Klipsch IMAGE S4 In-Ear Enhanced Bass Noise-Isolating Headphones

Comment: Contrary to some of the more recent reviews here, I think these are some very nice earbuds. Overall sound quality is excellent. You really can't beat the price when you compare the sound quality/build quality to other popular models in this price range and higher. I shopped around and did my research before purchasing these and I'm not disappointed. One thing I have to say is you need to get the right fit. I use the medium insert tips provided and there is a kind of counter-clockwise twist motion you have to do to get them seated into your ear canal properly. (That's what works for me anyway). If you're looking for a nice sounding pair of earbuds with good noise canceling capabilities for around $80 then look no further, you have found them.

Comment: I'm using these with an ITouch and they sound terrific, I have to say. The big thing to me is how easily and well they fit in my ears right out of the box. The ear pads are so soft and comfortable that you can forget they're in your ears. Are they 4 times better than the $20 Sony set I replaced them with or the set that came free with the ITouch? Not sure yet. They definitely sound better, though. So far, I'd have to say the comfort and fit are what stand out to me after about 8 hours of (non-continuous) use. I do wish you could tell which ear piece is left and which is right in the dark, like on a dark airplane; it makes a difference in movies. But that's more a knock on ear buds in general than these in specific. I'm still waiting to hear the music or movie scene where I have that "Wow" moment from the great audio. No complaints, though. Oh, and the metal case that comes with them is almost the size of a pack of cigarettes which makes it close to useless for me; too darn big.

Comment: I pony'd up for these buds thinking they would be superior to, say a $20 pair. Not the case. There is almost no bass at all. I don't listen to too much rap or hip/hop but I do listen to a lot of rock that has some pretty decent bass to it and those songs sound like they're coming out of a little portable radio. Other than the bass issue they feel great in my ears and the highs and mids come in crisp and clear. I think I was primarily influenced by a review video that I saw on CNET. The gal explained that these were as good as it gets for under $100. So I would suggest that if you not going to spend big bucks on earbuds, just go with the cheaper sets.

Comment: I bought these after doing the usual research. And after liking what I found. I bought a pair. The fancy aluminum box it came in looks nice. But it's not good for anything other than a paperweight. It's too hard to get the cable wrapped right and the Phones in their little slot,etc. Besides,I wrap the cord around my iPod Nano anyways.

I gave them about 90 hrs. of burn-in. Then plugged them in. All of my music is ripped at 320 kbs. And these Phones handled Metallica,Sade,Dave Matthews,Led Zep,Otis Redding,James Brown.Alice in Chains like a breeze.

They do seal out sound well if you do it just right. Getting them to stay sealed is another thing all together

AUDIO: These Phones are Accurate. Bass guitar and Bass drum are 2 separate and distinct sounds. No Boomy Bass,no whoop. Just clean Bass. What you hear is what was recorded. If you're expecting Sub-woofer Bass,It's not here. All Symbals are nice and clear. No "Tink" sounds,just "Crashes" and a nice decay afterwards. I can actually hear a Tambourine on a High-Hat symbal,nice.

Piano sounds full and clear. Like you're there

Vocals are sharp and clear

Guitars sound great. Acoustic guitars have that tone that lets you know whether the musician is playing one made out of wood or composite. And electric ones have that crunch and grind that I expect. I can tell if the musician is playing a Rickenbaker,Gibson,or Fender.


MINUSES: The cord seems flimsy. Not because it's thin. Most are nowadays. It just seems fragile. Like it's going to break or Harden,or crack,sooner than they usually would.

The Ear pieces could be better fitting. If you put them in Left/Right. They seem to come loose from the ear canal. They don't fall out or come close to that. Just that they lose that tight seal. So what I do. I put them in backwards. Right phone in my Left ear. And the Left phone in my Right ear. And that holds them in place nice and tight.

I'll probably end up putting on some other ear pieces from other Phones I have. Ones that I know give a good fit.

I used to use a pair of Sony MDR-EX85 Buds as my Dailies. But these S4's have but my Sonys on the bench as back-up.

They are worth the money. If you want very good sound on a daily basis without having to spend $100+,then get these. I did.

Comment: PROS :
IEM tips - This are by far the most comfortable tips on any IEM of the over 30 pairs I have had in my ears. They slide in effortlessly and can be worn hours longer than any other IEM with no discomfort. An excellent choice for someone who has earbuds and would be concerned about the feeling of "having something in their ear".

Sound response: Very accurate and balanced for a pair at this price point. Midrange and high frequencies are even and neutral, with a beautiful (but not overpowering) increase in almost the entire bass frequency range. Ideally suited for electronic, rock, hip-hop genres.

CONS :
Isolation - These headphones trade off a certain amount of isolation for fantastic comfort. That said the outside isolation is on par with a majority of other silicon tipped IEM's. If the highest isolating IEM available is what you are looking for, these are not them... try a pair of Etymotic's.

Over-the-ear & cable noise - These headphones cannot be comfortably flipped upside down and wrapped over the front of the ear to cutoff cable noise. If you move a lot while wearing these, (exercise, etc) you will get cable noise, like all other IEM's. This can be helped by clipping the cable to your shirt or wrapping the cable over your ear from behind so it hangs down in front (but you are sacrificing style points either way)