[ColdsnapBry]

Has any madlad put a ZMF co-pilot over the KSC75 w/ parts express headband. I'm putting my KSC75 w/ band over my Aeolus and they look about the same dimensions. I can't test right now as my co pilot is waiting to be mailed to me from the US, so it will be a month + until I can test.

Something about the metal touching the top of my head bugs me. It's like biting down on aluminum. I do not know why, but it just feels.. weird..

 

[Rockwell75]

What did the "giant" in the term "giant killer" mean in 2012?

 

[ezzony]

I definitely hear more warmth/bass and less brightness on the sportapro/partsexpress combo than with the ksc75/partsexpress combo, so I find that to be surprising!

Edit: I should point out that that is with the stock pads.

Yes I ageee. I'm using both for a good while now. I use the ksc75 for movie scores, classical, EDM (cuz better soundstage) and the sportapro more for pop, male voices particulary, etc. Quite a difference, both very good in their own way.

 

[SkySilent]

Has anyone here tried the KSC75 + Parts Express headband + Sennheiser HD414 pads combo? While I'm waiting for the headphones and the headband to arrive, I'm thinking of getting myself some aftermarket pads because I have quite large ears and I think I won't find the stock pads comfortable (judging by my previous experience with on-ears).

I know that those HD414 pads fit the KSC75/Porta Pros just fine, but I haven't found much reviews about this combo. It seems that Yaxi pads are recommended as the best aftermarket pads for KSC75 and PortaPro but, unfortunately, I can't find them for a good price in my country or Europe. If I would buy them directly from Yaxi, two pairs would cost me ~25 Eur + VAT + additional taxes from my post office/customs (total cost would be ~38 € I think).

Whereas I can get HD414 pads for ~10 € / pair shipped directly from Sennheiser DE to my country.

How are these HD414 pads compared to Yaxi? I am mainly interested in comfort, durability and sound differences (compared to stock sound).

 

[ezzony]

Fun fact - the parts express foam pads fit on the ksc75. I like them because they don't make my skin itch like a lot of foam pads do.
They are a bit tricky to put on because they are very thin and they could easily rip but I managed it okay.
If you were stuck it would be useful to know this.

On a more serious point - I don't think pads make much difference to the sound on these. If they do it's very minor. It's really more about comfort than any better/worse sound quality.

I have seen the Sennheizer pads on alliexpress the other day for about 6 euro I think. Sometimes stuff from China doesn't take forever to europe. I just got a case for my phone that arrived in less than 2 weeks.

 

[peskypesky]

I was at DollarTree the other day and noticed they have really nice-looking headphones for $5. They look like Beats...but obviously are probably going to sound like crap...

But I wondered if maybe it might make sense to buy a set and put some KSC-75's in them.

I've done the PartsExpress headband mod twice, but the headphones still remain flimsy and prone to being damaged.

Has anyone else put the KSC75's in a more robust headphone recently?

 

[sjbrook]

Yaxi now has PURPLE PortaPro/KSC75 pad! Woo-hoo! Just ordered a couple of sets.

 

[djray]

Has anyone else put the KSC75's in a more robust headphone recently?

If you have access to a 3D printer, there's this:

 

[ezzony]

I was at DollarTree the other day and noticed they have really nice-looking headphones for $5. They look like Beats...but obviously are probably going to sound like crap...

But I wondered if maybe it might make sense to buy a set and put some KSC-75's in them.

I've done the PartsExpress headband mod twice, but the headphones still remain flimsy and prone to being damaged.

Has anyone else put the KSC75's in a more robust headphone recently?

Yes. Would you belive the Sennheiser HD650. I don't know if you are familiar with this headphone design but the driver has a push and click in system that holds the drivers in place. The KSC75 fits into the Senns housing perfectly and it's easy to do. Don't ask me why I did this, maybe I happend to have the HD650 dismantled for some reason and though I'd try to see what the koss would be like in an open can. Anyway, wasn't very good. I think the problem is that because the KSC75 is not a physically big driver (in depth) so it won't sound good unless it's close to your ear! That's my theory anyway. In any case driver housing makes a huge difference to what you get in general.

I have a pair of Sony HDR-1r I never use which are very comforable and a very nice design generally. I have a feeling they would work in those. I'll try it one day I'm bored enough to do the job. The Sony driver isn't bad but I think the koss is better.

But I guess your're thinking of some relatively inexpensive unit you could transplant them into. I haven't heard of anyone doing that sucessfully.

You know you can get the porta pro headband from alli express in various colours. They cost about €17. I wish they had the sportapor headband because that would be a better choice I think.

 

[djray]

For one of my spare KSC75s, the stock pads just deteriorated. The black foam was falling apart, causing a big mess in a bag I had some other headphones in.

This is the second time this has happened to me. Thanks for reading my mini-rant!

 

[DivineCurrent]

Here's a fun story for KSC75 fans:
I had two pairs of them sitting in my drawer for years, unused after I've been using IEMs, open back headphones, and earbuds. I decided to try them out again, except this time I ordered some Yaxi pads after reading good things about them. There was also a PortaPro in there I compared to the KSC75, and so when the Yaxi pads arrived I did some listening this past week.

Excuse me, but how in the hell do these sound so good?! Putting Yaxi pads on the KSC75 is a HUGE transformation that I don't see many people talking about! The soundstage gets so much wider, sound is fuller, deeper, and actually a little brighter. It was a bit too bright for my tastes, but the treble extension and quality is only a little bit behind my Focal Clear MG. Sure it's not as detailed or realistic, but the fact that it even reminds me of the Focal Clear is amazing. With a little EQ in the treble, they are better in some ways than my Sennheiser HD58X, including treble and imaging.

The PortaPro with Yaxi pads simply can't beat the KSC75 except for the bass, which to my ears sounds fuller and more extended. That is the only thing those have over the KSC75. Now I would probably still take the PortaPro in stock form if I could not use EQ, but the KSC75 is just a much better technical performer and I use EQ with all my other headphones anyway.

I've got a Koss Retrospekt P/21 headband coming in this week, right now I'm using the porta pro headband on the KSC75. I got the orange Yaxi pads for a complete retro look, so now they will not only sound amazing but look great as well. Just wanted to share my complete surprise at how these $18 clip on headphones sound better than many $200 headphones I've tried. Then again, I'm sure people here already knew how good they are!

Pictures to come...

 

[santiu]

i just got some ksc75’s as I’m looking for a travel headphone setup. My main listening is on a pair of hd6xx. Before that my main pair was a set of hd580 precision’s. Maybe I’m just too used to the sennheiser sound after more than a decade with them, but I find the ksc75 pretty harsh and ugly on the high end. Sounds cheap and fizzy, and is fatiguing. Honestly right now, I don’t get the hype for these. I’ve just requested a replacement in case these are just a bunk pair. There’s this weird resonance around 5khz that just goes crazy on some tracks that I find super distracting and unpleasant .

Im going to try the parts express headband (pressing them against my head does make the low end sound nicer), and maybe an in-line notch filter to tame those highs a bit… time will tell if I can come to love these things. They sure pack easier than my hd6xx!!

 

[DivineCurrent]

The Retrospekt headband is surprisingly comfortable, and super lightweight. With the Yaxi pads, I can absolutely wear these for hours with no discomfort.

 

[SolaVirtus]

RetroSaxi75

 

[sjbrook]

i just got some ksc75’s as I’m looking for a travel headphone setup. My main listening is on a pair of hd6xx. Before that my main pair was a set of hd580 precision’s. Maybe I’m just too used to the sennheiser sound after more than a decade with them, but I find the ksc75 pretty harsh and ugly on the high end. Sounds cheap and fizzy, and is fatiguing. Honestly right now, I don’t get the hype for these. I’ve just requested a replacement in case these are just a bunk pair. There’s this weird resonance around 5khz that just goes crazy on some tracks that I find super distracting and unpleasant .

Im going to try the parts express headband (pressing them against my head does make the low end sound nicer), and maybe an in-line notch filter to tame those highs a bit… time will tell if I can come to love these things. They sure pack easier than my hd6xx!!

If you are willing to do a little surgery and invest in a set of Yaxi (I endorse purple) you can smooth out the issues you are hearing. It won't tune them into Senn but will make a more balanced presentation with much better LF response. After a lot of trial and error I have found that four center placed holes on the driver's protective (tuning?) plate is all that is really needed. Careful work with an xacto blade for dissassembly and a stepped drill bit are all the tools needed.