Hasta La Gadget!

Did you know that the insanely popular Koss PortaPro headphones have been around for 25 years? To celebrate, Koss has come up with the appropriately-named PortaPro 25th Anniversary Edition, a product that remarkably appears to improve on the classic original.

The PortaPros are folding, lightweight headphones that sound great. Wired associate editor Joe Brown says they sound like electrostatic headphones. I say that they sound like something four times the price (just $50).

There are problems, though. The PortaPros break easily and, despite a lifetime warranty, you’ll find yourself buying replacements. The weak points are the spot where the earpieces join to the band, and the cables and connections. In the Anniversary Edition, the cables are now corded, which should help.

Another addition should make an even bigger difference. The Anniversary Edition brings beefier magnets: neodymium iron boron to be precise. This, combined with the “oxygen-free copper voice coils” will make the headphones louder. The very open design of the PortaPros makes it easy to drown out their sound in noisy places, so this is welcome.

But the best part is that they lose the dorky light-blue earpieces, replacing them with cool black. I’m totally sold. I have used PortaPros for years, and love them, so I’m searching for a local dealer right now. Happy birthday, PortaPro! $80.

PortaPro 25th Anniversary Edition [Koss via Uncrate]