Possibly the best portable headphone!
Written: Aug 30 '03
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Stylish design, very comfortable and superb sound reproduction.
Cons: Clip lightly clings on ears making it fall if you are running.
The Bottom Line: A perfect match for portable CD/MP3 players. Superb sonic clarity and nice warm bass makes listening a pure pleasure.
|
|
|
| minusflo's Full Review: Koss KSC-50 Consumer Headphones |
For those "number" persons, let me start with the specifications as written on the label:
Frequency response: 15-25,000 Hz
Impedance: 60 ohms
Sensitivity: 101 dB SPL/mW
Distortion: Less than 0.2%
Cord length: 4 ft.
The Good:
For those familiar with the Koss name, they have been around for decades making professional quality headphones. They are an established brand in the audio industry and the KSC 50 portable headphones re-affirms their superiority.
This model has all the features that a regular portable-CD music listener would deem as standard and necessary. Briefly, the plug is L-shaped making it more durable to twisting and pulls. Gold plated pin ensures corrosion resistance and better electrical contact. Cord is 4 ft. long which is perfect for attaching/carrying your CD/MP3 player at waist level. The rubber enclosure used for the wire is pliable and soft making it easy to wind and organize.
If you investigate Koss' website, this headphone incorporates neodymium-rare earth magnets as sound drivers and uses titanium element for sonic clarity. Neodymium is commonly used in higher end speakers because of its high magnetic power. Also if you shop around the new "high-tech" multimedia speakers from respected brands such as Cambridge Soundworks, Creative, JBL, etc. they have been using titanium as coating for their micro drivers for clean reproduction of highs. With Koss taking advantage of these premium technologies in this headphone, you can already expect that the sound quality would be anything but ordinary.
Indeed, when I tested the sound coming out from these headphones using both my Nomad IIC MP3 and Panasonic CD players, I was blown away in delight. I normally use my Corrs and Lifehouse CDs for testing and I also "break-in" the headphones overnight at moderate volumes before analyzing. Corrs has a nice arrangement of strings and flutes with stunning vocals and those take care of the mid- and high frequencies. Lifehouse on the otherhand has modest bass and play of guitar. That covers the low frequencies. Mentally, I consider AKG-141 Studio Monitor as my standard for closeness to audiophile grade. I don't have a collection of really expensive headphones so I may not have a clear definition of audiophile grade. Anyways, for the price of $20 dollars, the quality of sound these headphones delivered matches the AKG which is at least 6 times more expensive. Even at low volumes, the mid and high frequencies blend distinctly and are crisp and clean without being fatiguing. It was heavenly to listen to my Corrs CD. The bass pumped out was not overpowering and punchy. In fact, it was very warm and smooth. It was very difficult to notice any distortion. The sport clip is very comfortable and I was listening for more than 2 hours without feeling any pain on my ears unlike the backphones I have used before.
Overall, sound was superbly reproduced at high energy without noticeable distortion or muddiness. In fact, with portable CD players, you can turn off the bass boost and still get warm bass.
The Bad:
For its low price, it is kind of difficult to mention any fault. However, I have a feeling the clipping on the ear is quite weak that this may easily fall if one jogs hard. I have used it while cycling without any problems, though. Also since construction is plastic, like any other portable headphones, do not subject it to too much thrashing as the clipping might break off.
Again, I find the sound quality as faultless. If you have tried the expensive Sennheisers, you may find no difference here. Try them!
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
minusflo
|
|
Location: Illinois, USA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Works for a surfactant company. Enjoys reading reviews from various and diverse topics at Epinions.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.