Head to head · for music listening
Koss Porta Pro vs KPH30i
More people recommend the Koss Porta Pro overall (60 vs 39). Only 2 of the 65 comments naming both explicitly choose one (0 for the Koss Porta Pro, 2 for the Koss KPH30i), too few to call a winner.
- Comments naming both
- 65
- Say they own both
- 4
- Choose the Porta Pro
- 0
- Choose the KPH30i
- 2
Counted across 12 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $40 | $30cheaper |
| Overall rank | #8higher | #12 |
| People who recommend it | 60more | 39 |
| Say they own it | 74more | 41 |
| Mentions | 570more | 310 |
| Type | open-back on-ear wired | open-back on-ear wired |
| Known for | BargainHomeNo amp | DeskBargain |
| Best for | Cheapest genuinely musical headphone you can buy for home listening; a spare-pair favourite. | Throwaway-price open sound for a desk or a second room. |
| Buy | Amazon · $40 | Amazon · $30 |
People who mention both, in their own words
“kph30i are much nicer than porta pro”
Picks the KPH30iA commenter under The Best Value in Audiophile Headphones (The Headphone Show) · Aug 2025
#8 overall
Koss Porta Pro
10 of the 65 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Sound far better than the price and the 1980s looks suggest
- Very light on the head; several owners wear them for years
- Easy to drive from a phone, no amp needed
- Some owners keep them alongside much pricier sets as a daily driver
The complaints
- No isolation at all; open on-ear design leaks sound both ways
- Build is basic; one owner says the Bluetooth version is poor
- On-ear pads can get uncomfortable after a few hours for some
In their words
“The Porta Pro have been my favorite headphones for years”
A commenter under The $35 Gaming Headset Killer (Hardware Canucks) · Nov 2024
“I got porta pros and I love them”
A commenter under My Cheap Headphone Starter Guide. (DankPods) · Apr 2021
“I can highly recommend the Porta Pro communication headset for gaming”
A commenter under The $35 Gaming Headset Killer (Hardware Canucks) · Nov 2024
#12 overall
Koss KPH30i
8 of the 65 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Called the best deal in audio by one Head-Fi member; sounds nothing like its price
- Bigger, more open sound than the Porta Pro for even less money
- Feather-light
The complaints
- One owner of the whole Koss lineup warns the KPH30i will eventually break
- Looks like a free airline headphone
- No isolation
In their words
“The KPH30i's were not on sale but this is still worth it”
A commenter under Koss KPH30i ULTRA _(Z Reviews)_ 🔥 (Z Reviews) · Nov 2020
“I love the KPH30i, definitely my favorite of the bunch”
A commenter under Best in a long time. Moondrop Old Fashioned review (Super* Review) · Dec 2025
“I recommend the KPH30i with a protable cd-player”
A commenter under The $35 Gaming Headset Killer (Hardware Canucks) · Nov 2024