Our Verdict
The KSC75 like the Koss Porta Pros are not the most versatile headphones. They're flimsy and lacking in features. They also don't isolate much and leak due to their open design. However, they produce a decently balanced sound that lacks a little bass but should be good enough for most listeners. This makes them a decent option for critical listening but they might not be well-suited for other use cases.
- Above-average sound quality.
- Stable and portable design.
- Poor noise isolation, by design.
- Subpar build quality.
- Leaky at average volumes, by design.
The KSC75 Have a decently balanced sound. They have a good reproduction of Mid Range frequencies so instruments and vocals sound full and decently balanced throughout the mix. They lack a bit of Bass and their Treble Range is a bit inconsistent so they may sound overly sharp on some tracks. They have a relatively good Soundstage despite the small ear cups thanks to their open design which makes them a decent, budget option for neutral listening but they won't be the ideal headphone for fans of Bass.
Not ideal for commuting. They do not block a lot of ambient noise and won't perform well in loud environments.
Mediocre at best for sports. They're lightweight, compact and have a stable clip-on design. The open ear cups also allows you to monitor your environment. However their non-detachable cable may yank the headphones off your ears, they have no control scheme and they're also not as breathable or as comfortable as the Koss Porta Pro.
Subpar for office use. They leak at higher volumes and don't prevent the chatter of a lively office from seeping into your audio.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
See our recommendations for the best on-ear headphones, the best headphones under $50, and the best travel headphones.
The Koss Porta Pro are a slightly better headphone overall when compared to the Koss KSC75. The Porta Pro have a better-balanced sound and a more comfortable on-ear fit that you can wear for longer than the KSC75. The Porta Pro also have a better more durable design, although not by much. On the upside, the KSC75 are bit more portable and have a slightly more stable design if you plan to use them for sports.
We've upgraded our Headphones Test Bench to 2.0! This update brings several key changes to our tests and usages, making it easier than ever to interpret our sound results based on your personal preferences. You'll also find a brand-new interactive graph tool featuring multiple targets (including our own!) for you to explore and compare.
For a full breakdown, check out our changelog, which includes detailed commentary from our test designer explaining the rationale behind our update.
We'd also love to hear your thoughts: your feedback helps us keep improving, so join us in the comments!
Test Results
The KSC75 are budget clip-on on-ears. They're only offered in one color scheme and feel somewhat like airline headphones. They won't stand out and won't be a fashion statement. However, their simple utilitarian design may appeal to some listeners.
The KSC75 are lightweight and moderately comfortable headphones. They're on-ears with an ear-hook design that's stable but slightly uncomfortable. The hooks put a bit pressure behind your ears at first, and it's particularly worse if you wear glasses. However, the hooks stop feeling as intrusive after having the headphones on for a while.
These headphones have a small footprint and are quite easy to carry around on your person. They have a simple ear hook design, so they do not have a headband, and you can easily fold and fit them into your pockets. They do not come with a good case however, which is a little disappointing.
The build quality of these headphones is sub-par and feels cheap. The ear cups are not particularly dense, and they have thin non-replaceable audio cables. They're lightweight headphones, so they won't get damaged by a shoulder height drop. However, their build quality doesn't feel durable which is to be expected for their budget price range. On the upside, they also benefit from the Koss limited lifetime warranty.
The KSC75 have an ear hook design that's stable enough to run with. They're lightweight and barely move once you achieve a good fit. Unfortunately, they have a non-detachable cable that may get caught on something and yank the headphones off your ears. You can limit this issue by passing the cable under your clothes, but this means they won't be the ideal headphones for the gym or strenuous exercises.
Very good Consistency performance. The maximum amount of deviation in the Bass Range across our human subjects is +/-3dB at 20Hz which is decent. However, the Mid and Treble Ranges show excellent consistency up to 10KHz with very little deviation.
Mediocre Bass Range performance. Low-bass, responsible for low-end thump and rumble, is lacking by more than 9dB which is typical of most open-back on-ears. Bass is relatively balanced but shows a tilt towards high-bass. High-bass is overemphasized by more than 3dB, adding a bit of boominess to the sound.
Very good Mid Range performance. Low-mid is over our target by about 3dB, making mixes slightly muddy and cluttered on these headphones. Mid is very consistent and well-balanced. High-mid shows a bit of tilt towards higher frequencies, nudging the upper harmonics of vocals/leads to the front.
Average Treble Range performance. Low-treble is over our target by about 3dB, giving excess presence to the vocals/leads. Treble and high-treble are relatively well-balanced, but slightly inconsistent.
Poor Isolation. Due to the open-back design, these headphones isolate very little. They provide no reduction in outside noise in the Bass and Mid Ranges, and provide only 3dB of isolation in the Treble Range.
Poor Leakage performance. The significant portion of Leakage with these headphones is between 1KHz and 20KHz which is a broad range. Additionally, the overall level of Leakage is loud.
No Compatible app.
