MarkF786
500+ Head-Fier
Someone had posted in the Deals thread that the Klipsch X12 Bluetooth Neckband was on sale (refurbished) for $150, much lower than their $400 street price, and though I have little experience with Klipsch, doing some quick research I found the reviews to be good (and the reviews of their X12i IEMs, the corded version, were also good) so I decided to give it a try. And I must say, I'm VERY impressed! In terms of convenience, features, and comfort, they're great - but what really impressed me was the sound.
To be honest, I wasn't expecting too much since they are a single-driver BA design, and I never gave much thought to the Klipsch brand, but the IEMs have a very clear detailed sound, mostly balanced, with a little emphasis in the bass and a little roll-off in the treble (maybe somewhat 'consumer tuned', though with the normal roll-off of a BA driver). The bass is what surprised me the most since it was plentiful and articulate. Comparing it to some other IEMs I own, it sounds better than my SE215 & SE425 and Sony XBA-H1, though not as good as my Shure SE846 (no surprise since they're $1000). I'd compare them in some ways to my Etymotic ER4XR, though maybe just for the fact that they're a single high-quality BA driver, but the frequency response is much different.
I spent some time comparing the X12 to my SE425, since the X12i (the corded version) and the SE425 are similarly priced, and the X12 are vastly superior. The X12 have better bass (in quantity and quality) and sound much more balanced than the SE425, which sound too mid-focused in comparison. Also, the SE425 sounded a little harsh in comparison. To be honest though, I've never been a big fan of the SE425.
I only briefly tried the X12's included tips, which are oval in shape to provide a better fit; they worked ok, though I didn't like the idea of them being oval since in theory they should be aligned with the shape of the ear for the best fit. So instead, I quickly switched to a pair of Spin-Fit tips which work great. It's convenient that my main IEMs (Shure, Etymotic, and now these) can all use the same tips.
The bluetooth neckband is very convenient - and the battery life of 18 hours lets me go days without recharging it. Combining the convenience with the sound quality, these have easily become my go-to portable headphones, and I worry my SE846 might not get much use. If you're looking for a good bluetooth IEM, I'd highly recommend these. Looking at what other bluetooth IEMs are on the market, nothing else seems comparable. I wish Shure made a neckband like this to fit their IEMs so that I could have the convenience of the Klipsch X12 though using it with my SE846. It's baffling why Shure doesn't see the market for such a product.
Here's a link to the manufacturer's webpage for more details on the specs: http://www.klipsch.com/products/x12-neckband-headphones
To be honest, I wasn't expecting too much since they are a single-driver BA design, and I never gave much thought to the Klipsch brand, but the IEMs have a very clear detailed sound, mostly balanced, with a little emphasis in the bass and a little roll-off in the treble (maybe somewhat 'consumer tuned', though with the normal roll-off of a BA driver). The bass is what surprised me the most since it was plentiful and articulate. Comparing it to some other IEMs I own, it sounds better than my SE215 & SE425 and Sony XBA-H1, though not as good as my Shure SE846 (no surprise since they're $1000). I'd compare them in some ways to my Etymotic ER4XR, though maybe just for the fact that they're a single high-quality BA driver, but the frequency response is much different.
I spent some time comparing the X12 to my SE425, since the X12i (the corded version) and the SE425 are similarly priced, and the X12 are vastly superior. The X12 have better bass (in quantity and quality) and sound much more balanced than the SE425, which sound too mid-focused in comparison. Also, the SE425 sounded a little harsh in comparison. To be honest though, I've never been a big fan of the SE425.
I only briefly tried the X12's included tips, which are oval in shape to provide a better fit; they worked ok, though I didn't like the idea of them being oval since in theory they should be aligned with the shape of the ear for the best fit. So instead, I quickly switched to a pair of Spin-Fit tips which work great. It's convenient that my main IEMs (Shure, Etymotic, and now these) can all use the same tips.
The bluetooth neckband is very convenient - and the battery life of 18 hours lets me go days without recharging it. Combining the convenience with the sound quality, these have easily become my go-to portable headphones, and I worry my SE846 might not get much use. If you're looking for a good bluetooth IEM, I'd highly recommend these. Looking at what other bluetooth IEMs are on the market, nothing else seems comparable. I wish Shure made a neckband like this to fit their IEMs so that I could have the convenience of the Klipsch X12 though using it with my SE846. It's baffling why Shure doesn't see the market for such a product.
Here's a link to the manufacturer's webpage for more details on the specs: http://www.klipsch.com/products/x12-neckband-headphones
