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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) delivers excellent overall sound quality and is particularly suitable for a highly immersive gaming and music experience, although its open-backed design may not be the best for environments where leakage can be problematic, and its older design doesn't support modern features like wireless connectivity. They are heavier and less comfortable for exercise or travel compared to the Soundcore P20i, which offers better noise isolation and is a more budget-friendly option with modern features including a stem design for better mic positioning during calls, sweatproof certification, and active noise cancelling. The P20i earbuds are also designed for convenient use with both Android and Apple devices, have a longer battery life, and support wireless charging, making them a versatile and tech-forward choice. 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
Advantages of the Soundcore P20i
Very good for air travel
Key differences
Music
8.2/10
6.4/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for music, while the Soundcore P20i is only fair.
Gaming
8.2/10
7.3/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for gaming, while the Soundcore P20i is good.
Phone Calls
6.1/10
5.0/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair for phone calls, while the Soundcore P20i is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.8/10
4.7/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore P20i is poor.
TV and Video
7.6/10
7.0/10
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) and Soundcore P20i are both good for TV and video, though the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is somewhat better.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.5/10
The Soundcore P20i is only fair for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is poor.
Battery
N/A
9.0 Hours
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) does not have a battery. The Soundcore P20i has 9 hours of battery life.
Cost
$60
$30
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has a price of $60 and the Soundcore P20i costs $30.
Build Quality
6.0/10
9.0/10
The Soundcore P20i has excellent build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has only fair build quality.
"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."
"I would recommend the Soundcore P20i Earbuds to everyone who loves music and would like to own comfortable pair of earbuds with a great range of sound quality. I would recommend users who buy this device use the right comfortable ear tips as per your ear design."
Get a great deal on the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) or the Soundcore P20i
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.
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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
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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.