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Porta Pro
Company ProductName Specs




TUSQ
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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

If you primarily listen to music, the Koss Porta Pro's open enclosure provides a wider soundstage for an immersive experience, but lacks noise isolation which can be problematic in noisy environments. For gaming and regular calls, the Steelseries TUSQ provides better microphone quality and a closed design for more noise isolation. If portability is key, both are similar, but the Koss Porta Pro is foldable. Neither have active noise cancelling or wireless capabilities, so for quiet listening or travel use, neither are ideal. For exercise, both score low; consider looking for sweatproof options if that's important. 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
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
  • Very good for gaming
  • Good for air travel

Key differences

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Music

8.2
Porta Pro
TUSQ
7.6
The Koss Porta Pro is very good for music, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.

Gaming

6.4
Porta Pro
TUSQ
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the Koss Porta Pro is only fair.

Phone Calls

4.3
Porta Pro
TUSQ
5.2
The Steelseries TUSQ and Koss Porta Pro are both poor for phone calls, though the Steelseries TUSQ is somewhat better.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

6.8
Porta Pro
TUSQ
4.7
The Koss Porta Pro is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.

Noise Reduction

2.5
Porta Pro
TUSQ
6.0
The Steelseries TUSQ is only fair for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro is poor.

Cost

$49
Porta Pro
TUSQ
$40
Product image
Product image

$0

$10

$20

$30

$40

$50

The Koss Porta Pro has a price of $49 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $40.

Build Quality

6.0
Porta Pro
TUSQ
8.0
The Steelseries TUSQ has very good build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro has only fair build quality.
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Key similarities

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TV and Video

7.6
Porta Pro
TUSQ
7.3
The Koss Porta Pro and Steelseries TUSQ are both good for TV and video.

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How the Koss Porta Pro and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Koss Porta ProSteelseries TUSQ
Koss Porta ProSteelseries TUSQ

GENERAL

Price
$49
$40
Brand
KossSteelseries
Release Date
January 1, 1984August 1, 2021
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
WiredWired

SOUND

Music Score
8.3/107.7/10
Phone Calls Score
4.3/105.3/10
Gaming Score
6.4/108.6/10
TV and Video Score
7.7/107.4/10
Exercise Score
4.2/104.2/10

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoNo
Noise Reduction Score
2.5/106/10
Mic Quality
N/A8.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
6/108/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Size
N/ALarge
Weight (headset or single earbud)
63.5 Grams11 Grams
Microphone style
N/ABoom

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."

Steelseries TUSQ

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Can Buy or Not

Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."

Get a great deal on the Koss Porta Pro or the Steelseries TUSQ

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 Steelseries

Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.

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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
124,100
Recommendations made
18,615
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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