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Koss Pro-4aa Headphones: A Classic Resurrected
Date of Review: Dec 13, 2000
The Koss Pro4s were THE headphones to have during the 1960s and 1970s. By the time I became interested in audio, in the 1970s, Koss Pro4aas were the best dynamic headphones available. Bulky, heavy, and comfortable only for an album or so, they were the standard against which all other headphones were measured. If you went into a recording studio, Koss Pro4aas would be in use by the engineers.
What did they sound like? Extremely good. Mids and highs were neutral through the Koss Pro4aas, and the bass response was amazing for headphones, due to the fact that they were NOT an open air design. Even deep organ tones (between 20 and 40 hz) could be heard clearly through Koss Pro4aas.
The only drawback to the Pro4aas was the fact that they were heavy, and the sealed design meant that your ears would be sweaty and warm after a listening session. I had a pair of Pro4aas through the 70s and early 80s (until a friend sat on them and squished them beyond repair) and would never have traded them in had they not succumbed to a direct hit from my careless friend?s bony buttocks.
Today, I use Koss Pro4x headphones, which are lighter and more comfortable than the Pro4aas, but don?t have quite the bass of the classic design.
The 40th Anniversary Headphone is a celebration of the Koss classic, and is worthy of consideration if you?re a serious listener who wants to experience a frequency response of from below 20 hz to above 20khz through headphones.
Midrange and treble through these ?phones is remarkably natural, and the sealed design provides bass response that is difficult to duplicate with today?s lighter weight designs. As a result, the listening experience through Koss Pro4aas is ultimately more realistic and musically satisfying.
These are NOT the headphones to wear when you?re jogging or dancing, however. Rather, they are the headphones to use when you want to hear exactly what?s on the recording you?re listening to.
Back in the ?70s, the cost of Pro4aas was about $60, if I recall correctly. The 40th Anniversary Edition costs about $100, which isn?t so bad when you consider how expensive the audio state of the art has become. Back in the days when the Pro4aas reigned supreme, the Acoustic Research 3a speakers were among the best you could buy. They cost $500/pair. Today, there are several speakers available in the $25,000 range, an increase of almost two orders of magnitude!
If you want to hear the Allman Brothers at the Fillmore East, or Little Feat?s Waiting for Columbus, or I Musici playing Vivaldi on the Philips label, as the engineers probably heard these recordings, give these headphones a listen. The open air light-weights you wear with your Walkman are way more comfortable, but you may have a hard time going back to them after hearing the Koss Pro4aas.
