Completely open inexpensive headphones required... why?... read on.

Saxguy1962

New Member
I'm building an interactive activity, which will require that the six "players" will have on their own headphones, and will receive sounds unique to themselves, but also, I want them to all be able to hear the surround sounds too, as clearly as possible. Yes, I know this is not the usual thing, but its a conceptual idea that I'm currently working on, and thats in the building stage right now.

I remember years ago (early 80's), I had some great sounding lightweight "walkman style" headphones which came with an Hitatchi personal tape player. I kid you not, the sound inc bass was just fantastic. The light foam cups meant that you could also hear most everything as normal (with no music playing). So, I was thinking along the same lines, but now it seems, these style of "cheap" but great headphone are not around anymore.

Does anyone know of any still being offered that might fit the bill? Ideally they will be sub $50, as I will need six to start with, and replacements as they get destroyed or worn out.
 
Check out the Koss Portapro-derived KSC75 clip-on headphones. The portapro is well-loved headphone that costs 40 bucks or so, the KSC75 is the same or similar drivers without the ability to have the band pull your hair out. The portapro headband always - always- yanks my hair.

17 bucks on Amazon as of now.

But... You want headbands.

For 14.40, the KTX Pro 1 gets good reviews, doesn't have an obvious hair-pulling spot, and features a stylish triple decker headband with separate rungs from which to sling your alchohol, your tobacco and a firearm of your choosing.

https://www.amazon.com/Koss-KTXPRO1-Titanium-Portable-Headphones/dp/B00007056H

https://www.cnet.com/news/koss-ktx-pro-1-headphones-offer-spectacular-sound-for-as-little-as-10/
 
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Hi olderroust. I took a look, and thanks for the suggestion. Wouldnt fit the bill unfortunately. The headphones have to be easy to put on (not everyone gets on with clip-ons), also, have a headband that I can clip a bluetooth adapter to (and another small discrete gizmo) :)
I should have stated this, but didn't want my post to be too specific and off-putting.
 
Thanks olderroust... just ordered a pair of ktx's as you found for me.... if they do the trick, i'll order a dozen pairs.
 
I hope they work out. Gutenberg at CNET can be unreliable. On the less-expensive stuff, as long as it's better than a kazoo, he gets pretty fulsome in his praise sometimes. He was part of the crew that - for reasons beyond me to this day - praised the Pioneer SP-BS22s to the skies despite their costing more than 10 bucks a pair. I've rarely been so unimpressed with a speaker when I haven't been being pulled over. (Protip: never criticize the congested vocal representation of a state trooper's loudhailer.)

On the other hand, the members of the low-rent Koss family I've listened to myself I've thought sounded pretty good.
 
They don't need to be "great" Hi-Fi quality, but they re just to add some "independent" sound effects to each individual wearer, who will also be in a "surround sound" environment. Hence the need for really open headphones.The sounds will be typically "action" sounds ie gunshots, ricochets etc.
 
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