[james444]

^ see here

 

[Trager]

@SeaBreezer -- Have you tried the Atrio M5/M8? I've heard the second generation is a lot more balanced than the first was. I actually enjoyed the first ones, but only with Ety grey foamies, which IMO really tightened up the bass and opened up the top end. The bass presence on those things is incredible, and yet I never felt they were bloated at all (and I'm not a basshead, really).

@everyone else -- After a couple of weeks of listening, I still have a problem using the S4i phones that I received last month. Maybe they're just really finicky with recordings, but there are a lot of songs that they're just nasty harsh on, or have ridiculous sibilance. I burned them in for about 100 hours, and have probably put another 30-50 hours of listening in, so I doubt it's actually going to get any better from here.

I started the process with Amazon to get a replacement pair sent to me, just in case it's a unit variation issue. I'm still rather hoping that it is, because I really like the remote control. The form factor aint bad either. It's just the sound that drives me nuts -- I keep skipping over songs that I really like because I can't bear what the S4s do to them.

 

[Wallmott]

Im thinking about getting the Klipsch Image S4, how do they sound compared to Jays q jays or the monster Turbines?

Which one does sound best?

 

[408mike]

I cannot compare to monster turbines- the S4 is OK in my book. Not great by any means. They sounded more impressive when I first bought them, but over time of listening I have really began tuning into all of the little details that they leave out. One of the most frustrating parts is that they seem to get lost if there is a lot going on, and for some reason the mids just constantly sound funky. Like, you can hear some parts of the song very loud, other parts sound like they are in the background, muffled maybe. I think the phones were just designed to focus on certain ranges and ignore everything else. Like they couldn't afford some nicer parts which would have allowed the phones to hit all ranges so instead they shelled out what they could on a few parts and left others out completely. That way unless you really know your music you will be like "wow thats loud! wow listen to that bass!" But in reality the music is sorely lacking. That's my take anyway. I would not pay $80 for these. $45-55 tops but nowhere close to $80.00. Don't believe the hype boys and girls.

 

[SeaBreezer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 408mike /img/forum/go_quote.gif I cannot compare to monster turbines- the S4 is OK in my book. Not great by any means. They sounded more impressive when I first bought them, but over time of listening I have really began tuning into all of the little details that they leave out. One of the most frustrating parts is that they seem to get lost if there is a lot going on, and for some reason the mids just constantly sound funky. Like, you can hear some parts of the song very loud, other parts sound like they are in the background, muffled maybe. I think the phones were just designed to focus on certain ranges and ignore everything else. Like they couldn't afford some nicer parts which would have allowed the phones to hit all ranges so instead they shelled out what they could on a few parts and left others out completely. That way unless you really know your music you will be like "wow thats loud! wow listen to that bass!" But in reality the music is sorely lacking. That's my take anyway. I would not pay $80 for these. $45-55 tops but nowhere close to $80.00. Don't believe the hype boys and girls.

I went through a very similar experience with the S4s. The hype along with my appreciation for professional Klipsch products somehow caused me to initially perceive these to better than they actually were over time. Sibilance was piercing out of the box and bass distorted easily. None of this changed over time and I found that I had to listen to these at a volume level that was too low for me to enjoy them.

I agree with your valuation of the S4s at $40.00, which is about as much as I would be willing to pay for them in the absence of alternatives.

I have long been seeking a pair of in-ear phones which would produce amazing bass without distortion. Yes, I am a bass-head indeed; however, I still wanted to be able to reasonably hear the upper range. After trying the Klipsch S4s, Bose In-Ears, Creative EP-630s, Shure SE530s, I decided to try a pair of Beats by Dr. Dre Monster in-ear phones.

The Beats, by far and away, provided THE BEST bass response I've ever heard on a pair of in-ear cans. However, that bass comes at a cost. I'm not hearing as much clarity or crispness in the upper range, but it is tolerable when EQed. The Beats, for me, provide the most bass of any in-ear phones I've ever heard and come closest to the bass produced by over-the-ear headphones. They weren't cheap costing $150.00. At this point, I'm sampling them to see if they are the pair I will keep. The bass produced by these cans is simply amazing. They do not distort easily. I wish I could find a pair of in-ears that would produce the phenomenal bass that these do, but also enable me to hear the rest of the upper range.

I'm curious what others have to say about these ear phones since I think a buck fifty might have been a bit too much for phones that really deliver mostly bass...and plenty of it.

 

[yipcanjo]

Does anyone know if the Etymotic ER-4P ear tips work on the S4?

Etymotic Research, Inc. - ER•4 Accessories

 

[rawrster]

they should since its the same size

or u can just go with olives which are even better imo ;p

 

[yipcanjo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rawrster /img/forum/go_quote.gif they should since its the same size or u can just go with olives which are even better imo ;p

Thanks, Rawster. For whatever reason, the Shure Olives -- while very good with isolation, hurt my ears a bit. The Klipsch bi-flange (small) gels are much more comfortable. I'm thinking/hoping that the Ety tri-flange gels are the best of both worlds -- isolation and comfort!

 

[jsplice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judge Buff /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^^ I must not have any of that music, or the particular freqs are dulled/dead in my auditory awareness (Naval aviation support background). Sibilance is just not an issue with mine since the second week or so of owning them. I do know that there are a number of us that really enjoy our S4s, but we have broken them in. You gotta cook them, and it must be done at a louder than normal volume, IME. Heck, tstarn06 was a huge critic of these at first, but he stuck with his, cooked them hotter than normal and discovered that they had changed. My advice is to try this whether or not you believe in burn-in. If you are planning on sending them back, you have nothing to lose, right? Just cook them! Cook them at 25% higher than you normally listen for a few days straight. Don't listen to them at all while you do this. Give them rest periods if you want. Use your music library, noise generator, recordings of your spouse, kids (coach, etc.) screaming, or whatever you want. Just do it! Then listen to them for an extended period... at least a couple of hours or so. Report back if you desire. What do you have to lose, but some time not listening to phones that you currently dislike. If it doesn't work, then send them back!

I couldn't agree more with this. I actually bought the S4, took them back because I thought they were horrible, then discovered this thread, and bought them a second time and patiently burned them in. Now I'm hearing the great sound that everyone else was talking about. A definite bargain for $80 USD.

 

[Judge Buff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsplice /img/forum/go_quote.gif I couldn't agree more with this. I actually bought the S4, took them back because I thought they were horrible, then discovered this thread, and bought them a second time and patiently burned them in. Now I'm hearing the great sound that everyone else was talking about. A definite bargain for $80 USD.

I'm glad you're enjoying them, but be careful... Somebody with 2 dozen posts will claim you are hyping them. LOL

 

[TheRH]

Judge Buff,

Thanks for the review and tips. I have my S4's and well at first I thought they were decent but not worth the $80. So as I know with all headphones, they have been cooking. I have about two hours worth of actual head time and about 30 hours are burn in. And to say that there is a difference is an understatement. The soundstage is huge, the bass no long muddy, and the highs are a lot more tamed. And the longer the cook the better they sound. I am now very happy with my purchase, pairs well with me Sony Walkman.

 

[SactoMan101]

My big gripe about the Image S4i is the eartips provided by Klipsch--even the large size one--is just a tad small and fall out too easily. That's why I'm using the Comply Tx-100 eartips, which specifically fit the Image S4i and I've never had problems with the earphones falling out of my ears.

 

[rawrster]

good to hear that you are enjoying them

i like seeing positive reviews about this instead of it not being worth the $80 which i think they are

 

[TheRH]

I have small ears I guess, the mediums fit just right, the larges ones fit as well but there is a lil too much pressure on my ears with those.

 

[jsplice]

I seem to have problems even with the large tips. They aren't super loose, but the right one tends to come out more easily, as noticed when at the gym (looks like my right ear canal is larger than my left).