Klipsch Image S4??
Jul 18, 2011 at 4:00 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

bjj03729

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This is my first post, I just joined today after I purchased a pair of Klipsch Image S4's. I've been reading reviews on this site and on others for a couple months now, and today I finally decided to purchase them. All the reviews I've seen were pretty positive, and I was excited to get them in my ears for the first time after I bought them, as I've been using a pair of $20 Skullcandy's for about a year. I was expecting a huge difference in the sound quality.. but it just wasn't there. I actually can't tell much of a difference between the Klipsches and the Skullcandy's. I'm really disappointed. So I was wondering, is it just a problem with my particular headphones? Am I doing something wrong? Sorry if I seem like an idiot
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Thanks.
 
Jul 18, 2011 at 7:28 PM Post #2 of 9
The first thing I would recommend is burn-in. I thought the S4 had bloated bass and harsh highs until I used a mix of burn-in noise (you can find the file in the signature of member "dweaver"). After many hours of burn-in with this file and the bass tightened up and the highs were no longer harsh but very present.
 
The S4 are very balanced. The bass is not too heavy (you will notice this is one of the biggest improvements over the skullcandy!) and the mids and highs are presented very clearly. Seperation and sound stage are average but for the price, the overall sonic balance makes the S4's a great buy!
 
The other thing is make sure you are using the correct size tips, they can make or break an IEM experience.
 
Jul 20, 2011 at 2:23 PM Post #3 of 9


Quote:
The first thing I would recommend is burn-in. I thought the S4 had bloated bass and harsh highs until I used a mix of burn-in noise (you can find the file in the signature of member "dweaver"). After many hours of burn-in with this file and the bass tightened up and the highs were no longer harsh but very present.
 
The S4 are very balanced. The bass is not too heavy (you will notice this is one of the biggest improvements over the skullcandy!) and the mids and highs are presented very clearly. Seperation and sound stage are average but for the price, the overall sonic balance makes the S4's a great buy!
 
The other thing is make sure you are using the correct size tips, they can make or break an IEM experience.



 
Hi,
OK, I have a question for you. I hope you can help. I too am trying these out for the first time. I am in the process of burning them in now, and am up to about 145 hours or so (I have used a mixture of both pink noise and music). As I was getting near the 145 hour mark I decided to listen in to some music during the burn-in process, and couldn't help but notice quite a bit more sibilance than I really wanted to hear at this point.
 
Can you (or someone) please tell me, will this likely go away with further burn-in? I am also wondering if using different tips (such as Comply) will alleviate some of the sibilant harshness. I actually have some Comply's which I am thinking about trying, I just don't usually find them (Comply tips) very comfortable.
 
Or, maybe there is something else you (someone) can tell me which can help me out some . . .maybe I'm not doing the burn-in correctly (but I doubt that this is the case, as I have burned-in several other IE's previously ---- usually with very good results).
 
Thanks for any help!
 
Cheers!
 
EDIT:  PS --- My target goal is about 200 hours burn-in, so I do still have a little ways to go. But I was just wondering, that's all.
 
Thanks!
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 12:01 PM Post #4 of 9
Unfortunately, the sibilance really doesn't change too much. I did a natural burn-in process with the ones I used to have (just listening to music) and after 200+ hours, I still had a lot of sibilance (well, maybe not a lot, but something you definitely notice without having to focus on the sound). It's something you have to get used to or just not use them at all. Personally, I didn't really have an issue with sibilance, but in certain songs, it did get just a little harsh.
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 12:11 PM Post #5 of 9
Hm...  Sibilance is supposed to go away with burn in (common problem).  However, another cause of sibilance is a bad fit.  Test your fit with the Sensaphonics seal test.  Some people are just not able to get a good seal with a certain pair of headphones (for example, I can't get a seal with the A151s for my life :frowning2:)
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 1:16 PM Post #6 of 9
 
@caliskimmer: Yeah, I do realize that and I am almost up to the 200 hour mark, myself with these. Also, one thing I have read here in other places is that some people are more sensitive to sibilance than others. I am kind of shooting for a new goal of 250 hours, and so then we'll see. . .maybe after that if it still bothers me enough, perhaps someone here (who isn't as sensitive to that harshness as I am) might be willing to do an even trade with me, say the S4's for something else (like maybe a pair of (slightly used) RE0's. Granted these 2 IEM's are about as opposite as night and day, but you get my point
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@tinyman392:  As a matter of fact I have a couple of people here at Head-Fi who are going to send me some other tips. One person is sending me a few pairs of the Sony Hybrid types (well, one pair of real Hybrids, and another pair which is a knock-off, but he claims the knock-offs might even be as good (or better?) than the real thing). I think he's also sending me some other kind of tip, but I'm not sure exactly what it is, offhand.
 
Then there is also someone who I purchased some Black Shure Olives from, who will hopefully get those in the mail to me very soon, as well.
 
I just hope you can use all of these different tips with the S4's. I am pretty sure you can use the Hybrids (cause someone was telling me here --- either earlier in this thread, or in another S4 thread that you could). But as for all the others I am getting, I guess only time will tell.
 
Thanks
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Jul 23, 2011 at 1:22 PM Post #7 of 9


Quote:
@tinyman392:  As a matter of fact I have a couple of people here at Head-Fi who are going to send me some other tips. One person is sending me a few pairs of the Sony Hybrid types (well, one pair of real Hybrids, and another pair which is a knock-off, but he claims the knock-offs might even be as good (or better?) than the real thing). I think he's also sending me some other kind of tip, but I'm not sure exactly what it is, offhand.
 
Then there is also someone who I purchased some Black Shure Olives from, who will hopefully get those in the mail to me very soon, as well.
 
I just hope you can use all of these different tips with the S4's. I am pretty sure you can use the Hybrids (cause someone was telling me here --- either earlier in this thread, or in another S4 thread that you could). But as for all the others I am getting, I guess only time will tell.
 
Thanks
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That's good to hear.  Hopefully you can get a good fit with the S4s.  And at times, Sony Hybrid knockoffs are better then the genuines.  At other times, they aren't.  It all depends on the headphones and tip combination with your ears.  You can also try Comply foam tips (I don't see anyone sending you those unless they have an unused pair; same with any foamies :p).  Good luck getting a good seal and hopefully the sibilance goes away :)
 
 
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 1:32 PM Post #8 of 9


Quote:
 
That's good to hear.  Hopefully you can get a good fit with the S4s.  And at times, Sony Hybrid knockoffs are better then the genuines.  At other times, they aren't.  It all depends on the headphones and tip combination with your ears.  You can also try Comply foam tips (I don't see anyone sending you those unless they have an unused pair; same with any foamies :p).  Good luck getting a good seal and hopefully the sibilance goes away :)
 
 



Yeah, its funny you mention the Comply's. I actually do own a pair of them (which came with my UE700's). And I tried them with the S4's recently. But I think this pair of Comply's is too big for my ears. I can't make them comfortable in my ear canal, and almost feel like I have to force them in, in order to get a good seal. Granted, once they are in, it seems they are in to stay, but they don't feel very comfortable to me, personally.
 
But not a bad idea, otherwise though. Maybe one day I will be able to afford to purchase a package of some of the small or medium sized Comply's, instead. I think the ones I have now must be the LARGE size
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Jul 23, 2011 at 1:38 PM Post #9 of 9


Quote:
Yeah, its funny you mention the Comply's. I actually do own a pair of them (which came with my UE700's). And I tried them with the S4's recently. But I think this pair of Comply's is too big for my ears. I can't make them comfortable in my ear canal, and almost feel like I have to force them in, in order to get a good seal. Granted, once they are in, it seems they are in to stay, but they don't feel very comfortable to me, personally.
 
But not a bad idea, otherwise though. Maybe one day I will be able to afford to purchase a package of some of the small or medium sized Comply's, instead. I think the ones I have now must be the LARGE size
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Yeah, you probably have a size that's too big.  I couldn't tell you what size would be good for you though, I don't know enough about them, their mediums seem to fit me well though (I have tiny ears though :p)  Smalls probably fit me a little better though.  I rarely use foams, I like my highs, and they tend to kill them :frowning2:
 

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