We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
If you want a plug-and-play wired headset for long computer sessions with an inline mute and volume control, choose New Bee USB Headset; if you need a foldable on-ear headset built around a flexible boom microphone and lifetime warranty coverage, choose Koss Porta Pro Communication.
• New Bee USB Headset — biggest strength: dual USB and 3.5 mm connectivity, so it moves between a laptop, a phone, a tablet and a desktop without adapters getting in the way. Biggest trade-off: the spec sheet lists a 250 g weight, which is on the heavy side for an on-ear headset you wear for hours.
• Koss Porta Pro Communication — biggest strength: an electret boom microphone paired with 60-ohm drivers tuned for voice work, plus a foldable headband and a lifetime warranty description. Biggest trade-off: wired TRRS only, so there is no USB path if your machine lacks a combo jack.
• Both are wired on-ear headsets with a 3.5 mm jack, an adjustable headband and dynamic drivers. Neither is a wireless product, so battery life is not part of this comparison.
• Choose New Bee USB Headset if your priority is getting a mic onto a computer quickly for calls, classes or meetings, with hardware mute keys on the cable.
• Choose Koss Porta Pro Communication if your priority is voice capture quality, portability and long-term ownership.
The New Bee USB Headset is a computer-first headset. It is an on-ear design in black plastic with padded, leatherette ear cushions and a stainless steel slider in the headband, so you can size it and expect the slider to hold up to daily adjusting. The ear cups swivel, which is the detail that matters most for comfort, because it lets the pads sit flat against your ears instead of pressing at an angle.
What it does best is flexibility on the connection side. New Bee builds this around both USB and 3.5 mm, and it lists compatibility with Windows 2000 through 10, XP, Vista, Mac OS X, iOS and Android, plus phones and tablets. There is a built-in sound card with noise reduction, which the spec sheet frames as cutting down computer audio noise for a quieter working environment. Practically, that means you can plug it into a work laptop by USB in the morning and into a phone by 3.5 mm in the evening for music or a film, without swapping gear.
The controls are the other reason to pick it. In-line controls sit on the cord and cover volume plus two separate mute keys: one mutes the microphone, one mutes the speaker. That is a genuinely useful layout for online classes and video meetings, because you can kill your mic without hunting through software settings, and you can mute your own output without unplugging anything.
Koss Porta Pro Communication: Who It's For
The Koss Porta Pro Communication takes the long-running Porta Pro platform and adds a flexible electret boom microphone. That single change is what turns a music headphone into a communication headset, and the spec sheet is clear about the intent: it is aimed at telehealth, education, call centres, gaming and business use. The electret mic is described as reducing ambient noise and background distraction to improve voice clarity on calls and recordings.
The audio side is the classic Porta Pro formula. Koss rates it at 15 Hz to 25 kHz with 60-ohm drivers and 101 dB SPL sensitivity, and describes deep bass, crisp highs and a strong midrange. Fifteen hertz at the bottom is a wide reach, and the midrange emphasis is exactly what you want for speech, so the same headset can carry a call and then handle music without sounding like a stripped-down office accessory.
Build and ownership details are where it separates itself. The headband folds for storage, the ear pads are described as ComfortZone temporal pads, and the enclosure material is faux leather and silicone, with a matching faux leather and silicone carry case listed. It also carries a lifetime warranty description, which is unusual for a headset in this class and is the kind of thing that matters if you are buying for a small team that is hard on gear. The 3.5 mm TRRS plug connects to computers, desk phones and gaming devices in one cable.
Buy it if you want a flexible boom mic for clear voice pickup, you move between a desk phone, a computer and a handheld, or you want a headset that folds into a case and is backed by a lifetime warranty description. Skip it if you need USB, if your device only offers USB audio, or if you want the cable-mounted discrete mute keys that a dedicated call headset usually provides.
• Best for computer and call-software use → New Bee USB Headset. USB plus 3.5 mm and Windows/Mac/iOS/Android support covers more machines out of the box.
• Best for voice pickup quality → Koss Porta Pro Communication. A flexible electret boom mic beats a fixed mic for getting the capsule near your mouth.
• Best for portability → Koss Porta Pro Communication. The foldable headband and included case make it the one you can throw in a bag.
• Best for mute control at your fingertips → New Bee USB Headset. Separate mic and speaker mute keys plus volume on the cable.
• Best for long-term ownership → Koss Porta Pro Communication. Lifetime warranty description, plus user-replaceable folding design.
• Best for audio range → Koss Porta Pro Communication. 15 Hz to 25 kHz versus the New Bee's listed 20 Hz to 200 kHz range, and 60-ohm drivers against 32 ohms.
• Best for low-impedance, easy-to-drive listening → New Bee USB Headset. 32 ohms is easier for phones and laptops to push to a usable volume.
• Best for lighter wear → Koss Porta Pro Communication. The New Bee is listed at 250 g, which is a lot of headset for a full working day.
In my opinion, this comes down to what your microphone actually plugs into. If your working life is a laptop, a browser tab and a meeting app, I would buy the New Bee USB Headset — the dual USB/3.5 mm connection, the swivel ear cups and the two inline mute keys are exactly the features that make a computer headset painless day to day. If your calls happen on a desk phone, you record voice, or you want the better mic and a headset that folds into a case with a lifetime warranty description behind it, I would buy the Koss Porta Pro Communication instead. Neither is the wrong answer; they are built for two different desks.
what is on ear headset
An on-ear headset rests on top of your ears rather than surrounding them. Both products here are on-ear designs: the New Bee lists on-ear placement with padded leatherette cushions, and the Koss lists on-ear placement with ComfortZone temporal pads. They are lighter and more compact than over-ear models, but they do not seal around the ear.
what is over ear headset
An over-ear headset has larger cups that enclose the whole ear inside the cushion, which usually means more isolation and less pressure on the ear itself. The New Bee spec sheet lists on-ear ear placement but an over-ear earpiece shape, while the Koss is listed as on-ear with a rounded tip shape. If full ear coverage is your priority, neither of these is a true over-ear design.
how to wear one ear headset
For single-ear listening on an on-ear model, rest the headband so one cup sits against one ear and the other cup sits just behind or above the other ear, then tighten the slider until it stays put. Both headsets have adjustable headbands — the New Bee uses a stainless steel slider, and the Koss uses an adjustable band with temporal pads. Keep the boom mic on the Koss near your mouth, and keep the New Bee's cable controls within reach.
how to open headset ear
If you mean opening the ear cup to reposition it, the New Bee's ear cups are swivel-mounted, so you can rotate them flat. The Koss does not list swiveling cups, but its headband folds for storage, which is the adjustment it is built around. For sizing, use the headband slider on either model rather than forcing the cups.
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