[Bozo]

Hi,
 
I wondered if anyone could give me some advice on the Klipsch S4's, I recently bought a pair and I find that they don't sound as well as I expected.
 
I'll try to explain - basically when listening to rock/pop or similar types of music I've noticed that things like high hats & symbols sound really high pitched, also vocals, any lyrics with "s" or "ch" in seem really pronounced and high pitched.  I've heard this kind of thing before in really cheap brand headphones, but didn't expect to find it with the S4's.
 
I have not done any burn-in yet with the S4's, is this likely to solve the issue if I do 20+ hours burn-in? or should I be experimenting with different tips? maybe comply foam tips?
 
I don't have much experience with this, so any help is appreciated

 
 

 

[wje]

I've been using my pair of Klipsch Image S4 ear buds for about 3 weeks now.  I listen to a lot of female vocals that could have the potential to make the sounds appear sibilant.  However, I'm finding that in my case, the S4s are handling these vocals just fine.  I do have a few more days to return them - but, I think I'll be keeping them.  Granted, I don't listen music all the time on them - basically, just when I'm not near my audio equipment and full-sized headphones.
 
You could try some other tips - just to see what results you can achieve.  It may or may not change your experience with them, though.  Not all ear buds work out the same for all people.

 

[ClieOS]

It is called sibilant, and you can't fix it by burn-in, at least not with S4. I am not overly impressed by S4 sound quality myself.

 

[Cycle10s]

Sibilance is a fairly common complaint with the S4s. I think it's just a personal thing. Some people notice it and some don't. However, I don't have that problem with my S4s.

 

[imhungry29]

i actually found my S4's to be a bit drowned out on the highs, but i did just get them like 3 hours ago.  im using them on an Icon Mobile too, so it might just be a small difference between each set.  kind of like how assembly line cars have a push rods that are off weight by a few grams

 

[Bozo]

Well I still need to burn them in anyway, so I'll get that done and try some foam tips.  If I'm still not happy I might just sell them on eBay.

 

[imhungry29]

does it make a difference burning them in with constant sound for 50 hours or can they be burned in with just regular use.  i really havent done a long burn in, tops maybe 24 hours. and some i have just listened to them right out of the box. 

 

[chelboed]

Can you drop the highs with an eq a bit?

 

[Audiophile1811]

Quote:

Can you drop the highs with an eq a bit?

You can but the highs are still a little sibilant. 

 

[Br777]

i own s4's  and have for a loooong time.  they are definately sibilant. they have a huge peak at 8000hz.  burn in wont help. its just the way they are.
I pull nearly 8db out at 8K to get them balanced.
I use a custom EQ like rockbox on my clip+,  electri-q on foobar, or one of the custom iPod apps.  your best best is to get a frequency sweep track or generator so you can pinpoint the imbalances relative to your own hearing, and destroy them   
 
I actually find these IEM's to sound quite nice once you fix the sibilance- relative to their price point that is.. well relative to the price I paid anyway, which was about $50
 
good luck.
 

 

[Bozo]

Thanks for the advice.  Rockbox looks as if it has some limited function on a Cowan D2+, so I' ll try that.

 

[jinx20001]

s3's are a bit sibilant also must be in the signature of the S line

 

[Br777]

S must stand for sibilant.. its all coming together now.

 

[kryten123]

I bought a pair of S4 in an emergency, when my SE530s broke and had to go back and I found them to be really, really sibilant. I guess the source is quite important in how sibilant they are too.

 

[Alondite]

I find them to be more bassy than sibilant. The sibilance seems to vary a lot between songs for me (or rather, albums). It's strange because the highs do seem a little drowned-out at times, but still...well...what I would call "sharp."