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Porta Pro (with mic)
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Life P3
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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

For immersive music experiences, the Koss Porta Pro's superior overall sound quality and soundstage might make them a better choice; however, their open-back design offers minimal noise isolation, making them less suitable for noisy environments. On the other hand, the Soundcore Life P3 earbuds feature active noise cancellation, which is great for travel and noisy places. The P3s are also true wireless, making them more convenient for exercise due to no cables, and offer a longer battery life, which is beneficial for extended use. While they're more recent and slightly more expensive, they have a companion app for customizing settings, and wireless charging for added convenience. 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 (with mic)
  • Very good for music
  • Very good for gaming
  • Good for TV and video
Advantages of the Soundcore Life P3
  • Very good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel

Key differences

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Music

8.2
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
5.7
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for music, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Gaming

8.2
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
5.1
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for gaming, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Phone Calls

6.1
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
5.1
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair for phone calls, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

6.8
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
5.9
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

TV and Video

7.6
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
5.5
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is good for TV and video, while the Soundcore Life P3 is poor.

Noise Reduction

2.5
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
9.1
The Soundcore Life P3 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is poor.

Battery

N/A
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
7.0 Hours
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) does not have a battery. The Soundcore Life P3 has 7 hours of battery life.

Cost

$60
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
$70
Product image
Product image

$50

$60

$70

$80

$90

$100

The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has a price of $60 and the Soundcore Life P3 costs $70.

Build Quality

6.0
Porta Pro (with mic)
Life P3
8.8
The Soundcore Life P3 has very good build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has only fair build quality.
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How the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) and the Soundcore Life P3 compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Koss Porta Pro (with mic)Soundcore Life P3
Koss Porta Pro (with mic)Soundcore Life P3

GENERAL

Price
$60
$70
Brand
KossSoundcore
Release Date
January 1, 1984June 1, 2021
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
WiredWireless

SOUND

Music Score
8.3/105.8/10
Phone Calls Score
6.2/105.1/10
Gaming Score
8.2/105.2/10
TV and Video Score
7.7/105.5/10
Exercise Score
4.2/108.4/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
N/A7 Hours
Wireless charging
N/AYes
Charging time
N/A0.8 Hours
Bluetooth version
N/A5
Case Battery Life
N/A35

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
NoYes
Noise Reduction Score
2.5/109.1/10
Virtual Surround
N/ANo
Android App
N/AYes
iOS App
N/AYes
Mic Quality
6.5/106.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
6/108.8/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Size
N/ASmall
Weight (headset or single earbud)
63.5 Grams4.5 Grams
Microphone style
In-LineIntegrated

Shopping

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Koss Porta Pro (with mic)

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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 P3

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Dig into reviews and images

Tom's Guide

Alex Bracetti | July 2021
"Anker continues its trend of stealth releases, recently dropping the Soundcore Life P3 out of nowhere. This product essentially replaces the disappointing Life A2 NC as the brand’s flagship ANC model under $100. It comes with bassy audio and enough features to give even the best noise-cancelling earbuds pause."

Get a great deal on the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) or the Soundcore Life P3

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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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
94,400
Recommendations made
14,160
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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