[LionelHutz]

Greetings Head-Fi community,
 
I am seeking some advice on what I should do because I bought a pair of Klipsch S4i a few hours ago and got home to test them out after reading some positive reviews and it and liking the look of it. When began listening to them I instantly noticed almost a sharp hissing noise when "s" or "sh" is pronounced in a song. Also, sound isn't THAT fantastic how did it get CNET's editor's choice award? I did a search on google and was lead to this forum. I had no idea such a large community of audio enthusiasts existed here! I soon discovered my problem might be because i have not burnt them in - had no idea i had to do that. 
 
Now to sum it all up, i have roughly 24 hours before I won't be able to return these headphones and i need to decide if i should keep them (assuming burn in solves the problem) or should i swap them for a pair of Etymotics MC5/3 OR HF5/3 or a Thinksound 01 / 02 / RAIN. I figured someone here would be able to point me in the right direction since I have very little knowledge on what to listen for, which would indicate a quality pair of earphones. I listen to mostly vocal trance/trance/house/electro and occasionally rock for the guitar. The only thing i know i want is to have average bass that isn't too strong or too weak thats it =S
 
Any advice would be appreciated very much as I have no idea if i should keep these or have i made a bad decision with the Klipsch S4. Would I be better off with swapping them for the Etymotics or Thinksound earphones?
 
Thank you!

 

[AaronFournier]

If you are looking for a similar sound then I would recommend the ts02 if you were to get our thinksound headphones.  I think other people can vouch for the Etymotics but I hear they are good.  The ts02 is more balanced than the rain.  If you need anything let me know.
 
Best regards,
Aaron Fournier
president and ceo
thinksound.com
hello@thinksound.com

 

[LionelHutz]

Thank you for your input Aaron. If I have any further questions regarding your product i will be sure to contact you

 

[Sylverant]

While I did notice burn-in improve sibilance over time, they still do have an edgy lower treble that their known for. I like it though; fake as it may be it gives rock a nice edge. However if the bass isn't too boomy now it will be after burn-in. If you don't want big bass then I'd consider other phones.
 

 

[LionelHutz]

Thanks but unfortunately I will only be given store credit so my options are limited. Surprisingly for a departmental store they have a wide range so any other recommendations would be appreciated. I have roughly another 4 hours to make a decision. 
 
Ive heard that music like trance/house/electro are meant to be played through earphones like these and others like the HF3 won't be enjoyable or sound good because they lack too much in bass, is this true?
 
I think i should also mention that a lot of my music is around 256kbps and some even 128kbps. Will i be able to benefit from detailed Etymotic phones playing music of that quality?

 

[Alghazanth]

Well, I've long loved my S4is, they were my ticket to the audiophile world. But considering the right earphone just stopped working two days ago out of nowhere and I baby them, I'd say go for something else.

 

[dailydoseofdaly]

I own the S4 and etymotics ER-4p and i can say that their sound signatures are very opposite to each other. The S4 has heavy bass, recessed mid-high region, and is more warm sounding. Where as the ER-4 is more recessed in the low bass, bright and cold sounding. 
 
As far as the hiss sound on your s4, i dont remember experiencing that (maybe has to do with 128 mp3 quality), however i did burn them in for 200+ hrs when i first got them. that seemed to tighten up and refine a majority of the issues i had with them.
 
Cant comment on the other iems, i havent heard them. If you like electronic music, i would definately recommend sticking with or replacing the s4 you own. Dubstep sounds insane on them