Koss

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Koss

23 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 23, 2025

  Looking for DURABLE noise-cancelling wireless over-ear headphones will last longer than 2 years

  i'm on my second pair of xm4's, one i had for about three years and still functions, but got a second pair because the first was starting to sound a little tinny due to playing at high volume for pretty much the entire time i've had them. replacement cushions are super easy to find too (sony ones are expensive, wicked cushions are pretty great though). the original pair still technically works fine, other than the high pitched noise on one side. most comfortable pair i have other than dt 770s and koss porta pros. idk how hard people are handling/using their headphones though, i just use mine on breaks at work (just throwing into my work bag when not using them), or at home. i've never slept with earphones or headphones on though.

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• #2Dec 5, 2025

  Looking into closed back headphones with detachable cables, which of these options I've considered are more durable

  Hey !!

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• #3Nov 5, 2025

  What are the best headphones with a great price-to-performance ratio?

  I was going to suggest Porta Pros, but yours is close enough.

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• #4Nov 4, 2025

  What are the best headphones with a great price-to-performance ratio?

  Anker for wireless. Beyerdynamic and Audio Technica for wired. Koss Portapros are the only truly cheap headphones worth mentioning, and when you see them you'll understand why they've never been able to jack the price up on them despite years of praise at how they perform for their price.

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• #5Nov 4, 2025

  What are the best headphones with a great price-to-performance ratio?

  Koss KSC75 with a headband mod - hard to beat it for $30.

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• #6Nov 1, 2025

  In ear headphones. Plz help. Tired of replacing constantly.

  I used the Sony WF-1000XM5 for about 3 years before I felt the wireless signal dropping was too annoying for me to continue using them. I never used them as hard as you did though. 3 to 5 hours a day. 5 days a week. If it was raining, I wouldn't wear them. I would change the ear pads about once a month with a suitable comply. I am now using airpods. However, for longevity. have you considered wired? Something like the Koss Porta-pros. You can easily change the ear pads when they wear out and they have a pretty good lifetime warranty. They are so simple that they rarely fail. And there is no batter to get worn out.

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• #7Oct 6, 2025

  Wireless earbuds that still let you hear outside?

  I can agree with that statement, but also would argue that anything made by Koss would be half the price and have better sound quality & connectivity across platforms. And they are a budget brand. Wired will always be king. That's why companies like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, etc have removed every single port they can to " improve water resistance " while simultaneously making that device essentially have a death date.

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• #8Oct 2, 2025

  Searching for stable headphones

  For a cheaper option, the Koss PortaPro line can't be beat. I've had the same pair for years. It helps that they're also highly regarded as the best bang for your buck in the ~$50 range as far as sound quality goes.

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• #9Oct 2, 2025

  Searching for stable headphones

  Any serious brand should last a while. I like Sennheiser and Koss, many like Audio-Technica, the Sony MDR stuff is used professionally, there's a whole world of good cans outside of the fashion brands.

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• #10Jul 7, 2025

  Looking for wired earphones without noise cancelling

  Koss On Ear Headphones

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• #11Jul 6, 2025

  Record player. I'm caving to my vinyl head friends and jumping into the game. Looking to spend around $250 or under with speakers.

  So this seems like a troll to me, but sure why not audio technica sound burger and koss porta pro headphones?

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• #12Jun 5, 2025

  BIFL items to gift to someone when they’re young?

  When my daughter started kindergarten, the school required we provide wired headphones. Got her a pair of Koss Porta Pros, which are inexpensive with good sound quality and have a fairly well-regarded lifetime warranty. Given how kids beat the crap out of their stuff, seemed like a good buy, especially considering it's not that much more than disposable-tier headphones for kids. \~3 years later, it's survived through the end of second grade in one piece (not counting one of the foam ear cushions). I'm impressed by that, and it's still nice to know that the lifetime warranty is still there when/if she manages to bust something (assuming she doesn't lose them first).

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• #13Jun 5, 2025

  What’s one item you bought that way outperformed its price?

  Got a pair of modded dt770s so it has a detachable 3.5mm cable. Should have these for life for sure. They’re also totally modular, if something breaks or pads wear out they’re easy to replace. Funny though I find myself using my koss headphones a lot, they’re so light and the bigger headphones are overkill for so many things.

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• #14May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  Lifetime warranty. Just need to pay a nominal fee for shipping & handling. I rotate through several pairs of KSC75s in my family, and they must be the best bang/buck headphones ever. Every time the wiring breaks, I just send it back. (I did mod one pair with MMCX connectors, but they're so inexpensive that it wasn't really worth the effort.)

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• #15May 10, 2025

  Brands you swear by that have Buy It For Life quality products

  Lodge cast iron Darn tough socks Koss PortaPros Herman Miller Aeron Duke Traps Mr. Buddy Heaters Coleman Dual Fuel stoves Maglites Channelock pliers

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• #16Apr 8, 2025

  Headphones wired, 🍎 replacement

  Check out the Koss PortaPro and/or the KSC75. They're very portable, sound great, and can be durable as long as they're not being abused. Plus, Koss has a limited lifetime warranty that they actually honor (you pay $9 shipping for new headphones).

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• #17Apr 1, 2025

  Best headphones for work?

  Massdrop x Koss KSC75X On-Ear Headphones

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• #18Mar 7, 2025

  BIFL Protip: A bluetooth adapter can extend the life and usefulness of your favorite wired headphones

  You can even mod some headphones/earphones to work with MMCX connectors! They sell kits on Aliexpress. I modded my koss porta pros (good BIFL material, apart from their wires) and can now use any MMCX to 3.5mm cable, or even bluetooth MMCX adapters (bluetooth koss porta pros ftw!)

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• #19Dec 4, 2015

  What are the best on ear headphones for the money?

  Dollar for dollar I would go with the Koss Porta Pro's hands down

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• #20Dec 4, 2015

  Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?

  KOSS PortaPros. They sound decent, fold, light weight, not crazy expensive, and the best reason: lifetime warranty, just pay about $8 for shipping. I've been through 3 pairs in 5 years, when I used to go through about 6 pairs a year.

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• #21Dec 4, 2015

  Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?

  Grados are a good suggestion. Headphones will eventually break-down in some way, so a good guarantee is a start. Grado will repair most broken parts for cheap or free. Note that Grado's are also an open design though. Don't be the idiot that gives them a bad review, because you thought they were closed. (For the curious, the design is set to open because it usually makes the headphone sound more natural letting air pass through). Also, for the curious, some amazing things are happening to modifying Grado's right now. It's an easy headphone to modify, but there's people building Senngrados for cheap (Vibro Labs). And you have Symphones started to release the Magnum V6 drivers, and making an open 3d printed earcup, made for the sound quality through Shapeways (in Beta). Grado's, and especially modified Grado are some of the easiest ways to get kickass sound quality on the dirt cheap, considering the hobby is getting stupid expensive. Koss is also a good suggestion and has a lifetime guarantee. If it breaks, and it will after a few years, send it in and get a new one, for life. Very cheap, open air design. Go with the Porta Pro or KSC75 (Latter has better highs, less bass, more neutral). Audio Technica is often recommended. Their M40x/M50x design is phenomenal, but they're a V shape, sucking out the midrange. Many realize their mediocrity after trying more neutral headphones (m50), the issue with the m40x is that it sounds too enclosed and slightly boomy. It is more neutral, the highs feels artificial. Supposedly there is a mod out there to fix some of these issues. My quintessential BIFL headphone is the Sennheiser HD-25. It's a 25 year old headphone, and only had a few updates. It's made to be used, the cable ports are well thought out, the parts can be bought if you break them, and are user replaceable. It sounds neutral, and this mod i've done has made them sound a lot better. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZIt_3xfHwc Yes, it's usually more than $150. Also, a lot of people ignore on-ears. I think they're one of the cheapest ways to get a good seal though, whereas many over-ears have a harder time of making a seal and having the driver at the ideal spot to the ears. I was so ambivalent to the clamp of the HD-25's in the beginning, but they loosened up with use. One might place it around something to emulate a head. I agree with Unkle_Erik, a lot of the detachable cables - ESPECIALLY ON CHEAPER MODELS - are very weak. So many sell detachable cables at a selling point, even products like mechanical keyboards, and the input is the first thing to fail. Bose is decent. They make the best noise cancelling headphones, bar none. They are overpriced and not BIFL durable. Beats is overpriced too, although the Solo 2 is considered good. Still not BIFL. Beyerdynamic has too many quality control issues. Frequent drivers dying and imbalances. Not BIFL, although a step above the last few mentions. German Maestro 8.35 gets a mention, because they're bombproof. A videos on YouTube chucking them around. An over-ear, and could use a different set of earpads you can easily switch out yourself. 3 year warranty? Cable will eventually need replacing, but it's heavier than the headphone itself (I recommend the mobile version), since the normal length can put too much weight on the side of the headphone. I also do NOT recommend V-Moda. They are not military grade design. They have a good warranty, where they will give you 50% off your next purchase, when your current one breaks. Val Kolton is trying to balance style and function, and style trumps in the end. The headband frays, the plastic can chip easily (especially where they connect to the headband, the ports are a problem. They're not the worst, but priced around the warranty, i'd say. The sound is also as v-shaped as you can get. Mega bass, no midrange at all. The headband pads are bad, and the XL are not much better. Most would do better with the M50x if they want that V. I'm also not a huge fan of the Sony's 7506/v6. It's a great design, but the quality has dropped. There's a million imitators. They're neutralish though, and meant for monitors. This means, details revealed, bass lighter, and treble can be harsh, particularly on bad recordings. I'd recommend Senal SMH-1000 as an alternative. Headphone pads on both are meh. With the M40x/M50x, Sony 7506, German Maestro's, (and Fostex below) there's like a bajillion different headphone pads that are relatively interchangeable. The Mp4nation pads are generally recommended. They're a weak "memory foam". Also note that pads can change the sound signature in a significant way. I haven't tried the Monoprice more than at a meet. They're cheap, they're durable for their price. They're uncomfortable and put a lot of pressure on the top of the head. They're a headphone that could use some serious modding to make work, which for the price, i'd rather take a koss and flop on the hammock. Good sound signature, more neutral. Also, the T50RP and subsequent mods are a good recommendation. It's a different driver type, orthodynamic. It needs an amp, so can become more expensive and certainly cumbersome. I recommend the Fulla Schiit USB amp. The T50RP is semi-open design, so sound leaks, whereas the T40RP is closed. They've been modded to no end, but the mk3's sound pretty darn good. And ortho driver, to me, sounds more precise, while having a smaller sound stage. Some prefer one to another. While, to me, a dynamic sounds like its coming from a cone, within its soundstage, the Fostex and ortho drivers sound like they're coming from a wider area (not easy to explain). I still find dynamic drivers more fun, even though they're blending more. There's a major shift in the audio industry in the past 10 years. Many of the headphones i'm recommending have been "updated", but have been around the block a few times, and are 10+ years old. Recently, you have a ton of newer companies, typically made in China. Their drivers are fantastic. I can go on many ends of my web of how good the NAD Viso HP50 sounds. It's also horribly uncomfortable and fragile though. Many of these imports have really good drivers encapsulated in poor, weak designs. Take your pick, but it doesn't belong in BIFL. Also, for funsies, I will always recommend the Sennheiser HD600 and HD650. They're not duper durable. Sennheiser offers replaceable parts. Many will disagree with me, and I don't give damns for your downvotes, but with a decent amp, they're the best open, over ear headphones for the price. More people would like the HD650 ideally, but it's a pain to find the right amplifier (Bottlehead Crack). If you're not willing to build that, or invest in something like a Schiit Valhalla, the HD600 is way more amp forgiving. It's a headphone that always sounds, "just right". If you have any specific questions, ask me. This is too much shit for me to write a faq here.

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• #22Dec 3, 2015

  Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?

  I would go easy on higher end headphones on public transit. Between losing them or theft I'd scale it back a bit. I've had a Sony and a Bose that were good but not much better than a < $40 Koss PortaPro which I end up using way way more because they're comfortable on my massive head when I'm wearing them for a long time. They have strong low end especially for that type of headphone. Open ear headphones also allows more situational awareness for a girl on public transit.

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• #23Dec 3, 2015

  Best over the ear headphones for less than $150?

  If you want open ear, get Koss Porta Pros or the best Grados you can afford. If you want closed, get Audio Technicas.

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