Koss Pro 4AAA - thoughts?

trikster · Mar 30, 2015

I just inherited a set of the headphones from my dad. He bought them in 1970 and never used them. They probably need new ear cups but they sound quite nice powered by my Marantz 2015. They are a little dull and flat, but with the loudness button on, they sound fantastic!

What do you all think? Hope to take a few pics this weekend. Will try to scan in all the documentation that's in the box. Lots of cool stuff. The coolest thing in the box though, my dad's playlist for the tapes he made for my mom when they were dating.

jonman · Mar 31, 2015

Great cans.

Dadbar · Mar 31, 2015

I used to own a pair of the previous generation Pro 4A. It was like wearing a vise grip on your head. I thought they sounded great until I replaced them with a pair of Grado SR60 cans which were infinitely more comfortable and better sounding.

yamahammer · Mar 31, 2015

i was going to say the same when i bought my grado 80's

classic carl · Mar 31, 2015

I also had a pair of Pro 4-AA. They sounded nice but they were too heavy to wear for very long.

RamblinE · Mar 31, 2015

Your father never used them because they wear like a medeval torture device.

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jcamero · Mar 31, 2015

I have had mine 40 years. Still sound very good. A little heavy, but when I listen to them, I usually have my head laid back in the recliner.

Brian · Mar 31, 2015

I have a set of the ESP9b that uses the same cup and head assembly. Gotta agree with the weight and pressure comments. I have been using them for maybe 25 years, bought them new.

Yours should have the lifetime warranty. You can check the Koss site. Replacement cushions were about $5 a pair. Not liquid filled.

As for sound, if the New England sound is your cup of tea, these work. Frequency response is very flat and one reason why so many studios still use them after decades. The titanium version is not the same and most persons having listened to both prefer the non-titanium version. They are still sold today.

The Grados are a very good phone and yes easier to wear especially in the portable society we have today. A set of the Pros will not cut the mustard walking down the street. But sitting back in your recliner or office chair with a high back, etc. listening to classic and jazz; well this is where they really shine.

If I were to buy new today it likely would be a set of the current Pro4AAA as I do not go out and they isolate others from the music and I from their gossip.

trikster · Mar 31, 2015

Brian said:
If I were to buy new today it likely would be a set of the current Pro4AAA as I do not go out and they isolate others from the music and I from their gossip.

This bit is why I am interested in them. So I can either listen to my music without bothering someone or being bothered by whatever they are doing, or while watching something on my computer when my daughters are watching something kid-centric on TV... With a touch of bass and treble, they sound very nice to me. Yes they are heavy, but I listen to them while sitting in my Laz-e-boy, so the weight isn't terrible.

Talking with my mom yesterday, my dad used them when he first got them when he was making mixed tapes on reel-to-reel off of vinyl. He stopped doing that in the months before I was born in 1973. So, they have sat since then in their box with all the paperwork.

Brian · Mar 31, 2015

Nice find especially as they were your dad's. Bet you can see him sitting there enjoying the hobby and when he nailed a tape, the joy and satisfaction he had.

These were the phones most used back then for that purpose. Nothing like them was available at the time.

Hope you also have some of the tapes.

DeeCee · Mar 31, 2015

I had a set long ago and bought a pair for my father; they were pretty nice (at least back in the day) - they probably will outperform most in their price range nowadays.

Admittedly I haven't listened to a set in ages though so YMMV.

gbroot · Apr 2, 2015

The ProAAA's were TOTL. They do take some power though in order to be at their best. In 1972 Koss came out with the open, lighter weight HV/1's which used the same drivers. The HV/1's had several variants through their production run into the early to mid 80's. One of my all time favorites. Smooth, laid back, and they go deep. Maybe someone can chime in if the current line of 4AAA's use a variant of the original driver.

trikster · Apr 2, 2015

I ran them off my Marantz receiver using a few tracks that dig really deep... Did surprisingly well. Much better than I expected.

GoldSounds · Apr 2, 2015

I have a pair of these. Bass is surprisingly deep, and I actually find them rather comfortable to wear, at least compared to other headphones from that era. I took the brown plastic cups off (the part covering the drivers) and lined them with acoustic damping material and cotton stuffing. It was a mild improvement; they still don't have the detail and extension of my Grado SR 80 but they are somewhat smoother.

riveraXVX · Apr 2, 2015

found a nice pair of Pro 4-AA's at an estate sale last year with the manual - they sound great but man are they hard on the head! I've only used them on a couple occasions and when I can do nothing but just lay back, glasses off and listen even then after 15-20 minutes time to pry myself out of them. I do quite enjoy the sound though

twiiii · Apr 11, 2015

I had Pro4-aaa and aa. I used them for remotes or sneaking boot leg recordings when my monitor was the headphone out put of my B-77 HS 2 track or my Stereo Shure Mixer with head phone jack to mix the 4 channels of my 300-4. I used them with My Nakamichi 550 recorder when making remote recordings of Steam engines and piston aircraft. I used them with my Sony U-matic recorders when video taping Air shows and Railroad excursions. They worked great isolating you from stray sounds and allowing you to get the mix right. Now if I was doing a remote with multi channel mix with a P series Yamaha board I would take my 2505 and my Koss electrostatics for isolation, too. They were much more accurate if you were using processors or equalization on the mixer in the field. The Pro 4aa worked very well in complimenting PA systems using either Altec or JBL in the 70, and 80. Very similar balance and horn bass quality.

trikster · Apr 11, 2015

I am really enjoying them. I don't get to use them often because the cord isn't long enough to reach the receiver from where I sit. I am in the process of restoring a second receiver that will probably be my primary headphone rig for a while.

danj · Jul 21, 2015

I might be in the minority but I was never a fan. I found their sound adequate but they were horribly uncomfortable. I did own a pair (got them as a gift) back in the 70s but I much preferred the Kenwood KH-71, which sounded better to me and were much more comfortable.

They are a sure bet, though, to easily flip if you can find a good specimen at the right price.

jmchrislip · Jul 21, 2015

I have a pair of the PRO4AA and ESP 9. Both excellent headphones.

Andyman · Jul 21, 2015

I was raised in Milwaukee and everybody had a set of those in the 1970s. I've picked up a couple sets now and then for testing purposes, but many are plagued with the dreaded broken wire issue causing a dead channel. I've fixed that problem on practically every set I've owned.

I'm glad you're enjoying them!

Koss Pro 4AAA - thoughts?

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