KSC-75

Good Gear Guide

Take two parts headphone, add a healthy dose of sound quality and skim away the excess cost and what do you get? The best value for money headphone purchase available. The Koss KSC-75s have been around for a while, and anybody who hears them for more than a few minutes agrees, their incredible sound quality belies the rather miniscule price tag.

  • Expert Rating

    5.00 / 5

  • User Rating

    5.00 / 5 (of 5 Reviews)

Pros

  • Jaw dropping sound for the price, comfortable

Cons

  • They’re so good they’ll give you audio-fever sending your bank balance into sharp decline?

Bottom Line

Simply put, everyone who likes music and only owns cheap headphones (<$100) owes it to themselves to buy these and experience the difference.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 69.95 (AUD)

Most people are reluctant to splurge significant money on headphones. 'How much difference could there be between my earbuds and those $300 Sony's?' they ask. Whilst the truth of the matter is a lot of expensive headphones offer comparatively small gains for big money, there are some exceptions. The KSC-75s perform several price brackets above the meagre amount or so that they sell for making them the ultimate purchase for those wanting the best bang for their buck.

The sweet sound reproduction is nothing short of exquisite. Replace those iPod earbuds and let the amazing detail wash over you. The KSC-75s have a slightly airy and fun sound signature, as they are not inside the ear, nor are they pressed strongly against it, which makes them ideal for instrumental music, but to be honest they were better than all the competition at pretty much everything.

The bass response is quick and tight, without being loud or too forceful, whilst the mid range is detailed and responsive and the highs are extremely smooth. The soundstage is well laid out, and instruments are very well separated. Our personal favourite music with these headphones was songs such like Patience by Guns and Roses, with soft, twanging guitar that sweeps high and low. The KSC-75s gave the instruments such a visceral feel we were left speechless.

All of the above is further enhanced by the use of an amplifier. Whilst this will not be normal practice for a lot of people, we were stunned that such a cheap, portable pair of headphones continued to scale so well. Normal portable models benefit very little from an amplifier, but the KSC-75s sound continued to grow richer. This makes them an ideal transient into the world of high quality audio, as they are both an excellent portable and home alternative.

The headphones are designed reasonably well, offering two individual ear-pieces with over the ear clips. We preferred this design to an over the head design, as it takes up markedly less room and slips quite well into most pockets. The clips sit comfortably, unlike cheaper models we've experienced which pinched the ears and hurt after long listening session. They won't win any awards for aesthetics, but the basic black and silver colour scheme does the job.

The small, open design of the phone means it offers very little in the way of isolation, and also leads to sound leakage, although it is not as bad as many open models we've experienced. This means in situations such as libraries, or in a quiet office, they may not be the best option, but as a general rule open closed headphones suffer in the sound quality department, and so if you want the best that's something you will have to bear.

Despite this, we find it hard to not recommend you pick up a pair. Anyone with spare cash who likes music to any real degree should give them a chance, because mere words cannot describe the improvement they will grant over your stock earbuds; and at the asking price you'd be a fool not to treat yourself. You could spend five times as much and get a small increase in sound, but until your budget gets upwards of $400 you won't notice a massive difference and for most people it just isn't worth it.

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