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Provides: Portable stereo headphones

Developer: Koss Corporation

Minimum Requirements: 1/8" mini audio out for headphone, 1/8" mini audio in for microphone

Price: P16 Stereophone - $14.99; PortaPro Stereophone - $49.99

Availability: Out now

If you've read any of my iPod related reviews, you know how I feel about the earbuds Apple includes with every iPod model. They're better than nothing, sure, and they're actually quite a bit better than the headphones most MP3 player manufacturers include with their models. Still, the sound is never any better than good, and no matter how I place them, I can't get the things to stay in my ears.

Finding a better pair of headphones is a fairly easy task, but I prefer to not spend too much money, I want a pair that's still somewhat portable, and I'd prefer to find a unit that works for movies and games as well as it does for music. This time around, I settled on two models from Koss: the P16 Stereophone and the PortaPro Stereophone.

We'll start with the P16 Stereophone ($14.99), as it's more in line with what iPod users expect and want from their headphones, both in price and style. At under $15, investing in a pair of these isn't a big deal above the cost of your iPod. They're designed to work well all things iPod, too, both in appearance and functionality.

The P16s have a white band that wraps behind your neck, accented by silver trim on the part that rests over your ear. The speaker grills are black, half of which is open to rest just inside your ear canal. By only opening half of the grill, all of the sound is directed into your ear, not outside of it. The fit is fairly comfortable, and the design actually makes the headphones feel as if they're fitting too loosely. Although this does take some time to get used to, the loose feel makes them easier to wear for longer periods.

When you're done with your headphones, they fold up nicely for portability. They're not nearly as convenient as Apple's earbuds (you won't just be wrapping them around your case), but they are small enough when folded to fit into a pocket, purse or backpack. The four foot cord, however (which has an attached volume control, incidentally), can easily become tangled up.

Unfortunately, the sacrifice for all of this convenience is mediocre sound. For those who understand such things:

Specifications:

• Frequency Response - 40-20,000 Hz
• Impedance - 32 ohms
• Sensitivity - 102 db SPL/1mW
• Distortion - <1.0%

To those who don't understand, I'll just say that the sound is "tinny." There's not a lot of bass here (despite Koss's claim of "enhanced bass"), and the highs and mid-range kind of meld together. As a result, details in the music will get lost. This won't be a big deal for those currently using Apple's earbuds, but if you're going to pay extra for a new pair of headphones, you should be buying more than just an improved comfort factor.

Which is why you should be buying the PortaPro ($49.99). These headphones are more traditional in that the band rests on top of your head, not behind your neck, and the padded speakers are large enough to cover your ear. Typically, larger speakers means a larger sound, and you get that here:

Specifications:

• Frequency Response - 15-25,000 Hz
• Impedance - 60 ohms
• Sensitivity - 101 db SPL/1mW
• Distortion - <0.2%

You don't need to understand the science of sound to see how much better these numbers are than those of the P16. Put the headphones on, though, and it'll become really clear. Even more than those numbers indicate, I can honestly say that this is the best set of under $50 headphones I've ever used; the sound is crystal clear, the lows are full without getting distorted, and there's excellent separation of mid and high range audio. No matter what style of music I was listening to, I was hearing parts I'd never heard before (or at least can't remember hearing after switching so heavily to the iPod).

The drawback to this is that I could actually start to tell the difference between MP3 and AIFF files, and I found that I had to start ripping my CDs at 192 kbps at the least instead of the previous 128 kbps because I wasn't satisfied with the sound quality. Regardless, because the sound is so good, I didn't have to turn up the music as loud to have a decent listening experience. I'm sure this pleased my coworkers, as it was easier for them to get my attention when needed, and I shouted at them a lot less.

How's all of this possible? Koss explains it using phrases such as, " Constructed from mylar, the elements are extremely rigid, minimizing mechanical distortion and ensuring exceedingly accurate sound reproduction," and "Neodymium iron boron rare earth magnet structures enable the PortaPro to deliver greater volume so you can hear every note, even when competing against the sounds of a commuter train with a low-voltage MP3 or disc player," and "Oxygen free copper voice coils improve signal transmission and conduction for cleaner, clearer sound."

...? Well, I don't know art, but I do know what I like.

This much, much better sound doesn't mean you have to completely sacrifice comfort and portability. The PortaPro headphones are still fairly lightweight, and the band easily slides to fit your head, but stays put once you get it set. ComfortZone switches determine the angle at which the earphones press against your ear, allowing for a loose (just sitting around) or snug (exercising) fit , while extra padding above the earphone means that the headphones aren't pressing just against your ears.

The PortaPro can be folded up when not in use, and a latch mechanism holds the unit in a circle so you can place the headphones in the provided carrying pouch. It's still a pretty tight fit, though. And because there's nothing around which to wrap the four foot cord, it tends to just get tangled up inside the pouch.

But that's a small price to pay for these headphones, which continue to surprise me each time I put them on; I really just can't believe I'm getting sound this good for only $50.00. And better yet, it's sound that works whether I'm listening to music on my iPod, watching movies on my Macintosh or playing games on my Nintendo DS. Whereas I used to have two sets of headphones—a portable set for the iPod and a home set for movie/game use—I'm now using the Koss PortaPro for everything. In fact, I'm tempted to buy another pair just so I always have a set at home and at the office. I think if you buy yourself a set, you may feel the same.

Oh, be careful though. In a curious marketing blunder, Koss named a less impressive but visually similar set of headphones the SportaPro. If you're asking for the PortaPro as a gift, make sure you're quite clear in your instructions; you wouldn't want to settle for anything less than what the PortaPro delivers.

Koss P16 Stereophone

Koss PortaPro

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