Audio-Technica ATH-R70x vs Koss Porta Pro

107 facts in comparison

Based on 1,769 Reddit opinions. Close raceβ€”Audio-Technica ATH-R70x edges ahead.

1.8K opinions
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x leads by 5pts
Reddit's Pick
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
89%
A-
Based on
1,638 Redditors
Winner

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x

~$343
836 opinions

tldr; AT's open reference. Light, neutral, professional. Underrated studio pick.

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VS
Koss Porta Pro
84%
B+
Based on
1,761 Redditors

Koss Porta Pro

~$39.99
933 opinions

tldr; Retro legend. $30, sounds like $100+. Lifetime warranty. Just buy it.

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Sound QualityComfortValueBuild QualityFeatures
🎡SOU
😌COM
πŸ’°VAL
πŸ”§BUI
⚑FEA
76
Points
73
Points

Score by Category

Sound Quality
87%71%
Comfort
78%76%
Value
92%91%
Build Quality
49%54%
Features
0%62%

Why is Koss Porta Pro better than Audio-Technica ATH-R70x?

  • Better bass (82% vs 75%)
  • Insane value
  • Retro icon
  • Lifetime warranty
Based on 3,399 Reddit opinions
Slight Edge

Reddit prefers the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x

Winning by 5 points (89% vs 84%)

Better sound quality
Reference neutral
Very light
High confidence (3,399 mentions)

πŸ’¬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 3,399 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
8.9/10
1,638 mentions
Porta Pro
8.4/10
1,761 mentions
COMFORT
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x7.8/10
Porta Pro7.6/10
SOUND QUALITY
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x8.7/10
Porta Pro7.1/10
BASS
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x7.5/10
Porta Pro8.2/10
BUILD QUALITY
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x4.9/10
Porta Pro5.4/10
VALUE
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x9.2/10
Porta Pro9.1/10
FEATURES
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x0.0/10
Porta Pro6.2/10
βš”οΈ

Head to Head

Head to Head

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x: 1|Porta Pro: 3
Comfort
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x78%
Porta Pro76%
Sound QualityAudio-Technica ATH-R70x
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x87%
Porta Pro71%
BassPorta Pro
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x75%
Porta Pro82%
Build QualityPorta Pro
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x49%
Porta Pro54%
Value
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x92%
Porta Pro91%
FeaturesPorta Pro
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x0%
Porta Pro62%
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x89%
Porta Pro84%
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x wins by 5 points

Key Specs

SpecAudio-Technica ATH-R70xKoss Porta Pro
Type
Open-back reference, over-ear
β€”
Driver Diameter
45 mm
β€”
Frequency Response
5-40,000 Hz
15-25,000 Hz
Impedance
470 ohms
60 ohms
Sensitivity
98 dB/mW
101 dB SPL/1mW

Key Highlights

Audio-Technica ATH-R70xWinner
πŸ“ Reference neutral
πŸͺΆ Very light
🎧 Studio focused
πŸ’° Budget-friendly option
Koss Porta Pro
πŸ’° Insane value
πŸ“œ Retro icon
♾️ Lifetime warranty
πŸ‘‘ Must own

Topic Battles

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x: 1|Tied: 2|Porta Pro: 2
🎡Sound Quality
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x wins
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
87%
Porta Pro
71%
😌Comfort
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
78%
Porta Pro
76%
πŸ’°Value
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
92%
Porta Pro
91%
πŸ”§Build Quality
Porta Pro wins
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
49%
Porta Pro
54%
⚑Features
Porta Pro wins
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
0%
Porta Pro
62%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories

πŸ“ˆWhere They Rank

πŸ’¬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Audio-Technica ATH-R70x

Best Praise
+46 pts
β€œIt's hard to top the R70x; I use it every day and have been for almost 9 years. Take good care of it and imo, you'll probably never find another pair of headphones you'll like more.”
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+12 pts
β€œAn updates R70x? Shut up and take m- Oh... They've ditched the wing system. I actually really like the wings. Also, is it me or does it look like there's no horizontal cup swivel now? They've added in the vertical swivel that was missing on the original, but it looks like they've pulled a hifiman and taken away the horizontal swivel.”
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Koss Porta Pro

Best Praise
+133 pts
β€œKoss also made the Porta Pro in the 1980’s and clearly didn’t copy this design. Many headphones from that time period looked like this, and let’s all be honest. Koss clearly had a superior design. Hence why it has stood the test of time.”
r/headphones
View
Top Criticism
+457 pts
β€œYea so after 10 minutes of listening, these sound terrible. Very comfortable tho! The koss drivers were definitely made to be on ear, being that far away made it sound like a phone speaker”
r/headphones
View
3 more quotes available below

πŸ“ˆHistorical Price Data

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
Koss Porta Pro
$100$200$300$400Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26May '26Low: $259Low: $39.99Current: $335.8
Audio-Technica ATH-R70x
All-time low: $199(2020-02)
Koss Porta Pro
All-time low: $19.99(2020-10)
$7 below 90-day avg

Which is Better?

Audio-Technica ATH-R70x Wins
89%
ATH-R70x
vs
84%
Pro

Close race, but Audio-Technica ATH-R70x edges ahead by 5 points based on 3,399 Reddit opinions.

Why Audio-Technica ATH-R70xWinner
  • πŸ“ Reference neutral
  • πŸͺΆ Very light
  • 🎧 Studio focused
Why Porta Pro
  • Better Features (62% vs 0%)

❀️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

46%Positive
Positive
46%
Neutral
49%
Negative
5%
Based on 1,638 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

45%Positive
Positive
45%
Neutral
47%
Negative
8%
Based on 1,761 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Audio-Technica ATH-R70x or Koss Porta Pro?
Based on 3,399 Reddit comments, Audio-Technica ATH-R70x has a slight edge with 89% positive sentiment vs Koss Porta Pro's 84%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Audio-Technica ATH-R70x or Koss Porta Pro?
Both have similar approval ratings (89% vs 84%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Audio-Technica ATH-R70x?
Reddit users highlight: Reference neutral. Very light. Studio focused. With 1,638 mentions and 89% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Koss Porta Pro?
Reddit users highlight: Insane value. Retro icon. Lifetime warranty. With 1,761 mentions and 84% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 3,399 Reddit comments: 1,638 about Audio-Technica ATH-R70x and 1,761 about Koss Porta Pro. Data was sourced from headphones community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

1,769 Reddit opinions analyzed Β· Last updated 6/25/2026