[somspaple]

i keep reading that S4s are good but not worth the price. i use S4 and my triplefi 10s are on the way

. but my friend likes the S4's sound very much. are there any other IEMs that match the sound of S4s (especially the bass) but are much cheaper. from my initial reading i found that Soundmagic PL11 or PL21s should do. can anybody please confirm
 
 

 

[virus5877]

Quote:

Quick update- after my post, i sat down to sample more of my music collection with them, and experienced my first "Eargasm", listening to Ratio Shmatio from Infected Mushroom. Towards the end of the track, i couldn't feel i was wearing them anymore, and was just being envelopped by the music. When i listen to my other headphones, they sound superb, but you know that the music is coming from these things an inch or so from your ear, pressing against your head. But this time, with the S4, nothing... just the music surrounding me... Amazing

Anybody who actually uses Ratio Shmatio as reference is my personal hero btw
 
I also love my S4's
 
I would recommend them to anybody looking for a bang-for-your buck IEM.  They sound as good as stuff that costs $150+.  They are also some of the most comfortable in-ears I've ever worn.
 
4.5/5 stars
 

 

[oli356]

Just a note, these are £44 on amazon currently. I have a pair, paid £60, very happy. Though I can't really compare them to anything

 

[yuanshao]

I definitely feel that people should buy line-in cables iwth iPod controls and then buy some more cost-effective in-ears, but I do like the Image S4's myself.. but they're really bass heavy...

 

[Nafixd]

Okay, I bought mine yesterday, it was as good as my beat tours, but a lot more clear. But it doesn't sound as exciting. The beat tours were used by my cousin for a year, and he uses them for around 10 hours a day. Do they sound better because the beats were used more? So if I burn my S4's in for 50-70 hours with pink noise, will it sound better? I want to hear from people that own this.
 

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

Quote:

Okay, I bought mine yesterday, it was as good as my beat tours, but a lot more clear. But it doesn't sound as exciting. The beat tours were used by my cousin for a year, and he uses them for around 10 hours a day. Do they sound better because the beats were used more? So if I burn my S4's in for 50-70 hours with pink noise, will it sound better? I want to hear from people that own this.
 

 
I own the s4 and burned them in 200+ hours of white+pink noise, which is a bit overkill. Others in here in s4 forums say they will improve with a 100,150hr burn. 
 
Changes after burn are tighter bass response, still huge just not as bloated. Alot of people complain about harshness and sibilance in high frequency out of the box, however after burn in, i didnt notice any offensive high frequencies. Over all just smoother sounding.
 
i cant say if it will make them more "exciting", i have the monster miles davis tribute iem but have not heard the beat tours so i cant comment on that specifically, but with electronic music and hip hop i think they excel.

 

[Nafixd]

Okay, So its been around 40 hours of pink noise. I haven't really checked the bass and stuff, but I realized if I turn pause the music and toggle with the volume, it creates some popping when I increase or decrease while the music is paused, it only happens on the higher half of the volume setting. Is that just because I never used it there? Should I mix white and pink noise?

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

no you dont have to necessarily switch between the two. The white noise has a lower frequency extension though. However there is a user named dweaver that has made a burn in mp3 or flac file you that you can download,that alternates between the two. If your do a search for his user name, you can find a link on his profile to download. Im not sure thats not a problem with the source creating that pop between increasing volume level. Does it happen with any other iems or phones?

 

[wonderba]

Hi, 2 quick (and noob) questions:
 
1. Are the Image S4 and S4i's same thing quality & comfort wise except that the S4i's have that iphone remote+mic?
2. The only pairs of IEM's I have are the Meelec M9P and every time the wire touches my shirt or gets touched by anything, I hear the bump loudly. Do the S4's eliminate this 'problem' or is it a characteristic of all IEMs?
 

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

1. yes they are the same except for like you said the s4i has the remote/mic
2. it is a characteristic of all iems to pick up movement of the cable. eating or chewing with them on can also sound pretty amplified as well.

 

[tinyman392]

Quote:

Hi, 2 quick (and noob) questions:
 
1. Are the Image S4 and S4i's same thing quality & comfort wise except that the S4i's have that iphone remote+mic?
2. The only pairs of IEM's I have are the Meelec M9P and every time the wire touches my shirt or gets touched by anything, I hear the bump loudly. Do the S4's eliminate this 'problem' or is it a characteristic of all IEMs?
 

Look above, I do want to add more into the micrphonics problem you see in number two.  There are a couple ways to help relieve this problem.  One of them is to wear the headphones over the ear.  This will normally get rid of most (if not all) the microphonics.  Different cables produce a different amount of microphonics, some are worse than others.  Fabricated cables seem to be the worse, the thicker the worse is the general way it goes (this can be broken though). 
 

 

[Operandi]

Would these work out well on a bike?
 
I'd like the replace my dead Sony MDR-EX71 which while had flaws flawed were very comfortable and stayed put.  I also have UE Super fi.3 they are bulky and just don't stay sealed for very long so I'd like something a bit easier to live with than the Super fi.3s and better sounding than the Sony's I had.

 

[ph0rk]

Quote:

Would these work out well on a bike?
 
I'd like the replace my dead Sony MDR-EX71 which while had flaws flawed were very comfortable and stayed put.  I also have UE Super fi.3 they are bulky and just don't stay sealed for very long so I'd like something a bit easier to live with than the Super fi.3s and better sounding than the Sony's I had.

They work ok on my motorcycle but only because I have a good windscreen that makes it a quiet ride at speed. I'd suggest trying some aftermarket tips, as the soft silicone the s4 comes with don't isolate a great deal.

 

[Operandi]

 
Quote:

They work ok on my motorcycle but only because I have a good windscreen that makes it a quiet ride at speed. I'd suggest trying some aftermarket tips, as the soft silicone the s4 comes with don't isolate a great deal.

Just to be clear by bike I meant road bike and mountain bike when I commute to work (I won't be using them mountain biking).
 
Isolation isn't really that big of deal, I tend try to stick to low traffic routes whenever possible and its good to hear traffic coming up on you anyway.  As long as these stay put better and have a better low-end than the Supef fi.3s I think I'll be good with S4s.
 

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

Operandi, I run with my s4 quite a bit, the good part about them is that they are very comfortable/easy to put in, and they stay in place while im exercising. i have had the sony ex71 a couple times and liked them but the s4 is a step up as far as sound quality and build imo.  I have not heard the superfi 3, so i cant comment directly on them but the bass is very large on the s4, it shouldnt be a problem if thats what you are looking for.