Image S4 Review

[MaoDi]

Originally Posted by overthebars

Okay, thanks for the answer. Are there any after market tips you would recommend?

I find the Klipsch gels to be extremely well done, and are among the best. very hard to recommend better tips, the only ones that instantly pop into my head are custom tips.

[betrion]

Klipsch image S4 review

Bla part:
First thing's first - I don't consider my self an audiophile, whatever that expression actually meant.
Second - I believe these aren't the intended to provide finest quality out there which is very obvious when you look at the price tag.
Third - I know a good thing when I see one, and this is one of them so here we go:

Intro part:
I owned Sennheiser CX300, the best selling in earbud headphones out there. Reason for that is price and good sound that goes with it (much nicer than any pair that came with your player). However, after some time it is easy to notice they have much flaws of their own, so you are start to look at better alternatives.
Google this, Bing that and viola... You come across S4 who rocketed into mainstream by one editors choice award (Cnet's), and some other guys out there also gave it thumbs up but you still crave for more - and tension gets higher since you cannot actually buy one, yet only preorder and hope for the best...

In the box part:
Simple packing from one piece follows direction of "smaller-better" logic: Easier to ship, cheaper to produce and not so heavy on environment.
Works nice and after all, we are not here for the box but are searching within:
1 Headphones (Klipsch Image S4 if you didn't know)
3 Pairs of oval silicone ear tips (small one have double "heads")
1 Cleaning tool
and box made from aluminum to put it all in.
Oh, and there's also a piece of paper which pretty much states: don't listen to your music too loud!
That's it.

Actually useful part:
By my observation, the best comparison between CX300 (or some other "simple" pair of earphones) and S4 is clarity, best described in flowing example: Imagine you are standing in front of the room and hear music from it. It's pretty loud and you can hear it well. After a time you get so comfortable with it and start accepting it as "normal". Then somebody opens the door and you step inside. Finally, you have a feeling there is almost nothing between you and the sound. It's much clearer and you can enjoy much detailed sound without anyone telling you what is it you should be hearing. It is very obvious.
This is like going from VHS to DVD. And don't go japing about Blue-ray now - if you have "vhs", you gonna love this.
I can only guess that moving higher from this kind of quality is never that much of a difference.
Although, to be honest, first time I listened to them was some kind of disappointing. I was a bit nervous and didn't know what to expect. First thought was: they're ok but i guess i could of saved my money. It was only the day after that I begun to realize the benefits of S4.
S4 sounds very nice, clarity is good (no mater what is playing, Fleetwood Mac or AC/DC, richness of the sound stays preserved) and I find them precise, meaning you can determine position of every instrument/sound. They are without a doubt on warm side of sound spectrum and are pretty universal if we talk music genres. I wouldn't recommend listening to much electronic music with them (or any other headphones for that matter). Bass is decent but not overwhelming. Some prefer more of it but I think to much bass will choke your music and it is only but artificial way to create atmosphere. Balance is needed and balance is achieved.
Apart mentioned above here are few other bands I listened with these: Bon Iver, Beastie Boys, The Postal Service, Kings of Leon, Devotchka, Final Fantasy... and many others in self-made compilations. Point is - they all sound great on S4

As many before stated, one of the biggest surprises was how many songs sounds differently and one starts hearing sounds that were not there before. Of course, when earphones are new you are hearing music more analytically, but even now, almost month later I find myself turning of my ipod just to check does the sounds I'm hearing come from the music or outside.
Then it gets me - you can't here the sounds from outside with these on

Here we come to the other very important point which some will appreciate even more than quality - their fit.
Using oval ear tips is common sense and it is pretty sad truth that no one thought of this before (I don't mean you, you and you, but the guys who actually work in industry). Klipsch has them for some time now and this was my first experience with them. I am thrilled! They work flawlessly and are by far most comfortable I tried to date (haven't tried my Comply's though (made from foam)). I needed few days to make friends with them but now I can have them in my ears for 2 hours with almost no discomfort at all (for me, this is a lot).
Very important thing almost no one mentioned is you can ware them behind your ears!
Since they are oval, all you have to do is take them out, turn for 180 degrees and put them in again. Now you'll have your wires up instead down and all you have to do with them is put them behind your ears. This position is much more practical for running since you cannot feel the pull from the wire.
One more thing I would like to mention is they are smaller then they look on the pictures, yet they feel very nice in hands and are ridiculously easy to put in ears!

Accessories part:
One more detail to expand fanciness is cleaning tool which is basically nothing else then piece of plastic with a little bent wire on the top, but nevertheless it keeps one happy (there's a Klipsch logo imprinted on the plastic) and does the dirty job well (but you have to clean the space between wires with a toothpick afterwords).
Finally, the box.
People seem to dislike it and call it unpractical, yet I find it rather good. Since made from aluminum, it will keep your S4 safe from harm. Therefore i find it better than some small case made from polly or lather. One thing that should be better is closing system since case can easily open by itself, especially if earphones are not inserted correctly. In my case it is stored in little bag that goes around waist and there is not enough space in there for it to open.

Conclusion part:
I was never so happy to listen music, it's if I'm waiting for some excuse to put these earphones on. I find them excellent buy for everything they are: good sounding (clear, warm, precise), comfortable (silicone oval ear tips, can be worn behind ear, great for running, easy to put in), nice (fine design yet securely robust) and practical (safe aluminum box and cleaning tool).
At the end I just want to state I bought these from soundearphones.com and didn't receive them from Klipsch as a demo (in case you find my positivity fishy )!

[slbowing]

Love my S4's. CNET just rated them best reviewed item of the summer

[Hentai11]

Originally Posted by overthebars

Okay, thanks for the answer. Are there any after market tips you would recommend?

I had a rotten, rotten time with the oval gels on my Custom 2s. If all Klipsch sets share the same nozzle as claimed above, then you're golden with the Shure/Etymotic triple-flange silicone tips.

[tstarn06]

Had to post here, since I had originally given the S4s a negative review (well, not a complete review). With some added burn-in, the highs seemed to have calmed down, and I found a better tip for them (even though I do like the gels). I found an old, gray Ety bi-flange (no longer even sold), and it's a perfect match with the S4. It would be like using the bottom two flanges on the Shure tri-flanges, with the stalk trimmed to flush with the bottom flange, or even a little shorter.

Anyway, that tip really works nicely. I would not say they are competitive with the higher-priced IEMs, but they do sound as good as the Denon 710s, which I sold. Once in awhile, they do sound a bit bright, but it could be source as much as the S4s. Will keep listening (at least until the UM56 custom sleeves get here for my UM3Xs).

[havagr8da]

I love my s4's too. Good bang for the buck.

[pspdlrd]

I wanted to know if the gels on the S4 are tropical weather proof. What I mean is that, are they affected by over 35C-40C temperatures?, are they affected by direct(not prolonged)exposure to tropical sunlight? Living in India these are fairly common environments. I am looking for a "side earphone" apart from my MDR-EX 700 and found these to be a good buy.

[tstarn06]

Wow, that's a tough question. I would ask Amy in the Klipsch forum if they have any idea. Oops, this is the Klipsch Forum. LOL. Amy, any ideas?

If she doesn't respond here, PM her.

[MaoDi]

Well, i wouldn't be using earphones in such a humid and high temperatures as that might damage the earphones to begin with. So whether or not the tips fill the requirements, i wouldn't be using earphones in that environment, especially more decent ones like the Klipsch S4.

[pspdlrd]

Well, i wouldn't be using earphones in such a humid and high temperatures as that might damage the earphones to begin with. So whether or not the tips fill the requirements, i wouldn't be using earphones in that environment, especially more decent ones like the Klipsch S4.

I dont think that answers my question. If earphones were to stop working in such conditions, they (by they I mean Klipsch, Sennheiser, Grado, Sony, Denon, etc,etc) wouldnt have brought their products to India. The very fact that I am asking this questions here is that Klipsch do not have local cust service in Bangalore, and they are selling through Onkyo stores(they dont know much about the S4).

No offence MaoDi

[MaoDi]

Originally Posted by pspdlrd

I dont think that answers my question. If earphones were to stop working in such conditions, they (by they I mean Klipsch, Sennheiser, Grado, Sony, Denon, etc,etc) wouldnt have brought their products to India. The very fact that I am asking this questions here is that Klipsch do not have local cust service in Bangalore, and they are selling through Onkyo stores(they dont know much about the S4).

No offence MaoDi

There's a reason why Westone Monitors come with the desiccant that removes moisture, because keeps the monitors dry prolongs the life of the monitor and prevents damage. All monitors are to be "recommended" to be stored and kepted in a cool, dry place. They send products to India because people still buy these products in India, people don't stop buying earphones just because there place is humid and high in temperature.

My suggestion was best not to use monitors at that level of humidity and temperature as your monitors will receive damage over time from the moisture and heat. It is just my thought on this situation, but your choice to take it or not. Silicone being heat resistant, the Klipsch Gels shouldn't have a problem in the tropic temperatures.

My recommendation though still lies "prevent usage" of earphones in that temperature and humidity if you want to keep them for a while. If you don't really mind getting it replaced or buying a new pair after a shorter period of time, feel free to use them.

[Goit]

So how bad are these for classical music? I actually don't like the too bright sound of some headphones, which makes the music sound thin. I do like richness and warmth, but on the other hand, for some reason all klipsch IEMs are advertised at 19khz. Other manufactures list at least on paper 20khz at the minimum.

[MaoDi]

Originally Posted by Goit

So how bad are these for classical music? I actually don't like the too bright sound of some headphones, which makes the music sound thin. I do like richness and warmth, but on the other hand, for some reason all klipsch IEMs are advertised at 19khz. Other manufactures list at least on paper 20khz at the minimum.

not the greatest. Just decent, for classical i would go with a brighter sound signature.

[Goit]

Originally Posted by MaoDi

not the greatest. Just decent, for classical i would go with a brighter sound signature.

Are all klipsch headphones not suited for classical? Like the image X10/X5?

[tstarn06]

A follow up on my S4s. I had them in my ears for two straight days while playing in a poker tournament, and I don't think there is a better bang for the buck HP now. I didn't care for the treble at first, but it's now settled in nicely, 100+ hours after burn-in, no harshness. I use the large single flange gels with them, and I have to say, I am very impressed. They have a crisp, clean sound, but the bass is there too. I have som Tuck Andress playing right now (Clip+ no amp), 192k WMA, and the acoustic guitar sound wonderful.

I bought these for my wife, sold the X10s (she didn't need them), and I have to say, and I know Klipsch might not like it, but I prefer the S4s to the X10s, from memory. Not saying they are better, just to me, the price difference isn't worth it. Maybe I like Klipsch dynamic phone better than its single BA? Not sure. But the S4s are an excellent value in my view.