Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: YOU MUST BURN-IN THESE KLIPSCH IMAGE S4 EARPHONES TO GET THE BEST SOUND OUT OF THEM! Burning in a dynamic-driver based earphone means that a period of use (usually ranging from 80-120 hours) is required for the dynamic drivers of earphone to achieve the best sound quality. You can do this by programming your ipod or whatever to play a wide range of music at a little louder than normal listening volume and leaving it to play overnight for a few days before you really listen to the earphones to evaluate their sound quality. This works by allowing the sound producing diaphragm of the earphone to relax and break-in a bit. Balance armatures, another type of earphone driver, don't benefit as much from burn-in, but it doesn't hurt, either. On a hi-fi forum, a man and his friend put this idea to the test by buying two pairs of Klipsch Image S4 earphones. One was left unused (the control pair) and the other was burned in as described above. At the end of the burn-in period, they compared the burned-in earphone with the unused one and found that there was a very clear difference in sound quality. The treble had become much fuller and lost any tinny quality, while the bass had relaxed and the overall sound was more cohesive. The sound of the burned in pair was much better. So, give your Klipsch Image S4 earphones a chance to burn-in and remember that their sound quality will reach its best after about 120 hours of use. THE MORE YOU KNOW and all that. (And mark this review helpful so others can see this before they buy these (or any dynamic driver based earphones) Okay, on to the actual review. These are a very fine sounding pair of earphones and a good value for the price. Sound Quality: These have a strong and robust (but not overdone) bass kick and (after burn-in) the treble and mids are quite good. The Klipsch sound signature seems especially well suited to vocal music, they come out warm and clear. I think these earphones are aimed squarely at the largest audience who listen to pop, rock and dance music, as I think these earphones are more or less perfect for what old people (ha ha, sorry!) would call "rockin' out". Having said that, they play Bach's Easter Oratorio beautifully, with all vocal and orchestral voices articulated clearly. Comfort: These are very light (which is important) and they are very comfortable if you fit them correctly (they come with several ear tips and you should take some time and find what works for you--if you really want you could even buy comply foam tips as these fit Klipsch earphones). It's important to take the time to fit them correctly not only for comfort, but also for the sound quality. Any of the crybabies who 1-starred these earphones for having a lack of bass (which is ridiculous, these earphone pump out great bass) clearly didn't take the few minutes necessary to fit their 'phones. Also, you'll need a good fit for sound isolation. These can be great for air travel, subway commutes, snoring husband (they should see a doctor!), etc. One important note is that Klipsch noticed that the human ear canal is not circular, it's typically an oval shape. So, their ear tips are oval-shaped. Now, an oval is different if it's upright versus sideways, right? Make sure your Klipsch ear tips are oriented the right way to fit your ears (doesn't take long and it's not hard) and you'll find these are very comfortable earphones. One other thing: Here's a trick that works for these earphones and a number of other ones for reducing microphonics (sound from touching the earphone cord) and for some people, a more comfortable fit. You can switch sides--taking the left earphone and putting it upside-down in your right ear, looping the cord over your ear and doing the same with the right earphone in the left ear. Take a moment a get a good fit. It really works to eliminate microphonics. Neat, huh? Something to try if you want to work out with your earphones in. Again, not only for these earphones, but it works for some other ones, too. I ran today through the streets of NYC with these earphones in this way and it was great. Quality: The plug is reinforced and L-shaped, which is good because that's where a lot of problems can happen otherwise. There are stress-relievers in the cord at the Y-junction and at the earphones. So, it's actually pretty well-built. Just because earphones are light doesn't mean they won't last with proper care. There's also a 2-year warranty with Klipsch (just keep your receipt!) and they are pretty good with customer service--did I mention you should keep your receipt? Oh, okay. Bottom line: These are a fun sounding, comfortable pair of earphones and they are a good value for the price. If you take the time to fit them and give them time to reach their best sound, you will be happy with these earphones.