[jaysins]

So I am looking to get a new set of headphones around the $100 range. So far after reading up I'm leaning toward the S4 but I wanted to get some feedback before I made my purchase.

I listen to rock first and formost. From metal to soft and alternative, rock is my primary genre. Followed by rap/hip hop, techno, jazz and R&B. So a fairly broad range of music. I generally enjoy a strong and slightly more forward bass and mids over high if I had choose and do have sensitive ears to harsh treble. I like a slightly warmer sound but definitely not too much. Soundstage needs to be decent but I'm not going to fret over it unless the difference is pretty substantial. Sloppy bass is a huge turn off in the audio department as I want something that hits pretty hard and low but is still pretty tight and can keep up with some intricate bass guitar rifts. Isolation is also very important as I'm in the library or around lots of people most of the time and don't want to hear them or them me. Finally I will be taking this to the gym and moving around witht them so cable noise and durability are very important.

From what I've read I think the S4 is more my sound but as a college student and having limited funds any extra advice to put my mind at ease before I purchase them would be appreciated or justification for one product or the other. Thanks.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

I have both and by what you're looking for, the S4 is the better choice. It sounds warmer ,isolates better, and has more bass (more impact but less detail than the RE0). The RE0 has better overall detail but you might find the highs to be harsh as your ears are sensitive to treble.

 

[jaysins]

Thanks for the response. Yea it's quite the fortunate conundrum to be in having two very well priced and performing headphones. How much of a loss in detail is there on the S4's? I have a decent amount of songs at 320kbps but also a decent amount at 192 so it probably isn't a huge deal especially with my 192 songs.

 

[oakleyguy89]

The image s4 does well with rock, hardcore, metal, etc.. I think the sound stage is actually very detailed. I love listening to a day to remember with them.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaysins /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the response. Yea it's quite the fortunate conundrum to be in having two very well priced and performing headphones. How much of a loss in detail is there on the S4's? I have a decent amount of songs at 320kbps but also a decent amount at 192 so it probably isn't a huge deal especially with my 192 songs.

The S4's produce good details and are more forgiving than the RE0's. If there's a flaw in the recording, it's very noticeable with the RE0's. To put it in perspective, the detail kings of the iem world are the Etymotic ER4 series, and right next to them are the RE0's. You might notice a moderate difference with the 320kbps songs and next to no difference with 192kbps.

 

[Scott549]

I love the Klipsch X5's. I am very interested to hear someone compare them with the S4's. I am guessing that the X5 has better clarity in the mids and highs but it sounds like the S4's are pretty darn good.

 

[jaysins]

Thank you very much for all the insight Rip. You've made me much more confident in my choice

.

 

[kmhaynes]

I've had my RE0 for about 5 weeks now, and while I love the detail and clarity, I still yearn for some more bottom end. I've told myself (and other head-fi'ers!) that the bass response of the RE0 is "accurate", and it is, but it just isn't quite enough. Several songs that have a deep bass dig are just barely registering with the RE0 -- my MS1i gets there and rattles my bones -- the just RE0 hints at it.

After reading several threads recommending the S4, I decided to order them directly from Klipsch ($79 + free shipping!). Hopefully, I know they probably won't have quite detail level of the RE0, but I am willing to sacrifice a tad bit of the cool detail for some warmth and bass.

I'll post my comparison thoughts once they arrive and I've listened to them a bit.

 

[jaysins]

Awesome. I look forward to hearing your comparison of the two.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

the re0 digs pretty deep. deeper and fuller when amped. so, for the gym, you might want to go with the other choice.

 

[Hentai11]

Haven't heard the S4, but the RE0 probably isn't what you want. "Warm" with "forward bass and mids" describe, pretty precisely, what the phones aren't.

Given your price point (seems to be around $100 USD), is there any reason why you're not looking at Ultimate Ears super fi 5s, or the Denon AH-C7xx lines?

 

[Rip N' Burn]

I have heard so many good things about the Denon AH-C710, that I finally gave in and ordered them. When they arrive and I have burned them in, I will compare them to the S4's.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott549 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I love the Klipsch X5's. I am very interested to hear someone compare them with the S4's. I am guessing that the X5 has better clarity in the mids and highs but it sounds like the S4's are pretty darn good.

I recently sold my X5's and got the S4's. After 200+ hours of burn in, the highs sound roughly the same. I found them to be recessed but still very much present. The X5's have a bit better midrange clarity, but the S4's mids sound smoother and warmer. The S4's are a clear winner in the low end. I even prefer the S4's over the custom 3's.

 

[jaysins]

Just when I was ready to pull the trigger on teh s4's someone has to go any recommend another headphone

. Well I guess I'll have to decide between the s4's and the denons now

 

[ductrung3993]

I'm having the same dilemma too

So for the owners here, can you compare them for me in other aspects like fit, comfort and isolation? Thanks in advance!