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Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

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Dave Hachadorian-2

Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Last week I posted my impressions of the Koss SB-45 here:
http://marc.info/?l=elecraft&m=145134615022993&w=2

I promised an update on long-term comfort after the RTTY Roundup
contest, so this is it. I wore this headset for two 12 hour
contest sessions this past weekend, and found its comfort equal
to or better than the Yamaha CM-500, which most everyone,
including myself, seems to think is very good. There is a sweet
spot in the headphone height adjustment, where equal pressure is
applied above and below the ears, and it feels really super at
that point, even for an eyeglass wearer like myself. My ears
didn't get as hot as with the CM-500, and the SB-45 headband has
nice soft padding that didn't irritate the top of my bald head
like the CM-500 sometimes does.

Overall, I think the SB-45 is equal to or better than the CM-500,
at about half the price.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ

.

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Tony Scandurra K4QE

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

For you DXpeditioners, it should be noted that the Koss SB-45 folds up
quite nicely for easier packing. See the Koss website's photos of them in
the folded up configuration.

https://www.koss.com/headphones/headsets/sb45-824

Thanks for the review of the headset, Dave!

73, Tony K4QE

On Tue, Jan 5, 2016 at 9:54 PM, Dave Hachadorian <[hidden email]>
wrote:

> Last week I posted my impressions of the Koss SB-45 here:
> http://marc.info/?l=elecraft&m=145134615022993&w=2
>
> I promised an update on long-term comfort after the RTTY Roundup contest,
> so this is it. I wore this headset for two 12 hour contest sessions this
> past weekend, and found its comfort equal to or better than the Yamaha
> CM-500, which most everyone, including myself, seems to think is very
> good. There is a sweet spot in the headphone height adjustment, where
> equal pressure is applied above and below the ears, and it feels really
> super at that point, even for an eyeglass wearer like myself. My ears
> didn't get as hot as with the CM-500, and the SB-45 headband has nice soft
> padding that didn't irritate the top of my bald head like the CM-500
> sometimes does.
>
> Overall, I think the SB-45 is equal to or better than the CM-500, at about
> half the price.
>
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ
>
>
> .
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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N3XX

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

In reply to this post by Dave Hachadorian-2

Most operation here is CW & digital, and sometimes SSB, so I need to be
able to move the mic up and out of the way when not needed. Can any
SB45 users tell me if the mic can be moved to a full vertical position?
I have looked at pictures, but can't tell how far it will move.

Tnx & 73,
Tim - N3XX

On 2016-01-05 9:54 PM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:

> Last week I posted my impressions of the Koss SB-45 here:
> http://marc.info/?l=elecraft&m=145134615022993&w=2
>
> I promised an update on long-term comfort after the RTTY Roundup
> contest, so this is it. I wore this headset for two 12 hour contest
> sessions this past weekend, and found its comfort equal to or better
> than the Yamaha CM-500, which most everyone, including myself, seems to
> think is very good. There is a sweet spot in the headphone height
> adjustment, where equal pressure is applied above and below the ears,
> and it feels really super at that point, even for an eyeglass wearer
> like myself. My ears didn't get as hot as with the CM-500, and the
> SB-45 headband has nice soft padding that didn't irritate the top of my
> bald head like the CM-500 sometimes does.
>
> Overall, I think the SB-45 is equal to or better than the CM-500, at
> about half the price.
>
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ
>
>
> .
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
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> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Dave Hachadorian-2

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

The mic does move to full vertical to get it out of the way.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 4:29 AM
To: Dave Hachadorian ; Reflector Elecraft
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Most operation here is CW & digital, and sometimes SSB, so I need
to be
able to move the mic up and out of the way when not needed. Can
any
SB45 users tell me if the mic can be moved to a full vertical
position?
I have looked at pictures, but can't tell how far it will move.

Tnx & 73,
Tim - N3XX

On 2016-01-05 9:54 PM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:

> Last week I posted my impressions of the Koss SB-45 here:
> http://marc.info/?l=elecraft&m=145134615022993&w=2
>
> I promised an update on long-term comfort after the RTTY
> Roundup
> contest, so this is it. I wore this headset for two 12 hour
> contest
> sessions this past weekend, and found its comfort equal to or
> better
> than the Yamaha CM-500, which most everyone, including myself,
> seems to
> think is very good. There is a sweet spot in the headphone
> height
> adjustment, where equal pressure is applied above and below the
> ears,
> and it feels really super at that point, even for an eyeglass
> wearer
> like myself. My ears didn't get as hot as with the CM-500, and
> the
> SB-45 headband has nice soft padding that didn't irritate the
> top of my
> bald head like the CM-500 sometimes does.
>
> Overall, I think the SB-45 is equal to or better than the
> CM-500, at
> about half the price.
>
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ
>
>
> .
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list:
> http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

N3XX

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Thanks for the info Dave. My old headset needs replacement, so I'll get
an SB45 and give it a try. The price looks right :-)

73,
Tim - N3XX

On 2016-01-06 8:38 AM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:

> The mic does move to full vertical to get it out of the way.
>
>
> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
> Yuma, AZ
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 4:29 AM
> To: Dave Hachadorian ; Reflector Elecraft
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort
>
> Most operation here is CW & digital, and sometimes SSB, so I need
> to be
> able to move the mic up and out of the way when not needed. Can
> any
> SB45 users tell me if the mic can be moved to a full vertical
> position?
> I have looked at pictures, but can't tell how far it will move.
>
> Tnx & 73,
> Tim - N3XX
>
> On 2016-01-05 9:54 PM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:
>> Last week I posted my impressions of the Koss SB-45 here:
>> http://marc.info/?l=elecraft&m=145134615022993&w=2
>>
>> I promised an update on long-term comfort after the RTTY
>> Roundup
>> contest, so this is it. I wore this headset for two 12 hour
>> contest
>> sessions this past weekend, and found its comfort equal to or
>> better
>> than the Yamaha CM-500, which most everyone, including myself,
>> seems to
>> think is very good. There is a sweet spot in the headphone
>> height
>> adjustment, where equal pressure is applied above and below the
>> ears,
>> and it feels really super at that point, even for an eyeglass
>> wearer
>> like myself. My ears didn't get as hot as with the CM-500, and
>> the
>> SB-45 headband has nice soft padding that didn't irritate the
>> top of my
>> bald head like the CM-500 sometimes does.
>>
>> Overall, I think the SB-45 is equal to or better than the
>> CM-500, at
>> about half the price.
>>
>> Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
>> Yuma, AZ
>>
>>
>> .
>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list:
>> http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
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Gary Gregory-2

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Ordered mine tonight also. Looking forward to getting them
Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: "[hidden email]" <[hidden email]>
Sent: ‎7/‎01/‎2016 12:21 AM
To: "Reflector Elecraft" <[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Thanks for the info Dave. My old headset needs replacement, so I'll get
an SB45 and give it a try. The price looks right :-)

73,
Tim - N3XX

On 2016-01-06 8:38 AM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:

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Tim Heasman

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

In reply to this post by N3XX

Hi All,
It is also easy to change the magnetic mic insert for an electret since
the K3 has the extra components already installed.
73
Tim
GM4LMH

On 06/01/2016 14:20, [hidden email] wrote:
> Thanks for the info Dave. My old headset needs replacement, so I'll
> get an SB45 and give it a try. The price looks right :-)
>
> 73,
> Tim - N3XX
>
>

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GM4JJJ

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Tim,

I was under the impression that the Koss SB-45 already used an electret mic insert? I don't have one (I use a Yamaha CM500), but gleaned this from earlier reviews on this reflector. Perhaps you are referring to a different model?

73 from David GM4JJJ

> On 6 Jan 2016, at 16:59, Tim <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
> It is also easy to change the magnetic mic insert for an electret since the K3 has the extra components already installed.
> 73
> Tim
> GM4LMH
>
>> On 06/01/2016 14:20, [hidden email] wrote:
>> Thanks for the info Dave. My old headset needs replacement, so I'll get an SB45 and give it a try. The price looks right :-)
>>
>> 73,
>> Tim - N3XX
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
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Jim Brown-10

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

On Wed,1/6/2016 9:32 AM, David Anderson wrote:
> I was under the impression that the Koss SB-45 already used an electret mic insert? I don't have one (I use a Yamaha CM500), but gleaned this from earlier reviews on this reflector. Perhaps you are referring to a different model?

Electret and dynamic mics are equally good for ham radio. Use whatever
comes with the headset you like and be happy. All that matters is that
electret mics need bias turned on and dynamic mics do not.

73, Jim K9YC
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Dave Hachadorian-2

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

In reply to this post by Tim Heasman

The SB-45 is already electret. You must be thinking of the SB-40
which has a dynamic element, and reportedly sounds pretty bad.

Dave Hachadorian, K6LL
Yuma, AZ

-----Original Message-----
From: Tim
Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 9:59 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Hi All,
It is also easy to change the magnetic mic insert for an electret
since
the K3 has the extra components already installed.
73
Tim
GM4LMH

On 06/01/2016 14:20, [hidden email] wrote:
> Thanks for the info Dave. My old headset needs replacement, so
> I'll get an SB45 and give it a try. The price looks right :-)
>
> 73,
> Tim - N3XX
>
>

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Alan Bloom

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

On 01/06/2016 10:42 AM, Dave Hachadorian wrote:
> The SB-45 is already electret. You must be thinking of the SB-40 which
> has a dynamic element, and reportedly sounds pretty bad.

I bought a SB-40 awhile back. The headphones sound great but the mic is
totally unusable. The volume is extremely low and muffled sounding.

I'm thinking of getting a hacksaw and opening up the microphone case to
see if there is something wrong inside.

Alan N1AL

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Augie "Gus" Hansen

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

In reply to this post by Jim Brown-10

Hi Jim,

> Electret and dynamic mics are equally good for ham radio. Use whatever
> comes with the headset you like and be happy. All that matters is that
> electret mics need bias turned on and dynamic mics do not.

Do you know why Elecraft calls the power provided to an electret element
BIAS? Unlike the large form condenser microphone elements that need both
polarizing potential and preamp power, usually provided via a "phantom
power" circuit, an electret element is permanently polarized. The power
applied via the phantom circuit is actually providing only the drain
voltage for the FET preamp in the electret microphone capsule, not any
kind of biasing voltage.

Of course we have similar terminology used in systems that provide
control voltages or operating power to remote equipment: The so-called
BIAS-TEE used to inject and extract power over a coaxial cable, for
example.

I haven't found any official documentation for these types of circuits
that uses the BIAS moniker. Are there any references that you might
point to?

Cheers,
Gus Hansen
KB0YH

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EUGENE GABRY

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Gus,

I think the term bias, or bias voltage is a pretty generic term when meaning applying a voltage or current to turn on a device, in this instance a microphone element that requires voltage to operate.

http://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/What-is-bias-voltage

73 Gene, N9TF

----- Original Message -----

From: "Augie \"Gus\" Hansen" <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2016 1:02:58 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

Hi Jim,

> Electret and dynamic mics are equally good for ham radio. Use whatever
> comes with the headset you like and be happy. All that matters is that
> electret mics need bias turned on and dynamic mics do not.

Do you know why Elecraft calls the power provided to an electret element
BIAS? Unlike the large form condenser microphone elements that need both
polarizing potential and preamp power, usually provided via a "phantom
power" circuit, an electret element is permanently polarized. The power
applied via the phantom circuit is actually providing only the drain
voltage for the FET preamp in the electret microphone capsule, not any
kind of biasing voltage.

Of course we have similar terminology used in systems that provide
control voltages or operating power to remote equipment: The so-called
BIAS-TEE used to inject and extract power over a coaxial cable, for
example.

I haven't found any official documentation for these types of circuits
that uses the BIAS moniker. Are there any references that you might
point to?

Cheers,
Gus Hansen
KB0YH

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Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

One other point is many professional type condenser or like type mikes
do have internal active amplification. They require a couple of
miliamps of operating current as opposed to just placing a charge on
the element. In this case it is normal for the mixing console to
provide "phantom power" which is sent along the mike line between the
console and mike. For those consoles that do not have internal phantom
power systems, a separate external source is required and provided.

73
Bob, K4TAX

On 1/6/2016 2:22 PM, [hidden email] wrote:
> Gus,
>
> I think the term bias, or bias voltage is a pretty generic term when meaning applying a voltage or current to turn on a device, in this instance a microphone element that requires voltage to operate.
>
> http://www.learningaboutelectronics.com/Articles/What-is-bias-voltage

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Jim Brown-10

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

In reply to this post by Augie "Gus" Hansen

On Wed,1/6/2016 11:02 AM, Augie "Gus" Hansen wrote:
> Do you know why Elecraft calls the power provided to an electret
> element BIAS? Unlike the large form condenser microphone elements that
> need both polarizing potential and preamp power, usually provided via
> a "phantom power" circuit, an electret element is permanently
> polarized. The power applied via the phantom circuit is actually
> providing only the drain voltage for the FET preamp in the electret
> microphone capsule, not any kind of biasing voltage.

That's exactly the reason, Gus -- electret elements have VERY high
output Z, so they have a built-in FET follow circuit to get the source Z
down to the level that it can drive the load of an audio stage. The
circuit it's driving provides a positive voltage to operate that FET,
through a resistor, typically around 5K, that serves as the load Z for
the FET follower.

And, BTW -- pro electret mics, whose outputs are balanced, also include
preamps with output Z designed to drive pro mic input stages. The output
Z of the preamps built into those pro mics is typically in the range of
100 - 400 ohms.

73, Jim K9YC
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Robin Moseley

Re: Koss SB-45 Headset, update on comfort

are you running these things directly into the K3, or via a mic input lead
from Heil??

Robin G1MHU

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