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Reviews For: Koss PRO 4/AA

Category: Headphones & Boom-microphone Headsets

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Review Summary For : Koss PRO 4/AA
Reviews: 18MSRP: 99.00
Description:
Studio headphones.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.koss.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00184.6
KN6AZK Rating: 2019-10-09
Almost great Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After having read all of the reviews here on eHam and elsewhere online, I decided to purchase the Koss Pro4AA headphones.

So I messaged their page contact through FB messenger to ask whether or not the Amazon seller using their name was indeed them or not, and found that it was, and that they are legit (because there are also Pro4AA knockoffs available on Amazon...). Then I decided to order them through Amazon instead of their website.

On the website they're $99, and the Koss SB40's are $40. On Amazon I was able to get BOTH the Pro4AA AND the SB40 for $106 total. I figured I would use the SB40's for gaming, though since they already have the boom mic attached I may end up using them with my ham gear as well.

The Pro4AA headphones are definitely heavy and bulky, but they sound incredible!!!! Much better in my opinion than the SB40's.

My biggest complaint, and the reason they didn't get a "5", is the two annoying pieces of plastic "corners" at either end of the foam strip that rests on your head. Those corners dig right into my temples no matter how I adjust the headphones.
They are so annoying that I'm going to cut them off with a Dremel tomorrow. Not sure why I should need to modify a pair of $80 headphones to make them bearable to wear... that's a major flaw to me.

But, I'm pretty certain that after that modification I'll have no further complaints about them.

If you plan on using them with a 1/8" (3.5mm) jack, you'll need a 1/4-to-3.5mm adapter.
JRT3 Rating: 2015-09-26
Great headphones! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I ordered my first pair through my ship's store in 1971-2 while I was in the USN. I had to build an adapter so I could use them with my AR Amplifier, as it had no provision for 'phones. In 1975, I acquired a Collins R-390A which I also had to make an adapter, this time a line-speaker xfmr, to operate. Up until the R-390A, I had used mainly my Brandes Superior headphones - dating from my first homebrew crystal radio in 1960 and including my first SWL radio, a Lafayette HE-10 from 1962. The Pro-4AA's sounded great as hifi 'phones - and excelled at DXing, allowing me to pull out some rare DX ID's on SWBC stations. Additionally, they worked great with late night DXing as they isolated me from outside sounds as well as they did isolate my desired signals from the outside world. They were great 'phones until the early 90's, when my cat ate the cord. As I started to replace just the plug, I noticed the strain relief on the left side had failed - I put the headphones in my 'needs help' box and bought two pair of Sony MDR V6 'phones as the Koss model wasn't in production.

I noticed the Pro-4AA's were back in 2011 - ordered a pair 6/11 via Amazon. They looked the same, only differing in the pronounced hump where the earspeaker's magnet would be. They are still made in the USA, still have the aforementioned hump surrounded by 'Left' and 'Right' - lest you forget - and still have the knurled attachment for a boom mic, I suppose, on the left earphone - and a ten foot coiled cord with a molded 1/4" stereo phone plug. This works great with all of my SW tabletop radios, including Drake R8, Icom R-75, JRC NRD-525, and Lowe HF-150 & 225, leaving one exception - a Palstar R30A - which only has a non-ground referenced 1/4" mono jack. It works great with my Tecsum portables with an adapter cable, too. My Onkyo CD player's separate headphone amp drives it painfully loud as does the usual stereo headphone outputs from my hifi setup.

Ergonomics depend on your noggin size. Mine is 7 7/8 - large - and, until they break in, they are tight to the point of being uncomfortable. The bass is low initially - but improves with use (break in). Their lifetime warranty is excellent - I recently collected the remnants of my first set and sent them, along with $9 s&h as directed by Koss, back for r&R - they sent me a brand new set! They, too, are tight and have little bass - like the 6/11 set were/did initially - they are already improving! Great product - great company!
W2IU Rating: 2015-02-06
My Go To Headset Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had these lying around for years never thinking about combining them with my rig. Plugged them in and lo and behold, they are amazing. As a user of apple ear buds for the longest time, these cans help me pick out the weakest signals. I was actually astounded to hear how much I was missing.

They are solid and I find them comfortable to wear and the weight does not bother me. Can't go wrong with these!

Thanks for the great product Koss!
W4SG Rating: 2014-07-22
Koss, You have a satisfied customer. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a pair of the Koss PRO 4/AAs and they had stopped working. Not only that, the coiled cord was no longer very coiled and the plastic headband part was coming apart. These were very old friends used for Ham Radio and stereo listening.

After reading other reviews about how Koss stands behind their products, I went to their web site and followed their instructions. Sent them in with the $9 requested and two weeks later I get was it essentially a brand new headset.

How could you not rate a company that stands behind their products any less than a 5.0! Other companies should take notice how a WI company does it.
K8JHR Rating: 2014-07-14
Good Classic Cans Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned multiple KOSS Pro 4/AA headphones over the years. The Original high power, high volume, super durable headphones from the 1970s - there is a reason they still make them.

The Good: They provide good, solid, clear communications audio. Compared to audiophile headphones, and with most consumer grade headphones, they are a bit light on bass, which is ideal for communications grade audio. The high end is more than ample to the task. The important midrange is linear (flat) clear and crisp - precisely what is best for communications audio. The earphone receivers provide approximately 20 dB passive noise attenuation, which substantially reduces ambient noise, such as is produced by noisy cooling fans and the XYL asking when I will finish my chores. Overall, very cans for amateur transceivers.

The Best Bit: These headphones have a knurled knob intended to secure a boom microphone. I mounted a mic boom cannibalized from a Shure aerobics headset designed for use with wireless microphone transmitters. This provided a slick, easy conversion from headphones to headset, and the mic element is superb - as a headset these cans are a much better value. The curious may email me for pictures of my conversion project.

The Bad: These are not the most comfortable headphones. They weigh 22 oz. which is double that of most other headphones. They have oval around-the-ear pads, but they are somewhat low profile and shallow. Consequently, the plastic mesh inside the pad that covers the earphone receiver can press against one's ear, which, in turn, can become uncomfortable over extended listening sessions. The earphone pads are vinyl and filled with oil, which does well to block outside noise, but they can become sweaty and hot over extended listening sessions. You may or may not like the coiled cord. I do, but some operators find it is stiff, and springy, putting additional stress on their necks. Some operators find the coiled cable tends to get in the way as it crosses the desktop on its way from the rig to the operator. Of course, this depends on how your shack is laid out.

So... bottom line - I like the KOSS Pro 4/AA with my transceiver. Audio quality is particularly good for ham radio. You may or may not find them comfortable over extended periods. They work well for me, but they may not work for everyone.

Just MY take... / K8JHR /
KQ6EA Rating: 2012-11-27
Good Sound, But Fragile Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had these about 8 years now, and they just now broke again.
The first failure was the wire lead that connected to two ear piece elements together. I replaced it with a piece of RG-316 coax, as it was the only "two conductor" wire I had that was small enough.
Then the 1/8" stereo plug became intermittent, and I had to replace that.
Now the plastic pieces that hold the left ear piece into the headband have broken, and I'm not sure how to fix that one.
Maybe a couple of big cable ties and some JB Weld?
I don't throw these around; they're only used for listening to movies or music on my laptop.
Granted, I bought these in 2004, but I've got another set of Koss headphones that I bought in 1970, and they've held together just fine.
Maybe I got a lemon, or a set that was molded/wired/built on a Monday or Friday!
W9KDX Rating: 2012-02-16
Ignore everything else Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Pay no attention to the disgusting color (you won't see it on your head anyway). Ignore that they reset when you take them off and you have to adjust the headband every time you take them off you put them back on. Try not to think about the weight, like having a small animal wrapped around your skull.

Just listen. I could not believe the difference between these and cheaper phones. Come on, this is just speech right? How much difference could these make, after all, this isn't the Grateful Dead, right? Well, in a nutshell, whatever they do, it makes a huge different, right away.

Besides, how much longer will you be able to buy something from the company that invented phones that still has such a commitment to customer service (Lifetime Warranty) and, by the way, MADE IN USA.
N0CZV Rating: 2011-03-02
Great headphones! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought a set at Stereohio 1973 - 38 years old now. They had ended up with some issues. I sent them back to Koss about a year ago - I think the charge was around $6.00 to have them completely rebuilt and retored. New cord, elements, ear covers. Koss covered it under their lifetime warranty. Who does that anymore? I use them for stereo work and on several HF transceivers with good results. They are on the heavy side. I added a pair of David Clark aviation headset cloth covers over the vinyl - they are much more tolerable now. The ear covers used to be liquid filled, but the new ones are foam filled. I don't really notice a difference.
N4AUD Rating: 2008-02-25
Great Headphone Time Owned: more than 12 months.
These are great sounding headphones, the best I've ever used. They are heavy, but if you adjust the headband to sit on top of your head they are not uncomfortable. I recently send mine back to Koss along with $6, and when I got them back they had replaced the cord, the headband, the elements and the cushions! Virtually a new set!
VA6LJH Rating: 2007-06-19
Surpriseingly good Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had always viewed these as hi-fi headphones. I started using them on my IC756 so as to hear over the ambient noise and not feed back when monitoring my signal. Many have mentioned the low monitor output of the IC756, but with the isolation and reasonable sensitivity I can hear my signal quite well. When I got these they were not in great shape, and other problems cropped up. I phoned Koss for parts. They wanted me to send the phones back. When they returned them they had fixed the driver, replaced the ear cusions, repaired the head band and put on a fancy new cord. That was far more than I asked for. I only had to pay shipping. They are heavy and when people come up behind you, the results are startling. If you want a headphone for life these are a good choice