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Koss QZPro  Headphones Review

Reviewed Mar 04, 2016 at 12:00 am
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:20 am
Koss QZPro
5.3
Mixed Usage 
6.0
Neutral Sound 
5.3
Commute/Travel 
5.6
Sports/Fitness 
5.4
Office 
3.8
Wireless Gaming 
5.4
Wired Gaming 
1.6
Phone Call 
Tested using methodology v1.3.1 
 0
The Koss QZPro are flawed headphones that fail at delivering decent audio reproduction or adequate noise isolation. They aren't comfortable, there are no satisfactory audio controls, and the all-plastic build feels cheap and susceptible to breaking.

Our Verdict

5.3
Mixed Usage 

The QZPro aren't good everyday headphones. They don't isolate well. They have a poor sound quality, and they're bulky and cumbersome, heavy and leaky for casual use.

Pros
  • Doesn't leak much sound.
Cons
  • Unbalanced and poor audio reproduction.
  • All-plastic build quality feels cheap.
  • Poor noise cancellation.
6.0
Neutral Sound 

Not good for neutral listening. They have a bass-heavy sound quality and their closed-back design limits their soundstage.

Pros
None
Cons
None
5.3
Commute/Travel 

Not suitable for commuting. Their noise isolation is weak and doesn't block enough ambient noise for busy commutes.

Pros
None
Cons
None
5.6
Sports/Fitness 

Not designed for sports. They have a poor control scheme and they're bulky and unstable.

Pros
None
Cons
None
5.4
Office 

Not good for office use. They have a poor control scheme, they're not too comfortable and poorly isolate listeners. On the upside, they don't leak too much.

Pros
None
Cons
None
5.4
Wired Gaming 

Pros
None
Cons
None
1.6
Phone Call 
  • 5.3
    Mixed Usage
  • 6.0
    Neutral Sound
  • 5.3
    Commute/Travel
  • 5.6
    Sports/Fitness
  • 5.4
    Office
  • 3.8
    Wireless Gaming
  • 5.4
    Wired Gaming
  • 1.6
    Phone Call
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
    2.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
    3.  Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
    4.  Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.

    Test Results

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    Design
    Style
    TypeOver-ear
    EnclosureClosed-Back
    WirelessNo
    TransducerDynamic

    The QZPro look a little cheap. The two-tone color scheme is aesthetically pleasing but the low-grade plastic and odd hinge reduce their appeal significantly. The matte, silver ear cups are circular and coated with a soft black padding. The headband is lightly padded but oddly shaped due to the hinge and may be a turn off for some.

    5.5
    Comfort
    Weight0.64 lbs
    Clamping Force
    1.44 lbs

    The Koss QZPro are not very comfortable. The headband and ear cup design is a little cumbersome and stiff and doesn't extend very well for larger heads. The ear cups, although decently padded, oddly don't provide a good seal, leaving gaps that feel uncomfortable and let sound leak in and out.

    5.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    Not OS specific
    Ease Of UsePoor
    FeedbackPoor
    Call/Music ControlNo
    Volume ControlYes
    Microphone ControlN/A
    Channel Mixing
    N/A
    Noise Cancelling ControlN/A
    Talk-Through
    N/A
    Additional ButtonsNo

    Button layout is very limited on the QZPro, with just one switch to activate the noise cancelling. It's simple but looks and feels a little cheap. The audio cable, which isn't detachable or interchangeable, only has a volume slider, which is disappointing.

    0.0
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.DifferenceN/A
    6.0
    Portability
    L4.72"
    W6.3"
    H3.35"
    Volume99.66 in³
    Transmitter RequiredN/A

    The QZPro are somewhat portable. They have a unique folding mechanism that allows them to collapse into a compact format. However, they're on the larger side for over-ear headphones and will still take up quite a bit of space in a bag. They won't fit in a pocket and are too cumbersome to carry around on your person. They also do not come with a case or carrying pouch, which is disappointing.

    0.0
    Case
    TypeNo case
    LN/A
    WN/A
    HN/A
    VolumeN/A
    6.0
    Build Quality

    Build quality is just passable. The QZPro look and feel cheap. The joints are made of dense plastic that feels moderately solid but also makes the hinges stiff. The headband, however, doesn't feel very solid and once on, adjusting the ear cups is very cumbersome. The sliding mechanism to extend the headband doesn't feel durable and doesn't extend very far. The padding on the ear cups and the headband is soft but looks susceptible to wear and tear.

    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

    • Koss Quiet Zone Pro Headphones
    • Airline adapter
    • Manual

    Sound
    Sound Profile
    See details on graph tool
    Bass Amount
    -3.33 dB
    Treble Amount
    -8.72 dB
    8.4
    Frequency Response Consistency
    See details on graph tool
    See details on graph tool
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    0.31 dB
    Raw Frequency Response
    See details on graph tool
    See details on graph tool
    5.3
    Bass Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Std. Err.
    6.41 dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    40.58 Hz
    Low-Bass
    -4.84 dB
    Mid-Bass
    7.13 dB
    High-Bass
    8.08 dB
    5.6
    Mid Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Std. Err.
    5.87 dB
    Low-Mid
    7.26 dB
    Mid-Mid
    5.5 dB
    High-Mid
    3.13 dB
    3.5
    Treble Accuracy
    See details on graph tool
    Std. Err.
    7.56 dB
    Low-Treble
    -9.46 dB
    Mid-Treble
    -5.31 dB
    High-Treble
    -5.75 dB
    5.9
    Peaks/Dips
    See details on graph tool
    Peaks
    2.63 dB
    Dips
    2.73 dB
    8.4
    Imaging
    See details on graph tool
    See details on graph tool
    Weighted Group Delay
    0.43
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    0.19
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    2.66
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    3.81
    6.7
    Soundstage
    See details on graph tool
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    2.74 dB
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    5.37 dB
    PRTF Distance
    15.48 dB
    Openness
    5.5
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    3.1
    6.1
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    See details on graph tool
    WHD @ 90
    0.764
    WHD @ 100
    0.762
    Isolation
    4.4
    Noise Isolation
    See details on graph tool
    Isolation Audio
    Overall Attenuation
    -10.4 dB
    Noise CancellingYes
    Bass
    -0.16 dB
    Mid
    -7.38 dB
    Treble
    -24.21 dB

    Poor isolation overall. The passive isolation is decent, but starts relatively late - at around 800Hz - and only providing -30db (the minimum acceptable value) at 10kHz. The active noise cancelling performance is even worse, starting to work above 100Hz and barely crossing 10dB of reduction at 400Hz.

    7.5
    Leakage
    See details on graph tool
    Leakage Audio
    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    36.74 dB

    Very good leakage performance. If they fit well and you get a good seal, listening at moderate volumes won't bother the people around you.

    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    N/A
    In-line
    N/A
    Boom
    N/A
    Detachable Boom
    N/A
    MicNo
    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
    N/A
    LFE
    N/A
    FR Std. Dev.
    N/A
    HFE
    N/A
    Weighted THD
    N/A
    Gain
    N/A
    0.0
    Noise Handling
    Speech + Pink NoiseN/A
    Speech + Subway NoiseN/A
    SpNR
    N/A
    Active Features
    7.7
    Battery
    Battery Type
    AAA
    Continuous Battery Life
    40 hrs
    Additional Charges
    N/A
    Total Battery Life
    40 hrs
    Charge Time
    N/A
    Power Saving Feature
    No
    Audio While Charging
    N/A
    Passive Playback
    No
    Charging PortN/A

    The Quiet Zone Pro can last up to 40 hours of continuous playtime at average volumes. This gives them an above-average battery life and means you won't have to change the triple AAA battery as often, which is great for long flights or road trips. Unfortunately, they do not have any battery-saving features like an auto-off timer but can continue playing audio even when the battery is completely drained.

    0.0
    App Support
    App NameN/A
    iOSN/A
    AndroidN/A
    macOSN/A
    WindowsN/A
    Equalizer
    N/A
    ANC Control
    N/A
    Mic ControlN/A
    Room effects
    N/A
    Playback Control
    N/A
    Button MappingN/A
    Surround SoundN/A

    No compatible app.

    Connectivity
    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    N/A
    Multi-Device Pairing
    N/A
    NFC Pairing
    N/A
    Line of Sight Range
    N/A
    Default Latency
    N/A
    aptX Latency
    N/A
    aptX(LL) Latency
    N/A
    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line of Sight Range
    N/A
    Non-BT Latency
    N/A
    9.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    Yes
    USB Audio
    No
    DetachableNo
    Length4.07 ft
    Connection1/8" TRS
    Wired Latency
    0 ms
    PC / PS4 Compatibility
    PC / PS4 Analog
    Audio Only
    PC / PS4 Wired USB
    No
    PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    No
    Xbox One Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    Audio Only
    Xbox One Wired USB
    No
    Xbox One Wireless
    No
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    N/A
    USB Input
    N/A
    Line In
    N/A
    Line Out
    N/A
    Optical Input
    N/A
    RCA Input
    N/A
    Dock Charging
    N/A
    Power Supply
    N/A

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