Review: Klipsch Image S4 Headphones

Name: Klipsch Image S4| Price: $79 [Buy it] | Rating: 5/5

Every review I have ever read about the Klipsch Image S4 headphones gave them such an impressive score that I have been dying to get my hands on them. Luckily, Klipsch were kind enough to supply us with one for review. Read our thoughts after the break.

The Klipsch headphone packaging is nothing special and is comprised of a cardboard box. However, it what’s inside that counts. Within the packaging, you will find the headphones themselves, 3 pairs of silicon ear-tips (2 normal shaped and 1 ‘double layered’ pair (looks like a Christmas tree and gives much better noise isolation), an ear-tip cleaner (for scrapping out all the ear-wax that builds up inside the silicon tip) and a chrome tin-like case to keep the precious headphones safe during travel. The inside of the case is separated into special sections for each of the accessories, the extra ear-tips and the headphones, and is made out of a soft foam to insulated the contents from any knocks it may receive.

Design

The Klipsch Image S4 headphones are made primarily from a hard, glossy metal. The ear-pieces, as well as the cable, are painted a black and the ear-pieces have a glossy finish with chrome accenting which makes them look more high tech & high end. Unlike other earphones, the ear-piece has a bend in it which allows them to fit better to the shape of your ear allowing for a more secure fit. At the end of the ear-piece, is a circle with the Klipsch logo visible. The rather jagged edges of the circle cause a slight discomfort, but more about that later, in the comfort section below.

The ear-tips include aren’t your conventional dome shaped tips. The ones included with the Klipsch Image S4 have are longer allowing them to penetrate further into your ear, meaning noise isolation and the chances of getting the correct seal is better than usual. There is also a 3rd pair which is also a non-conventional shape. It is a two layered ear-tip and looks a little like a Christmas tree. This two layers means any outside sound have to get through two seals before disturbing your music listening. Despite this being a nice addition, the size of the layered ear-tips is rather small and therefore, isn’t likely to fit everyone’s ear canals.

The cable is your average cable and is the same thickness as the standard Apple iPod headphones. A welcomed feature is the slider that allows you to attach the two ear-pieces together at the top of the cable to stop the cables from tangling in your pocket. I have found that most headphones that we’ve reviewed don’t include this and the fact that Klipsch does, is a plus for me. The headphones features a standard 3.5mm ear-jack that has a ‘L-shaped’ plugged (rather than coming straight out of the iDevice like the standard Apple iPod headphones).

Comfort

Overall, these headphones are relatively comfortable. The silicon tips are well designed and feel secure and safe within your ear-canal. However, the problem lies with the design of the end of the ear-pieces. At the end of the ear-piece, it comes to a circle with a relatively jagged edge, and sadly, this edge digs into your ear a little bit. It isn’t really a problem when you are standing still but if you joggle your ear-piece, for example, when you are putting in/out of the ear, the jagged edge may dig into your ear a little bit. The strange thing about this point is that no other reviews that I can find on the internet mention this problem, so perhaps I just have weirdly shaped ears! Regardless, the slightly bent shape of the ear-piece and the special ear-tips keep the ear-pieces comfortably and securely in your ear.

Sound Quality

Onto the sound quality which is where these headphones really shine! For their price, these headphones out do many headphones that I have tried that have bigger price tags. The music sounds natural, is crystal clear with a punchy, tight low-end. Switching to ‘On Fire by Eminem’ you can hear the driver pumping out a deep, punchy bass which is kept in check so that it doesn’t overpower the rest of the music. The beat compliments the vocals perfectly giving a very natural and balanced sound.

We decided to try something a little more bass heavy so switched to ‘Infinity 2008 (Klass Vocal Edit) by Guru Josh Project’ and not only did the power of the bass impress me, but the clearness of the trumpet blew me away. Moving onto ‘California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg) by Katy Perry’ and the impressiveness continues. Once again the low-ends are thumping beautifully. The vocals sounds clear, as do the highs in the beat. Everything seems to mesh together cohesively. When I put on some rock in the form off ‘Can’t Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers’ the high remained clear and crisp but don’t become too sharp and harsh so that it hurts to listen when you pump the volume up. The quality is so good that whilst everything blends together nicely, if you wanted, you could pick out each of the instruments and concentrate on them due to the high level of clearness. For only $79, it really is incredible the sound quality that Klipsch have managed to include in these headphones! The natural & balanced sound means that these headphones will be ideal for almost everyone, no matter what your taste of music is.

I am not afraid to admit for anything near their price, these headphones blow all the competition away. These headphones are something special, Klipsch should be proud! It is for this reason, that the Klipsch Image S4 headphones get the first AllTechRelated Editors Favorite Award!

Other Notes

As I mentioned, the Klipsch Image S4 headphones are noise isolating, and due to the specially shaped silicon tips, they do a great job at it. They don’t leak very badly (earphones in general don’t really tend to) either. The model we were sent for review wasn’t their Image S4i model which includes a microphone and 3-button remote. These can be bought for an extra $20 meaning the price is $99 [Buy it].

Specifications

Ratings

• Design 5/5: The glossy black paint with the chrome accenting make these headphones look as good as they sound.
• Comfort 4.5/5: The specially designed ear-tips and the slightly bent shape of the ear-piece means these headphones are extremely comfortable to wear. If only the end of the ear-piece wasn’t so jagged, the headphones would have had a perfect score!
• Sound Quality: 5/5: One word, phenomenal. These headphones have a better sound quality then most competition, even ones that are double the price!

Overall: 5/5

The Klipsch Image S4 headphones can be bought on Amazon for $79 [Buy it] or if you want the microphone and remote version, you can buy it for $99 [Buy it].