Koss KSC75's. Dont Forget This Giant Killer in all the ''Hidden Gem'' Hype.
Nov 30, 2012 at 12:44 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 1,437

Xaborus

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Update (9/17/2013) 
 
Graph says it all 
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So far my collection of headphones has only been the Koss KSC75, DT990-600's, Grado 60i's and Sony V6's.
 
My experiences so far? The KSC75 and DT990 are nearly identical, despite the $300 Difference. The DT990's just have a larger soundstage, bit less distortion, and more exaggerated highs. 
 
In all honestly, i prefer my 75's. Why? They're more comfortable. They Sit on my ears and do not apply any clamp pressure nor weigh the top of my head down, and the lessened highs of the 75's are less fatiguing.
 
Look how similar the curves are to the DT990's.
Despite the curve, i can't tell a difference in the bass response. This is possibly due to my source's 10-ohm output impedance. 
 

 
And the M50's, despite a $100 Difference.
 

 
Odd similarity to Equal Loudness Curve. Checkout the boosted bass, 2k Hz peak, and 10k Hz Spike.
  
 
Shockingly close to that magical goal.
 

 
 
 
So head-fi, i beg you, don't forget the Koss ksc75's in all the "hidden gem" hype threads. 
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 1:41 AM Post #4 of 1,437
Quote:
Never heard a pair, but the general consensus is that they are worse with bloated muddy bass. 

I've had them both, and that is a fair comparison.
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 4:02 AM Post #6 of 1,437
I strongly agree with OP's sentiment.
 
Just recently got myself a KSC75 and also the parts express headband to mod with it. Great sound in a very cheap price of less than $20! Seriously?! Many people dub them as 'baby Grados' and at most, I like the Grado house sound which is quite similar to this baby. Before getting this, I have the Senn PX100 II but now I'm trying to get rid of it in favor of this. I just can't stand too much bass bleed from those. With the headband in place, I do not feel any discomfort at all using it for long periods compared to the px100.
The bass is just enough for me and I love the treble on this. I am using it in stock form but with headband and I've read about a lot of mods out there which provides a better experience. Can't wait to mod mine by the way.
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 5:29 AM Post #7 of 1,437
Generally good sound across the board on the KSC-75s..Yes, the bass is 2-3db higher around 200Hz..rolls off fast in the sub-bass regions and has a slightly grainy treble.
5/5 for the price.
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 5:36 AM Post #8 of 1,437
Hi all
 
They are exactly the same drivers, maybe you notice a difference because the ksc casing is larger
 
I had a blown driver on the portapro and had a ksc set lying around which I never used much because I disliked the ear clamps so I just clipped the ksc drivers onto the portapro lolol I guess the best of both worls now, I call them the PortaKspro lolol
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 6:45 AM Post #9 of 1,437
Quote:
Thanks for your input! What are your opinions to the 75? 

The best thing you can do with them is put them into a headband, like the parts express one often mentioned here in the forums. That little bit of pressure holding them against your ears makes a nice difference....with the earclips, press them against your ears and you'll see what I mean. Firms up the lower end of the sound a bit.
 
My only real complaint with them is the cables don't hold up to heavy use over time. I know there is the warranty, but spending half the cost of the headphone less than a year later, to ship them out to be replaced.....too much of a bother. If I knew enough to do the repair/recable myself, that would be different and I'd always have a set in my collection.
 
I do currently have the Koss KTXPro1 in my collection, that I got from a friend. I think they are the same drivers as the KSC75, and not the same as the PortaPro...problem is their headband is designed for someone with a smaller head than me so I rarely use them.
 
Nov 30, 2012 at 6:48 AM Post #10 of 1,437
Quote:
Hi all
 
They are exactly the same drivers, maybe you notice a difference because the ksc casing is larger
 
I had a blown driver on the portapro and had a ksc set lying around which I never used much because I disliked the ear clamps so I just clipped the ksc drivers onto the portapro lolol I guess the best of both worls now, I call them the PortaKspro lolol

They're not exactly the same. The PortaPo and KSC35 are the same, and the KSC75 and KTXPro1 are the same. KSC75/KTXPro1 is also a 60ohm driver but it is titanium coated.
 
Dec 1, 2012 at 12:34 AM Post #11 of 1,437
Quote:
They're not exactly the same. The PortaPo and KSC35 are the same, and the KSC75 and KTXPro1 are the same. KSC75/KTXPro1 is also a 60ohm driver but it is titanium coated.

 
Ok great to know that sorry for the mis info.. in fact yes they do seem a bit harder to drive (60 Ohm) on un-amped volume levels, just checked
 
Anyway was great to revive the semi dead portapro and turn them into portakspro lolol
 
Dec 1, 2012 at 12:49 AM Post #12 of 1,437
They are indeed awesome. Check out my impressions in the review I felt compelled to write for them:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/koss-ksc75-portable-stereophone-headphones/reviews/7021
 
 
Dec 1, 2012 at 2:12 AM Post #13 of 1,437
I owned the grado ps500 for about 2 days but after comparing to a 75 with a grado cable I preferred the little Koss. the mids are nicer and while the grado had more in terms of some detail and refinement up top, for $500 it was a joke how similar they sounded not to mention the comfort difference which is worth quite a bit in itself. If you find the highs on the 75's a bit whispy and unatural I'd recommend buying a pair of grado 60's, steal the cable from it and use it on the koss, sell the rest of the sr60 for half price and you'll find the 75's will have a bit more body in the mids and a nicer top end. The only real complaint I have with the 75's is the occasional rattle with super low information and less enjoyable sound at more than moderate volumes.......
 
Dec 5, 2012 at 3:37 PM Post #14 of 1,437
I've had my KSC75s for a few weeks now. I kramer modded them and modded them with the Parts Express headband. I just have to say....... WOW. The sound from these rivals $300 headphones. I am continually impressed with how good they are. I have actually heard some things with these $15 headphones that I did not with $300 headphones. The separation is just amazing.
 
Best $15 I've ever spent. Hands down.
 
Dec 9, 2012 at 7:57 PM Post #15 of 1,437
Great review! I noticed that you had problems with comfort. If it helps, i found them most comfortable when you bend the ear-clips so that the end of the clip is resting on my earlobe. Hope this helps!
 

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