But the 770s fit me perfectly! thats whats weird!
Figured out the problem, the yokes are bent outwards, and they cause the fit to be off.
I most likely have to buy new headphones. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s a fix to this.
I did it, they fit, and they look weird when I sit them down on my table, what do I do about that?
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Hi. I’m new to the forum. Was wondering (I’m a novice)… I have two Koss products, the KSC75s and the newer KPH40s. In my opinion, they are EXCELLENT sounding. I don’t own any headphones that cost hundreds/thousands of dollars. In a nutshell, what am I missing (listening experience) that I’m not getting from the expensive headphones? Thanks.
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Welcome @TimmyC. There are many here that like Koss, I’m one of them. For the money, they can be excellent. They make a lot of tradeoffs, but they made the right decisions in those tradeoffs. This means you are already listening to better sound than most people ever do.
You are, however, missing a lot. Koss does really well in the middle of the spectrum, but you are missing much of the deeper bass, all of the sub-bass, and almost all of the high treble “air”. You can hear a cymbal just fine, but not so much the shimmer. For me, the bass is a bit less of a problem, depending on what you listen to, because for me, all headphones lack the visceral pounding feel of bass at a reasonable volume on speakers, not to mention live.
But if you listen to content that does use deep bass, EDM, some classical (tympani, organ) or rock (kick drums) you will not realize how much you are missing until you experience a headphone with significantly better response.
So the question is - do you want to find out what you’re missing? I’m serious about this - if you like the KPH40s and are way happy with them, maybe you don’t want to be tempted to drop $500-1000 to get significantly better sound, only to then be tempted to slowly upgrade to 4 or 5 times that amount.
Welcome to the rabbit hole.
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Wow. That’s a lot of info to take in Thanks for the detailed answer Pennstac. Any recommendations for use portable?(phone)
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We need more information in order to give you a good answer. Do you have a budget? What phone are you using? What is your music source? (Apple, Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal, Amazon)? What kind of music do you like to listen to? Is it important that you never disturb others? - some headphone leak sound. Have you tried, or do you dislike IEMs? Just how portable does portable have to be?
ALL of these questions are important. I have several pairs of KOSS Porta Pro headphones. I use them with my iPhone when I make calls sometimes. The microphone in the Koss line is pretty good. I use them with Apple dongles that cost about $9 most of the time. Since they are handy, I do listen to music with them also - but not when my primary purpose is listening to music.
Koss headphones are “on-ear”. That foam on the ear thing is not terribly popular. It drives some people crazy (or crazier). I don’t mind it at all. But it does let in the outside world and lets sound out. Koss headphones are also easy to drive. That means that your portable source - the phone - does a pretty good job of powering it and getting to reasonable volume. That is most certainly NOT THE CASE with many other headphones.
There are two things - or maybe three (if you have a phone that lets you plug in wired headphones) going on here. First, if you can plug the phones directly - without an adapter - into your phone, you are listening to a very cheap conversion from digital to analog inside your phone AND a very cheap amplifier to power the headphones. Second - if you do need an adapter - a dongle - to plug in your phones then you are converting digital signal to analog and also amplifying it outside your phone in that adapter. The adapter is really what is called a DAC/AMP. or a Digital to Analog Converter and amplifier.
In order to improve the sound, you can get a better DAC/AMP, or a separate DAC and AMP, and you can get better headphones. A better DAC/AMP can be anywhere from $59 to $$$$, and better headphones can be $89 to thousands also.
There is a big used market for most of this stuff. So you are able to do some buying and if you don’t like what you have you can often sell it for 80% of what you paid for it. You are able to experiment and learn what you like.
I’ve talked a lot without answering your questions because I want YOU to answer some of the questions above. Oh, wireless headphones and IEMs have a whole different set of things to worry about. Since you have KOSS, I’m ignoring wireless for now.
I’ve been guessing that you may be on a tight budget. In that case, you might try a different and somewhat better headphone that is also easy to drive so you don’t need more hardware. The first recommendation in that case -since you like KOSS would be an entry-level GRADO. Anything from the 80x though the 225x would be a step up from the KOSS and hopefully won’t break the bank. Used, the most recent would be the 80e through 225e. Earlier GRADOs will have a hotter treble - a shoutiness that some people really don’t like, which is why I suggest the newer X line.
But please don’t just go out and buy a pair. ANSWER the questions at the beginning of this first, and we can give you much more precise advice.
Before you all pile on about GRADO, yes I know, I know... But he likes an easy to drive on-ear, and what else is there? I've had Sennnheiser PX-100 and 200, they're really not going in the audiophile direction. And I DO like GRADO, having the 60e and the RS1e..
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Koss KSC75 used to be my go to portable headphone and I still take it with me on occasion. I totally hear why you chose it, especially when one considers it’s low co$t. I have an entire box of these stored away to replace them for the rest of my life just in case they ever go out of production, because they are so good for such little money.
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However, the current market has been flooded with so many good performing budget IEMs out there to chose from. Perhaps go with one of the popular inexpensive IEM models to stay with your current low budget spending habits? They are so easy to take with on the go and they won’t offend the public as they won’t be leaking sound. Of my few inexpensive IEMs, I love the Moondrop Chu the most. Right now it is only $17 on Amazon.com.
Amazon.com
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If you do decide to go with a budget IEM, check out the “Ultra Cheap IEM Thread”
The Ultra Cheap IEM Thread
SenyorC who posts there often also has a blog where he reviews quite a few gear including budget portable audio gear and IEMs in order for you to dig deeper into some of the options out there.
https://www.achoreviews.com/
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Good luck with your quest!
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If you are overwhelmed by the (very good) detailed info from @pennstac and @hottyson, try the KISS approach: Try some common benchmark headphones for yourself. Most of us have heard Sennheiser headphones, as they set the standard going back to the 1990s and before. In recent years Focal also become a mainstream standard. With experience you can then understand the limitations of Koss and whether you want to upgrade. Visit a local audio store or audio show if possible.
- Headphones that will perform well with a phone / tablet / PC: Drop Sennheiser HD-58X (<$150)
- Headphones that sound best with a dedicated amplifier, but move up a tier: Sennheiser HD-600 ($300+) or HD-6XX (<$225)
- Headphones that move to a notably higher tier: Focal Clear original model ($900)
- Headphones that hint at what’s possible in the premium tier: Sennheiser HD 800 S ($1,800)
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Thank you @hottyson and @generic for adding some recommendations. I don’t know IEMs nearly as well as headphones, @hottyson - I had considered the Dunu Titan S at $59-69 plus possibly the iFi GO Link DAC/AMP at $59. That’s what I’ve been giving out to family and friends starting out - your thoughts?
And @generic, I had also thought about the Drop HD58x that price is right, and I paid almost twice that amount in 1990 something for the 580 on which it’s based. How do you or perhaps how does @Lothar_Wolf compare it to a similarly priced GRADO like the 125x? I really feel that the HD58x is a great headphone, but will hit limits not that far above the KOSS.
See, @TimmyC, all 3 of us understand your question, but begin to diverge on views. And we all can help you learn what you’re missing…
Thanks all. Excellent advice from everyone. Much appreciated.
I have an iPhone with Apple Music.(and Apple dongle) I also set the Apple Music app to Hi-Res Lossless. For some reason almost every song shows Lossless on my phone display. Maybe I need to add a portable DAC and replace the Apple dongle for it to show Hi-Res?
Thanks again for the warm welcome.
Unfortunately I can’t wear IEMs. My ears become painful, inflamed, and infected. Wax discharge quadruples. I know. Gross. To all of those who have no problems with them. Yes. I’m jealous. The Koss has been a nice alternative.
@TimmyC If you’re looking for “next level” travel-friendly headphones that can easily be driven by an Apple dongle, and your budget goes up to $500, then I’d recommend trying either an ETA Mini Semi-Closed or ETA Mini Closed.
Both headphones are extremely light and have a folding headband that make them very easy to throw into a backpack. And you can return them within 15 days if you either don’t like them or don’t notice any difference between the ETA and your Koss headphones.
I’m guessing you’ll hear more detail from the ETA, which you’ll either like or not (and if not, you can return them).
I’ve never tried the Closed but I own a Semi-Closed, which I recently took on vacation with me. If you need isolation, then the Closed would be better, but if not, then I’d try the Semi-Closed. They even have some B-stock available at a $50 discount.
I do own other headphones that I like better than the ETA, but they’re all more expensive, and also not as travel friendly. I’m suggesting these because they’re great value and appear to meet your requirements.
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You may have realized by now that the thing you are most missing is a never ending journey into the rabbit hole 
To be totally honest, if you find that the Koss you have are excellent sounding, then I strongly suggest you put your wallet away, leave this forum and enjoy the music.
The Koss are great sounding headphones and yes, there are much higher level options out there that may or may not be “better” in your opinion (not everyone needs/wants/notices higher quality sound) but if you enjoy what you have, then you can save a lot of money and headache by just being content.
And now… with that bit of “sensible” out of the way…
You can try other budget offerings such as AKG K371, Hifiman HE400se, Sennheiser HD6XX which are all under $200 and would give you an opportunity to see if you do notice a difference before spending more (because you will spend more… much more…)
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Do you think all of those will sound good off an Apple dongle?
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The HE400se will not sound its best but should still sound more detailed than the Koss.
The 371 no problem.
The HD6XX will sound like a step up from the Koss but with a similar presentation. Then, if the HD6XX proves to be a step up for him, he can then open his wallet to the infinite scaling of the HD6XX 
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The Sennheiser HD6XX likes more power. But that $69 iFi GO Link will help with (almost) any better headphone. It’s designed for USB-C but has a lightning adapter I think.
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This is outstanding advice.
If you do want to do down the rabbit hole though, @TimmyC, the Audeze Maxwell could be a solid wireless closed-back option. It’s marketed as a gaming headset, but many industry professionals have said it’s the best closed-back for music in its price range. Even better, you don’t need to worry about upgrading to a better DAC and amp to use it.
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Thanks SenyorC. 
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I need your help building out technical spec for newly designed headphones
Hello Headphone lovers,
I am looking for some insights and your expert guidance. I have developed a new type of headphones that are focused on comfort for the user, and while that is the core focus I also want to ensure that these headphones provide the best listening experience and are made of the best parts. With that in mind, I would love to hear your thoughts on the best drivers and other features you believe will produce the next great pair of headphones for this world!
To this point, we have created a pair of beautiful headphones that offer amazing comfort and style, and now I want to put together the best technical spec possible without having to charge end customers insane prices. As of now, the retail price will fall somewhere between 300 and 350. So with that in mind, I need to develop the technical spec so would really appreciate your help in determining the best spec for this new design! Thank you in advance to anyone willing to help. 
To the best of my knowledge, the key items that need to be addressed are:
- Drivers
- Sensitivity
- Impedance
- Frequency Response
- Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise
Interested in recommendations for SoC chipset also. If I am missing anything important, I’d very much appreciate your additional insights.
The space for components (cup housing) is as follows: 76.2mm high / 76.2mm wide / 25.4mm deep
Thanks in advance for your help.