Klipsch Image S4i hands-on and impressions
By Darren Murph 
posted Sep 10th 2009 10:04AM
posted Sep 10th 2009 10:04AM
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As for audio quality, you can have a peek back at our Image S4 writeup for our take on that. Nothing has audibly changed from those to these, with the oval tips fitting snugly and comfortably into our ears and the overall sound being pretty remarkable. As stated before, the highs were somewhat fatiguing after a few hours of listening, but the crisp mids and deep lows were more than satisfying. The real reason you're here, however, is to find out just how well the two main additions function. In short, the in-line microphone and remote are only fully functional on an iPhone 3GS, so iPhone and iPhone 3G owners will definitely want to think twice before committing.
You see, the remote packs a trio of buttons: a play / pause button that can also answer calls, along with volume up and a volume down buttons. The latter two only work with the iPhone 3GS, so iPhone 3G users will be stuck reaching for the volume rocker on the side of their phone to adjust the output. A true bummer, indeed. We found the buttons to work perfectly well in all aspects on the 3GS, but the inability to control volume on older iPhones was really disappointing. Also of note, the built-in mic is on the rear of the remote, so it's actually pretty far down on the cabling rops. As such, you'll be forced to speak fairly loudly if you expect anyone to hear you, or you could manually reach down and raise the mic to your lips, in turn destroying the whole point of having the mic in a handsfree position.
Furthermore, the actual cable heading to your iPhone is surprisingly short. We get that these are designed for use with phones and portable media players, but a bundled extension line for at-home use would've been much appreciated. Heck, even Sony's $35 MDR-EX71 earbuds include that. Anywho, we certainly can't grumble too much about the Image S4i's sound quality, but for $99, we can really only recommend these to iPhone 3GS owners who are absolutely sure they'll take advantage of an in-line remote and microphone. Even then, the built-in mic isn't incredibly useful due to its location and the fact that it does nothing to cancel wind noise and the like. If you're an iPhone 3GS owner and you were already considering the $79 Image S4s, you can probably spend the extra Jackson here and not feel too bad; for everyone else, don't waste your time on a product that's only partially functional on your device.
Update: It should also be noted that the 3-button remote is fully functional on the 2nd generation iPod touch, the new iPod shuffle and the 120GB / 160GB iPod classic (along with the iPhone 3GS). Furthermore, a bundled clothing clip is being shipped with retail units that does a remarkable job (yeah, we heard it with our own ears) of cutting out wind and clothing noise. Our test unit did not ship with this clip, but those considering a purchase can rest assured that the one they pick up will.
Jenny I got your number!
You beat me to it!
I really do have her number... in the 210 area code. It's the absolute coolest number to have ever. Leave it a message.
the funny thing is, over half of the people that read your commend wont even get it.
didn't see that until you mentioned it lol
Nice ..but what is the name of that case?
What is the name of that case?
Some old Case-Mate, don't see it now on their site though.
http://www.case-mate.com/iPhone-3G-Cases/iPhone-3G-Cases.asp
Pretty slick case!
second skin cases are still available - they're in the clearance section.
http://www.case-mate.com/iPhone-3G-Cases/Case-Mate-iPhone-3G--3GS-Second-Skin-Cases.asp
http://www.aiaiai.dk/headsets/pipe-headsets/pipe-headset-black.html
Et voila.
What are some other good headphones for the 3GS with the volume/phone controls inline like this one? I'm not willing to spend 99 dollars for headphones and I was hoping there was a cheaper option than just ordering another set of apples. I don't need awesome sound quality, just something at a decent price.
I'm willing to spend more but the only options I know of are the Apple branded ones and this.
What is this, 1982? Why is there no area code on the phone?
I'm just going to take a wild, wild guess and suggest you were born long after 1982.
Funniest comment of the day! Still wet behind the ears...
Sweet!
You guys forget about the Apple In-ear headphones? They're $79 and have the noise isolation feature with iPhone Voice Over controls. And the have a seperate driver for the woofer so the highs aren't fatigued as you put it.
Does anyone have a good recommendation for in-ear headphones for around the same price? I used to use my Bose QC3s all the time when flying. I actually still like them a lot, but I have some isolating skullcandy phones now, and I think I prefer them! I'm leaning toward selling my QC3s... Would appreciate a good recommendation or two! Thanks!
Love my Shure E2's, bought them about 5 or 6 years ago. Had a problem with the connecter on the original pair, sent them in for warranty repair, and they send me a new-in-box set back. To Europe. Second day air, free -- just because I asked if I could pay for expedited shipping back. Great 'phones, great support. But I haven't compared them to the competition.
@Kevin - you know about head-fi, right? Go over there and search away. The IEM forum is here: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/
Are all of the newfangled iPod remotes (anything compatible with the latest Nano) compatible with the 3GS also? I've been thinking about picking up either a new set of IEMs or at least the little remote adapter cord to use with my 3GS + Shure E2 setup. However, on Apple's website, none of the products with the remote are listed as being 3GS compatible, even though I figured they probably were.
As for the Klipsch, I wonder how far they stick out of the ears. My E2s are pretty slim so they're easy to slip a motorcycle helmet over.. though most of the time at least one side rips out when I remove the helmet since they've shifted a bit..
867-53-OH-NYE-IYINE!
I got a pair of these last week, as they were the only real alternative to the stock/apple mic/buds that I could find on either Apple or Amazon. Obviously and explicitly, they are really only for the 3GS and they do work perfectly and sound great. Better than my Sennheiser CX400's, but not as good as my Shure SE210's. The bass is actually "better" than the Shures, which are not tuned to be bass heavy by choice - which is a trait of most expensive/high-end buds.
I did have a problem with my first set, though. After one day the buttons stopped functioning properly, kind of out of the blue. I returned them and the replacement pair has been working for a couple of days. Combined with the Nike+ in the iPhone they are perfect for a run, and holding down the center button even activates the voice-control and you can run the whole thing on the go.
You guys forget about the Apple In-ear headphones? They're $79 and have the noise isolation feature with iPhone Voice Over controls. And the have a seperate driver for the woofer so the highs aren't fatigued as you put it.
I think everyone knows about the Apple in ears.. I got them from Amazon and the cord noise made them unusable while walking and working out. I had to return them. I wouldn't recommend them unless you just sit at your desk.
Is there a earphone with mic, remote, Y-cord and no extension(extensions are heavy)?
I walk a mile with them every day. I wear a messenger bag and hold on to the strap when it's around me anyways. I now hold the cable too so I no longer get the cable noise. Why anyone would wear them running is beyond me. Running outside with them is dangerous and stupid. Because they are noise isolating, you're now going to hear every single breath you take amplified. This happens with EVERY in-ear headphone.
BTW, the cable noise goes away after a few days of use. Even when it rubs against my shirt or another piece of the cable, I no longer pick up the noise. I listen to them religiously. Maybe 3hrs a day for two months now.
@ EM1
So is there no cable noise or is that only because you're holding the cord?
I am a 3GS owner and I bought the S4i's 2 weeks ago. As far as sound goes they are fantastic for the price (see the cnet Top 5 products of the summer video). http://cnettv.cnet.com/?tag=hdr%3bsnav#
The buds are very comfortable and I attribute it to the oval design of the tips. *A note on the tips is that different pairs provided are very small. I would say I have small to medium size ears and the large tips were the only ones that could provide a real seal and be comfortable.
As far as mic sound quality as it pertains to the actual location of the speaker, the people I have called on it have not said that there are any sound problems even when I ask if they can hear me ok to test. The buttons work as described for the 3GS to manage volume, play/fast forward/rewind and answer call.
Overall, I highly recommend these earbuds as an alternative to the stock ear buds that come with the iphone. I used to own the V-Moda Vibe Duos and they broke on my TWICE and I bought the Apple in-ear set and they sounded horrible to me so I returned them.
Also check out the Nuforce NE-7M. They sound pretty amazing, better than the E2C's and I liked the sound better than the apple in ear, but as with all of these things, YMMV. They do not have the remote volume, but the mic and action button work great, and their price is fantastic.
One thing I have noticed though is that they don't work on a motorcycle. For some reason, large amounts of background noises, say 75MPH of wind noise, causes the ipod to stutter for some reason. I am currently working with the company, and they have already sent me a replacement and have been great so far, but we have not solved the issue yet.
http://amazon.nuforce-icon.com/NuForce-NE7M-Stereo-Earphones-Headset-iPhone/M/B001BL8BO4.htm
would they work with the new iPod touch models? (32+64)
I opted for the Klipsch S4 instead because I can't stand the extra weight of the remote, no matter how tiny, pulling on the headphones. But for those looking for the remote and if the S4i sound anything like the S4 (which I believe they do), you're in for a treat.
I listened to these and got the BOSE Mobile In-ear set instead. BOSE hate aside I wasn't looking for the best accuracy in my iPhone headset. I just wanted comfort and these In-ears exceed that need.