klipsch Image S4 - really that good?
Sep 22, 2009 at 4:33 PM Post #17 of 38
I posted this in the Klipsch S4 thread as well...

A little discovery I made yesterday. I hooked up the S4s to an Amp3, a new DAP/Amp from a company called Hisoundaudio (there are 2 threads on it in the Portable Source Gear forum), and now that both the Amp3 and the S4s are burned in, I am blown away by the synergy. Amazing sound. Not saying anyone should buy the Amp3 (a new model is coming out soon, so the original is unavailable right now), but for the combined price of under $250, you get excellent IEMs, a very good amp (the Amp3 can be used to amp other players) and a 4GB player with a micro SDHC slot (8GB max). It's a funky player, as you will see from reading about it, but wow, nice combo. Just in case you are shopping.

Most of all, the synergy between the two is awesome. Both need burn in, as noted. The Amp3 gets better and better after 150 hours, until it hits around 600+ when it really shines.
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 11:40 AM Post #18 of 38
I am also interested in a pair of these, but they aren't readily available in Germany yet. A few places have them, but not reliable, and not competitively priced.

The cable also concerns me, though I have never had a problem with the lower quality ones on Sonys I've had since I was a kid, but the heavier duty cables on a couple sets of my shures have been problematic, in terms of cracking.
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 1:30 PM Post #19 of 38
The S4 is the best sounding, all-round earphone I've heard and it's definitely worth $80. Burn-in in this case is real (and necessary).
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 6:04 PM Post #22 of 38
Quote:

Originally Posted by sknight /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Sound aside, the durability of the wiring? I've had great sounding earphones, but the cable problem is getting tiring now.


^ The phones haven't been released but for a couple of months. The two year warranty should take care of it. If you have wire cracking problems over multiple hardware products, though, it seems logical that you and/or the environment could be at fault, at least to some degree.
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 8:53 PM Post #23 of 38
Your assumption is incorrect. The only brand I've had problems with is Shure, and they even acknowledged the cracking issue openly with my first experience.

No other brand but Shure.
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 9:03 PM Post #24 of 38
Judge Buff, what other phones have you heard? I am specifically wondering if anyone has heard the S4's and the Nuforce NE-7M or NE-6. I love the Klipsch X5's, and in order to avoid losing them, might consider one of these cheaper models. It's easier to justify $40 than $80 for this purpose.

Also, what about the Klipsch S2? I have to presume they are inferior to the S4, but I have not heard any reports about them.
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 9:25 PM Post #25 of 38
I owned the NE-7M and was not a big fan. The first pair broke (the Touch mic/control) and I felt the bass and treble were too dominant, even after burn-in. Also they are canal phones, with the wide sound tube, and I felt they were uncomfy when I used Complys with them, and never got a good seal with silicones. But NuForce does have excellent customer services, and the NE-7M have legions of fans.

As for the S2, interesting question. I considered them first, but since I was able to sell the X10s for $170, I figured I would keep the $90 and get the S4s. But not much play on them anywhere, so far.
 
Sep 23, 2009 at 9:45 PM Post #26 of 38
Oh man, that sucks- not available in the Eurozone and UK and Swiss prices aren't that great when paying full price and converting to Euros. I'll have to wait, or order them to my home in the US and have someone send them out.
 
Sep 28, 2009 at 2:57 PM Post #27 of 38
Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott549 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Judge Buff, what other phones have you heard? I am specifically wondering if anyone has heard the S4's and the Nuforce NE-7M or NE-6. I love the Klipsch X5's, and in order to avoid losing them, might consider one of these cheaper models. It's easier to justify $40 than $80 for this purpose.

Also, what about the Klipsch S2? I have to presume they are inferior to the S4, but I have not heard any reports about them.


My sig has most of what I currently listen to, but I have a bunch of Sony stuff that I have given to the kids. I haven't heard any Nuforce products or the S2. I bought the S4s because of the passion I read in the CNET review. It's not often that I have seen anyone get that excited about a product they are reviewing at CNET, IMHO.

I am more impressed with my S4s, the more I listen to them. It's not unusual for me to get a new track of something I heard on the radio and go, "OMG that's so much better than I even thought it was!" There is a great range and depth to the S4s that makes music really come alive. I think of the presentation as "complete." My ears are ancient and I've worked around textile machinery and military aircraft in the past... I'm sure I have some diminution to some of the freqs in the auditory spectrum.

These phones are a great match to my Zune, unamped, with 192K tracks. That's all I can say. They are soooo good, that I may start leaving them at home, instead of carrying them everywhere as I do now. Then again, maybe not...
 
Sep 28, 2009 at 5:14 PM Post #28 of 38
I was able to compare my RE1 to the S4 a few days ago and here was my impression:

Aesthetically speak, I would take the S4 over the RE1 any day of the week. The S4's cable is also a lot more flexible and less microphonic than the RE1's.

Moving on to the sonic aspects, in contrast to the RE1, the S4 has a wider and deeper soundstage. However, IMO, the RE1 is in a different league sonically. I've always thought that the RE1 is a warm sounding IEM, but the S4 is noticeably more so while the bass can sloppy at times. The treble of the RE1 is slightly rolled off and sibilant is never a problem with it. As a result, the RE1 sounds butter smooth. In contrast, the S4's treble is a lot more aggressive and sibilance is a bit exaggerated.

Furthermore, I felt that the S4 has an emphasis around the lower mids/upper bass area. It's not necessarily a bad thing but male vocals tend to smear around that area. When a/bing with the RE1, the RE1's clarity is noticeably better since it doesn't have any smear. Lastly, complex passages that sounded fine on the RE1 can get a bit messy on the S4.

These were what jumped out at me during my comparison. Also note that I did not use an amp for this comparison which IMO already puts the RE1 in disadvantage.
 
Oct 15, 2009 at 12:34 AM Post #29 of 38
When you put them in your notebook for burn-in, or testing did you keep checking up on them or listening in intermittently?

For skeptics of burn in who say it's your brain getting used to the sound that might hurt the believability of the process. But, if you just left it plugged in for a while and came back say 60-100 hours later and it sounded different than out of the box, then you couldn't simply say it was your head adjusting because your head wasn't there for 60-100 hours or even a fraction of that.
 
Oct 15, 2009 at 1:23 AM Post #30 of 38
Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/h...ontrol-446028/

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f95/im...review-422054/

For $79, they are a clear-cut bargain. I have the UM3X and owned the X10s. I like the S4s as much as the latter (not the former, of course).

Better is a very relative term, they are an excellent value, but they NEED 60+ hours of burn in, the more the better. Dynamics need it. These in particular. I found them harsh at first, but no longer.


what about bass. I find them short on lows. is it going to loosen up?
 
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