Reviews

Part 6: A Review of Four Compact Open Headphones - Summary.

Man, this was a close call. :knary Pretty much every time one of the team sat down for a listen the first reaction was, "Wow! These all sound pretty good!" It was only after really concentrating and digging into the test procedure that the differences started to show and grades could be given.
In the final analysis, we came to the conclusion that each one of these cans is worthy of recommendation for one reason or another.The Koss 25th Anniversary Limited Edition PortaPro are a little slice of history, and their cool presentation box and upgraded styling make them a fun purchase for any audio enthusiast. If you're not into the history thing, the regular PortaPro will deliver almost all the audio performance of the other cans in this review for about half the price. They are a little clumsy and weird looking, but they sound great, fold up into a very small size, and come with a lifetime guaranty. The Grado SR60i is another classic headphone that died-in-the-wool audiophiles will enjoy. If you're looking to purchase a gift for your favorite audiophile, these headphones are famous in that world and will be received with glee. They're a fun listening experience, and work great with portable players. The earpieces do rotate flat to be stored in a drawer or carried in a briefcase. The Sennheiser HD 238 is a very good sounding headphone, with especially good bass response. They're comfortable to wear for long periods, and easy to drop down around your neck to answer the phone or talk to others. And like the Grado SR60i but smaller, the earpieces rotate flat to be stored in a drawer or carried in a briefcase. Great for the office! Our favorite sounding can by a modest but clear margin was the Sennheiser PX 100-II, a truly excellent sounding headphone. These headphones fold up into the smallest size of any headphones in this test --- about the size of a pair of sunglasses. If you're looking for a sealed version of this headphone the Sennheiser PX 200-II sounds nearly as good but will provide some isolation from outside noise.
Scoring Summarysmall open folding scores

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