Koss KSC75 review

KSC75s are a clip‐on headphone with no headband, and that’s the overriding factor if you choose them. The cables feel like 1980’s quality, too much memory, no silicone, I’d say there’s a possibility for kink and break. There’s no effort at strain relief or obvious anchoring—the cables may tear out. At least the plug is big. The foams are simple. The plastic housing is light. The clip is clever, silicone‐coated, long, and on a wire that can be bent to fit. On average ears they sit and grip good—if you wear glasses, you’re in trouble. I can’t see KSC75s being robust and online reports say they can break within months. Considering KSC75s clamp rough‐foam to your ear, they are good for comfort. However, KSC75s are difficult to slide on and off. Some people don’t like the look, say KSC75s are obviously cheap with visuals like an experimental hearing aid, but I say the retro Sci‐Fi style is good.

Average volume. Average volume range. Average envelope. Average precision. Timing overall is average. They muddle on swells, but not compress. Some emphasis and shudder on high strings, some muted judder near high woodwinds, forward on mid‐brass, some emphasis near bass drums—which I couldn’t isolate using EQ. There is paper in the sound generally, but less than I expected. No resonance or echos. High range seems good, but low range, though there, slopes down early—EQ suggested from a high 80Hz. Little detail, good colour. Scale is average, positions wander—perhaps because the headphone sounds so open.

The KSC75s are surprisingly good for orchestra because the extended highband, clean sound and colour, overwhelm the papery, lowband‐light, and sometime wandery sound. Not good for rock, too messy and the bass bump is inarticulate. The paper gets intrusive on minimal music. On the whole, they’re better when less is happening, and the uncoloured mid/highband sounds can play. Incidentally, a powerful, detailed amp helps.