Koss | KSC75 Clip-On Stereo Headphones for iPod, iPhone, MP3 and Smartphone | Black/ Silver

These are perfect for running, gym and general iPod usage. Summary- Very Confortable, excellent sound quality, they stay on, well made - quality item (total usage >100 hours). I've tried multiple headsets over the years and if these broke today I would buy another set without hesitation. After owning my first set for a month I got a second set for my wife and she also agrees that they are better than anything else that she has used. I have put off putting a review until we had given them a good workout- I hate people giving fantastic reviews for something that they've only just bought. I got these three months ago and I jog every morning for 40 minutes (on the streets) and I use them in the gym 3 days a week on the weights, treadmill and rower. My wife uses hers constantly as well with no complaints. Not used them in summer as I have only had them during the winter months, but have no problems in the gym (warmish) due to sweat. I think that replacement foam covers are available. Sound is excellent - nice deep bass. I'm not an audiophile, so don't sue me if there not of an audiophile quality headphones. For the money (£13)they are EXCELLENT value for money. The sound is so far superior to the Ipod head sets. They are light and fit both myself and my wife's ears well. They have never fallen off. Headset previously owned: 1. Sennheiser PMX 80 Sport II - Uncomfortable - hurt my ears. Poor quality - no sound from the right ear - broke after only a few uses. Sound quality before it failed was good, but I think the Koss are better (check my review for the PMX80). My recollection of the sound may be tainted by how uncomfortable they were. My wife used them once, and would not use them again due to the discomfort level. 2. Philips Nike SH-J 045 NIKE Airpad - Comfort - far better than iPod, but nowhere as good as the Koss. Problem with them is that they are a little flimsy and I broke them (sat on them). When you ran into a strong wind, you would hear the wind thru them (turbulence across head band and in the headphones) 3. iPod Headsets - Tinny sound that never stay in your ears. I would have to constantly push the old iPod headsets into my ears as the sound would get weaker and weaker until they would fall out. Also I found them not very comfortable after 30 minutes use.

The KSC75 "clip on" `phones represent a very good option for folk who actually listen(!) to their music (rather than simply require a generally pleasant musical background whilst performing day-to-day tasks) and who find variations of "earbuds" irritating or ineffective... The physical aspect that makes these (pleasantly light) `phones unusual is that these `phones "clip" on to the ears, and are effectively worn like a pair of spectacles... Although initially awkward to put on comfortably, once the (rather straightforward!) knack has been established from practical experimentation no such problems remain, and they can then be comfortably worn for several hours... These `phones do not(!) notably isolate sound, either from outside or prevent folk in your immediate vicinity being potentially aware that you are listening to music, when music is played at fairly loud volume... Though some may regard this as a disadvantage, I regard the ability to still be aware of sounds in my environment (traffic, etc.) as a definite positive factor that has welcome safety considerations when out and about (cycling, walking the dog, etc)... For those who are focused on obtaining the highest practicable quality of sound from their portable `phones and player, this is where the KSC75 `phones excel... Traditionally, the models most recommended for such use are the Sennheiser PX100 and the KSC75's cousin, The Koss Portapro (both of which I also own)... Whilst both of those `phones do indeed produce good quality of sound, the PX100 sounds a touch "pleasant, but a tad opaque", and the Koss Portapro's ease at producing accurate low frequency sounds delivers sounds of an engaging, if a tad "dark", character... With a competence that is remarkable bearing in mind the very modest cost of these `phones, the KSC75s deliver music in a surprisingly detailed but balanced manner, making choices as varied as the "live" concert version of "Hotel California" and the Janssons performance of the Tchaikovsky 4th Symphony engaging and involving musical "events"... With the above in mind I have no hesitation in recommending these `phones... The only provisos I would add is that the KSC75 `phones are certainly good enough to indicate limitations of source material, either from music transferred at low MP3 bit-rates or the rather modest quality delivered at the headphone jack from some digital players, and that these `phones require a lot(!) of playing at sensible volumes to fully "flesh out" and deliver their ultimate smoothness... 1) Having effectively "run in" a pair of these KSC75 `phones, I was sufficiently impressed to purchase another pair, "just in case"... :o) 2) The two "dog walking" acquaintances who had the opportunity to listen to music from these `phones made immediate arrangements to purchase their own... :o) At such modest cost there is surely not much of a gamble involved in the purchase of these KSC75 `phones, so just go ahead and do it!... :o)

These Koss KSC75s are promoted for use with mp3 players and similar. They have a much better sound than almost any ear bud or Walkman style headphone but they similarly offer zero isolation so the same drawbacks apply. If you use them anywhere noisy you will inevitably keep raising the volume to the point that your hearing can be damaged. If you use them even at moderate levels on public transport you will really annoy people. It's hard to think of a worse type of headphone for travel. Expect to generate ill feeling. Another drawback is that to perform at their best these Koss need more power than is output by your phone or a typical mp3 player. Used with a domestic portable like a good Radio/CD combo they sound like a real headphone, and not a bad one either. Used with a small, modern personal device they do not sound as good. I've been using them with SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 8GB MP3 Player with Radio and Expandable MicroSD/SDHC Slot - Black , an iRiver H340, my Asus EeePC notebook, my PC with External Sound Card USB 6 Channel 5.1 Audio , my Sony CD/MD/Radio and also with a Yamaha Home Theatre receiver. Only the Sony and Yamaha have the power to make them sound their best. Comfort and appearance: I find these perfectly comfortable. I wear glasses with very thin frames and both can sit on my ears easily. The clips on the Koss KSC75 are wire enclosed in plastic. There is just enough flexibility that you can carefully bend them to a good fit and they stay in shape. They weigh next to nothing, there is no pressure or abrasion and you can forget they are there even if worn for several hours. They will fit nicely under a hood, scarf or beanie hat. The appearance is quite odd. The prominent exposed part of the wire clips and the cheap silver plastic don't make for a good look. Sound Quality: The sound is very well balanced; nothing is exaggerated and nothing annoys. There is very good midrange and higher notes and great clarity without being harsh at all. There isn't that dull booming sound masquerading as bass that you get with many modern headphones. When used with a low power device there is good bass response but it lacks the very deep bass so doesn't quite sound weighty and natural. If you try to add some bass with an equalizer this can lead to distortion. Plugged into relatively powerful stuff like domestic Hi-Fi, mini system or portable there is now real bass (without distortion) and voices and instruments sound wonderfully natural and vivid. This is a truly attractive sound. These Koss earphones benefit enormously from good quality source and amplification. They are much better with domestic hi-fi or portables than with personal players and I would recommend them very strongly for this. These are genuinely good headphones. For a tenner! I couldn't recommend these for typical portable (urban/work) use, or for travel, as you risk irritating anyone nearby. They might be useful for joggers or skateboarders or anyone needing to remain very aware of their environment. For domestic use these are a very good fit, especially if you need to be aware of others in the house, the phone, the doorbell and so on. If so then they are a huge bargain. Some people love these Koss earphones but prefer to use them like normal headphones i.e. attached to a headband instead of earclips. This is really easy to do: get a pair of Altai WA 87060 Headphones (they only cost pennies) and unclip the earphones. The Koss 'phones clip right out of the clip-ons and straight into this headband so now you have the same excellent sound but with conventional form and appearance.

I have been using the Koss KSC75 for sometime now and really adore them. Here are my views: Sound Quality The Koss KSC75 really does justice to the excellent components that has been used for making it. From the manufacturers specs - "The KSC75 features dynamic elements for an exceptionally wide frequency response from 15-25,000 Hz. A 2 mil. titanium coating on its diaphragms increases the rigidity of the element, minimizing mechanical distortion and ensuring exceedingly accurate sound reproduction. Computer-optimized neodymium iron boron rare earth magnet structures allow the KSC75 to deliver greater volume, even with low-voltage portable devices. Oxygen-free copper voice coils improve signal transmission and conduction for cleaner, clearer sound. Perfect for travel, the KSC75 includes a straight dual-entry four-foot cord, and a L-shaped gold-flashed 3.5mm (1/8") plug." Throw at it music of any gere or movie soundtracks and it gives the sound a new life and energy. If it is the sound that you care about you couldn't ask for more at this price range. It does not fail anywhere across the sound spectrum. The bass, the clarity of individual instruments etc. probably can compete and possibly excel many a professional headphone. Design & Comfort Honestly, I was never a fan of headphones. If it sounded good, they were either huge or had to be poked in uncomfortably into the ear canal or easily fell off from your ears. I personally like the design of the KSC75. It is worn like a pair of spectacles but wouldn't fall off even when running because of the extra curve. The ear hold comes off at times but it won't detach while wearing. You cannot think of it as inconspicuous as it definitely would be very visible and also audible to the people around you. The audible to others aspect needs some explanation. If you keep the volume to a decent but not too loud level, it is unlikely that anybody can make out anything. If you turn up the volume to max, as another reviewer mentioned, it can be used as small portable speakers. Actually, just as others might be able to hear you, you can hear others too. In this age of noise-cancelling headphones, that might seem silly but again I really don't mind it. For one thing you can cut out the external sound in your mind once you get engrossed in the superb sound and on the other you can talk to another person while listening to music without having to take the headphone off! As you get used to the specs type design (two unconnected pieces for each ear) with soft foam, you almost forget that you are wearing them and there is no strain whatsoever even on wearing for a long time. Looks and Style Well... nothing very stylish about it. Grey plastic with a big KOSS written on the ear hold. As for size, the 2-inch dia ear cushions almost fully covers your ears. In fact, somebody could mistake it for something you got from the one pound shop. Overall May be this headphone is not for all. You need to decide first if you can live with others hearing what you are listening to or being seen wearing big headphones compared to ear plug type headphones. I have had some of my friends who hated wearing headphones get attracted to this one after listening to it and trying wearing it for some length of time. May be because of the way it rests over your ear, you don't feel that you are listening through a headphone. It feels more like the sound is coming from bigger speakers in your room. If you get your priorities right, this headphone wouldn't disappoint you. Well done Koss and happy listening to you.

[Edit] I have now reduced my rating for this product down to just a three star "It's OK" because, whilst I stand by my earlier claim that these earphones are comfortable to wear and produce excellent sound (see below), I am disappointed to say that their durability leaves much to be desired and I withdraw my claim that they are excellent value. After just 3-4 months of daily use a fault developed resulting in one of the earpieces going silent. Confusingly it wasn't always the same earpiece and sometimes was both! I did manage to work out a way of restoring sound to both channels but that involved holding the wire(s) in a certain position and not moving - not even to breathe, so wasn't what you might call convenient. The fault is internal to either or both earpieces but the design is such that it is impossible to check if it is due to a loose wire without completely demolishing them. The housing protecting the connection to the jack plug also proved to be less than durable, splitting down the seam after very little use at all. The out-of-production jvc set this product was purchased to replace, which even after years of use shows no significant signs of wear, has been resurrected. Original review: These earphones are a little bigger than I might have hoped but that is only because I do have little lugs. The clips are fairly heavy duty, fixed in shape and covered in a soft shield, bigger than but much like many modern spectacles ear pieces. They loop over the outside to attach by way of a rocker to the outer centre of the phones. This does not allow much movement so they hook over the top of the ear rather than clip on. In spite of all that they are light weight, so much so I keep thinking that they have fallen off. They are also extremely comfortable to wear, even for hours at a time, for which I am very grateful since I sometimes have to wear them all day. Neither do they crush or overheat the ear like some I have used. The sound quality is more than excellent, very rich and full, not at all top-end tinny. Though the ones they replace were better than many I had tried and gave what I considered a more than adequate sound, I have had to turn all my levels way down to achieve a comfortable listening volume. The downside of the better reproduction they provide is that they also highlight all the clicks, crackles and intakes of breath I couldn't hear previously. I have even been able to work out lyrics I have been misquoting for years! The reason these got a four instead of five star review is 1) the cord, though of quite reasonably heavy duty, is a little shorter than my previous set, a little inconvenient since I don't use them to listen to a MP3 player sat in my pocket but it would be long enough for most needs. Unfortunately, in the manner of typical design, it also hangs in a V down the front rather than looping around the back, out of the way, like my old ones did. The V is of a fixed length, which some might find inconvenient. And 2) the rocker fastening may or may not be a bit flimsy. They got dropped on the first day I had them and one of the ear pieces came away. It soon clipped back into place and, despite attempts to replicate, shows no inclination to part company again. Be warned: there is as much sound comes out of the back of these earphones as comes out of the front so, as someone else warned, anyone who can hear you can hear what you are listening to if you have the volume turned up. Overall, and for the price, these are more than excellent value. A must have for anyone who likes listening to good quality sound but wants to remain mobile.

I wanted headphones that did not go around the top of my head because they would make my hair fold down. I wear headphones for multiple hours per day therefore my hair always looks very silly from the side. I looked for overear earbuds for a while and Amazon only offered me poor quality sets. Then I remembered DarkViperAU wore these and really liked them. And I have to say, for 25 pounds they are definitely worth the money. They sit very well on my ears and I can barely feel them; there is no discomfort. The sound quality is really good and not a downgrade from the very good Sony headphones I wore before. They are also very light, and I actually like that they have a wire instead of being bluetooth because it means I don't have to charge them. I would very happily recommend these to anyone looking to get rid of folded down hair from wearing headphones too much. Could not be happier.

This budget purchase turned out to be a killer decision. Bought the KSC75 a year ago without giving much thought or having high hopes about them. I was in uni accommodation w/o any source of music apart from a notebook, a phone and HTC ear buds(good for calls but not much else) and having 32k+ songs collection with a limited income, KSC75 popped in my head. Having read numerous glowing reviews of them on head-fi (if you want a thorough sound review of these headphones go there) and no money to spare I said "why not". Now, using them for a whole year I can't be happier so I must say a few things: - the sound is superb, can't find higher quality for the money, they can handle high volume well and there's a good amount of bass and clarity(that's what most non-audiophiles look in headphones); - they are open - not for the library, quiet workplace or airplane BUT perfect for when you want to hear the world around you - training outside, in a cafe, you can even talk with someone and have music playing at the same time; - they ARE durable - kind of delicate looking at first, but I abuse them a lot and I've slept with them for a year and they are as new. About a month ago I thought I had finally broken them daisy-chaining a few amps( ^^ ) but it turned out to be a hair stuck in the driver; - they ARE extremely comfortable - again first impression was totally opposite but you gotta remember you can and should play around with the ear clips, of course applying common sense - everything can break. I have smallish ears, long hair (waist long) and I can sleep with them and forget I wear them when doing sprint. Now that I've got several headphones costing several times more I still use these and I tend to forget they are on so all in all you can't go wrong with these as long as you remember what they are - extremely budget friendly, open and clip-on.

Having read many reviews of these headphones I thought I'd try them out as they could easily be returned if they proved poor and if they failed later it wouldn't be the end of the world at this price. No hype, sound reproduction surprisingly satisfactory, in fact pretty good at all volumes without distortion and very even reproduction through all frequencies. Used with multiple sources from phones, tablets, DAPs and DAC amps. It's no surprise that they have been in production since the 1980's, the drivers are excellently optimised. The ear clips, rather than the more usual headband are OK if you are happy/able to use them. They are flexible enough to be formed to your needs to establish satisfactory ear positioning and silicon rubber sleeved for comfort. These earphones weigh virtually nothing and are comfortable enough to wear for extended periods if you have the earclips adjusted appropriately. The drivers are open backed so there is virtually no sound isolation, easy to hear external sounds, conversations etc even at moderately loud volumes, sound bleed is quite evident at moderate volume levels and very obvious at higher volume levels. So these are not the best for crowded offic, social settings or group travel unless, used at moderately low volumes (they're fine for me at "moderate" volumes). I've compared them with various full size headphones and many items (from Sennheiser, Sony to KZs) and found them not to be wanting in volume or sound quality. They are not what you could call highly "robust" with very light gauge fixed leads, so if you're clumsy, heavy handed or careless with them they'll not last long, as usual YMMV but at this price tier not a disaster. Carried out usual mods, added cheap adjustable headband and alternate foam ear pads, there are more radical mods, but I'm happy as they are. In conclusion if you want cheap and cheerful, simple design, lightweight with very good sound reproduction these are a no brainer.