Наушники — Koss Porta Pro Limited Edition Black Gold

Koss, the American company that made its first SP3 Stereophone in 1958, released the Porta Pro Limited Edition in a Black Gold finish as a wired on-ear model, one of two colorways produced after the Make Your Mark Campaign that Koss started in July 2016. Fans around the world voted on five concepts, the result was a tie, and Koss built both winners, Black Gold and Rhythm Beige. The edition was announced on November 21, 2016 at a price of USD 59.99 and was sold direct only through the Koss web store. It keeps the portable collapsible layout of the Porta Pro, a model Koss first introduced in 1984.

Key specs that matter

The published range runs from 15 Hz up to 25,000 Hz, with 60 ohm drivers and 101 dB SPL of sensitivity. Each earpiece holds a dynamic transducer wound with oxygen-free copper. A 1.2 m cable carries an inline microphone and remote together with an attenuating volume control, and the cable ends in a 3.5 mm plug. The earpieces use lightweight open-air cushions that let outside sound pass through, so the design is open rather than sealed.

Engineering and use context

The headband is built to collapse for storage, and adjustable temporal pads are meant to take pressure off the ears during long wear. Compared with the standard Porta Pro, this edition adds the inline microphone, the remote and the volume attenuator on the cable, plus a new hard compact carrying case, while the standard Porta Pro Classic case is also packed in the box. The Limited Lifetime Warranty that Koss gives its wired headphones applies here as well. The package sold direct from Koss differed from the standard retail Porta Pro distribution, and the edition was presented as an upscale take on the classic model rather than a new acoustic design. Both limited colorways share the same electrical ratings, and the Black Gold version differs from the Rhythm Beige one only in its finish.

Pairing

With these impedance and sensitivity ratings the Porta Pro Limited Edition is meant to be driven directly by phones, tablets and laptops through the plug. The inline microphone and remote are aimed at handling calls and music control from a smartphone without reaching for the device, and the attenuator on the cord gives a second volume stage independent of the source.

Alternatives

The Koss Porta Pro Utility keeps the same on-ear Porta Pro frame but switches to a detachable cord system that accepts analogue, USB-C and Lightning cords.