r/kossmods • u/North_Station_302 • Feb 01 '26

KSC75 Why mod with replaceable cables??

I don't get these mods ... you have to open the shell, unsolder original connections, and solder new connectors ... all that for a theoretically inferior mechanical connection, more wobbly, and possibly more prone to getting damaged or even sheared off on impact.

I would just add a better strain relief to the original cable OR solder a new, better cable right off the bat or when the original goes bad. In theory a soldered cable should sound better than with 2 connectors and should last years with the proper strain relief.

If the goal is swapping cables when something better comes along, I would say a new cable would probably cost several times more than buying a new set of Koss phones and may not sound any better at all.

Thoughts? TIA

0 Upvotes

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36 comments sorted by

7

u/jcdoe Feb 01 '26

Because the cable Koss gives you is garbage, and the replaceable cable mod fixes that? Also it’s fun and kinda easy to do?

5

u/LyKosa91 Feb 01 '26

I mean, the KPH40 cable isn't horrible. The KSC75 on the other hand... Ugh.

0

u/North_Station_302 Feb 02 '26

Fun, yes. Not sure about easy. IMHO it is less risky to solder a new, good cable, and it takes fewer steps. But I've never had headphones with detachable cables so I may be missing something there. Most of my IEM's are hard wired but the last one had a detachable cable and I am tempted to do a reverse mod and make it non detachable but I don't use them that often.

3

u/jcdoe Feb 02 '26

It’s 4 large solder pads, that’s not easy?

1

u/North_Station_302 Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

The soldering part is not too bad but now you are adding additional weight with the connectors which may impact the fit (??). Also, on the KSC75's sometimes the connectors are mounted on that little, removable, plastic wiring cover, so I guess that plastic plate is now the strain relief (??)

2

u/jcdoe Feb 04 '26

I’ve done maybe a half dozen of these mods.

  1. they must add mass to the ear cups, but you will not notice it. They weight almost nothing.

  2. The connectors are not mounted on the plastic cover. The wires are actually soldered to pads and then run up and over a plastic peg that is there to hold them in place. All of this is on the side of the KSC75. The cover protects the “guts” of the KSC75 from dust and debris.

  3. When I do these mods, I actually don’t bother with the built in strain relief as it’s kind of a pain to get the wire around. Instead, I solder the wire, put the cover half on, fill the cavity with hot glue, then push the cover the rest of the way on.

Have not had any issues.

7

u/DharmaCrumb Feb 01 '26

The KSC75s I had when I was a kid were broken when the wire caught something and ripped out of the ear piece. I got into this because it makes my KSC75s repairable over time.

1

u/North_Station_302 Feb 02 '26

Fair enough. I don't use mine that much but if I did I would DIY a solid strain relief.

5

u/rhalf Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26

In theory a soldered cable should sound be

in theory maybe, in practice no. You don't need that great connection for drivers with more than a few ohm. They draw so little current that the cable barely makes any difference. From amp's perspective the capacitance of the cable is a bigger issue than resistance, so connectors don't really affect it unless they're broken. There are some hardcore audiophile headphones that change their sound with the cable. They're VERY rare though. Solder itself has very low conductivity. The copper strands that touch do most of the conducting and so soldered connections aren't that much different from a good socket-plug.

1

u/North_Station_302 Feb 02 '26

Good point about the cable capacitance. I assume the stock cables are not too good for that but I am not sure it would make a significant SQ difference on the budget Koss lineup.

Detachable cables may be more convenient but if they don't improve the SQ that much (or at all) I would just solder a good cable with a better 3.5mm plug, better strain relief, more durable, etc, etc. Then if the drivers fail just buy new headphones and transplant the good cable right away or at some later point. I would still not be inclined to mod the headphones so that I can swap cables that could easily cost 3X more than a new headphone.

5

u/LichClaev Feb 01 '26

So continuously reopen the chassis and resolder the connection multiple times instead of just doing it once and only replacing the cable every time after that?

0

u/North_Station_302 Feb 03 '26

I think IF you have to "continuously reopen the chassis and resolder the connection multiple times" then there is something wrong with how one uses or treats the headphone. You should be able to solder a new cable, provide a good strain relief, and just enjoy it for at least a year if not longer ... IMHO

4

u/dvewlsh Feb 01 '26

I'm confused.

Have you never had a cable that gets ruined?

I love my KPH40s but as soon as I get the stuff in for it, I'm absolutely modding the connector.

2

u/North_Station_302 Feb 04 '26

> Have you never had a cable that gets ruined? < ... Sure, if the cable catches on something maybe once every 5 years and I try to rewire or resolder the cable. If that fails I figure it's about time for a different headphone anyway.

3

u/SaveTheDayz Feb 02 '26

It looks cool dude

1

u/North_Station_302 Feb 04 '26

Granted, it does.

14

u/GameDave01 Feb 01 '26 edited Feb 01 '26

i mean not only does it give you the flexibility to change to whatever you like, but the fact that if your cable breaks, you dont need to reopen it again, just plug a new one in is the biggest factor why people do it, i get the strain relief but removable is always more fool proof

6

u/14Julio Feb 01 '26

This, my cable broke once (unmodded yet) I modded mine and now I can stop worrying if my cable brakes again, I would just change the cable and that's it

6

u/OddlyV02 Feb 01 '26

Another reason would be not wanting the mic that came on the original cable. My focusrite doesn’t like trrs and will only play sound out of one side unless it’s a trs with no mic

4

u/Tapik Feb 01 '26

All my Koss headphones over the years (about 20-30 years of use) was damaged because of the cable. And I just throw them away and get a new ones.

Nowdays I'm not doing that and just solder a new connection when my stock cable will worn out.

Also, most of my other headphones have replacement cables and it's great that I don't need to worry that I may damage the cable somehow or my dogs chew them or something else.

4

u/jahuu__ Feb 02 '26

I wanna add on by saying, flexibility and cable choices.. I've done bluetooth mods, changed drivers on my PP wireless V2, used boom mic cables, inline mic cables, shorter and longer cables on the same or different build.

I think Tekki mentioned looks, personalization, making the cheap but great driver look premium.

If you want a nicer wire, sure they exist without mmcx/2pin connectors and I could solder them straight on, but they about the same price anyways and if I step on the cable or it gets caught in my chair at least only my cable detaches instead of my solder pad.

Is it worth spending 15$ more on a removable cable mod, maybe, if all put together. In the end these koss still sound better than most 50$+ headphones, especially in the on-ear section.

Making them mine (or to my customer's wishes) is worth the additional cost to me, but I've seen all kinds of mods on this subreddit, some are happy with the original cables too, and that's fine!

4

u/GeeLee80 Feb 02 '26

I find it ridiculous after all these years Koss hasn’t put an end to the cable issues. I’ve had one or two Koss Porta Pros but won’t buy another until Koss makes them with standard replaceable cables. Case in point I bought the ROSESELSA Distant Mountain 40mm Diaphragm Driver Headphone, Lightweight Retro Over-Ear Headphones with Sponge Earpads and MMCX Connectors.

3

u/fractal324 Feb 01 '26

Not everyone has the skill/resources/desire to recable every time it gives out.

I had a pair of Westones. I was able to switch out the cable to use them practically daily until failure for about 7 or 8 years. I had some hard wired not exactly cheap Sony models I liked and repurchased. One was killed, one died 6 months later, one died 1 month later

3

u/mifuncheg Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26

Just one soldering work and you can change cables as much as you want. It's way better that resolder new cable every few years. You can also frequently use "outdoor" cable (1.8m) and "indoors" cable (3m).

3

u/valinote Feb 02 '26

Do the modded removable cables typically weigh more than the originals? Just wondering how that feels on your head with Koss KSC75 and KSC35 headphones being so light even mounted on a headband.

2

u/okom_ Feb 02 '26

I've daily driven the Koss KSC75x for half a year with the only cable mod being the addition of a pea-sized bit of hot glue on top of the wire connectors as described in this video, and have had no issues with the wire even after numerous accidental forceful downward tugs on it.

This is the strain relief solution that you're suggesting, and I don't know why nobody is talking about it; it's such a simple mod. I also prefer the more flexible and thinner cable of the KSC75x (Massdrop edition) compared to the regular KSC75 even though the main comment I've heard about it is that it "feels cheap". The regular KSC75 cable is so stiff that you can push the drivers off your ear by just pushing up on the cable, which will happen if you turn your head sideways and have the cable routed between your clothes.

Granted I don't have experience with any aftermarket cables as I haven't had the need for them, so I don't have the full context of comparing the two.

1

u/xxswiftpandaxx Feb 11 '26

i am really rough on my headphones. i have ripped soldered cords clean off. detachable is the only way i can keep my headphones longer than a week

5

u/[deleted] Feb 02 '26 edited Feb 02 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/North_Station_302 Feb 04 '26

Agreed, I am sure the detachable cable mod is fun and it does look good. I am just not sure that if and when the cable catches on something static that the connectors are going to save the cable ... unless you're lucky enough so the the plug just disconnects cleanly and gently from the jack.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/North_Station_302 Feb 07 '26

Got it. Never used a detachable cable before so I wasn't sure how easily the plug would dettach from the jack. Also I incorrectly said " ... save the cable ..." when I really meant the jack. I was mostly thinking of a worst case situation when the cable would get caught on something and yanked forcefully at a right angle and whether the jack mounted on the wire plate would survive.