Somehow it turns out that I mainly talk about headphones "music fans", not always known to a wide audience, and ignore popular models that can be found at every step. I decided to correct this flaw and talk about different models that are most often found in stores (for example, I recently wrote about Audio-Technika ATH-CKM-55), this time I’ll tell you about one more running model Koss UR50. But for starters - I can not tell a little about the company Koss.
If John C. Koss (John C Koss) started his business in our time, he would have been called a startup. Money donated to him for the wedding (a significant amount of $ 200 by the standards of the 50s of the last century, meant for buying a sofa), John and his wife decided to invest in the business. Buying used TVs, Koss and his wife leased them to patients in Milwaukee hospitals. Business brought money, but very modest, and Koss began to look for ways to diversify the market.
In 1955, fate brought John with another talented engineer - Martin Lange Jr. Feeling the market, they began to produce a variety of devices, starting with a tester for repairing the same TVs and ending with a portable player. Of course, now this portable player looks, to put it mildly, large, but at that time a technique was considered portable that one person could lift and carry 100 meters without the risk of a hernia. As a "highlight" for these players, the partners decided to give the opportunity to listen to music on headphones. It should be said that the decision at that time was innovative, in the late 50s pilots and telephone operators used headphones, but not music listeners. Koss and Lange collected the first headphones right in the garage (wasn’t this the first garage start-up in history?). In fact, these headphones "dopilivatsya" from the model used by aviators (about another such model below). At the show in 1958 in Wisconsin, the headphones made a splash, and the player went unnoticed.
Quickly realizing where the wind was coming from, John adjusted the release of the first personal headphones, which became the SP-3 model. In the early 60s, music gained popularity due to the advent of personalized equipment for listening to records, and headphones came to the court of many. With a mind widening range, John Koss led the company to success. Competitors were brought to the market: AKG, Beyerdynamic, Sennheiser. In the 70s, a lot of experiments are being conducted, different technologies are being tested (you can read about them here), and the engineers of Koss Corporation do not have a rest. They create one of the best lines of their headphones: Pro. Fully metal, with a characteristic round on the cup, left over from the “ancestors” - the headphones of the pilots of the helicopters. The latest model of this line Pro / 4 AAA was produced from 1977 to 1985 inclusive. By the standards of the time, these headphones were a real high-end and cost $ 200. Now, of course, there are many models with a more even and neutral sound, but Pro / 4 AAA are still appreciated by collectors for their peculiar sound. The sound engineers of the 70s worked in the Pro / 4 headphones, it was in them that many rock hits of that time were created. Therefore, these headphones - a great way to hear the sound the way he thought the sound engineer.
I also could not resist and bought Koss Pro / 4 AAA in good condition on the secondary market. An interesting feature of the headphones of this line is rubberized ear cushions filled with silicone gel. They provide excellent sound insulation (headphones practically stick to the ears) and have little effect on the sound (unlike the same velvet). The main drawback is that over time, this silicone hardens to a good tree, and it becomes painful to put on headphones. It is this pair that I got. I quickly realized that there would be no business with the old ear cushions and unsuccessfully tried to find them on eBay. The rush of the Internet, I found them on the website of the Koss company itself, but in their online store they were not available. Recalling the fact that the Pro / 4 series headphones have a lifetime warranty, I wrote directly in support of the company: where to buy ear pads. What was my surprise when I received a reply with an apology for the fact that the ear cushions are not in the store, and an offer to send me a couple for free.
A few weeks later, I became the owner of a new pair of ear cushions and gorgeous vintage headphones of the 70s in perfect condition (someday I will write about them, with a tube amplifier they are able to give a new life to the rock of the 70s). This is how service should be ...
Unfortunately, during the crisis in the headphone market, Koss almost went bankrupt (hired manager helped a lot, in addition to a number of market failures, also responsible for large-scale theft), so John got up at the helm of the company, and in early 90 -h - his son Michael. Cleverly taken a course on headphones of the budget segment, allowed the company to avoid bankruptcy, which then seemed almost inevitable, and go out to the leading manufacturers of headphones for an inexpensive segment.
Some of their models have become such hits that are known to almost everyone: Koss the Plug, Pathfinder, and, of course, the great Porta Pro (and Sporta Pro).
In addition to Pro / 4 AAA, I also have a simple budget model UR50, which I will discuss.
Specifications
- Headphone type: dynamic, closed
- Frequency range: 16 Hz - 22000 Hz
- Impedance: 36 Ω
- Sensitivity: 102 dB / mW
- Cable connection: two way
- Connector: 3.5 mm, straight
- Wire: 1.2 m
Packaging and Design
Headphones belong to the budget segment (the average price is around 1,500 rubles), so everything was done simply, but neatly. The packaging is flat, made of thick black cardboard with a plastic window, in which the headphones are visible. The wire is wound to the bottom of the box.
Headphones mostly plastic, silver. In the headband, however, did not regret and put a steel plate, so that for its durability do not have to worry. Cups rotate 90 °, which allows the headphones to fit snugly to the head and sometimes simplifies storage. Everything is assembled normally, there is no strong laxity, squeaks and other design defects.
Headphones do not indulge with decorative elements: in addition to Koss logos on each cup, they are virtually absent. The wire is symmetrical and fits to each cup, it is very thick and flexible, there can be no complaints about the strength.
A pleasant feeling left and ear cushions with headband: they are soft, made of pleasant leatherette. Sound insulation is very good, but comfort is disappointing. First, the ear cushions are too small, and their lower part presses the earlobe, and secondly, I barely had the size of the headband, despite the fact that my head is not the biggest. In general, if you take the headphones, I recommend to try them on first.
Sound and compatibility
I will not write much here: the headphones are budget, so the sound has a clear bias in the bass. The medium and high frequencies behind it are very poorly audible, which is especially surprising since Koss emitters usually use quite good ones (the same KSC-75 is an example of this). If you disassemble the headphones and play with damping (there are a lot of tips on this subject on the Internet), the sound levels off, it becomes clear that there is a potential for emitters. Why it was not done right away at the factory is a mystery.
Headphones play with any source, there is enough volume for volume even for simple players.
In general, I can recommend the UR50, if you want more bass and good sound insulation. Also, the UR50 can suit anyone who wants to experiment with the sound of the headphones on their own.
findings
Acquaintance with the first representative of the modern Koss lineup turned out to be a little unfortunate, headphones are typical representatives of the budget segment, and the savings came just at the sound. Fortunately, Koss has a lot of headphones with a much better sound, which I hope to cover in future reviews.
The article is based on materials .
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