Let's unbox!
Puro Sound Labs prides itself on volume-limited headphones... because they want to prevent noise-induced hearing loss from affecting anyone else. Niki Russell, kicked this whole thing off because she's partially deaf in both ears as a result of something completely preventable. When she was a kid, she had her headphones cranked to a dangerous level for a long period of time... and the rest was history (she couldn't hear her friends sitting across the table). Puro Sound Labs revealed that 1-in-5 teens will lose their hearing also, and it's a pleasure reviewing a product that gives you an option that prevents that.
Fun fact: Dave Russell is the creator of Puro Sound Labs. He made the products in honor of his daughter Niki to prevent other kids from getting NIHL and has opened the door for adults with products like the PuroPro & PuroGamer headphones. Prior to this review, I got the news that Niki, Christina, and Ashley are now the owners of Puro Sound Labs. It's pretty cool to see their dad pass down the company he started because of his little girl.
Build: When it comes to the build of these headphones, you can feel the softness before placing them on. You have a protein leather headband + ear cushions with a soft interior that feels good/light around the ears... just inviting you to put them on.
That light feel around my ears was definitely a combination of the flexible body in combination with the soft material, and I thank the designers for the flexibility... because I can actually wear the headphones longer when they aren't clamped down on my head.
If you don't know, I have a low tolerance for pressure on my ears. I've only been able to wear some headphones for about 30 to 45 minutes (max), that's not even a feature-length film... so I appreciate comfy headphones like the PuroPro. I've been able to lay back and actually dose off with these headphones for hours, and I tried to sleep in them but I tend to sleep on my side... so I eventually took them off (but overall comfy).
These foldable headphones also feature a DJ-Style full swivel of the ear cups (no cheek rubs here), and the measurements on the headphones are a lovely touch for those who want their headphones at a certain level. Even if you have one ear slightly higher or lower than the other, these give you an idea of where to place the earcups without the constant readjustment when you place them on. Instead, you'll know... because the numbers don't lie. :p
By the way, a certain someone told me that this little adjustment feature would be perfect for their OCD... so that's another plus.
Design-wise, the body is quite plain. Yes they fold and swivel, which is great... they're just (sorta) plain looking (even if it doesn't make or break the audio). Outside of the word... "Puro" on top of the headphones, I wouldn't be able to easily pick these out among a group of plain headphones. If I could add one thing, I would place a metal strip with the logo on the earcup. It's not all about being flashy, but... it gives it a little something more.
Audio: Before I jump into the audio, I want to point out first and foremost that these headphones deliver 85dB/95dB max volume options. The PuroPro bumps it up 10 dB (to 95 decibels) if you want to go there, but they recommend that you limit 95dB up to 50 minutes... and 85dB up to 8 hours. These are the maximum safe sound listening levels/times recommended by organizations like WHO, OSHA, etc.
O.S.H.A. is short for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, I went to the Orlando Airport location several times in the past. They're legit, it's the same place you'd have to go through for training on health & safety in order to work for various jobs and get access to select worksites/facilities.
Now let's get to the actual audio. One thing I appreciate about these headphones is that they don't shy away from lows, mids, or even highs through the 40mm drivers... they just spare the ears of the deafening decibels. I want to identify the sounds I'm listening to... not have everything meshed together in an unrecognizable mess, but I will hold off and deliver a bit more detail about this below.
This is what keeps the company in business in my opinion because volume limiting is good and great, but... if the headphones sucked there would be nothing to discuss (even with NIHL on the table... and that's bad to say but... it's real). Luckily, that's not the case with the PuroPro headphones. You may ask what the difference is between these headphones and the PuroQuiet, and I'd say the ability to fold these + these are adult-sized headphones with more dB.
I reviewed the audio with the following games, movies, and music:
Music: DMX - Ruff Ryders Anthem (RIP)
Music: B.o.B and Big Boi - Double or Nothing (from Army of TWO: The Devil's Cartel)
Music: Anderson .Paak feat. Rick Ross - Cut Em In
Film: Tom Clancy's Without Remorse
Film: The Tomorrow War
TV show: Invincible
TV show: The Boys
Game: The Signifier Director's Cut
Game: Call of Duty Warzone
ASMR: GentleWhispering - Towel Folding
One con is the lack of a passthrough feature, no complaints about the ANC. There was a slight white noise with the ANC, but I could only hear it when the music wasn't playing and it wasn't bad.
In the Box + Features:
In the (awesome wooden) box:
PuroPro Headphones
(3.5mm) Limiter Cable
USB Charging Cable
Hard Travel Case
Specs:
32Hr Battery (this is true, I went over a week without charging a second time)
4Mics for Volume Limiting Ear Protection
Active Noice Canceling
Puro Balanced Response
Bluetooth 5.0 (they connect quick, which I love)
Bluetooth calling
300 Hours standby time
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
1 Year Warranty
USB-C
Simple up/down volume
20Hz - 20kHz Dynamic Range w/ < 1% Total Harmonic Distortion
Now you may be wondering what in the world the Total Harmonic Distortion is, and I'm glad you asked. According to our associates over at Lifewire, "Music is made of fundamental and harmonic frequencies. The combination of fundamental and harmonic frequencies gives musical instruments unique timbre and allows the human ear to distinguish between them." So when it comes to THD and our headphones, "Once the Total Harmonic Distortion has increased past a certain point, you can expect the accuracy of sound to be compromised."
So in other words, the PuroPro Headphones have less than 1% total harmonic distortion, which is good. The lower the percentage the better, if you're eyeing headphones above that percentage... expect for distortion to increase. Outside of great audio for yourself, I recommend it for your little one once it's safe to use headphones (like the PuroQuiet option) because it's important for them to hear and recognize the differences when it comes to sounds like instruments, animals, and a number of other things.
By the way, 20Hz delivers a very low base rumble... which is where I got those nice deep booms even without the volume cranked.
Price: Pricewise... the PuroPro Headphones come in at $199.99, which is cool for what it's worth (because it does protect your ears)... but you begin to get into that area of impulse buying at around $150 (for me).
Overall, these are comfy headphones that deliver quality sound while protecting the ears. The battery leaves room for 10's of hours of audio action and my ears don't hurt when I'm done. That's a win!
Build 5
Audio 5
In the Box + Features 5
Price 4
4.75 out of 5 Cool Points
Support us below!
Save up to 45%off with code THINKMAYDEAL
