Koss Pro4AAA Titanium Stereophone

These are big, heavy, honkin' over-ear headphones with good sound and I love wearing them. For that they are worth four times the price I paid. But there are weak connectors between the ear muffs and the headband, and one of those broke the second day I wore them. I managed to fix the phones myself but it's not something everyone would be able to do. I love these phones for their comfort and great sound but if I wasn't handy it would have been a crushing disappointment when the connector let loose. These phones are a huge bargain if you want big over-ear muffs, but beware the not very strong connectors with the headband; treat them gently and you'll probably be OK.

I really wanted to like these headphones, but it was not to be.The equipment I use for my headphone listening is my home stereo system.The main digital source is a Lenovo computer, also purchased fro Amazon, that I have dedicated to home theater PC duty. It has three external hard drives in addition to the one internal 1 Gig drive, 8 Gigs of RAM and fed from a filtered power supply with battery back-up. It has Windows 10 on it and I use the current version of JRiver Music Center for control. None of the files on this system are mp3, all are WAV, DSF, FLAC or ALAC, so no low res stuff here. I also have a Linn Sondek with a Benz Ruby cartridge that I use frequently hooked up to the system, too.Connected to this computer are two DACs, a Chord 2Qute via an Audioquest Coffee USB cable, and a Micromega MyDAC via a Wireworld Starlight USB cable. These are connected to the Audible Illusions Modulus 3A preamp via Shunyata interconnects.The Chord 2Qute is my favored DAC and this is the one that I used for this evaluation.An Antique Sound Labs MG Head DT OTL III tube headphone amplifier is fed from the tape monitor circuit of the Audible Illusions via Wireworld interconnects.I have over a dozen headphones from various manufacturers from Audio Technica to Superlux, Martin Logan to Pioneer, Grado to Fostex and yes, a couple of pairs of Koss headphones, too. My current Koss models are the Pro-4AA and the Pro-4AAT. I like the sound of the Pro-4AA, but the sound of the Pro-4AAT is substandard, even using the Antique Sound Labs MG DT Head OTL 32 amplifier with premium, NOS tubes...and this is from two different samples obtained directly from Koss.When I first plugged in the Pro-4AAAT headphones into the system the sound was pretty good. It improved after running overnight with a play list that consisted of the Purist Audio and the IsoTek burn-in CDs and I thought that the headphones were going to be a keeper.Comparing these to the Pro-4AA, I found their sound signatures to be similar but the comfort of the PRO-4AAAT was much better than the "head in a vise" pressure of the Pro-4AA's. I really hadn't gotten into in depth comparisons before their construction caused a situation that made these headphones untenable for me.Now, I have been very careful not to put any undue strain on these headphones as I have read and understood the other users who commented about the fragility of these headphones. The little padded band that stretches between the sides of the headband underneath the main part was the first to fall off...I stuck this back into place but it would not hold worth a darn. Later, the entire left earphone fell off into my hand.This was quite a surprise to say the least. I was able to take the two screws that hold the plastic fitting that holds the slide in place and reassemble the earphone back onto the head band.I was even able to insert the small sub-pad strap properly.But, today, the sub-pad fell out again and not wanting to see if the earphone would fall off again, I boxed them back up and got a return label from Amazon.I had high hopes for this headphone after my first listen to it, but the frailty of construction eliminates them from my consideration. I am so sorry that Koss brought such a piece to market and tried to sell it for the original list price. As it was, even at the greatly discounted price that Amazon is currently selling them for, they are still not a good value unless you want to re-engineer the earphone fitment...I could do that but I would rather spend my money on something better constructed to start with.I understand the desire to keep headphones light and to make manufacturing them easier, but it seems as if Koss really dropped the ball on these. If those little plastic ends on the headband had been more robust or made of aluminum, then my problem would never have materialized.So, I really, really wanted to keep these headphones, but my pair were just too fragile for me to worry about their longevity. FWIW, I have been a Koss user since buying my first sets back in the early 1970's, a set of the HV-1's and a set of the Quad headphones for my four channel setup, so it's not like I'm a newcomer to this game.I really wish that Koss would get the message and bring back the HV-1's, those were some of the best Koss ever sold.So, my set of Koss Pro-4AAAT's are going back to Amazon and I'll look for other sets of cans to add to my collection.

August 1, 2016 - Normally priced at $160, Amazon is offering Koss Pro4AAA Titanium Stereophones at a close-out price of $40. Rough with your head gear then you better look elsewhere. However, if you are not and you enjoy audiophile grade music then get the Titaniums as they present accurate, un-colored audio that is hard to beat at this price. They are superb for acoustic instruments - their titanium drivers make an audible difference. Although they can be connected to a laptop or a cell via their dual-size stereo plug, these headphones need proper audio power. They came alive when I added a headphone amp. Right off I heard more music detail and better bass response. Their size may not appeal to some but I find them to be very comfortable. As with new speakers, before you evaluate your new stereo-phones give them a solid 48 hour break in. Recommended.UPDATE - August 15, 2016I suggest you consider lubricating your Pro4AAAs to ensure easier use. The headband has a metal component that attaches to both the left and right plastic "Y" brackets that are attached to each earpiece. With my headphones I found the dissimilar materials were prone to binding - this could lead to damage. My solution was to apply a small amount of mineral oil (baby oil) using a "Q-Tip" to the pivot joints where the headband and the Y brackets attach to each other - see attached photo. You don't need much oil. Work the oil into the pivot by rotating the Y bracket back and forth and you are set.BTW - If you have a small audio budget, consider the Nobsound 6J9 Vacuum Tube Headphone Amplifier that is just $50 and available here at Amazon. And, don't forget to use quality audiophile interconnect cables.