Koss Pro-4AA Stereo Headphones

Koss Pro-4AA Stereo Headphones 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 13  
[Aug 22, 2020]
stevens


Strength:

Yes, they are heavy. I can't wear them for more than an hour or so before I have to rest. I've seen people replace the foam in the arch with something a little bit lighter, but I don't know how much of a difference it would make in the long run.

Purchased:
Used  
OVERALL
RATING
4
[Dec 17, 2014]
Nick altmayer
Audio Enthusiast

Picked these soaking wet Vintage 70`s Koss 4aa`s in the Fall that were sitting on a table out in the elements since Spring at a old Farmers Field Garage Sale. I picked them up and the ear cup with the coiled cord was completely filled with foul smelling water. He politely said ``Just take them, no charge``, Being a fan of vintage stereo gear I cleaned these up for show only with the idea of rebuilding these up later. Curiosity got the best of me and I hesitantly plugged these Vintage cans in as is, and a huge smile beamed across my face. I was treated to the cleanest extended range reproduction with tight Bass that rivaled my Bose 100 A studio monitor speakers. Now I Know why they LIFETIME Warranty these drivers, Talk about abuse!! I can`t wait for my next session with my 4aa`s. ENJOY!!

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Nov 05, 2012]
Brian
Audio Enthusiast

Sonically these headphones are fine at the price but the sheer physical weight of them is just ludicrous in this day and age, ultra fatiguing and the earpieces are insufficiently deep to avoid pressing painfully on my ears but that will possibly not be the case for others. Going to splash out and get myself some nice LIGHTWEIGHT HD 600 Sennheisers....quality costs. So my advice is to check the comparative weight of your headphones before buying.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jan 15, 2009]
bent andersen
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

The sound, the sound and the sound. You'd have to pay at least four or five times as much for a modern pair of phones to match ths pro/4aa's. These are designed and build to sound good, nothing else.

Lovely design, build to last

Weakness:

They are heavy. Cord a bit short. Do not stay adjusted - must be adjusted to your personal head shape every time you use them - but it takes three seconds.

Had a pair of the original ones back in the 70es but litterarely played them to shreads - yes, it can be done! Got tired of plastic sound from modern (and more expensive)phones and bought a new pair of pro/4aa's on the net - and just love them. Use a big Pioneer dual mono block amp from '77, and amp and phone matches each other beautyfully. Suberp separation and clarity, all natural and organic sound through the wole register from deepest bass to highest treble - both rock, acoustic and classic. But they are heavy, and you can't do anything but listen to the music, while wearing them.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 01, 2008]
bmac50
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Lighter

Weakness:

Can hear what people are saying around you. Lacks fullness and has poor bass.

No where near the phones the 4AAA are. I have both and thinking the AA would be lighter I bought them as was sorry within a month. Both end caps on the band became loose so I super clued then back in to position. They have nowhere near the bass and some male voices sound like their in a tin can. Wife uses them from time to time, she has a tin ear.

Customer Service

I've had two models rebuilt by Koss and they have been outstanding not only in the costs but communications as well.

Similar Products Used:

Koss Pro AAA, Pro AA, Pro A (just rebuilt by Koss) and Koss ESP/9.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[May 08, 2003]
thebigdogdude
AudioPhile

Strength:

True deep bass from a headphone. Excellent acoustic isolation. Cheap street price.

Weakness:

Lackluster treble performance - lacks the midrange "richness" of their original couterpart. They are very heavy... but I've got to say that is part of the nostalgia - I guess.

Sometimes the sequal just isn't as good as the original... that describes these classics from Koss. I had the originals, which offered a nice neutral sound with deep bass and decent treble. Sure they were heavy - and very, VERY fragile, but they were truly decent back in the 1970s. Now if Koss simply re-issued the same headphone out of old time sake, I'd like to have a pair. Make the headband more durable (for example) and keep that same sound... I'd like to have a pair out of old time sake. BUT these don't sound like the originals! The bass is bloated, the treble is muted and "slow" (lacking any hint of "airiness") - a dissapointing sequel. If you want to get a feel for how headphones were back in the 1970s - for the price (which is very heavily discounted) - pop for a pair. At least the bass is there. Otherwise, some things are best left in the past.

Similar Products Used:

You name it.

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[May 08, 2003]
Peter
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

NONE

Weakness:

Horrible Build Quality.Horrible Sound.Overpriced.

This review is for the "NEW" version of the Pro-4AA's that has been re-designed and is different from the "OLDER" version. First of all DO NOT waste your money on this new version of the Pro-4AA especially if you had the older version. They are made like Garbage!! Cheap plastic and cheap materials is what makes up this new version. I removed one of the ear pads,and there were 2 staples holding down the mesh pads to a piece of cheap felt!! I couldn't beleive it!! The adjustable headband is made so poorly,it's a struggle just to adjust the size. And of course most importantly;The Sound. At 250-Ohms impedance they are difficult to drive,even with a Headphone Amp. I am a headphone enthusiast and use a well known high-end Headphone Amp; and they sound like total crap!! The old version was WAY better than these,all around. If you want to spend $100 get a pair of Sony MDR-7506,Sennheiser HD-280 or AKG K-240S which all will absolutely blow these away.

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[Aug 21, 2002]
dedavai
Casual Listener

Strength:

Excellent detailed sound - perfect trebble, almost perfect bass. Very good for critical listening - you'll hear stuff you've never heard before.

Weakness:

HEAVY! VERY HEAVY!

This is a great headphone. The sound quality is excellent and very clear, it handles trebble and bass without any fuss, and has the largest freq. respone on a headphone under $100 I've seen. I've heard many good things about Koss headphones, and decided to get these after reading the positive reviews on this website. When I got them from J&R, I realized that I underestimated how heavy these headphones are. I've read all the warnings, but never imagined headphones could be so heavy - but they are! Imagine having a pair of speakers hanging from your head - you get speaker quality sound, but you also get speaker weight. These are pretty hard to drive - my Pioneer receiver did fine, but my computer's Sound Blaster Platinum had trouble pushing these heaphones to the same level. I finally returned them after a month of use, not because of poor sound (these headphones really rock when it comes to sound, even at very loud levels, I didn't hear distortion till 98db), but out of sheer discomfort - I couldn't listen to them for more than half an hour at a time, and my head and ears got very sweaty because of the cussions. I needed headphones that sounded good and that i could wear for prolonged periods of time. Koss Pro 4AA offered great sound at a great price, but I couldn't wear them while writing a paper or reading a book. Recommended for people who have strong necks and want to hear everything clearly and without distortion.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDRs, Sennheiser 490s, cheap Jensen & Aiwa

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 16, 2002]
mjarve
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Magnificent sound. Plenty of bass. Total isolation from teh outside world. Plays the music as it was meant to be heard.

Weakness:

HEAVY!!! I do not much care for the coiled cord.

A local hi-fi dealer got a good deal on a lot of these, so I bought a set, based mostly on audio mythology. Immediately, I was take by how heavy they are. But, generally in audio, the heavier, the better. Up until I bought these, the only time I ever used headphones was when I was jogging or on the airplane. Now it is the speakers that rarely ever get used. However, because of their weight, I can listen only so long at a single sitting. I have heard other high-end headphones before, even $1000 electro statics, but I found most of those rather fatiguing to my ears and my mind often drifted to "When does this song end?" I do not get that way with the Koss. I could listen to them all day, if it were not for the weight.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Aug 11, 2001]
John Watson
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Precise, accurate reproduction of sound, flat response across spectrum, including just the right amount of bass.

Weakness:

None IMHO, but others find them too heavy and some say that they hurt their little earsies; they don't hurt mine.

I mostly listen to classical music with an AMC CD8b CD player and a Creek headphone amplifier. I like the Grado 80's for violin solos, classical guitar, anything without much bass because the Grado 80's don't do bass very well with my system. The Sony MDR v900's have lots and lots of bass and are a very attractive complement to the Grado 80's, though they bring along a golden concert hall ambience to every recording that is sometimes inappropriate. I did not find full audio satisfaction until I got the Koss Pro-4AA's. I like these headphones so much that I find it hard to express in words. They sound so good that I cannot imagine what else I would want in a headphone or how they might conceivably sound better. Their frequency response is flat, from tight deep bass to the highest treble I can hear. The impression is of completely accurate reproduction without any imposed ambience at all, only the ambience of the recording itself. I like accuracy. I like sensitivity too, I like to hear it all. The Koss Pro-4AA's perform flawlessly on everything from Mozart piano concertos to Mahler's Eighth Symphony, The Symphony of a Thousand. They are heavy phones, you will not jog with these or work around the house. You will sit quietly and listen. And the Koss Pro-4AA's do require a breakin period like most other highend components. Play a classical music station through them at a low to moderate listening level for about 80 hours and they become the sweetest sounding phones you have ever heard. New out of the box they sound terrible with a harsh steely sound reminiscent of a cheap radio playing in an anechoic chamber. Give them 80 to 100 hours of breakin and golden notes seem to emerge from a lake of pure crystal. Beyond the breakin period they require careful and discerning listening and, dare I say, at least a fair source of audio. Their nominal impedance is 130 ohms, but they are quite easy to drive. These are genuine studio monitors. You may need and like accuracy in your casual listening, or you may not. If you do like accuracy more than you like golden concert hall ambience, these phones are a real deal. You can find them on the web for as little as $70. Or, you can order them direct for Koss for about $109 including shipping and handling. I give these phones five stars for value and overall rating and would give them even more stars if I could. I really like the Koss Pro-4AA's.

Similar Products Used:

Grado 80s, Sony MDR v900's.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 13  

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