[JohnnyBlumps]

Let me start by you getting to know me, I don’t have any kind of audiophile experience and I currently don't have a lot of money to throw around. I don’t use a dac or amp but I am saving up for a Fiio e10k, for IEM I use them in the car driving to college playing rock from my phone. For headphones it’s usually playing games and listening to grunge and rock from my MacBook.
 
I have recently bought the KSC75 mostly because of this site and mad lusts guide. I needed a headphone with a bigger soundstage (for gaming) and that sounds good with rock and grunge. The KSC75 hit both of those on the head! I really like the openness and fullness of the sound with good mid bass for the presence of the bass guitar. The detail is really nice on them as well. Gaming is great because of the soundstage on them, being open headphone.
 
Where I need help is finding a similar sounding IEM in the sub $50 range and a headphone with very similar qualities in the sub $100 range but lower the price the better in my book. I really want headphones with better positional cues for gaming but still sound good for grunge and rock. I have done research and these are what I came up with. Please leave any recommendations if you have any.
 
For IEM’s the two choices I came up with were the Xiaomi Piston 2 and the Ostry KC06. I heard both have a more open feel to them and sound good, hopefully sounding close to the KSC75’s. For the Headphones I came the result of the Superlux HD668B and the Koss UR55. Both being sub $50 and open headphones that sound great.
 
Please leave any recommendations if you have any? Thank you for your time!
 
 

 

[kjk1281]

Hey Johnny! Welcome to Head-Fi!

I can't really help you with the IEM part of your question since I haven't heard anything yet that sounds similar enough to the KSC75, but as far as full size headphones go, I think the Sennheiser HD518 is fairly close to the Koss clip-ons from the bass to the lower treble. The Senns certainly have less lower treble, but I feel it actually helps make them sound more spacious and refined.

 

[theuprising]

Do you want more isolation than the KSC 75? Then the Senns would be a no-go. Soundstage? I never felt my KSC 75's had any soundstage, but the treble was just spectacular. In full-sized closed headphones, I haven't found too much on a budget that matches the KSC 75, maybe you'll have better luck in IEM's. People say the KZ ED9 is good for orchestral music, which generally bodes well for rock, so look into that. If you move to 60 bucks, you can get the upgrade: Havi B3 Pro 1.

 

[JohnnyBlumps]

Hey Johnny! Welcome to Head-Fi!

I can't really help you with the IEM part of your question since I haven't heard anything yet that sounds similar enough to the KSC75, but as far as full size headphones go, I think the Sennheiser HD518 is fairly close to the Koss clip-ons from the bass to the lower treble. The Senns certainly have less lower treble, but I feel it actually helps make them sound more spacious and refined.

 
Thank you kjk! I'm definitely going to keep that on my radar.

 

[JohnnyBlumps]

  Do you want more isolation than the KSC 75? Then the Senns would be a no-go. Soundstage? I never felt my KSC 75's had any soundstage, but the treble was just spectacular. In full-sized closed headphones, I haven't found too much on a budget that matches the KSC 75, maybe you'll have better luck in IEM's. People say the KZ ED9 is good for orchestral music, which generally bodes well for rock, so look into that. If you move to 60 bucks, you can get the upgrade: Havi B3 Pro 1.

When I talked about soundstage with my KSC75, this is coming from never hearing open headphones before. I guess I really like the soundstage of open than of the closed. I don't mind sound leak at all if I’m sticking with open. I got wind of the Koss UR40 which are the same driver as the KSC75’s but with better cups and headband. Then I found the Koss UR55, people are say they are more bass driven then the KSC75, hopefully someone can vouch for me. I have never heard of those KZ ED9, have you tried them? They are very low priced though can't beat that. Also how do the Havi B3 stack up to the Ostry kc06?
 
EDIT: I think I solved my IEM problem with the thinksound rain. From the reviews I have heard they are the IEM of KSC75.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/464801/thinksound-thunder-rain-iem-reviews-the-eco-friendly-iem-or-more-wood-note-thunder-will-be-renamed-ts01
 
The rain is the second one he reviews on this page, the first is the ts01.