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Porta Pro
Company ProductName Specs




Life Q20
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

The Koss Porta Pro offers an open design that can produce a more natural sound and a wider soundstage, which can enhance your music listening experience. However, being open, they offer practically no noise isolation, which can be a disadvantage in noisy environments. They do not have a built-in microphone, making them unsuitable for calls or meetings. On the other hand, the Soundcore Life Q20, which is a bit more expensive, provides active noise cancelling, better noise isolation, a foldable design, and a built-in microphone for calls. These headphones might be better suited for travel, use in louder environments, and during physical activities. If you prioritize sound over features and are okay with minimal isolation, the Koss Porta Pros are a good choice; otherwise, for all-around versatility including active noise cancellation, consider the Soundcore Life Q20. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Koss Porta Pro
  • Very good for music
  • Good for TV and video
Advantages of the Soundcore Life Q20
  • Excellent for air travel

Key differences

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Music

8.2
Porta Pro
Life Q20
7.0
The Koss Porta Pro is very good for music, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is good.

Gaming

6.4
Porta Pro
Life Q20
5.2
The Koss Porta Pro is only fair for gaming, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.

Phone Calls

4.3
Porta Pro
Life Q20
4.9
The Soundcore Life Q20 and Koss Porta Pro are both poor for phone calls, though the Soundcore Life Q20 is somewhat better.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

6.8
Porta Pro
Life Q20
4.7
The Koss Porta Pro is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.

TV and Video

7.6
Porta Pro
Life Q20
5.3
The Koss Porta Pro is good for TV and video, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.

Noise Reduction

2.5
Porta Pro
Life Q20
8.7
The Soundcore Life Q20 is very good for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro is poor.

Battery

N/A
Porta Pro
Life Q20
32.3 Hours
The Koss Porta Pro does not have a battery. The Soundcore Life Q20 has 32.3 hours of battery life.

Cost

$49
Porta Pro
Life Q20
$60
Product image
Product image

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

The Koss Porta Pro has a price of $49 and the Soundcore Life Q20 costs $60.

Build Quality

6.0
Porta Pro
Life Q20
8.0
The Soundcore Life Q20 has very good build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro has only fair build quality.
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How the Koss Porta Pro and the Soundcore Life Q20 compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Koss Porta ProSoundcore Life Q20
Koss Porta ProSoundcore Life Q20

GENERAL

Price
$49
$60
Brand
KossSoundcore
Release Date
January 1, 1984November 1, 2020
Form Factor
HeadphonesHeadphones
Connectivity
WiredWired + Wireless

SOUND

Music Score
8.3/107/10
Phone Calls Score
4.3/104.9/10
Gaming Score
6.4/105.2/10
TV and Video Score
7.7/105.3/10
Exercise Score
4.2/105.3/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
N/A32.3 Hours
Wireless charging
N/ANo
Charging time
N/A1.8 Hours
Bluetooth version
N/A5

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoYes
Noise Reduction Score
2.5/108.8/10
Android App
N/ANo
iOS App
N/ANo
Mic Quality
N/A6.8/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
6/108/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Weight (headset or single earbud)
63.5 Grams258.5 Grams
Microphone style
N/AIntegrated
Waterproof Rating
00

Shopping

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Koss Porta Pro

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Dig into reviews and images

Headphones.com

Sebastian Taboada | February 2022
"It’s clear to see why these have been such a popular choice amongst listeners for nearly four decades. It’s a charming pair of headphones that delivers a truly enjoyable listening experience and one that I think punches well above its weight."

Soundcore Life Q20

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Christian Thomas | January 2022
"As far as headphones that cost under $100 go, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is a really solid option. Like any good tool, it does the job well without much guff, and it’s affordable to boot. Sure: it’s not going toe to toe with any of the higher-end models of ANC headphones out there—but the headphones do well enough for commuters that it’s a good stand-in if you were never planning on spending a bunch of money anyway."

Get a great deal on the Koss Porta Pro or the Soundcore Life Q20

About Koss

Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.

About Soundcore

Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.

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Why trust us

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
113,600
Recommendations made
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Consumer hours saved

About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

Jason Lew

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

Luis Torres

Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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