Klipsch Image S4
Klipsch are very well regarded on the audio scene, where they have provided high quality products ever since 1946. The RRP of the new Klipsch Image S4 is set to $80.
Packaging and content.
The packaging is classy looking and easily accessible. Inside the packaging you will find three pairs of silicone sleeves (M and L single flange and SM double flange) that are oval shaped for easy and comfortable fit, a cleaning tool and a very nice looking steel case. All in all a well thought out packaging and accessory pack with a touch of luxury.
Build quality.
The S4’s look and feel very nice with their hard plastic casing in black and chrome, no squeaking can be heard when pressing them. The cable measures at 125cm/50in and has a 90 degree angle on the jack, the splitter and adjuster both look nice and work very well. The cable itself is soft and rather thick with very little microphonic noise. And finally a special mention for the heavy duty and classy steel case. Well done Klipsch.
Comfort and fit.
They are light and small, easy to fit and very comfortable. For me the S4’s offered best comfort and fit when worn with the cable over the ear, even if you can wear them straight down as well. Isolation from ambient noise is quite good, but not really among the best isolating IEM’s. The oval shaped eartips are a new experience for me, and I must say I do like them, the seal and comfort is best in class, no fiddling around just pop them in and hey presto, perfect seal and comfort.
And the sound?
The S4’s being a dynamic IEM require time to settle (burn in) to sound their best. Once settled the S4’s offer a dynamic sound experience, with a tight bass that isn’t over-powering the rest of the soundspectrum, the mids are smooth like honey, the highs are clear if a little rolled-off and the soundstage is huge. The overall sound is mid-centered, bass and treble are a little in the background, while the mids are upfront and very nicely presented. They have a laidback and pleasing warmth to them and are more reminiscent of full size circumaural headphones than IEM’s. They also respond very well to the use of equalization.
One thing worth mentioning is that the S4’s are quite unforgiving on the source, they tend to expose the compression artifacts of poorly encoded files, this does not affect good quality files in any way.
All different music styles I have tried them with sound spot on, the dynamic sound with a good quality bass and a overall pleasingly laid out soundspectrum with the pleasant mids combined with the huge soundstage makes for a very enjoyable listening experience where your feet will soon be thumping along to the music. This leads me to the conclusion that the S4’s are an excellent allround IEM, with no real weaknesses in any aspect.
To sum up.
What I like most about the S4’s is the sound signature and overall sound quality, design and looks, the luxurious steel case and the excellent comfort of the oval shaped tips.
In my opinion they do not have any real weaknesses.
Would I recommend them? Yes, for the price the S4’s offer excellent sound quality and a classy design. Their biggest strength is that they lack any real weaknesses.
