamps Porta Pro headphones with iPhone remote, intros 'interlocking' earbuds
[size=medium] By Joe Pollicino posted Jan 30th 2012 6:41AM

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We're baffled that we missed this gem of news during the bustle of CES, but it turns out that Koss has recently announced a new version of its iconic Porta Pro headphones. The Porta Pro KTC (Koss Touch Control), as it's dubbed, is essentially the same piece of retro kit that's been delighting ears and keeping wallets chubby for nearly three decades. The KTC bit in its name refers to the inclusion of an iDevice-certified inline remote / mic, aimed at keeping on-the-go users in sync with their playlists and phone calls.

Here's a link to the article: http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/30/koss-revamps-portapro-headphones-with-iphone-remote-intros-int/

Yggdrassilious · Jan 30, 2012 at 12:15 PM

All of a sudden my holding out on buying a pair of PPs all these years is now making sense.

ScottieB · Feb 7, 2012 at 12:25 PM

Agree that this is great but a THIRTY dollar premium for a mic and remote (49.99 to 79.99!!!)? That's nearly a 40% price bump - is anything else different?

Don't get me wrong, that's taking retail and they were already a great deal (though my cable fails a LOT - warranty is good!), but it seems like a really big price bump if all they added was the "KTC"

jgray91 · Feb 7, 2012 at 7:02 PM

From my understanding, to include said remote that works with Apple's product, Apple demands license fees for the electronics and stuff. But don't quote me on that please. That's only from hearsay and many late night reading...

ScottieB · Feb 9, 2012 at 11:55 AM

That's a valid point, and another is that they've been cheap for a really long time...

but even so - there are other (yes, almost all sonically inferior) headphones that are less that $30 (total) with a mic and remote, so why should their addition nearly double the price? It seems like they took the opportunity to both add the remote/mic AND pad the price a bit without having to 'just' raise the price. I'd be happier about that if they didn't need to be fixed so often (in my experience the cable would fail at the jack connection every 3 months or so - daily urban use) and they hadn't also raised the 'shipping' cost for the warranty repairs (from $6 to $9).

As much as I was pleasantly surprised by the sound and value of my PortaPros, and have been trying to find a decent set with a mic/remote, this price turns me off too much.

Of course, as always, that's just like, my opinion man.

Tenchi211 · Feb 9, 2012 at 1:42 PM

I agree that it's a big price difference compared to the regular PortaPro. My euphoria in FINALLY getting an iPhone compatible update led me to order a pair anyway after gasping for air when I heard the price. I can't wait to try them out!