Koss KTXPRO1 Titanium Portable On Ear Headphones Review – Milwaukee’s Finest
Ever since losing my beloved Sennheiser PX-100 to the jaws of a dachshund I’ve been a sucker for open-backed, featherweight mini-headphones, which are cheap, supremely comfortable and sometimes very good sounding.
The ($20 on Amazon) KTXPRO1, as best as I can ascertain, sport a titanium-coated version of the driver used in Koss’s KSC-75 and KPH-30i, both of which are much-admired in these parts. Retro faux-metal headband looks a bit outré, but fit is stable and build surprisingly solid for the giveaway price.
Its shared heritage notwithstanding, the KTXPRO1 has quite a different signature than its warm, balanced siblings—the KTXPRO1 is brighter and more V-shaped, with a leaner note texture, more recessed mids and a noticeably more extended, crisper high end.
Most significantly (perhaps because the KTXPRO1’s earcups provide a little better seal than the more open-back KSC75) the KTXPRO1 has noticeably tighter and better sculpted bass than the fuller-sounding but somewhat boomy KSC75 (and the more celebrated PortaPro)—attack transients on bass strings and drumheads are much quicker on the KTXPRO1. Soundstage is narrow and within-your-head, but instruments are fairly well separated and accurately placed.
As with the KSC75 and the KPHi, the KTXPRO1 have that quality of unforced musicality—even if pricier units have more transparency or articulation, the KTXPRO1 remains wholly non-fatiguing and true-to-source.
That the KTXPRO1 is better at the technicalities, cheaper and better-built than its stablemates is icing on the cake—these are easily the best Koss model I’ve heard and their comparative obscurity is a bit surprising.
In an alternative universe I could have spent twenty bucks and used these as my sole headphones, saved tens of thousands of dollars, and probably be no less discontented with my station in life. Ah, reality!!
Wall of Excellence material, uber-budget division.
Specifications Koss KTXPRO1
- 15-25,000 Hz
- 60 ohms
- 103 dB SPL/1mW
- <0.2%
- Straight, Dual Entry, 4ft standard 3.5mm
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
- Tested at: $20
I still hurt inside when I think about my departed PX-100s. Sennheiser should really consider releasing a special / limited edition version of them, they could probably make a killing. Anyway, back to topic – I have enjoyed PortaPros for a long time but they do hurt my ears after a while, no matter how I click the adjustment switches. So it makes me happy to hear that these are an interesting alternative.