[lossfizzle]

I have an unusual situation: I'm a musician with a regular paid gig with in-ear monitoring (forced upon me and everyone else), but in my particular role I still want and need to hear the room. Full size phones look really funny on stage to me (especially if I'm wearing one side "off the ear" in order to hear the room as desired), and even with one ear left open I just cannot deal with conventional IEMs for longer than 15 minutes. My ear canals do not want things stuffed into them, and IEM cable management about and around my instrument strap is a perpetual huge pain.

Of maybe ten or twelve sets of phones from my collection that I've tried so far, ye olde KSC-75s and Sportapros have actually made me happiest in this forced situation... but they are still pretty ugly for on-stage use, especially the KSCs. I'd like something similar but a little less conspicuous, if such a unicorn even exists.

They don't even have to be particularly good at reproduction, although that's obviously a plus. However, I mostly only need the phones for the click track and catching talkback chatter/direction.

Anything out there?

 

[tomb]

Massdrop is currently selling an all-black version of the KSC-75. That's probably your best bet. You can find PortaPros in all sorts of different colors (similar/better than the Sportapro), but two things bother me about those phones: 1) too much mid-bass and no sparkle, and 2) the metal headband will pull out hair.

So, it's the KSC-75. However, Koss owns this niche. Others have tried to compete with something similar - even Sennheiser - but the KSC-75 is pretty hard to beat. I have a friend at work who purchased the Massdrop version and the all-black is very stealthy compared to the outrageous silver on the original (my only complaint).

 

[lossfizzle]

This, my friend, is an expert tip. I have never seen the KSCs in anything but the ugly silver 50s-flying-saucer styling. I don't mind the comparative tonal darkness of the mylar Koss 40mms, but I do prefer the KSCs and you are dead on about the headband and I am already missing enough hair. Mostly I mentioned the Sportapros because, while less comfy even than the Portas, the behind-the-head headband is better on stage in my head anyway.

I think I'll be running to see if I can find the black KSCs now.

I am aware of older Senns - was it the PX-100 or -200? - but they've been gone ages.

 

[tomb]

This, my friend, is an expert tip. I have never seen the KSCs in anything but the ugly silver 50s-flying-saucer styling. I don't mind the comparative tonal darkness of the mylar Koss 40mms, but I do prefer the KSCs and you are dead on about the headband and I am already missing enough hair. Mostly I mentioned the Sportapros because, while less comfy even than the Portas, the behind-the-head headband is better on stage in my head anyway.

I think I'll be running to see if I can find the black KSCs now.

I am aware of older Senns - was it the PX-100 or -200? - but they've been gone ages.

Yep - PX-100 was the one. I had one of the early versions. The German carrying case puzzle box and headphone folding design was a fantastic piece of engineering, but not very practical. The sound was not very good, either.

 

[lossfizzle]

Ordered two sets of the black / "midnight blue" KSCs and they should be on their way already. They do look much nicer (at least in in the promo photos) than the standard issue and I figure my current set is just about due for the usual KSC cable death anyway. Thanks so much again for the protip!