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
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.
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Doesn't leak much sound.
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Unbalanced and poor audio reproduction.
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All-plastic build quality feels cheap.
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Poor noise cancellation.
Not good for neutral listening. They have a bass-heavy sound quality and their closed-back design limits their soundstage.
Not suitable for commuting. Their noise isolation is weak and doesn't block enough ambient noise for busy commutes.
Not designed for sports. They have a poor control scheme and they're bulky and unstable.
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.
- 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
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
- Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
- Updated Mar 04, 2016: Review published.
- Updated Mar 02, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
Test Results
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
No compatible app.
