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Comment by 1MachineElf | Hacker News Reader

I've had three pairs of Koss PortaPro headphones and really enjoy them. Interesting to read this but of history about the company. Thanks Mr. Koss!

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My first half decent pair of earbuds were the Spark Plugs and I had several pairs of PortaPros before I realised they were blasting whoever was sitting near me on the tube! Good bits of kit and exceptional value for money.

My first ever "wireless headphones" were a a pair of standard PortaPros with a cheap bluetooth DAC taped to the top of them, got many strange looks, but it was a fun setup!

I hope you are referring to their lifetime warranty and replaced them free of charge when they broke! Top company. https://koss.com/blogs/stories/use-koss-headphones-limited-l...

I never understood how they could make money on that deal. Those headphones were not built to last. I went through at least one pair a year back when I used them.

Maybe it was the sort of loss leader that's financed by the marketing department.

1. The cost from the factory in China couldn't be more than $5.00 on their priciest model.

2. They charge $9.00 return shipping, and I bet make a healthy profit?

3. They might break even, minus the goodwill, on Ibud replacements? (I don't know Apple products anymore. Excuse the nomenclature. Ibud sounds off.)

I've also had multiple pairs and they've all broken within a year from sitting-at-desk usage. The frame is surprisingly sturdy but the internal/external wires are absolute garbage, not suitable for frequent travel at all. They sounded good while they were alive, though.

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