[Aznboy1993]

After browsing this thread and I decided to post. A week ago I decided to purchase the Image S4 (White) IEM to compliment my iPod Touch 4G 64GB. Upon receiving them and listening to them they sounded "muffled" (the mids and vocals). The bass response is excellent, however. I am going to burn them in with pink/white noise for the recommended 12 hour intervals for ~125 hours, while listening to the intermittently while burning. I did not notice any sibilance or harshness in the highs like stated by some, but I guess that's just my ears. Funny thing is though, I think it's my iPod's fault. The DAC on it is a little dark so I think that might be why it sounds so bad to me. I'm going to be purchasing a Fiio E7 (with the L3 LOD cable) soon and trying it with that. On my laptop (with crappy Realtek onboard) it sounds ok (little muffling, brighther highs) with Acoustic EQ on iTunes. However, on Foobar I cannot find a good EQ setting (any ideas)? But that's pretty much it, I like them otherwise. Anyone else recommend me do anything to make them not sound so "muffled"? 

 

[McLeavage]

I'm very new to the head-fi community!
 
Just wondering  if you would think it is worth $18 to buy a three pack of Comply T-100s to put on my new Klipsch S4i and whether it would make a siginificant difference to sound and comfort, particularly because I want to use these on the move.
 
Thanks in advance if you are able to reply,
McLeavage

 

[glove4]

Comply is great on the S4 for more sound isolation, better than with the stock tips, though the S4 already do a decent job of isolation.  But the Comply foam tips will "warm" the sound signature, which in my view is something the S4 doesn't need, but that's based on my listening preferences. 

 

[McLeavage]

Hi guys, I'm starting to get quite worried that the S4i's that I have purchased may be counterfiet. I'm yet to recieve the item, however due to the cheap price, Chinese seller, and recent research I've done, its apparent that there are lots of fake S4's floating around.
 
The item is;
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Klipsch-S4I-Noise-Isolating-Headphones-Mic-W-Rmote-/170662447152?pt=Other_MP3_Player_Accessories&hash=item27bc464830
 
Any opinions would be much appreciated, I've very new to quality audio and am affraid that seeing as I have nothing to compare the sound quality with, how I would confirm whether they are genuine or counterfiet. All comments much apreciated, Thanks.

 

[McLeavage]

Also, is there any way of registering the serial numbers or contacting Klipsch to confirm that the product is genuine?
Many thanks!

 

[Sarthak117]

They may be lightly defective, but they probably aren't fakes. Fake IEM's tend to sound absolutely terrible. You don't need golden ears to spot a fake.

 

[Sarthak117]

Quote:

After browsing this thread and I decided to post. A week ago I decided to purchase the Image S4 (White) IEM to compliment my iPod Touch 4G 64GB. Upon receiving them and listening to them they sounded "muffled" (the mids and vocals). The bass response is excellent, however. I am going to burn them in with pink/white noise for the recommended 12 hour intervals for ~125 hours, while listening to the intermittently while burning. I did not notice any sibilance or harshness in the highs like stated by some, but I guess that's just my ears. Funny thing is though, I think it's my iPod's fault. The DAC on it is a little dark so I think that might be why it sounds so bad to me. I'm going to be purchasing a Fiio E7 (with the L3 LOD cable) soon and trying it with that. On my laptop (with crappy Realtek onboard) it sounds ok (little muffling, brighther highs) with Acoustic EQ on iTunes. However, on Foobar I cannot find a good EQ setting (any ideas)? But that's pretty much it, I like them otherwise. Anyone else recommend me do anything to make them not sound so "muffled"? 

From my experiences, burn in with just normal music at a higher volume is a preferred burn in method and is better for acclimation. The muffled sound is inherent to the Image S4. The solid bass response isn't due to them being very good at bass as much as it is the built in EQ tuning of the headphones. The EQ has a significant bloat in the mid-bass area that causes the extension. The downside to this is that it heavily muffles the upper regions and higher vocals. As for the iPod EQ, a not so well known trick is to adjust the EQ setting in iTunes and create a manual preset, but then save it as one of the default presets present on the iPod. I did this and heavily boosted the treble on my pair, and it helped quite a bit.

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

From my experiences, burn in with just normal music at a higher volume is a preferred burn in method and is better for acclimation. The muffled sound is inherent to the Image S4. The solid bass response isn't due to them being very good at bass as much as it is the built in EQ tuning of the headphones. The EQ has a significant bloat in the mid-bass area that causes the extension. The downside to this is that it heavily muffles the upper regions and higher vocals. As for the iPod EQ, a not so well known trick is to adjust the EQ setting in iTunes and create a manual preset, but then save it as one of the default presets present on the iPod. I did this and heavily boosted the treble on my pair, and it helped quite a bit.

Good tip I'll definitely give that a try

 

[crewchief]

Actually I am going on 3 weeks of ownership with mine and 100+ hours and after that 100 hour mark this is the first pair of IEM's where I have turned the eq off. They just seem right to me like this and actually it seemed with any eq setting I tried (iPod touch 4g) they seemed muffled. Also I have found that the Klipsch tips seem a little small and I am using the large tips for a proper seal. Of coure that makes me wonder if others think this or could it be that I have been waring the wrong size all these years. Oh well all that matters is that I am happy now.

 

[Louis8ball]

Quote:

From my experiences, burn in with just normal music at a higher volume is a preferred burn in method and is better for acclimation. The muffled sound is inherent to the Image S4. The solid bass response isn't due to them being very good at bass as much as it is the built in EQ tuning of the headphones. The EQ has a significant bloat in the mid-bass area that causes the extension. The downside to this is that it heavily muffles the upper regions and higher vocals. As for the iPod EQ, a not so well known trick is to adjust the EQ setting in iTunes and create a manual preset, but then save it as one of the default presets present on the iPod. I did this and heavily boosted the treble on my pair, and it helped quite a bit.

 
I think that's a fantastic idea, and I do appreciate that suggestion very much. But I do have just one question regarding this method though. I am finding that my pair (which I'm still burning in right now) seems to have a very harsh sibilant edge to them (on certain song tracks), so doesn't it stand to reason that boosting the treble will only exasperate this harsh sibilant shrill.
 
And, if you don't mind, might I ask how you have dealt with this sibilance, in your case? I am open to any great ideas at this point. I am up to a little ways over 150 hours of burn-in at this point, and was really hoping that the sibilance would be gone by now. I am even using some Comply tips, but I don't really think this helps all that much --- but my Comply tips might be a bit too big for my ears, though.
 
Any ideas?
 
Thanks

 

[hadlou]

Hi, I got the S4 since 6 months and housing on both sides began to rip off. Did anyone suffer that too? Can I send them back to Klipsch and get a new pair?

 

[Gipson]

Quote:

Hi, I got the S4 since 6 months and housing on both sides began to rip off. Did anyone suffer that too? Can I send them back to Klipsch and get a new pair?

i was going to ask the exact same thing. i've had my S4i's for about a year and a half and the housing on the plug is really coming off. and now i've noticed splits in the housing for the left and right earbuds.
 
will warranty cover this?

 

[JamieTheSonger]

Quote:

i was going to ask the exact same thing. i've had my S4i's for about a year and a half and the housing on the plug is really coming off. and now i've noticed splits in the housing for the left and right earbuds.
 
will warranty cover this?

Yes, warranty covers this as far as I know. I got my S4's replaced because the plug ripped and the sound started playing out of only the left earbud.
 
 

 

[Sarthak117]

Quote:

 
I think that's a fantastic idea, and I do appreciate that suggestion very much. But I do have just one question regarding this method though. I am finding that my pair (which I'm still burning in right now) seems to have a very harsh sibilant edge to them (on certain song tracks), so doesn't it stand to reason that boosting the treble will only exasperate this harsh sibilant shrill.
 
And, if you don't mind, might I ask how you have dealt with this sibilance, in your case? I am open to any great ideas at this point. I am up to a little ways over 150 hours of burn-in at this point, and was really hoping that the sibilance would be gone by now. I am even using some Comply tips, but I don't really think this helps all that much --- but my Comply tips might be a bit too big for my ears, though.
 
Any ideas?
 
Thanks

I never really found them to be very sibilant, maybe just the slightest bit with the boosting, but I never used them with Comply tips. I don't think the tips would make very much of a difference in terms of reducing sibilance. There may be a problem with your source/DAC or wiring. Never really found much sibilance to mine except out of a really old laptop I had.
 

 

[ru9]

Quote:

I think that's a fantastic idea, and I do appreciate that suggestion very much. But I do have just one question regarding this method though. I am finding that my pair (which I'm still burning in right now) seems to have a very harsh sibilant edge to them (on certain song tracks), 

 
As observed from my S4, no amount of burning will cure this harsh sibilance.
Better return them.