KOSS Open-Back Big Prime Days sale [also regular sales]

Counter-headphone-culture darling KOSS is also participating in the Big Prime Deals during October 10-11 in 2023 with the good old Classic PORTA PRO going for $27.60 and the KPH-30i-RB going for $21. As fate would have it, I purchased the classic Porta Pro almost exactly ten years ago!

But the Koss Amazon store also has a few on sale that are not part of the Big Prime deals – meaning anyone can buy them, not just Prime members:

+ Koss Porta Pro Utility On-Ears for $25

+ Koss Porta Pro Black On-Ears for $30

+ Koss Porta PRO Limited Editions for $35 – either the “Black Gold” or the “Rhythm Beige”

Koss KPH40X Utility Open On-Ears drop to $35

If you haven’t been keeping up, the KPH30i is now passe and there’s a new trendy Koss model with a higher model number 😉

Joking aside, the new condition KPH40X Utility lightweight Koss x Massdrop on-ears is on sale for $35 at the Massdrop website. This will ship in early December 2022 (it is not an in-stock drop).

What separates this from most headphones is the Koss “Utility Port” that works with 3.5mm or USB-C or Lightning cables (made by Koss). A 3.5mm cable is included in the package, along with three pairs of earpads (each set a different color).

Koss Porta PRO X down to $29 [and IN-STOCK]

The headphone hobby can be prohibitively expensive for many people, but there are exceptions! One such exception is right here right now! The Massdrop variant of the Koss Porta PRO, the “X”, the old-school retro open-back on-ears is back in-stock at Massdrop and it’s on sale for $29! With the legendary KOSS limited lifetime warranty!

Shipping is free with orders over $125. Five of these can get you to free shipping. Give them as gifts, trade them, keep an extra pair for work, and so on!

These are an “in-stock drop”, so they ship in two business days after purchase. It’s not the “legendary” Massdrop long wait!

I have this but I haven’t prepared the unboxing post yet. I haven’t posted a headphone unboxing in two years. I’m a very productive audiophool blogger 🙂

Friday Massdrop Deals: $29 Koss Gaming Headset, $19 Cable, Ether CX, Etc

Every Friday is a Black Friday at Massdrop and for this Friday, December 10 in 2021, they are having a Friday sale that include five headphone-related products, along with three keyboards:

  • DROP + KOSS GMR-54X-ISO GAMING HEADSET for $29
  • Drop + MrSpeakers Ether CX closed-back for $749
  • Massdrop x MEE Audio Pinnacle PX IEMs for $39
  • Drop 2-pin IEM cables for $19
  • Massdrop x NuForce Stride bluetooth IEMs for $39

Koss KPH-30i On-Ears down to $20 (four color options including Clear)

Just $20 can get you some pretty good headphone audio of the open-back on-ear kind! As part of the Black Friday festivities, four color of the Koss KPH-30i on-ears are down to $20, sold by Koss with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. Yes, that includes the Clear color option! You can buy as many as you like!

As of the time of writing these average 4.5 out of 5 based on 2250+ global ratings!

I have one of these but have yet to prepare the unboxing post and eventual review (because everything is delayed LOL)…

Headphone sale at Massdrop!

Hide your e-wallets because there is a limited time Summer Sale at Massdrop ~ now known as “Drop” but for me, it will always be “Massdrop” 🙂

Among the headphone-alia, they have the following in the “OverOns” category (over-ears, on-ears):

  • Beyerdynamic x DT 1770 GO closed over-ears for $349
  • Massdrop X Focal Elex over-ears for $599
  • Drop + Sennheiser PC38X gaming headset for $139
  • PC37X of above for $95
  • Drop+ HiFiMAN HE-4XX for $159, HE-5XX for $199
  • Drpo+ Koss GRM-54X gaming headset for $29

Then among the earphones they have:

  • Massdrop NuForce Stride bluetooth for $15
  • Massdrop x MEE Audio Pinnacle PX for $49
  • Massdrop x Noble Luxe for $39
  • Drop+ Master & Dynamic MW07 GO truly wireless for $135

And on the DAC/amp front (but no DAPs):

  • Drop+ THX-AAA 789 linear amplifier for $249
  • Drop O2 + SDAC dac/amp for $129

Koss KPH30i On-Ears for $20 [ends soon]

As of the time of writing, there are less than 24 hours remaining for this decidedly bang for the buck headphone at Massdrop, it is the new condition lightweight open-back Koss KPH30i on-ears going for $20 (from a regular price of $30). It is available in three different color schemes. It comes with the usual Koss limited lifetime warranty.

Orders are estimated to ship in late May 2021, and will get shipped by Massdrop itself.

You can buy as many as you want! Never too early to buy Christmas presents for December 2021 🙂

Back In-Stock: Koss KPH30i Clear for $30

If you are trying to find the Clear version of the open lightweight Koss KPH30i, as of the time of writing, the Clear version is shown as in-stock at Amazon’s website, sold by the Koss Amazon store. Note that these will ship from Koss, not from an Amazon facility (no Prime shipping).

Check in the shopping cart to see what the shipping estimate might be since Amazon itself won’t be the one shipping item.

Now shipping ($30): Koss KPH30i in the Clear color scheme

All aboard the new Koss Hype Train! The “Clear” color scheme of the KPH30i open-back lightweight headphones is now in-stock and ready to ship for its standard price of $30 by the Koss Amazon store. This is sold and shipped by the Koss store. It is not fulfilled by Amazon…

I have yet to see or hear this, so I can’t comment on it yet…

Saturday: Koss PRO3AAT Closed Over-Ears for $20

Headphones return at the NewEgg dailies, this lot good until Saturday March 6 in 2021 at 11:59pm pacific time with a twice-trending company. Not only is Koss in the headlines because of the penny-stock craze, but their KPH30i is on the audiophile hype train!

But the one on sale at NewEgg’s dailies is not the KHP30i, but the new condition closed-back wired over-ear Koss PRO 3 AAT going for $20. Note that this is sold and shipped by a 3rd-party seller through the NewEgg Marketplace, not by NewEgg itself.

KOSS ESP/95X Electrostatic System (headphones and matching amp) drop to $390

Time to reuse my favorite most irritating phrase! Come on Barbie, let’s have an electrostatic party! It’s a sale, a Black Friday week sale at Massdrop and now $390 is all it takes to get your hands on the new condition KOSS ESP/95X ELECTROSTATIC SYSTEM. This includes both the electrostatic headphones and their matching amplifier. Free US shipping and free US returns. International shipping is not free but it is discounted. You have a power option of 120V or 220V depending on your location and power situation/needs/preferences…

This is a KOSS x Massdrop co-operation and it comes with the customary KOSS limited lifetime warranty of the legendary company from the state of Wisconsin. And when you open the package, you will definitely smell their dairy air 😉

This is a quick-shipping offer, they are estimated to ship on November 30 in 2020, so it’s not one of those wait-and-pray five month long Massdrop offers 🙂

They Are Back: KOSS KSC-75X Massdrop X for $20

These are the best kept secret in the world of pragmatic audiophiles. Neither retailers, nor publishers of high-brow audiophilia want you to know how good these are because you may just stop paying attention to the four-figure stuff 😉

And “these” are back once again for ordering at Massdrop, just in time for the holidays, it’s the Massdrop X KOSS KSC-75X Clip-ONs going for a very down to earth price of $20 with free US shipping and returns, and discounted international shipping. They come with the usual Koss limited lifetime warranty.

One difference between these and the original KSC-75 is that the Massdrop edition has a utilitarian 1-button remote/mic for the smartphone/tablet/DAP users 🙂

This drop is in “pre-order status” with nine days left (as of the time of writing) and they are estimated to ship in late November 2020.

I’m going to jump onto this for sure (unless I forget like the previous time) because my trusty old KSC-75 (which I found on the clearance/trash-bin of an Office Depot (if I recall correctly)) [see text and pictures unboxing] has now become “mono” [only one side plays sound]…

This one you can HYPE HYPE HYPE without fear!

PS: this has the added benefit of not messing your hair (for those lucky enough to have hair that is) and it doesn’t put too much pressure on your head and jaw with prolonged use (eg some over-ears and on-ears) or doesn’t keep your ears sealed to the world for too many hours (eg in-ears)… These type of clip-ons and the classic earbuds are, in my humble opinion, the easiest on the ears, especially for prolonged use…

Koss KSC-75X Open Clip-Ons for $20 [MD]

Quite possible one of the best bang for the buck headphones out there and now it comes with a mic/remote combination thanks to the Massdrop KSC-75X edition. And this goes for just $20 with free US shipping and returns, and a lifetime KOSS warrant to boot! And you can change the earpads.

In case you are not familiar, these are open clip-ons, and among other things they are a lightweight alternative to over-ear headphones for long listening sessions for various reasons (heat, eyeglasses, discomfort, skull pressure, hairstyles, toothaches, headaches, etc, etc).

I have the original KSC-75 that I “rescued” from the clearance bin of an office supply store a few years ago, and have a text & pictures unboxing of them. I do not yet have the KSC-75X but I will be placing an order of this mic/remote version.

Koss ESP/95X “Massdrop” Electrostatic system for $400

Come on Koss, let’s have an electrostatic party! Massdrop is offering the new condition KOSS ESP/95X ELECTROSTATIC SYSTEM, part of their “Massdrop X” program on sale for $400 with free US shipping and returns as part of their Cyber 2019 offers. This took is an in-stock drop so it will ship one business day after your purchase. No long wait nightmares like some of those baby-long drops of the past 🙂

KOSS w/free US shipping: Porta Pro X On-Ears for $25, KSC-75X clip-ons for $17

For those not familiar, Massdrop has something they call “in-stock drops”. This is what normal-model retailers (eg Amazon, Best Buy, Target, etc) call in-stock and ready to ship. The items are in-stock at Massdrop and ship within one business day after you order them. You don’t have to wait for weeks and weeks for shipment…

And if you are a fan of the Koss way of things but also want to have the modern luxury of a mic/remote, the Koss x Massdrop partnership [yes, you can find fanfics about those two] has two of the very classic Koss models with a single remote and microphone on the cable offered as in-stock drop with free USA shipping and returns and the usual Koss lifetime warranty.

The two models are the open-back lightweight on-ears, yes, you guessed it, the PORTA PRO X going for just $25 in the classic black color scheme. The other one is the (semi)-open-back clip-ons KSC-75X going for $17 with a single button remote with mic on the cable as well.

I’ll leave the debate on how to classify clip-ons to y’all as they are a bit on-ear and a bit earphone 🙂

A lot has been written about these two headphones, and given the prices and free US shipping and returns they are among the best bang for the buck options out there ~ especially if you want a mic/remote combo. After all, even dedicated DAPs make use of the in-line remote controls these days ~ even my good old Fiio X1 DAP does dat [read the last three words faster and faster]…

I don’t [yet] have these Koss X models, but I’ve had the good old KSC-75 clip-ons for a while know ~ I “rescued” them from the clearance bin of an office supply chain store!

Koss KHP30iw lightweight on-ears for $20 [MD]

And now an “appetizer headphone”, for just $20, for the next six days and change [from blog-posting time] you can get the new condition lightweight Koss KHP30iw on-ears at the Massdrop website.

Despite the retro looks, this headphone has a mic/remote. It is available in two color schemes, with the beige (the one being featured in most of the product page) being the nicer ~ although that is subject to individual taste and opinion…

This being part of the Koss-Massdrop relationship, it comes with the customary Koss limited lifetime warranty. Orders will ship in late September 2019 from Massdrop.

Used Koss Porta Pro Open On-Ears for $20 [Prime]

If you don’t need them with a mic/remote, the good old Koss Porta PRO open on-ears go for $30 in new condition BUT if you are a Prime member, you can get them for $20~ in “Used – Like New” condition through Amazon Warehouse Deals. You can’t go wrong with this headphone ~ if nothing else so you can have it as a benchmark for discussion/comparison.

PS: if you need extra earpads, a 6-pack of Koss earpads goes for $5. That’s three pairs and they are compatible with some other headphones including the other underground hit, the KSC-75 clip-ons [unboxing of an older model]…

Koss KDE250 Earphones for $60 [MD]

On-ear earphones? I’ll let the classifier gurus decider on where and how to classify these, but in the meantime, Massdrop is offering the new condition Koss KDE250 Earphones for $60 with free US shipping. Shipping appears to under $3 for many international locations [but I obviously can’t test them all]…

These will ship from Massdrop in mid-April 2019. There is no mention of warranty in the listing. This is not a “Koss x Massdrop” which mayhaps suggests this is sold via third parties (or something like that), thus no mention of a warranty???

Koss Porta PRO lightweight on-ears for $31 [black]

The black/silver [the one with the cyan-blue accents] is the iconic Koss Porta PRO Walkman-era headphone, but if you prefer a more black color scheme, the more recently released black color scheme [it still has some silver] is currently down to $31 and change by Amazon actual. It is not a lighting deal, so the price can change dynamically as time goes by. Even if you don’t like this price, this is something to keep at the back of your mind as it currently goes for a couple of dollars under the original color scheme.

For those not familiar, note that these are open-back!

However, if you must have a mic/remote combo, then $38 gets you the Massdrop x Koss edition. Shipping varies depending on location, but these are lightweight and foldable, so international shipping should be fairly low.

But that’s not all. Koss finally woke up to the staying power of this model and they have released a few other variants as you can in the Amazon listings. There are enough colors/options to color-code them by the day of the week 😉

KSC-75X Clip-Ons (with mic/remote) for $17 w/Free US shipping (International $5 flat) [MD]

I love my good old Koss KSC-75 open-ish clip-ons, which by the way I found in the clearance bin at an Office Depot (if memory serves me well) a few years ago. They are small enough you can use them in bed, especially if you sleep on the side (eg listening to podcasts or audiobooks). Or if you don’t like things hanging on your ears while you sleep, you can set them on or near or under the pillow and use them as mini speakers. But they don’t have a remote, which makes it a pain if you use DAPs or PADs (phones as DAPs) and like to frequently pause sound.

Fear not however, help is on the way. As part of the new ship, Koss X Massdrop [yes, there are fanfics about these two!], they have released a version of the KSC-75 with a mic/remote (a one-button remote), the KSC-75X, and it is an in-stock drop at Massdrop for just $17. Despite the small price, they do come with the Koss limited lifetime warranty!

US shipping is FREE BUT they are also offering expedited shipping options for more… International shipping is not bad ~ all the countries I tried in the shopping cart showed a flat $5 shipping fee. And it makes sense, these are tiny little things.

I don’t YET have the new KSC-75X but I had posted a text and pictures unboxing of the good old KSC-75. I don’t know if the packaging is the same as the new KSC-75X. One could argue this might be the best bang for the buck headphone? I’m sure there are hundreds of threads on this topic in the forums, enough to spend a few years reading non-stop 🙂

A close-up of my good old KSC-75 [not the KSC-75X sold by Massdrop]:

PS: “in-stock drops” are products that Massdrop has available in their warehouse, so they ship within a couple of business days of purchase. The “XX hours left” does not mean the listing will end. Rather, every 24 hours the listing closes, and every order that was placed during those 24 hours gets processed and shipped. So, unlike the traditional Massdrop offers that have a 5-day or 7-day window, the “in-stock drops” continue daily until Massdrop runs out of them.

Koss Porta PRO bluetooth on-ears for $70 [MD]

If you love the good old Porta PROs but you also like the convenience of bluetooth, Massdrop is back with another offer, the new condition KOSS PortaPRO wireless going for $70. Limit up to three headphones per Massdrop member. Note also that this drop is limite to US and Canada addresses.

These support bluetooth 4.1 with apt-X, and of course like the original, they are open-back/open-air, so you can smell their dairy air? 🙂

Speaking of dairy air, even though they are a KOSS product, per the MD listing, they come with just a 1-year warranty, not the usual KOSS lifetime. But a hard case is included.

Koss KPH30i Lightweight On-Ears for $20 + S&H [MD]

Also with 4 days and change left [from blog-posting time] is the new condition Koss KPH30i lightweight on-ears offered for $20 plus shipping in your choice of color scheme [three options are available]. They do come with a mic/remote combo, as do other Massdrop x Koss products. They will ship end of November and come with the usual Koss lifetime warranty.

In other MD action, the Fanmusic C6 cables which fit the HD 6XX and HD 58X but also the HD580, 600 and 650, are offered for $60 with free US shipping. At checkout you can select between 1/4″ or 4-pin XLR. The shipping estimate is just before Christmas 2018.

Speaking of Massdrop, if you are interested in closed-back headphones, they have a running Interest Check thread on closed-back headphones. If there any closed headphones you’d like to see offered there, this is a good opportunity to convince MD to bring them but also fellow shoppers to want them, so they can add their voice/support for model-of-interest 🙂

Massdrop x Koss ESP/95X Electrostatic System for $500

I promise this is the last time I’ll use this joke! Come on Barbie, let’s have an Electrostatic Party! In progress at Massdrop, as part of their growing co-operation with Wisconsin’s KOSS, they are offering the new condition Massdrop x Koss ESP/95X Electrostatic System for $500 with free US shipping and subsidized international shipping. Choice of 120V or 220V is available at checkot.

This is a “massdropized” variation of the well-known ESP-950, but it is an in-development product. Shipment is early April 2019, that’s over five months from blog-posting date.

A total of 713 are offered for purchase. As of the time of 379 of them have been sold.

A Feast of Trade-Offs: the new Koss Porta Pro Wireless (BT 4.1, apt-X) for $75 [MD] or $80 NOW!

Good news, bad news! If you wished there was a bluetooth version of the legendary Koss Porta PROs, we have both! A brand new wireless (bluetooth 4.1 with apt-X) version is now available for purchase at Massdrop. The bad news is that it goes for $75. Up to three headphones per customer. The drop is limited to US (free shipping) and Canada.

Seven more units need to get purchased before this offer unlocks. The drop ends Sunday night. It will ship in late May 2018 and it comes with just a 1-year warranty, not the legendary Koss limited lifetime warranty.

This is a feast of trade-offs and silver linings… A hard case is included. No NFC.

However, if you don’t want to wait for Massdrop, for $5 more you can get them from KOSS fulfilled by Amazon. $80 wiht free shipping ~ free 2-day shipping for Prime members. Two days is faster than late May 2018 🙂 Amazon does not have a limit, you can buy as many as you want.

Koss KPH30i Rhythm Beige On-Ears for $20 + S&H [MD]

It’s the return of Cheese-Fi! The new condition Koss KPH30i Rhythm Beige lightweight on-ear headphones are back on at Massdrop for $20 plus shipping. The offer runs until Monday night, and will ship in mid-May from Massdrop. Being a co-operation between the two, it comes with the usual and very generous Koss limited lifetime warranty.

Koss QZ-99 Closed Over-Ears for $34 w/free S&H [max 3]

You can almost smell the dairy air(e) in the KOSS headphones of Wisconsin and on sale we go again, the new condition Koss QZ-99 Noise Reduction Stereophone with its distinctive on-earcup volume control dial is going for the very specific price of $34.15 by Amazon actual, with free shipping, and a maximum of three pairs per customer. This averages 4 out of 5 based on 270+ customer reviews and has 37 answered questions. It has an on-cable Stereo/Mono switch as well. It has a single-entry coiled 8-footer cable. This is passive noise reduction, there’s no ANC or battery/power on these.

Koss UR23iB Over/On-Ears (D-Cup style) for $8

The new condition Koss UR23iB headphones with D-shaped earcups (thus I’m not sure if it’s over-ear or on-ear) is currently on sale by a marketplace seller for $8 with the orders fulfilled by Amazon. You can buy as many as you like. It is not a lightning deal. It is a blue/white color scheme. The headband is almost non-existent! They average 3.9 out of 5 based on 46 customer reviews.

Here’s an annotated screenshot of their main product picture with the points of interest marked:

KOSS KPH30i Rhythm Lightweight On-Ears for $20 + S&H [MD]

It is back! Come listen to our dairy air(e)! Running for the next five days and change (from blog-posting date; Massdrop does not show an exact expiration date, that’s why I’m posting the expiration like this) is the new condition Koss KPH30i Rhythm Beige Lightweight On-Ears for $20 plus shipping. They come with the famous KOSS limited lifetime warranty as Koss and Massdrop are co-operating. All sales are final however.

They will be shipped in mid March 2018 by Massdrop. They come with a non-detachable dual-entry cable with mic/remote.

Speaking of Koss, I just posted a text and pictures unboxing of the KOSS KSC-75 earclips, a “rescue” from the clearance bin of a brick and mortar store. I listened to them for the first time last night, they sound a lot better than they look 🙂

New Unboxing post: the Koss KSC-75 (a B&M “rescue”)

We have a new unboxing post of a rescue, a headphone rescue, I found the good old KOSS KSC-75 clip-on earphones in a clearance bin at a brick and mortar store and had to “rescue” them. This is their text and pictures unboxing with a total of nine pictures (the headphones are so gray, it looks like they are black and white pictures, but they are not!)…

KOSS KPH30i Rhythm Lightweight On-Ears for $20 + S&H [MD]

The PortaPRO is not the only retro popular KOSS headphone. At least at Massdrop, the new condition Koss KPH30i Rhythm Beige Lightweight On-Ears is popular enough that they brought back the drop, going just like before for $20 plus shipping. They come with the famous KOSS limited lifetime warranty as Koss and Massdrop are co-operating. All sales are final however.

They will be shipped in late March 2018 by Massdrop. They come with a non-detachable dual-entry cable with mic/remote. This runs for the next four days and change (from blog posting date).

Lightweight On-Ears: Koss KPH7V for $3.42, Panasonic RP-HT21 for $5.40

If you are looking for old school lightweight on-ear headphones, for kids or guests or other semi-disposable uses, a couple of different well-vetted models are on sale at Amazon as follows:

+ Koss KPH7V Violet color scheme for $3.42 (limit 3)

+ Panasonic RP-HT21 black/silver for $5.40 (limit 3)

Both of these are Add-On items, so your order total must be $25+ in products shipped or fulfilled by Amazon, otherwise their shopping cart won’t let you buy them. So you can instead “append them” to a larger Amazon order if you are not close to $25 right away.

[DEAD] Used Koss PRO DJ 200 Studio for $49

This sold out as of 2/6/18 recheck…

Back to “The Used” with the closed-back Koss PRO DJ 200 Studio headphones, they are currently available in “Used – Like New” (damaged original packaging) for $49~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. There is only one used listing for this headphone which averages 4.2 out of 5 based on 94 customer reviews over there.

KOSS KPH30i Rhythm Lightweight On-Ears for $20 + S&H [MD]

Speaking of KOSS, running for the next two days and change (from blog-posting time), you can get the new condition Koss KPH30i Rhythm Beige Lightweight On-Ears for $20 plus shipping. They come with the famous KOSS limited lifetime warranty as Koss and Massdrop are co-operating. All sales are final however. They will be shipped in late February 2018 by Massdrop. They come with a non-detachable dual-entry cable with mic/remote on it.

This has generated traction with Massdrop buyers, 180 units have been sold as of the time of writing. This model was showcased at last year’s RMAF (Rocky Mountain Audio Festival).

Koss KPH7 Lightweight On-Ears for $2.94 (black)

On the lightweight on-ear headphones front, the new condition Koss KPH7 (black color scheme) is on sale for the very specific price of $2.94 by Amazon actual. Limit three per customer at this price.

The other three colors go for $5+. These are however ADD-ON items, so you must needs place an order of $25+, elsewise the Amazon shopping cart will not let you buy them. If you get three of each you will get close to $25, but you’d need to add something else to climb over $25.

The headphones average 3.7 out of 5 based on over 1080 customer reviews and have over 75 answered questions. Despite the crazy low price, they still carry the KOSS limited lifetime warranty.

Used Koss Porta PRO Black On-Ears for $32

If you don’t want to wait for another sale, the Koss Porta PRO retro-looking open-back on-ears in the black color scheme are available in “Used – Like New” condition (original packaging) for $32~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual. The older iconic black/silver model is also available used at a similar price, but it goes on sale for less since it’s an older model.