KossPorta Pro Wireless 2.0 Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones, 20+ Hour Battery, USB-C Charging, Microphone, Analog Audio Pass Through, Retro Style, Black

I love the comfort of Koss headphones. The gentle feel of the foam pads on my ears is a comforting nostalgia trip since I have owned Koss headphones since childhood. They feel like a snug blanket. Plus they're reasonably priced!However, I like to pace around when listening - and after several pairs of Koss headphones got totally wrecked when I snagged the chord on chairs, car doors, etc... I decided that maybe there's something to be said for wireless.QualityThe amazing thing about these is that they look almost like a normal pair of Porta Pro headphones. This feels pretty amazing to me, and more than a little magical.Functionality- The buttons which play/pause, and raise and lower volume, don't feel like they work consistently. There have been a few times I've booted it up where things are just out of whack, and I have to restart it. This has never been a major problem, more of a quirk. I can live with it.Connectivity- No frills here. No app, no EQ, no firmware updates in sight. It just connects to bluetooth, delivers the signature Koss Sound very reliably, nothing more - fine by me. If I stay on the same floor it never loses connectivity.Mic Quality- Pretty decent! I can take calls on it, it works.Ergonomics- Unlike regular Porta Pros, the adjustable strap on the headphone does not retract in a spring loaded way when removed from your head - instead they keep their shape, like a normal pair of headphones. Fine by me - the original design was charming but a little more eccentric in comparison.- I have sometimes snagged my hair in the double banded design - it doesn't happen often, but it does happen.- The tight / loose settings work great, just like on the original version.Sound Quality- Very similar to the originals. Which is to say, extremely agreeable.Portability- For a pair of headphones like this, excellent. They are not called the Porta Pro for nothing after all. You have to bend them to get them in the included case, but they do fit.Battery Life- Adequate. I don't feel like I'm running out all the timeDesired Features- I'd love it if the next version had USB-C audio capability. If I could charge my headphones, and listen at the same time over the cable to get high resolution audio, that would be great. I do like the included adapter which lets you plug it in as a regular pair of headphones.- I'd love it if the next version had sensors to detect whether you were wearing them, in case I forget to turn them off - I think I can see just where a sensor could go. Headphones without sensors leave the possibility of scrambling to turn off bluetooth on your phone while a caller is trying to figure out what the hell you're doing.

Quite simply; a perfect execution of what a wireless portapro should be, however, you should be well aware of some important limitations.-The body:In terms of a portable set of on-ear headphones you could stash in a bag, the portapro is solid. The plastic construction isnt subject to any major stress and the steel band can withstand as much abuse as the default portapro. I have no complaints other than maybe the edges being a bit sharp.-The headband:Innovative way of removing the dangling wire in the last version, but the band this time around is pretty stiff and that messes with the ability of the headphones to hook together when you put it in the case (it really likes snapping open). The case being included is necessary to carry these around because of its tendency to open.A common meme with portapros is that the headband catches hair, but that's only if you adjust with the headphones already on your head. If you know what size to extend to (via a sharpie), you'll never experience this, I haven't with these.-The sound:It sounds exactly like a wired PortaPro, a 40 year old design which is very colored compared to modern true wireless earbuds or bluetooth bud straps that this would be competing with. You should prefer a very forward midbass and accept some compression in the treble (rock music would sound nice, but classical music doesnt sound "natural" on these). If you're looking for good running headphones these will play fine.There is absolutely no sound isolation, you will hear everything around you and everyone will hear your music.-Wireless features:It's disappointing to not see a lossless codec, but AAC sounds great on my android for typical content on streamers, if you want to listen to HQ audio on these you should use the wire that's included and a headphone jack. You're not getting noise cancelation or transparency mode on headphones like these, either. The lack of these features allows it to have a massive battery life for it's size however, far more than what true wireless buds can do in one session, I spent a whole afternoon in a hammock with these without issues.Taking calls while walking is fine, great generally, but if there's (fairly strong) wind on the right side of you, it will cut out. Controls and volume are fine, you cant mash the vol+/- to suddenly change volume however.-The price:@$100 at the time of this review it's about $20 too much in my opinion, the hardcase is nice, but it's pretty much required if you want to stick it into a backpack. I would say wait for a coupon or sale because at $80 these would be a lot more palatable.-My verdict:4.5 stars if you know what a portapro is and enjoy the formfactor and sound; if you don't like the sound signature there's yaxi pad swapping and the midbass can be EQ'd down (not really the treble though)For everyone else, you should consider buying a pair of 20$ Koss wired headphones and seeing if you really enjoy them, or consider the portapros when they're on sale. You will not miss the lossless codec for most music, and the battery life is amazing because of it. Koss sells sportapros, which match the formfactor for running at a FAR lower cost, with the same fidelity that you can achieve with these.