[slowpickr]

I got to try out some Klipsch S4's at an airport store in Atlanta yesterday. They sounded ok I guess but I just was not that impressed. They didn't quite have the bass and overall sound quality that I expected. To be fair though, I was in between flights so my demo session was brief. My NE-7Ms sound better to me. Again, I'm used to them and they have been burned in so it might not be a fair comparison.

I have had the S4's on order from Amazon for about 1 week now. Like most online stores, the S4's are on back order. I decided to cancel it today and order the Turbines instead. Went to Monster's website looking for authorized online dealers. Most of the ones I tried had them for the standard price of $149. I found one though (ecost.com) that had them brand new for $96.99. Had pay $11 shipping but NO sales tax. Total came to about $108 which ain't bad.

Now the wait begins which, as Tom Petty used to say, is the hardest part.

 

[theeditor]

Hmmm, I would have waited for the Klipsch. Monster had a set up at Can-Jam for these Turbos. My buddy and I were very unimpressed. They sounded even worse that the worst IEMs we ever listened to, which were manufactured by Shure. Just my opinion ...

 

[acegazda]

it's interesting, the reviews online are very conflicting for the image s4... some are glowing while others do not hold the same sentiment. I guess if you're into a bass heavy phone the turbines would be good... I think $108 is right around the best price I've seen for them. Back to the s4; has a headfier done a review of them?

 

[shigzeo]

well, i would love to hear the s4 - love to hear it, but i may never have the chance. the turbine are very good iems and at current prices, great buys. but... their cable is poor. other than that, i have reason to complain. they are not as bass heavy as ie8 or the atrio, but very good overall balance for the price. construction also is quite good.

 

[slowpickr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif well, i would love to hear the s4 - love to hear it, but i may never have the chance. the turbine are very good iems and at current prices, great buys. but... their cable is poor. other than that, i have reason to complain. they are not as bass heavy as ie8 or the atrio, but very good overall balance for the price. construction also is quite good.

The S4 cable didn't impress me much either. Seemed to be kind of flimsy and tangle prone. It did have a reinforced, 90 degree plug which I wish the Turbine's had. There are a lot more reviews out there on the Turbines which, for the most part, are positive. What little reviews there are on the S4s, seemed mixed IMO with a few exceptions such as CNET.

 

[dosley01]

Having owned the Turbines and spent about 120 hours listening to them, I have mostly favorable things to say about them. Not to knock the second poster but saying they sound worse than the worst IEM he ever listened to is a little harsh. My current IEM is the Sennheiser IE8 and IMO the Turbines offer just about 70-80% of the sound quality for 1/3 of the price. They are bass heavy phones but that is what makes them fun. Just let them burn in for about 10-20 hours and they will completely change compared to how they sound out of the box. Also, do yourself a favor check the http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/m...thread-416736/ for some info on Tips. There are much better options than the included tips.

 

[slowpickr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dosley01 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Having owned the Turbines and spent about 120 hours listening to them, I have mostly favorable things to say about them. Not to knock the second poster but saying they sound worse than the worst IEM he ever listened to is a little harsh. My current IEM is the Sennheiser IE8 and IMO the Turbines offer just about 70-80% of the sound quality for 1/3 of the price. They are bass heavy phones but that is what makes them fun. Just let them burn in for about 10-20 hours and they will completely change compared to how they sound out of the box. Also, do yourself a favor check the http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/m...thread-416736/ for some info on Tips. There are much better options than the included tips.

I have read bits and pieces of the "appreciation thread" and that was one of the things that influenced me to get them. The folks that ran the music stores in the airport also stated that the Turbines were much better than the S4s. I took their comments with a grain of salt though because they probably work for commission. I'm a big fan of Sony hybrid tips so I hope they will fit the Turbines. I'll read through that thread and look for tip info.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[dosley01]

If you already have the Hybrids, then you should be all set.

 

[gameboy115]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dosley01 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Having owned the Turbines and spent about 120 hours listening to them, I have mostly favorable things to say about them. Not to knock the second poster but saying they sound worse than the worst IEM he ever listened to is a little harsh. My current IEM is the Sennheiser IE8 and IMO the Turbines offer just about 70-80% of the sound quality for 1/3 of the price. They are bass heavy phones but that is what makes them fun. Just let them burn in for about 10-20 hours and they will completely change compared to how they sound out of the box. Also, do yourself a favor check the http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/m...thread-416736/ for some info on Tips. There are much better options than the included tips.

X2. Agree. That is also my conclusion, monster offer 70% of IE8. My recommend ed burn in hour is 100 hours though

 

[slowpickr]

Well, I received an email from Klipsch this morning about the S4s. As of today, they are now available at Home in case anyone is interested. Klipsch missed a sale with me because they didn't have them available. My MT's will be delivered on Monday