Klipsch Image S4i Premium Noise-Isolating Headset with 3-Button Apple Control

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• 

  Robert Christopher
  February 8th, 2010

  I had someone tell me to throw my Bose Mobile in-ear headset in the garbage and to try these because they we’re so much better, built better, etc.

  The build

  What I noticed first was that cables are thinner than the the Bose’s and although the cable reinforcement at the buds is practically the same as the BOSE headset, the headset jack cable reinforcement seems to be lacking just like the older Bose In-Ear headphones, which had a problem withfraying/shorting out.
  
  Bose redesigned the In-Ear mobile headset’s headphone jack so that it has more give, and so that fraying is only a possibility if you are abusive. I can’t say how the S4i will hold up, but I was not confident in the cabling at all.

  The sound

  You can barely make out the bass because they have heavily emphasized highs, and they just fatigue my ears. Bose has a totally different sound signature, the highs are there and rolled off some so they are never fatiguing. They sound “rich” compared to the S4i which after listening back to back, sound flat and tinny.
  Rating: 2 / 5

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• 

  Raghavendra Kota
  February 8th, 2010

  The best headphone i have ever had so far.. unfortunately mine was defective when i received it but i am sure amazon will replace it. Best isolation and only problem i have had so far is the way it mounts on to your ear and i hope the cable was a little bit longer.
  Rating: 4 / 5

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• 

  Scott
  February 8th, 2010

  I’ve tried a LOT of headphones. These are the best I’ve found. Great bass, well balanced with the mid and high ranges. Microphone seems fine… works well with my iPhone.

  They’re expensive, buy very good quality.
  Rating: 5 / 5

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• 

  McFly
  February 8th, 2010

  I used a pair of Shure e2cs for about 2 years until the broke. I was satisfied with the e2cs, but I wanted something that would sound good and also last forever, so I decided to try Klipsch based on the good reviews I read. Huge mistake. Here’s all the ways the Klipsch s4is fail:

  1. Build Quality – I saw these in the store and I thought they weren’t much to look at, but if they sound good and hold up I didn’t care. I took them out of the package and couldn’t believe that the construction was so cheap and fragile. Klipsch must be a master of cutting corners. These not only look like headphones from the 99 cent store, but they probably cost that much to make. The cable is literally half as thick as Shure cables. The Klipsch logo started scraping off within a week. And there’s no stress relief at all on the insert end or the headphone end. I basically felt like I had to baby these like eggs whereas the Apple and Shure headphones I feel like I can just throw loose in my backpack.

  2. Sound Quality – So they aren’t going to win any beauty contests and they aren’t going to survive a 10 foot drop, but if they sound great, then that at least makes up for some of it. Major fail #2. The bass is so loud that it makes the music sound worse. If I put the iPhone EQ on Bass Reducer then they aren’t too bad, but I want headphones that are going to reproduce the sound the way it was meant to be heard; not make it sound like I’m in the basement of a dance club. Note that I don’t think they sound bad because I was used to the sound of the Shure e2cs. I used the Apple headphones for the two months prior to buying the s4is. When I first got my Shures 2 years ago after using the Apple earbuds I was blown away by the great sound and isolation. When I popped in s4is I was blown away by how bad they sounded.

  3. Isolation – Isolation is how well earbuds fit in your ear and block out outside sound. I could put in my Shure e2cs and hear practically nothing other than the music at very low volumes. These Klipsch s4is don’t isolate very well. I found them not much better than the stock Apple headset which isn’t even in-ear.

  4. Cable Noise – If you like running with your headphones, don’t get these. Even with all of the above, I thought I might get used to them so I went for a run. The music was almost completely drowned out by the sound of the cord rubbing against my zipper piping into my headphones due to vibrations from the cord. Goes back the cheap construction (see #1). This never happened with the e2cs.

  The only good thing I can say about the s4is is that they were comfortable. Way more comfortable than the e2cs, but they make the music so un-enjoyable I don’t ever want to wear them. Luckily the Apple store took them back. Bottom line – I recommend avoiding these at all costs unless you really LOVE bass, you aren’t active when you wear your headphones, and you want to be careful with them. Honestly the good reviews are mind boggling to me.
  Rating: 1 / 5

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• 

  John Mcintosh
  February 8th, 2010

  FROM: KLIPSCH Customer Service
  
  RE: short in cables after little usage

  Looking at your (amazon) receipt, it appears as though you
  
  purchased your headphones from an unauthorized
  
  seller.

  Since it was purchased through an
  
  unauthorized seller, your headphones do not carry
  
  a manufacturer’s warranty.

  Since we do not repair
  
  those headphones, your best course of action would
  
  be to contact your seller to see if they have any
  
  recourse for you.

  Sorry we can’t be of more help.
  Rating: 1 / 5

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