[RockinCannoisseur]

anyone compared s4i to se530 pth?

 

[abellaw]

So i stopped burning in my S4s after about a 100ish hrs and i notice a change, but just using them the last couple of weeks i must of put on another 50ish hrs and wow there have been some pleasant changes. The bottom end of these headphones are so clear and the highs are full. Fuller than my SR-80s. The sibilance is all but gone, i only hear it when it is there on the source material.

I finally got over my fears and plugged in the S4s into my C2C with amazing results, they are some pretty couple capable cans. That scale well with my setup. I will playing around with some things to see what else the can do

 

[SeaBreezer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judge Buff /img/forum/go_quote.gif Klipsch's large bi-flange tips are smaller than the large single flange. I tried that route myself. In the end, I've stayed with the large single flange and I've learned not to try and get a deep-insertion seal. I just minimally insert and do a little rotation of the phone into place and I get a good seal that's comfortable. It took a little bit of time to get used to this, as I use bi-flanges with most every other IEM I have and I am accustomed to DEEP insertions. At first it may feel insecure, but I've yet to have them fall out... I'm not jogging with them though. Maybe that good-looking lady in the Klipsch Forum can help with suggestions!

Thanks for the info on the large bi flange tips. I too seat my S4s pretty much the way you described above.

In sum, the more I listen to these ear phones, the more they sound like very much like slightly above average mid-oriented phones. I conducted a few more tests to see whether all the hype about these earphones affected my own perception of them and I hate to say it, but I believe the hype did.

After comparing these to earphones that came with my BlackBerry, stock Apple earphones, Bose In-Ear headphones, and Creative EP-630 in-ear headphones, I noticed differences, but they weren't dramatic enough to warrant an $80 price tag. The other models seemed to handle bass better with less distortion. Was the SQ on the Klipsch S4s a bit more dynamic and precise with regard to the mids, highs, and lows? Yes, but only at lower volume levels. For the price, the difference to me just wasn't substantial enough. I rather pay $250+ and be completely amazed. I found that the only way I could really achieve the kind of sound I wanted while relaxing at home (and not using conventional speakers) was to put on my Bose QC2s. They had a nice warm bass response, seemed far more powerful, and even handled the higher frequencies nicely.

I was really hoping to find a set of top-notch in-ear phones that would at least get close to the sound I hear on my large Klipsh speakers in my sound room. As far as the "burning in phenomenon" relates to the S4, I haven't experienced any change at all (and I have extremely sensitive hearing and near-perfect pitch). My thinking is if one shells out a large amount of money for for a pair of professional-grade ear phones, those ear phones ought to sound superb from the moment that person puts them on. I realize that the S4s, while very good earphones, are not audiophile grade, so I'm now torn as to whether I should just take the plunge and spend the 250+ it will take obtain IEMs with the clear bass response I'm seeking and wide dynamic range of sound without the hissing sibilance. Frankly, the S4s are beginning to kill me with the sibilance. I really want to like them, but I'm having trouble. They might be headed back to the store. If I decide to trade up, what IEM's would provide the kind of sound I'm looking for? I've been considering some of the Shure models...perhaps the 210? Suggestions?

 

[SactoMan101]

If you want a "bang for the buck" IEM, the Klipsch Image S4/S4i are definitely it. I have the Image S4i and to get anything significantly better will require (in my opinion!) something in the US$200 or higher range.

 

[bcpk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SactoMan101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you want a "bang for the buck" IEM, the Klipsch Image S4/S4i are definitely it. I have the Image S4i and to get anything significantly better will require (in my opinion!) something in the US$200 or higher range.

Have you used Etyotic ER-4Ps?

 

[soozieq]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaBreezer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been considering some of the Shure models...perhaps the 210? Suggestions?

No no no. Not the SE210! I had those over 2 years ago and while they were quite sweet with simple acoustic music (one guitar, one voice... ), they really don't stand up to anything in the market today at the same price level... in my opinion. Forget the SE210 as an upgrade to the S4. If you like a nice warm sound, then either the IE7 or IE8 can give you that, with a nice big soundstage to boot

You can pick up good deals on the IE8 in the 'for sale' forum from time to time.

 

[SeaBreezer]

Thanks so much to all who have posted helpful information. I really appreciate it and I think it's beneficial for everyone in the community. I've posted quite a bit on this topic because the Klipsch S4s are my first experience with "above-stock" in-ear headphones. I know quite a bit about other types of audio components, but just never realized how convenient having a great set of portable ear phones could be. I'm also beginning to think that the kind of bass, along with the clear dynamic range I'm seeking may simply not be possible in such a small devices. However, if some of these tiny little cans sell for $500+, I'm thinking that there must be some difference. Bottom line: still don't know what to make of the world of audiophile IEMs, but am thankful for all the info I'm receiving here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcpk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you used Etyotic ER-4Ps?

I haven't tried those specifically, but I have heard of them. Basically, what I'm aiming for is to get a pair of IEMs that can handle heavy bass well, yet enable me to clearly hear detailed highs without killer sibilance. I listen to all types of music/genres, but chose a bass-heavy club song by David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland as a test song for the bass on the S4s. The title of the song is "When Love Takes Over." I listened to it at lossless quality and the S4s couldn't handle the punch of the bass, distorting at what I thought was a fairly low volume level. To anyone who wants to test the bass on S4s, I recommend using that song. The hissing sibilance also seems to persist at the higher frequencies resulting in distortion there too. So, to hear the song pleasantly, you really have to keep the volume reigned in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif No no no. Not the SE210! I had those over 2 years ago and while they were quite sweet with simple acoustic music (one guitar, one voice... ), they really don't stand up to anything in the market today at the same price level... in my opinion. Forget the SE210 as an upgrade to the S4. If you like a nice warm sound, then either the IE7 or IE8 can give you that, with a nice big soundstage to boot You can pick up good deals on the IE8 in the 'for sale' forum from time to time.

Thanks for the suggestion. Maybe I've just got to do a better job describing what I'm after since each person's sound preferences differ. I'm after a pair of cans that are warmly-biased and can handle the punchiest bass while providing clear, detailed highs as well. The Bose In-Ears, to my surprise, were as muddy as could be, so I'm hoping there's someone here who understands just what I'm after. I don't mind shelling out the money, but I just need to know which pair of cans to buy to achieve the sound I want - if it's even possible.

As I said above, I'm trying really hard to like these S4s and to be patient with them, but they don't seem to be changing after at least 40 hours of burning in.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I'd really like to know the opinion of someone testing the song I mentioned above on an iPod at lossless quality, or the equivalent.

Thanks again all and cheers!

 

[SactoMan101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bcpk /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you used Etyotic ER-4Ps?

I've heard the Etymotic ER-4P. They are excellent IEM's, but it's really tricky to get a decent in-ear fit and they're not cheap, either (at least twice the price of the Klipsch Image S4). And bass reproduction is not that strong even if you have a proper ear fit.

 

[djphatp]

So far the klipcsh s4 has my vote for the best sond for the $ up to $200.00 out of eveything I tried from best buy, AT&T, and the apple store.

 

[Gipson]

got my S4i's today and instant opinion: very awesome

i'll have to get use to the seal after my shure's (good riddance, finally) but the comfort and noise cancellation is as amazing as everyone says. and i really do enjoy the bass on these babies so far

started the burn in process and am excited to see how much they can improve on the already great sounds

haven't used it enough to experience any sibilance yet but so far so good!

 

[yipcanjo]

So, I've had my Klipsch S4 IEMs for about 4 days now. I've probably put in 16 hours of *actual* listening, and about 36 hours of additional "burn-in".

My initial thoughts are...

+ Big sibilance difference between my initial listen and now. In fact, the initial sibilance was very noticeable to me, and I was concerned that it wasn't going to change. I am, of course, using the same test tracks to compare. In this case, Fiona Apple's "Extraordinary Machine".

+ Great sound, in general. Really incredible low-end, but without sounding overpowering. Highs are nice. Occasionally, I feel like they're a bit "mid" heavy, but that depends upon the recording. I don't have a lot of similar-quality IEMs to compare with, though.

+ Very comfortable IEMs. Not only are they lightweight, but the over-the-ear method is extremely comfortable. In fact, I would only do the over-the-ear method with these IEMs.

+ The oval-shaped ear tips are quite nice. I started with the mediums, which fit fine, and then tried the larges. Definitely prefer the meds for my ears. I also tried some medium Shure olives. They didn't feel as good, and didn't seem to isolate any better, if at all. Finally, I've landed on the included two-flange small/medium ear tips. The deeper insertion is slightly unnerving at first, but was easy for me to adapt to.

- The cord feels cheap to me. I obviously don't know about the long-term durability of these, but I've got a 2-year warranty... so no *real* worries. That said, these wires are pretty darned thin. We'll see how they hold up.

- The cord seems a tad short. Long cords are certainly annoying, but this one seems a bit short. With the IEMs over-my-ears, the cord hangs down to about the bottom of my back pockets. Not much wiggle room there.

- Not real impressed with the carrying case. Although I'm happy to have received a carrying case at all, I would've preferred something a bit more "clever" and easy-to-use. It works, though, until I can find something better.

Just a few moments ago, I grabbed my old Sennheiser CX300 in-ear headphones to see how they sounded. Although they sounded better than I remembered, they lacked definition across the board. The Senns just didn't have any "oomph", ya know? I wonder how good some of these low-end IEMs would be with better isolation?

Anyhow, I'm so far very happy with my Klipsch S4 purchase. For $70, I *highly* doubt that there are better options out there, and they were a definite improvement over my old in-ears (Senn CX300 and Zune Premium). I'm also hoping to use these for some on-stage monitoring, so I'll try to report back with how that goes.

 

[rawrster]

the cord looks fine for me I used to own ER6i and those worried me about accidental break but with the S4 I have no such worry

im surprised that you don't like the case. It's one of the better cases I've seen from iem's esp at such a low msrp to start with. It's by far my favorite case but I guess you dont share that same opinion

 

[yipcanjo]

Wow. That ER6i cord is frighteningly thin. Those prone to breakage?

I guess I would prefer a case that is 1) a bit smaller, and 2) somewhat easier/faster to put my IEMs into. I'm working on fashioning my own carrying case.

 

[DavidMorton]

@yipcanjo:

Glad you like the S4s. I'm listening to them right now, and absolutely love their comfortability and sound. I've got a pair of UE TF10's sitting under the Christmas tree right now, so I'll probably be comparing the two later, once I get to actually see them, much less hear them.

As for the cord, I haven't had any trouble yet, knock on wood, but then again, I've only had them for a month.

I like the case, and have found that wrapping the cord around two fingers, then putting the wrapped cord in the case is a really fast way to get these IEMs put up. Still, the best case I've ever had for headphones is the 1st version of the Bose IEM case, but then they changed to the "zippered booklet" style, which, IMHO, was a mistake. The first version had a nice spool and everything.

 

[yipcanjo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMorton /img/forum/go_quote.gif The first version had a nice spool and everything.

THAT is what I'm talking about -- a nice "spool" of some sort. A quick way to wrap-n-go.

That said, I have been wrapping the cord around three fingers, and then pushing the buds into place. Certainly functional, just not incredible. I don't fault Klipsch, though... not for $70 IEMs.