[Matthew.C]

Hey guys, I'm planning to get my friend a IEM for his Birthday, this will be his first IEM and I really want it to impress him. I've been searching the net and came down with three choices, Klipsch S2, S4 and the Apple In-ears.

The Klipsch S2 seems to be a really good deal, but I was wondering if I should pay a little more for the S4s. I've also read that the Apple in-ears are quite good. My friend likes pop and I think he's a bass-head. It would be awesome if you guys could give me some advice.


Matt

 

[ljokerl]

Apple in-ears are not for bassheads. Get the S4.

 

[Matthew.C]

Thanks Joker, I just found a Klipsch S4 appreciation thread and I noticed a lot of people like the bass it provides.

 

[shaneotool]

I sold my apple in ears. I'm no bass-head, but I like to at least hear the bass guitar. The apples have zero bass.

I'm listening to my new s4's right now, and these seem to have too much bass.
I'll give them another couple days of burn-in before I sell them, but it's looking like I need to find some middle ground between the s-4's and the Apple's.

 

[rawrster]

I had the S4 and it should be a good choice. S2 might be a good choice as well depending on how much you want to pay. I haven't heard it but when I was deciding among the two a while ago I remember the S2 being pretty similar.

 

[JxK]

I had the S4, but ended up returning them because they had too much bass for my tastes. I haven't heard them, but many people have very good things to say about the Nu-force NE-6, which seem to be a bassy IEM, but more tame and balanced than the S4.

 

[Matthew.C]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JxK /img/forum/go_quote.gif I had the S4, but ended up returning them because they had too much bass for my tastes. I haven't heard them, but many people have very good things to say about the Nu-force NE-6, which seem to be a bassy IEM, but more tame and balanced than the S4.

How long have you had it for? I've read that after some burn in, the bass will become more refined.

 

[JxK]

I had them for around a week, gave them around 3 days to burn in, but I simply continued to find them overly warm and bassy. Of course, this is personal preference, as there are lots of people who seem to like the S4. But for me, the ultra-bassy sound coupled with the lack of sparkle in the highs was not what I was looking for. Then again, I like grado which half of headfi hates...YYMV.

 

[Matthew.C]

Damn, i just found out my friend doesn't like heavy bass at all.

So now I have to choose between the Klipsch S2 and the Apple In-Ear. He likes Pop and mainly woman vocals.

 

[JxK]

In that case, I recommend getting him the soundmagic pl50. It excels at reproducing vocals on a budget. The fact that it's ultracomfortable with no microphonics doesn't hurt either. Just get him a pack of the sony hybrid tips as well, since they work better than the included ones. Or the oft recommended RE0 would work well, if he likes a more detailed an analytical sound.

 

[Modifiedz]

Definitely go for the S4. Pop/Hip-Hop and S4 go together very well. The Apple IEM's are nice, but they lack the bass, which is surprising since they have 2 BA drivers. They could have done better.

 

[mark2410]

girly vocals? PL-50 they shine on vocals

btw the iM-590 is also a really nicely balanced option to keep in mind

 

[Matthew.C]

Ill probably get te S4s since its only a 15$ diffrence. And I read that they are extremely comfortable.

Thnaks guys

 

[bcpk]

I'd wager that the PL-50s are even more comfortable.

 

[Chrontius]

 Back on the original two mentioned, I have the Apple dual-drivers (henceforth, "iBud Pro") and I'm really quite happy with them.  My first IEMs were the FutureSonics Atrio, and I discovered that I hated multi-flanged tips; a chance encounter made me realize I very much liked the spherical silicone tips used by Klipsch and others.  I also enjoy foamies, but thirty seconds to achieve a satisfactory fit is often unacceptable.  That (and an iPod Touch) brought me to the iBud Pro.  I very much enjoy them, but I'm a perfectionist.  
 
A few weeks ago, Consumer Reports put the Klipsch S4i just above the iBud Pro, and the S2m became quite affordable at CompUSA.  
 
Does the Head-fi community consider the S2 an upgrade, crossgrade, or downgrade from the iBud Pro?  I know I'll lose the volume keys but retain the play/pause/answer key; this is acceptable if they sound significantly better.
 
Your thoughts?