Koss KSC75 Portable Stereophone Headphones
by Koss
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List Price: Our Price: $10.40 You Save: $9.59 (48%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Koss KSC75 Portable Stereophone Headphones
Customer Review: A no brainer for the price. Get them.
Summary: 5 Stars
Getting an iPod is what finally made me look into spending money on decent earphones. I first tried the Sony EX71 because friends said good things, and well, they were white. And they definitely sounded better than the stock Apple earbuds. More (but not necessarily better bass), better midrange, and the nice bonus of some sound insulation. I was satisfied.
As a consequence, I ended up doing more headphone listening at home too (apartment+subwoofer+late night=eviction), so I did some research looking for entry level performance headphones for home use. I ended up getting Alessandro Music Series One headphones (basically a Grado SR125 with mellower highs - also great headphones). The Alessandros were a revelation, as my first serious headphones. The Sony EX71 suddenly became a joke.
Well, after much research, one name kept coming up when it came to nice, cheap portable headphones: Koss. Many models were recommended: KSC35, KSC50, KSC75, PortaPro. I settled on the KSC75 as they're small clip-ons, and they were supposed to have a nice adjustable fit, in addition to fitting securely. I was skeptical though, as they were less than one third what I paid for my Sonys.
The KSC75 looks cheap. I wasn't impressed. But I have an open mind, so I gave them a listen. These suckers can rock! They deliver a really full sound, surprising for the size and price. They absolutely trounce the Apple earbuds and my old Sonys. And not by a narrow margin. The bass is impressive, and commendably tight. The midrange has real body to it. And the highs sound pleasing too. They also improve with a headphone amp, so they even have a little room to grow. I can't imagine anything under $50 sounding better. They don't really have any serious sonic faults in the $50 and under range. Considering the ludicrously low price Amazon is selling them for, nobody in their right mind should have any issue with the way the KSC75 performs. They are a noble backup to my Alessandros.
The KSC75 passed my running test. They fit well, they're easily adjusted, and they're secure. They're also quite comfortable. I also can hear enough around me that I'm aware of traffic.
Negatives: These headphones do not offer any isolation, so if you need that, consider Shure or Etymotic. If you're concerned about style, these also may not suit you. It's like you have little, silver UFOs clipped to your ears. Personally, I'm glad they're not available in "mug me white."
Customer Review: The best headphones ever made.
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased these headphones because I had heard about the "Kramer mod" and how it improves the sound quality of them. (Just search for kramer mod ksc75 on google). I have had a pair of Sennheiser HD590 which I paid $150 for about 10 years ago, and my modified KSC75's sound every bit as good as the Sennheisers. Fantastic sound quality and value for the money.
My modification is actually a bit different than the Kramer mod... It involves just taking the plastic protector off completely, and then "sewing" a fishing line over the drivers using the little pegs around the rim which hold the foam pad on. It opens them up and gives them more air and you get a crystal clear sound. Plus you don't have to bother with drilling them. The mod only takes about 15 minutes and is well worth it.
Even if you are too timid to modify them, they sound great out of the box. (But not excellent until you mod them).
They are very comfortable... Just make sure you understand that you can bend the clips to fit your ears better if they are too tight. (The cartilege on my right ear is smaller than my left so it is necessary for me to bend mine to different sizes to make them fit better)
My only complaint about the headphones: They are prone to breakage. I've had two pairs now that either one of the drivers broke, or the connections on the jack broke. The first pair broke from pulling the jack out by the cord. Second pair broke when I slammed them down hard when I was angry... so that was more my fault than that of the headphones.
Piece of advice: Do not pull the jack from the cord, but pull it from the actual plug part, so you put less stress on the cord.
Once your cord/plug/driver is broken, it's almost impossible to solder a new cord on because the wires inside are so thin. (tiny twisted strands and there's only maybe 10 of them)
However, each pair I've had has lasted about 1 year. I'll shortly be buying my third, because even if you factor in needing replacements, they are so inexpensive that it is well worth it. I'll still need to break/replace another 7 pairs before I spend as much on KSC75's as I did on my Sennheisers. :)
I'll try to take better care of the next pair too.
They are wonderful headphones. Highly recommended for anyone... Those on a low budget, entry level listeners, and audio enthusiasts alike.
Try them and be surprised.
Customer Review: Great headphones that meet my needs.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always had a problem finding headphones that I like. I have tried ear-buds, old-fashioned large headphones, the behind the head version of headphones, ear-buds with over the ear holds, etc... but I never really completely liked any of them. Of course some had good sound, but they were uncomfortable or would not stay on my ears - even when I was just sitting still. Then there were some that fit a little better but the sound wasn't as good. I know I could spend more money to buy some nicer headphones, but on my low budget I needed to find something affordable that met my needs. Well, I found that in these KOSS headphones!
Comfort - I think these are some of the most comfortable headphones I have used. I was leery at first, thinking the over-the-ear thing wouldn't work well and either pinch my ear or fall off too easily like so many that I have tried before did. But the simple design of these KOSS headphones work amazingly well, don't pinch my ears, and stay on. They feel like they would fall off, but that is just because they don't put that much pressure on my ears. Of course, your ears may very, but my experience has been great so far.
Sound - I might not have a "professional" ear that can tell a difference between a $300+ pair of headphones and a lower quality - or in this case, just a less expensive pair. But to me, the sound on these phones seem great. I feel like I get a lot of the range that I sometimes felt was missing in other headphones I have used. I get more of the high's and low's that are important to music.
Portability - This was another requirement of mine, I usually take headphones when I am traveling somewhere, I don't usually use them just sitting at home. So I needed a pair that could travel well. Fortunately, these are just the right size. Not too small like some ear buds, where I felt like I would lose them. And not as big as some of the other styles that just don't go into a bag nicely without getting some damage of some sort. Of course, I try to take good care of my things, so I don't typically have problems with worrying about breaking off one of the over-ear pieces, etc.
Overall, I recommend these headphones, they are very inexpensive, comfortable, have great sound especially for the money, and live up to their name of being very portable. You can't really go wrong with these great headphones!
Customer Review: Surprisingly Good for Small Headphones
Summary: 4 Stars
Listening to my Four Tops songs on my iTunes, I'm hearing some odd channel separations that I don't know if it's the fault of the headphones or of the way they mixed the CD. The harpsichord is so prominent now on "If I Were A Carpenter" where before it was more in the background. This is a good thing! Makes it seem like a whole new song. The majestic French horn in "What is a Man" is glorious to behold now.
All that is important because I never thought I could get this kind of quality from small, semi-portable headphones. Mind you, it has its limitations, after a point if you crank the volume there is naturally some muddiness, but it's nothing even a picky person like me can't live with.
I was encouraged to buy them by the good reviews, but I've owned Koss before, with my first being in the form of the classic RadioShack Pro60 headphones. For years I had the Koss UR20 headphones for my television set. This is the first time I've gotten smaller ones.
Earbuds are a disaster for me, frustrating to keep on and painful to keep in. Not so with this sportsclip style. I barely even notice them on, except of course, when I suddenly get up to go do something and am strangled by the cord! (Extension cord...a good thing!) But that mercilessly short three-foot cord suggests it was probably designed for the treadmill crowd, however I see no reason why you can't use them at work or at home, like I plan to. They're very easy to use. You put them on just as if you were putting on eyeglasses, in fact I wear mine OVER my glasses. They don't mess up your hair, either, although mine will occasionally get caught.
I bought mine at CC because I had more than my fill of the around-the-back-of-the-head phones I was using on my work computer and I destroyed them, so I had to rush to get a replacement. There is NO working without my music, I'm sorry! As a result, I paid more for them, but I knew that this way I could easily return them if I didn't like them. I bought two more from Amazon.com rather than the other seller they list here at a lower price, because I wanted to be sure to get it in a timely manner.
I recommend Koss KSC75s very highly. As I write this, I'm using the Dance setting on the iTunes equalizer, and you ought to hear Jamerson's bass lines on "Still Water (Love)"! I can't wait to hear what they're like after they've broken in.
Customer Review: Excellent low-cost headphones
Summary: 5 Stars
I found these headphones about six months ago while looking for a pair of cheap over-the-ear 'phones to replace my old, beloved KSC50s. I'd actually owned two sets of KSC50s beforehand, the first of which lasted for about two years before the cord started to come apart with heavy use and the second of which was starting to have some distortion problems when I turned it up with low bass. I'd loved the sound quality of the 50s, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a similar updated pair that was not only lighter but cheaper by about five bucks.
As other reviewers have said, the design is pretty different from the old versions, and this caught me off guard at first. When I first got them out of the package the 75s felt thin and flimsy compared to the heft of the 50s, and the non-movable ear clip annoyed me a little. Once I put them on, however, I was pretty much blown away. Not only did they fit very comfortably, if a tad loosely, but they sounded great - very similar to the KSC50s, with a great response range, crisp sounds, and an excellent balance as well. These headphones may sell for less than $15 but they don't sound like it. Moreover they are very light and can be worn for hours without any discomfort, unlike the 50s which (for me, at least) started to pinch slightly at the front of my ear where the ear-clip rotated. Even the cord is noticeably lighter than the KSC50s, and while my first pair of those began to wear near the y-clip a few months in these have yet to show any wear or tear despite six months of frequent use. Even the wire that supports the ear-clip is surprisingly sturdy, although the entire clip does come off and has an annoying tendency to if it's pulled the wrong way (it does, however, snap right back on).
Of course these aren't professional-quality headphones, nor are they designed for running or the gym - they fit rather loosely and aren't meant to stay glued to your head. They're also an open, over-ear design so they hardly block out any sound at all and aren't the best commuter headphones. I find these work best at the computer or when walking (rather than jogging) from place to place. The sound quality really is amazing for a pair of headphones this cheap, so what these really are is the perfect pair of college student headphones. When compared with anything else under about $40, they really can't be beat.