If you prefer a video review rather than a written one you can find it here: https://youtu.be/l7zhBi__AOE
Forewarning:
We all have our own unique thoughts and opinions, and when it comes to audio gear, we hear things differently and expect different experiences. What I enjoy might not be your cup of tea, and vice versa – and that’s totally okay. This is the beauty of our subjective hobby, and it would be pretty dull if we all agreed on everything. With that said, what you’ll read below is my honest take and personal thoughts.
Pros –
- Comfortable for me
- Clean sound
- Does well on busy tracks
- Details are good for the price
- Good imaging
- Good for Orchestral/Jazz/Folk
- Vocals are good
Cons –
- Large bass roll off
- Quite thin sounding
- 80’s metal is fairly sibilant
- Not that Dynamic
- Note weight is not great
- Soundstage and separation are not very good
- Timbre could be better
- Mids are aggressive and grainy
- Possibly fatiguing depending on the individual and their library
Gaming:
Pros –
- Good for games that rely on audio cues
- Better than budget IEMs for gaming Imaging and soundstage wise
- Clean sound and accurate imaging give good locational sense
- No worries with bass bloat or sound getting congested
Cons –
- Not great for immersion because of the lack of bass
- Lacks intensity
Build, Fit & Accessories:
The Koss KSC75 is an affordable clip-on headphone priced at just $19.99. While the cost is budget-friendly, the construction seems quite good. The KSC75 features a fairly plain gray plastic circle with vent holes, connected to a gray plastic arm that attaches to a metal ear hook covered with plastic.
While the overall build feels solid and well-made, I wouldn’t recommend subjecting them to rough handling. However they should be able to withstand a few minor drops without significant damage (life happens).
Regarding accessories, the package provides only the essentials to use the product – an okay fixed cable and preinstalled foam pads.
In terms of comfort, wearing the KSC75 was not an issue for me. With some adjustments to the ear hook, I managed to achieve a good fit. I can wear them for 5 hours without experiencing any discomfort or fatigue. However, it’s worth noting that the fit heavily depends on the individual. For instance, my partner struggled to find a comfortable position for the ear hooks, and even with adjustments, she couldn’t wear them for more than a few minutes without complaints. So, while the fit worked well for me, it may not suit everyone.
Equipment Used:
- FiiO Q11 on Windows and Android
- MusicBee on Windows 11 with FiiO ASIO drivers for local FLAC and DSD files
- Spotify Streaming
- CX31993 Dongle on Android
Test Tracks used:
Sound Impressions:
Out of the box KSC75 sounded very rolled off and thin sounding I would describe it as a “neutral with bass roll off” but with an emphasis on the upper mids that can be a bit aggressive for some of my library at times.
Tonally it is fairly natural sounding, there is some grain in the mids. Resolution and timbre can be quite fuzzy. KSC75 seems like it wants to be analytical but fails to do a good job, it isn’t quite musical either it falls somewhere in-between.
As for drivability I had no issues running this on low gain with the Q11 or on the CX dongle.
Bass:
On the lower frequency, KSC75 has a large roll off in the subbass. The midbass is slightly rolled off but also lacking in quantity and quality. If you are looking for rumble or punch you won’t find it here. That being said I did find it acceptable for Jazz and Orchestral as it does help some of the other instruments get pulled forwards and take the spotlight without any worry of getting congested.
Mids:
The midrange is good but the upper mids are a little too emphasized and forward for my taste on rock and metal tracks. Percussion sounds good for the most part but solo string instruments are metallic and grainy.
Vocal wise although slightly fuzzy I find these fairly versatile, male and female have a natural sound to them across the genres I tested. Some male vocals, most notably Baritone are lacking the warmth they should have but they do not sound off.
Treble:
The Treble on the KSC75 is rolled off a bit for me but does a good job producing decent details (not micro details) at this price point. Possibly fatiguing depending on the library and the individual. 80’s rock and metal can be quite sibilant and thin. The flat dynamics combined with the treble presence makes for quite boring and unenergetic cymbals and hi-hats that are still in your face.
Techs:
As far as technicalities go my expectations were a bit let down here. The driver is capable and handles busy tracks without congestion, but the separation and soundstage is disappointing considering it is a headphone. Although better than IEMs at this price, budget flatheads (even Vido) do better than the KSC75 for soundstage depth, width, height and separation while also having a fuller sound. Dynamics are quite lacking and leave a lot to be desired, this is a budget headphone so this is to be expected however there are many other budget options in the market that are more dynamic at this price. KSC75 is also slightly veiled. I found this more noticeable in solo instrumentals than I did busy tracks. That being said, the imaging is quite good.
Gaming Impressions:
Despite the smaller soundstage, lack of separation and rolled off bass I quite enjoyed the tuning and imaging for FPS gaming. These give a good sense of location although not pinpoint they are good enough to give you a good feel of everything that is going on around you. The lack of bass and congestion I found helped with this as you could always hear what sounds were coming from where.
At the same time it was not great at all for an immersive experience for me as it lacked the intensity and excitement I appreciate, the tighter soundstage does not help with this as it makes the world feel quite a bit more closed off.
Conclusion:
The Koss KSC75 is a bit of an enigma to me as I keep seeing it being constantly recommended. I find it dated and outclassed by most products around its price point in the current market. It’s not analytical nor musical but somewhere between. Its techs are nothing special and underperform compared to other options.
I understand quite a few people are also into modding their KSC75, although I have not tried any of these mods I would rather put the money into a better transducer to start with. but for now I view this the same as purchasing different tips/sources etc… to try to make a lackluster experience better when you could just buy a better base product to start with. With that being said seeing as I do have the base product I may try some mods and touch back on this in the future.
Ultimately, for a headphone priced at $19.99 it is okay…It seemed like a great value in 2004 when it was released. But the market has moved on and technology has greatly advanced and improved. I struggle to find myself recommending these, if someone was looking to play some games that rely on audio cues or need accurate imaging on a budget I think this would fit the bill as long as they fit you properly. But even then if that is all you are looking for you could pick up the Amazon Basic speakers that are USB powered and have a more full sound and better techs for ~$17 that is of course if you can have speakers in your environment. For music I would recommend other budget flatheads or the plethora of budget IEMs over these.
