by Jon Wilde
Having lived in New York for roughly a decade, I’ve come to view a quality set of earbuds as survival necessities, just like knowing a good dive bar and living near a 24-hour bodega. For the past year I’ve run a pair of $80 Shure SE110s into my iPod and couldn’t have been happier. Great sound, abuse-resistant build quality, and (so long as I used the squishy foam earpieces) enough noise isolation to keep the subway from ruining the knee-slapping folk rock of Frightened Rabbit.
Then, three weeks ago, a pair of Klipsch’s new Image S4 earbuds landed on my desk. I haven’t brought out the Shure’s since. It’s not that the $80 S4s are mind-blowingly better — more that a few noticeable differences added up to a superior set of ‘phones. Here’s what I appreciate about the Klipsch earbuds:
+ The S4 earbuds themselves are smaller and lighter, meaning less fatigue during extended listening. (I have a 45 minute commute — this is much appreciated.)
+ The S4’s super-soft, ovoid silicon earpieces (3 sizes are included) block external noises just as well as the Shure’s foam earpieces, and they’re more comfortable. Plus, they don’t require me to squish them between my fingers beforehand so they fit into my ear canals, nor do they need to be replaced every few months, either. (Note: All Shure headphones come with silicon earpieces as well, but none ever fit me right. Your mileage may vary.)
+ The S4’s jack is smaller and bent at a 90″ angle, where the Shure’s is thick and sticks straight up. I don’t much enjoy having something hard and pointy pressed into my groin while sitting.
+ The S4’s sound, by and large, is better. Highs are a little more crisp, while bass is certainly cleaner and heavier. I think the Shure’s have a slightly better sound stage — nerdspeak for the sense of notes/instruments coming from a certain direction — but not drastically.
My only concern is the ultra-thin cord of the S4s. I like having less weight dangling from my neck, but I’m worried they won’t stand up to the yanking and tangling that hasn’t been an issue for the nearly bombproof Shure SE110s.
End result: If I were going to drop $80 to upgrade my mp3 player’s earbuds — and please, dear god, do not stick with the stock earphones — these would be the pair I’d buy. In fact, if I were planning on spending upwards of $125, I’d still test drive the Klipsch Image S4s, along with whatever Shure and Etymotic have to offer.
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June 8th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Thanks for this information, how long is the cable, is it as long as shure’s?
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Jon Wilde Reply:
June 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am
@Dee
The Klipsch’s cable isn’t as long as my Shure SE110’s cord, nor does it have the option for an extender. I just measured, and from the jack to the part for the headphones split, the cord is 33″ long. It’s more than long enough for me to keep my iPhone in my jeans pocket and still have enough slack to move with me.
[Reply]
Clive Whittaker Reply:
July 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
John,
I cannot believe what I am reading. I have just bought a pair of Klipsch Image S4s to upgrade from a pair of Sennheiser CX300s and I find the bass weak and the volume levels poor by comparison. I have tried all 3 covers but with the same weedy response. Any advice??
[Reply]
Jon Wilde Reply:
July 27th, 2009 at 10:37 am
@Clive Whittaker: I haven’t tested the CX300s, so it’s hard for me to draw comparisons there. I’ll admit that the S4s required a little more juice to match the Shure’s volume, but it was almost negligible — one more tiny gradation on the iPhone, in my case. That’s likely the result of drivers requiring more power to produce more detailed sound.
Are you having an issue getting a good fit? Without a tight seal, bass and volume are going to take a hit. If not, maybe stick with the CX300s. As much as I like the Image S4s, I can’t promise they’re everyone’s perfect earbud.
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