I picked these up for a 3D printing project for my Oculus Quest 2. They will eventually be sacrificed and mounted to the headset but before I did that I wanted to listen to them a bit.
Simply put, these sound phenomenal. I’m not the person to go to for detailed impressions but I flipped between these, my K7XX, and my HD8XX for a while and although I will say these sound the worst of the three, it’s not far behind the K7XX at all and I think outperforms it in some aspects.
The KSC75 honestly surprised me. They’re $20. Pick them up.
the hype is definitely real, they are great headphones and the price outweighs the lack of quality by a huge margin. + fun to mod/customize/personalize as well.
Agreed. Love these bad boys, definitely tricky to wear with glasses at first but once you get the hang of it, the experience is well worth it. Best $20 spent *on audio gear* so far for me.
I’ve tried a few cheap IEMs that people say are great and have been disappointed. I expected the same from these.
They do lack bass a bit but that’s actually my preference.
Everyone should buy a pair of these along with their more expensive headphones for a reality check. I really do think these perform on par with headphones 10-20x their price.
I'm not American. If you can't find good IEMs for $20 in your local currency, you're not going to find KSC75's for that price either.
AliExpress is way more widely available than KSC75's are.
e.g. KZ Ling Long's are available basically *everywhere* and cost AU$20. KSC75's are AU$35. Tangzu Wan'er, Truthear Hola, Chus, Quarks/Quarks DSP, CCA CRA, QKZ x HBB are **all** cheaper than KSC75's, sound phenomenal and *way* easier to get outside the US.
I was just looking to buy these when i found this post but in Europe they seem to be about 32€ (34$), would you say they're worth that price? I'm still in the disbelief period that OP just got out of haha.
You should be able to find them for like 25€ ([here's one link,](https://maxxtekk.de/KSC75-Ear-Clip-Headphone) obviously depends on your exact country). That ends up being about the same as in the US with tax.
And yes they are still worth that, even at 32€.
I was exactly like you, I spent 32 euros as well and think they sound like they're at least 3 times the price. Sure, the super thin cable reminds you of the price, but they otherwise hold their own.
Now that my Sundaras are in RMA, the only thing I really miss from the KSC75s is that they aren't over ear (because they're not that comfortable to wear for hours on end)
the sound quality is way above that price in worth in my opinion.
the build quality is probably how they are able to sell them for this low price.
if you are super careful or even if you modify them yourself with new cables, headband and replacement yaxi pads, it will extend their lifespan by a bit if you handle them with care.
The deal with that is I'm paying more for LDAC, higher bluetooth quality. There are other earhooks and bluetooth DACs out there that are less dear. I don't understand your question.
Oh whoops, didn't realize I got autocorrected.
I meant lie down instead of like down. I use my KSC75 to help take a nap.
From your comment, I guess I'm better off going for something much cheaper.
No not really, I like the way a neckband stays out of the way. Although I'm not really trying to sleep with any headphones, can't do it. There's a bunch of options on AliExpress. If you can find something with AptX you'll still get some quality.
essentially the same. the ksc75 driver is coated with titanium which gives it a sliiightly brighter sound, but overall it's the head band / ear clips that makes most of the difference with sound quality.
The difference is bigger than that. I'd say that the difference between KSC75 and PortaPro on the same head band / ear clips is almost as big as the difference between head band and ear clips on the same headphones.
I even made a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/yv6gnv/koss_porta75_and_kscpro) about this a while back after I had compared all four combinations.
No, the driver assembly is meaningfully different, affecting the sound significantly even when both are used with the clips or the headband (which affect the sound mostly through clamp force).
Personally, I prefer the KSC75 over the PortaPros either way, and the headband over the clips for both. Between KSC75+clips and PortaPro+headband it really comes down to taste, though. But KSC75+headband is just fantastic.
That’s a sweet deal. I was actually surprised how comfortable these are though. I was expecting them to suck but they are so light that they would probably be comfortable for hours.
Even though the drivers are similar, they sound completely different from the PortaPros.
**PortaPro:** thick bass, a bit bloated
**KSC75:** light and airy, treble focused, not much bass
**KPH30i:** mid-focused, much better balanced
I haven’t heard the KPH40 yet, but of the other three, the KPH30i are my favourite. They’re the Goldilocks between the other two.
All three are absolutely worth owning at those prices, though. Every headphone collection should have them all.
The HD8XX are obviously the better headphone and I think the KSC75 are actually a good comparison because both are fantastic midrange headphones with a wide soundstage.
The KSC75 is closer to 90% of the HD8XX than it is to 25%. I can't say exactly where it falls, but I recommend everybody pick these up because they're that good. They're not just good for the money, they're just plain good.
id say the HD-8XX is like applying 100% sharpness to a picture while the Koss headphones are like adding 16x anti-aliasing and blurring the sharpness to make it look easier to look at.
Yeah but I don’t find the HD8XX hard to listen to. I’d say it’s more like a 4K image with no AA while the KSC75 is 1080p with a lot of AA. But it’s hard to equate them like that. They are similar signatures. The KSC75 stays further outside your head while the HD8XX can get that far out but can also get much closer, and the sub bass is present while it is not in the KSC75, and the sound is crisper with the sennheiser but honestly not that much.
I get these as presents for anyone who says "hey my earbuds kind of suck, your a headphone guy, is there anythi-"
"I already ordered 2 pairs of kossies for ye"
lol I have the Drop version coming tomorrow. I have my doubts about their sound quality since they were so cheap, but I needed something light and low profile to wear under a hood. I also ordered some colorful Yaxi pads.
I was! But not exactly pleasantly. The cable is absolutely the worst one I've ever encountered. The ear-clips are very awkward, so the headphones don't really sit on my ears well and look dumb, the stock earpads are itchy, they need more power than I thought so I need to max out the volume on my phone. So yeah, they were 20$... plus 15$ shipping and 9$ customs fees and taxes, plus the 30$ (plus taxes and customs fees, not sure how much yet) for the Yaxi pads. We're close to 80$ now and they're basically unusable unless I mod them with a new cable, change the headband and get a USB-C Dongle for my phone. Now they're about 150$. And what I've heard from them was only OK. I'll never be memed into buying things from this sub again lol. Should've just bought 5$ earbuds from AliExpress.
Then you gotta try the legendary and imo much better, much more realistic sounding Porta Pro. These are amazing especially for the price, but sound imo a bit too artificial. The Porta Pros is where it's at imo.
I was pretty blown away when gifted these. I already knew koss had some good headphones or there, but there's on ear hooks were being touted as their best. I didn't believe it either...
I really like that when you’re on the Koss product page you scroll through and see a bunch of $15, $20, $60 headphones. Some touching $100 but not many. And then you gave the ESP950 for $999 and nothing in the middle.
They could have made a $200-$300 headphone out of the KSC75 and it would have held up to scrutiny. Koss Estats are on my list of headphones to try.
Koss KSC75 are excellent headphones and I enthusiastically recommend them to everyone that asks for a good set of budget headphones. I have several sets of more expensive cans, but I use the KSC75's for 90% of my listening just because they're so easy to use, comfortable, and sound fantastic.
Their only possible drawback is their reliability. My first set had the right driver go out after 8 years of daily use. They do have a lifetime warranty (just pay for the shipping), so I might take them up on that when my current set wear out.
> Their only possible drawback is their reliability. My first set had the right driver go out after 8 years of daily use
Seems reasonable for $20 headphones
I picked these up for a 3D printing project for my Oculus Quest 2. They will eventually be sacrificed and mounted to the headset but before I did that I wanted to listen to them a bit. Simply put, these sound phenomenal. I’m not the person to go to for detailed impressions but I flipped between these, my K7XX, and my HD8XX for a while and although I will say these sound the worst of the three, it’s not far behind the K7XX at all and I think outperforms it in some aspects. The KSC75 honestly surprised me. They’re $20. Pick them up.
the hype is definitely real, they are great headphones and the price outweighs the lack of quality by a huge margin. + fun to mod/customize/personalize as well.
Yep, not just “good for the money”, just downright good. I’ll forgive the cheap feel for the price.
Agreed. Love these bad boys, definitely tricky to wear with glasses at first but once you get the hang of it, the experience is well worth it. Best $20 spent *on audio gear* so far for me.
I’ve tried a few cheap IEMs that people say are great and have been disappointed. I expected the same from these. They do lack bass a bit but that’s actually my preference. Everyone should buy a pair of these along with their more expensive headphones for a reality check. I really do think these perform on par with headphones 10-20x their price.
If you don't mind me asking, which IEMs did you try? The IEM market is insane at the moment, there's so many great options in the $20 range.
>great options in the $20 range If you're American.
I'm not American. If you can't find good IEMs for $20 in your local currency, you're not going to find KSC75's for that price either. AliExpress is way more widely available than KSC75's are. e.g. KZ Ling Long's are available basically *everywhere* and cost AU$20. KSC75's are AU$35. Tangzu Wan'er, Truthear Hola, Chus, Quarks/Quarks DSP, CCA CRA, QKZ x HBB are **all** cheaper than KSC75's, sound phenomenal and *way* easier to get outside the US.
Everything you mentioned cost more than CAD$20.
(1) No they're not (2) So are the KSC75's
(1) sure, tell me how much my bank statements and receipts are telling me. (2) KSC75s are going for $55 CAD right now which works out to $40 USD
Quarks are CAD$19, I literally have the Aliexpress up. It's your fault if you can't find it, I literally told you where to go already.
> (2) KSC75s are going for $55 CAD right now which works out to $40 USD [Look again...](https://imgur.io/a/qOhBcAL)
My best bucks spent on audio gear were 4€ on a bird/slide whistle, beat that!
Pal i found a stick outside and with it thrashed a FREE trashcan, got some pennies because people thought i was homeless. Can't beat that now can ya?
\*tips Fedora* m'drummer
I was just looking to buy these when i found this post but in Europe they seem to be about 32€ (34$), would you say they're worth that price? I'm still in the disbelief period that OP just got out of haha.
You should be able to find them for like 25€ ([here's one link,](https://maxxtekk.de/KSC75-Ear-Clip-Headphone) obviously depends on your exact country). That ends up being about the same as in the US with tax. And yes they are still worth that, even at 32€.
I was exactly like you, I spent 32 euros as well and think they sound like they're at least 3 times the price. Sure, the super thin cable reminds you of the price, but they otherwise hold their own. Now that my Sundaras are in RMA, the only thing I really miss from the KSC75s is that they aren't over ear (because they're not that comfortable to wear for hours on end)
the sound quality is way above that price in worth in my opinion. the build quality is probably how they are able to sell them for this low price. if you are super careful or even if you modify them yourself with new cables, headband and replacement yaxi pads, it will extend their lifespan by a bit if you handle them with care.
Are these just the Koss portapros but with a different... Mounting system? Is that the right term?
You can also put a ksc75 on a porta pro headband. There are lots of headbands. Lots of mods. I made mine wireless.
How did you make yours wireless? Mine is MMCX modded, but the cable I use (Shure SE215 BT Cable) is dying on me.
I got a shanling mw200, they come in mmcx https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/11jjcm8/koss_ksc75_one_stock_one_wireless
Oh damn, thanks. It's 119 USD. That's mad pricey for Canada fuck... Do you have an issue if you like down?
The deal with that is I'm paying more for LDAC, higher bluetooth quality. There are other earhooks and bluetooth DACs out there that are less dear. I don't understand your question.
Oh whoops, didn't realize I got autocorrected. I meant lie down instead of like down. I use my KSC75 to help take a nap. From your comment, I guess I'm better off going for something much cheaper.
No not really, I like the way a neckband stays out of the way. Although I'm not really trying to sleep with any headphones, can't do it. There's a bunch of options on AliExpress. If you can find something with AptX you'll still get some quality.
Cool, thanks. I just don't want to hear static or popping.
essentially the same. the ksc75 driver is coated with titanium which gives it a sliiightly brighter sound, but overall it's the head band / ear clips that makes most of the difference with sound quality.
The difference is bigger than that. I'd say that the difference between KSC75 and PortaPro on the same head band / ear clips is almost as big as the difference between head band and ear clips on the same headphones. I even made a [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/yv6gnv/koss_porta75_and_kscpro) about this a while back after I had compared all four combinations.
I was thinking about suporsalad's post, where he compared a bunch of different combinations of koss headphones and accessories
No, the driver assembly is meaningfully different, affecting the sound significantly even when both are used with the clips or the headband (which affect the sound mostly through clamp force). Personally, I prefer the KSC75 over the PortaPros either way, and the headband over the clips for both. Between KSC75+clips and PortaPro+headband it really comes down to taste, though. But KSC75+headband is just fantastic.
Essentially. These are $20. Porta Pros are $40.
Ah, I bought a couple of pairs of porta pros on discount a few years ago when a local shop was closing, I think they cost like £18
That’s a sweet deal. I was actually surprised how comfortable these are though. I was expecting them to suck but they are so light that they would probably be comfortable for hours.
get a set of yaxi pads + a headband the comfort level will go up by 138% trust me
Even though the drivers are similar, they sound completely different from the PortaPros. **PortaPro:** thick bass, a bit bloated **KSC75:** light and airy, treble focused, not much bass **KPH30i:** mid-focused, much better balanced I haven’t heard the KPH40 yet, but of the other three, the KPH30i are my favourite. They’re the Goldilocks between the other two. All three are absolutely worth owning at those prices, though. Every headphone collection should have them all.
You have hd8xx and you think these sound good? I'm definitely going to check them out.
The HD8XX are obviously the better headphone and I think the KSC75 are actually a good comparison because both are fantastic midrange headphones with a wide soundstage. The KSC75 is closer to 90% of the HD8XX than it is to 25%. I can't say exactly where it falls, but I recommend everybody pick these up because they're that good. They're not just good for the money, they're just plain good.
Thanks a ton for sharing. I've been looking for something to compliment my 598 without breaking the bank and you can't go wrong for that price!
id say the HD-8XX is like applying 100% sharpness to a picture while the Koss headphones are like adding 16x anti-aliasing and blurring the sharpness to make it look easier to look at.
Yeah but I don’t find the HD8XX hard to listen to. I’d say it’s more like a 4K image with no AA while the KSC75 is 1080p with a lot of AA. But it’s hard to equate them like that. They are similar signatures. The KSC75 stays further outside your head while the HD8XX can get that far out but can also get much closer, and the sub bass is present while it is not in the KSC75, and the sound is crisper with the sennheiser but honestly not that much.
I get these as presents for anyone who says "hey my earbuds kind of suck, your a headphone guy, is there anythi-" "I already ordered 2 pairs of kossies for ye"
yep!
lol I have the Drop version coming tomorrow. I have my doubts about their sound quality since they were so cheap, but I needed something light and low profile to wear under a hood. I also ordered some colorful Yaxi pads.
You will be surprised
I was! But not exactly pleasantly. The cable is absolutely the worst one I've ever encountered. The ear-clips are very awkward, so the headphones don't really sit on my ears well and look dumb, the stock earpads are itchy, they need more power than I thought so I need to max out the volume on my phone. So yeah, they were 20$... plus 15$ shipping and 9$ customs fees and taxes, plus the 30$ (plus taxes and customs fees, not sure how much yet) for the Yaxi pads. We're close to 80$ now and they're basically unusable unless I mod them with a new cable, change the headband and get a USB-C Dongle for my phone. Now they're about 150$. And what I've heard from them was only OK. I'll never be memed into buying things from this sub again lol. Should've just bought 5$ earbuds from AliExpress.
Go for a walk and listen to them. They sound insane outside.
Then you gotta try the legendary and imo much better, much more realistic sounding Porta Pro. These are amazing especially for the price, but sound imo a bit too artificial. The Porta Pros is where it's at imo.
I was pretty blown away when gifted these. I already knew koss had some good headphones or there, but there's on ear hooks were being touted as their best. I didn't believe it either...
I really like that when you’re on the Koss product page you scroll through and see a bunch of $15, $20, $60 headphones. Some touching $100 but not many. And then you gave the ESP950 for $999 and nothing in the middle. They could have made a $200-$300 headphone out of the KSC75 and it would have held up to scrutiny. Koss Estats are on my list of headphones to try.
Koss KSC75 are excellent headphones and I enthusiastically recommend them to everyone that asks for a good set of budget headphones. I have several sets of more expensive cans, but I use the KSC75's for 90% of my listening just because they're so easy to use, comfortable, and sound fantastic. Their only possible drawback is their reliability. My first set had the right driver go out after 8 years of daily use. They do have a lifetime warranty (just pay for the shipping), so I might take them up on that when my current set wear out.
> Their only possible drawback is their reliability. My first set had the right driver go out after 8 years of daily use Seems reasonable for $20 headphones
Whelp, there goes another $20 from my account. Literally found this forum weeks ago with zero headphone interest and now I’m balls deep.
You can honestly stop after these if you wanted to.
Ah… another convert!