KlipschImage X10 Noise-Isolating Earphone (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

My Ultimate Ears Superfi 5 finally bit the dust, a little piece of plastic broke off of the cable connection. So it was time to find another pair of earbuds.I spent some time doing research. I think that picking an IEM is like finding your next favorite wine, what appeals to many might not appeal to you. I am just a consumer, I think that I know what I like to hear and how I like to hear it. I want clear imaging, I know what it sounds like to be walking down the street and the IEM cords are banging around and letting you know it, the peril of microphonics. Oh, and I listen using a Ipod Nano, older with no way to adjust the sound. What comes out is what I listen to.Let me begin by saying that when you pull up next to my car at a stop light your car does not start rocking because the bass coming out of MY car is crazy. I have tried the Dre Beats, no I didn't care for them, gave them to my daughter. I hope to hear music and leave the most ot the "beat" to the folks who appreciate it . I do listen to 70's and 80's classics, jazz and classical as well as some country. I don't listen to rap, it's that simple. Sound like your taste in music? Read on.I started by buying a pair of Artio Future Sonics and by following a link on some bloggers website, was able to buy them for aorund $100. Those are currently my gym earbuds. They stay ini, they are comfortable there is considerable bass at, perhaps the expense of some of a crispness in the mid range. Other reviewers have commented on them being strong in the base department and I would agree with their opinion but not, at least for me, in a distracting way. Soundwise, the UE Superfis are still better in every regard. One point that some other reviewers have raised about the UE Superfi and Triplefi (or TF) is that they are large and stick out of your ears. This is, in fact, true. And they tend, for me, to fall out. The Artios cast a less egregious shadow. Also, power drainage wise, there is still plenty to go if I want more volume, not so with some of the other candidates.Microphonics were not noticable to me although I do frequently wear the wire over my ear for that belt and suspenders feel at the gym.I next purchased a pair of Vsonics GR07 after reading lots of favorable reviews. Meh. Let me be brief Yes I agree with the reviewer who termed the sound "vanilla" and "not all that fun" yes they have excellent imaging and yes, I could not find the bass and I tried very hard to find it in any number of seventies hits, jazz, top 40. One reviewer noted that they are good reference ear buds, I'm sure that this is true. Vocals are true but, how does one put this, unexciting. I listened to Colbie Caillat back to back with the Artios, yes, her voice was crisp here, no there was no lower end, yes the Artios were not as clear but there was some color some fun. And, on more than one day, I really didn't get the "how" of putting them in my ears. I sent the GRO7 back. Microphonics were minimal. The fit kit was extensive but not the best of the bunch. One last point, I'm not sure that you could call these earbuds power hogs but to get ot where I needed to hear them I had to turn up the little nano almost all of the way. I could easily be convinced that with an added equalizer these would be phenomenal, but I choose not to use one and add yet another piece of something to walk around with. For my purposes this was not what I was looking for.I thought that my journey would end with the SONY XBA4 especialy when I noted that the price has been cut from $350 to $209. I'm interested in that kind of deal any day. The Sony comes with a fantastic fit kit. Let's start with the "look" if reviewers think that TF10 stick out of the ears then these come from the Mickey Mouse school ear paraphernalia. Still, for me, it's all about hte sound. The imaging was GREAT. I could hear everything but, wait for it...... the bass. And I tried to love them, really tried. Oh, it took everything that the little Nano could dish out to get this sound in the air. Power draining to get it all together and I am convinced that with an equializer these could be so exceptional. But as I said, I don't have one and don't plan on getting one. Still, I hedged my bet and hung onto them. The cord is durable or appears so, there is one short and one long piece (others have commented on it) to be, I would assume, worn behind my back, I noticed comments on this but no problem, also worn just in front no problem. The fit was great, I really liked the cups with the foam in between the layers. Almost good enough but not good enough for what I wanted.I noticed that the Klipsch Image X10 were on sale for $90 instead of $350. Send em in! The fit kit is adequate but I'll be exploring Comply tips, These earbuds are definitely not power hogs. If I could turn the Nano up to 11, like Spinal Tap, I would be deaf. As for other reviewers opinions that concerned me; one said that they were hot (really? I don't get that), one said that they had to put them way into their ear canals (really? I don't have that either). But, and there is always a but, the cord is thin and feels like it isn't going to make it, In fact it is the "cheapest" of all of the cords. Couldn't they have put on something on a little heavier, stiffer, tougher? Microphonics are an issue, tucked over the ear not an issue but still one has to factor that in. The sound IS there, the bass, the imaging, the broadness. For now, these are the ones. Yes, I would like to try the $300-500 varities but I can't justify it. If these were $350 yesterday and $90 today I can buy 2 more pairs, one a year and still come out ahead. Thanks Klipsch, your sound is fun and full, sharp and colored, and there is bass, not overpowering, for me, just enough. Why not 5 stars? In a word, the cord.

EDIT: I've gotten a few comments mentioning this review isn't for various other headphones. Amazon has lumped all the Klipsch headphone comments into a single area for some reason, so you'll find reviews for Custom 1, 2, 3, X5, X10, etc all mashed in together. My review here is for the Klipsch X10 (named "Image" when I got them).This review runs a little long, because it was originally written for a forum [...] where I wrote this in a progressive "here's how my thoughts have evolved" format, and copy / pasted here. It largely reads as a blog/diary of my chronological usage and ends up reading rather long. Short answer is hearty thumbs-up. 5 stars.------------------------I just got my Klipsch Image IEMs in the mail last night. I've been tremendously excited about getting them, lusting through the weeks after any scrap of information I could get on them until that frightening moment I clicked the "Buy" button. So, I'm not pretending to review these objectively yet, I'm still in the "they're here! they're here!" phase, but I thought it would be interesting to document my observations as they evolve, as they have done in the hours that I've spent with the Images so far.Current overall impression (with over a month of use): 9.5 out of 10 starsSome background:About a year and a half ago, I had a brief encounter with a pair of Shure E4c IEMs. Bought them used off craigslist, sold them the same way. I didn't like how they felt. Didn't like the sound. Not enough bass. Excellent for Vivaldi, not so much for M.I.A. But mostly, I couldn't stand to wear them for more than half an hour at a time, and then I had to spend a couple minutes each time trying to get them in properly. Not a convenient IEM, not the sound I wanted.Since then I've had a pair of Grado SR60s and Sennheiser HD595s, and picked up a maxxed-out AlienDAC and MisterX XP-based amp, been generally happy with everything, but with the head-fi itch, I wanted more. There wasn't enough bass. The headband presses against my head and over the span of 8 hours gives me a headache and flattens my hair. They slide off my head if I look up, down, stretch, etc. I wanted to try IEMs again, and the timing was such that Klipsch was building a buzz about the Images so I spent a good deal of time investigating them. Dramatic bass? Surprising comfort? Good reviews.....hmmm....Enough history, Impression #1 "Opening the box":Well, yes, lots of packaging, lots of small bits of tape, obstacles obstacles. Done! In my ears with the default tips, and the sound? It's... alright. Highs are clear and well rendered, mids too, but rolling off quickly as mids turn to low and not much low to speak of. I quickly go through all the tips and meet with the best results on the large double flange tips, but I'm still not especially excited. Certainly not as much as I wanted to be. So for sound, I'd give them a 4 out of 10. Comfort? They are uncomfortable. Not as bad as I remember the E4c's being, but I don't understand how anyone can forget they are there. Perhaps it takes time getting used to. Let you know how it goes. Comfort: 5 out of 10. Wire is much shorter than I'm used to from the Grados and Senns, but I suppose they are geared toward more mobile uses where a long cord would just get in the way. It's long enough, just shorter than I was expecting.Overall first impression: 4.5 out of 10Impression #2, "The next day":I've worn them on and off throughout the workday today, played with tips some more, and discovered that I need to shove them much farther into my ear than I'd thought. The sound is substantially better. There's not much of a sense of soundstage, I don't get the impression of "the lead guitar over in that corner, the drums are over here", but the sound quality itself is good. Sounds are crisp, subtle background noises in the music come through well, and the bass has finally come to the party. It's still not the "it sounds like I should be feeling it in my chest too" that I've read from others, but it's dramatically better than it was. Doing A/B with my 595s, the Image's bass is much better. The only thing I haven't liked about the sound in my 595s has been the relative lack of bass. So I'm pleased the Images pick up that slack.Sound: 8 / 10Comfort-wise, they are still not comfortable. I really have to shove them as far into my ear as I can to get a proper seal, and the outward pressure inside my ear is still a new and generally unpleasant experience. But there's a lot to be said for them being IEMs, and not pressing the temples of my glasses into my ears and head like regular headphones do.Comfort: 6 /10So overall second impression: 7.5 /10 (weighted average)Impression #3, about a week laterI've been using the Images for a about a week now. I'd been using them at my desk at work, hooked to my computer, and I decided to try them out on the bus ride home last night. I'd tried the various other tips from time to time, and had left on the medium sized buds, that come on them in the package. And I got a seal! Repeatedly! I guess I hadn't understood what soozieq meant by twisting them "towards you", but it worked! Basically, pretend there's a pole sticking through one ear and out the other... that's your axis of rotation. Try putting the headphones in, and rotating them clockwise or counterclockwise around that axis. Not very far, a quarter turn or less. I've had no luck doing the "pull out slightly" method, but the twisting method works well for me.So I have a seal with the regular buds. In the past few days, I've found the good bass, although strangely, I can really only get it by NOT using my DAC and amp, but rather by plugging straight into the audio out on the front of my computer. So I'm having to choose between good bass, and clean sound. But plugging the Images into my A2 when I was on the bus, the sound is wonderful. I wish I could use my A2 at work, but I'm an computer animator and I need to hear the sound clips on the computer as I scrub back and forth across my animation. If I can't figure out how to get good bass out of my DAC and amp, they may find themselves on the for sale forum, along with my 595s.I still get better sound from my earlier method of ramming the double flanges deep into my ear, but I really think I am very close to poking my eardrum and it's not all that comfortable anyway. I'm looking forward to playing around more with the regular buds. I've already sent in the request for the 2 free ear gels as being the large double flanges... who knows, maybe I'll still stick with those for superior SQ.So I've found the good bass, managed to get a good seal from the regular buds, what's my thoughts now?Sound: 9/10 (probably should be higher, but my setup is limiting me)Comfort: 7/10 (getting better... my ears are still not used to having these in them, but I can see how the regular gels will be more comfortable)Overall third impression: 8.5/10I'm much happier with them now than I've been since getting them, and considering how much they cost, I feel like I need to be pretty happy with them to justify keeping them. I know audio gets a lot more expensive than a pair of $350 headphones, but not for me. I can't imagine there being more than one more follow-up impression to this review, as I become more (or less?) comfortable wearing these.And I intend to post a review comparing these in more detail to my 595s, KSC75s, and the Grado SR60s that I sold to the guy that sits next to me at work, DAC'd, amp'd, and not.Final impression, a month and a bit laterUnless there is interest in my doing a thorough listen thru my setup, I'd prefer to sum up with saying that I wish I could wear these all the time. Listening to the Images for a while and then going the 595s makes me feel like I'm missing out on something with the 595s. The 595s have a much more recessed sound, possibly due to the differences between IEMs vs headphones, and not an issue particularly with the 595s. My setup is not extensive enough to test this, but the verdict remains. The music sounds how I want it to with the Images.I can't give them a 10/10, though because of a couple usability issues. One: I can't wear them for more than a couple hours at a time. Just the feeling of them in my ears, the pressure of having "something" in my ear canal will give me a headache if I wear them longer in a single stretch. Two: microphonics. As long as I'm sitting forward so the cord doesn't touch anything, things are great, but if I lean back and the cord drapes across my shirt, the crunching grinding muttering of the cord transmits right across everything any time I move at all, and I move a lot. I'm a fidgeter, bouncing a leg, bouncing to the music, looking around, or just moving my head a bit to look at various parts of the screen.However, despite those two annoyances, which I expect are common to IEMs, and not particularly the fault of the Images, IEMs DO have killer qualities of staying in your ears when you stretch, and not placing pressure anywhere else on your head (ears, scalp), which, come to think about it limits my headphone listening time to a couple hours at a go, too... but do yourself a favor if you've never tried IEMs... don't try eating with them in. It's not pleasant.So my final score for these (assuming they remain reasonably durable in the coming years): 9.5/10I wish I could wear them all the time, and I hope the more I wear them the longer I'll be able to. The sound is involving. I find myself enjoying what I'm listening to more often (well, assuming it's FLAC nowadays... it'll be ok hard drive, shhh shhhh, it'll be ok). And I can listen to whatever retarded song I feel like as loud as I want without worrying about the guy next to me raising an eyebrow when "Billy Jean" comes on.You can drive these easily from whatever sound source you have, but you will appreciate the difference as you upgrade your source.I'm not sure who this review has been aimed at. Me, I guess. People who have headphones and are looking at IEMs for the first time? Hope it was useful.__________________Setup:- maxxed out AlienDAC and MisterX XP amp- Klipsch Image, Senn HD595, Koss KSC75- Cowon A2previously:- Grado SR60

Nachdem ich mit dem Klipsch S4i in die Klasse der etwas hochwertigeren Kopfhörer eingestiegen bin musste Ersatz her, da ich diese leider verloren hatte und meine alten 30€ Kopfhörer mich doch sehr nervten mit ihrem Sound!Erster Eindruck Triple.FiAls dann kurz nach Weihnachten die TripleFi.10 im Angebot zu haben waren habe ich zugeschlagen - wollte sie eigentlich aufgrund der Tests und Rezensionen schon immer Probehören - und war nach dem ersten Probehören sehr zufrieden. Sound sehr differenziert und glasklar. Leichte Abzüge muss ich hier für das "hiss" bei manchem "s" (das S klingt dadurch sehr schraf und aggressiv, zischt in den Ohren) geben und unten rum fiel der Bass doch teilweise etwas dürftig aus. Es fehlte der Druck, die Präzision war top.Insgesamt war der Sound jedoch sehr überzeugend. 4 1/2 Sterne.Kritikpunkte an den Triple.FiWarum ich die TripleFi nicht behalten habe hatte andere Gründe. Sie sind doch recht groß, was bei mir zu einem recht unsicherem Sitz führte, da das Gehäuse halt sehr weit aus dem Ohr rausschaut. Nebenbei sieht das auch nicht wirklich elegant aus...Das Kabel ist sehr dick und inflexibel. Zum einen verschärft das die Problematik des wackligen Sitzes in den Ohren, da auch noch ein recht schweres Kabel die Hörer nach unten zieht, zum anderen reibt es ständig an der Kleidung und gibt recht laute Kabelgeräusche von sich.Klipsch X10iZufällig gab es in dieser Zeit des Zweifelns die Klipsch x10i ebenfalls im Angebot. Hatte eh schon immer ein Auge auf sie geworfen, aber sie lagen preislich doch etwas über dem, was ich bereit war auszugeben. Nun, für nur einen kleinen "Aufpreis" verglichen mit den Triple.Fi musste ich sie ausprobieren. Sie wurden bestellt - meine Freundin erklärte mich für wahnsinnig.Vergleich Triple.Fi 10 - Klipsch X10iDann kam es zu Vergleichstest. Was als erstes auffiel: der Sitz war bei den Klipsch perfekt. Wie bei den S4 schon... Die Aufsätze sind einfach unglaublich! Werden nicht umsonst oft in den Tests herausgehoben. Der Sound gefiel mir auch. Also verschieden Titel ausgewählt und Stück für Stück mit beiden Hörern im Wechsel getestet. Damit ihr wisst in welche Richtung mein Musikgeschmack geht und was die Kopfhörer leisten mussten hier die Titel: Dream Theater - bridges in the sky (apple lossless Audio), Joss Stone - Boat Yard (von iTunes), Seed - wonderful Life (mp3, 256) und Devin Townsend - Lady Helen (Apple lossless Audio).Beide Kopfhörer bringen einen wirklich unglaublichen Sound mit und überzeugen insgesamt durch ihre Neutralität und den Detailreichtum. Joss Stone haucht ins Mikrophon und man hört den Atem, die Becken bei Dream Theater crashen hell und präzise, im Gitarren- und Keyboardspiel ergebn sich neue Details. Selbst der Seed Song (mp3!) hat neue Facetten.KlangEs gibt dennoch Unterschiede:- die Höhen sind bei den Triple.Fi etwas brillanter - dafür ist der Hiss bei den X10 nicht so schlimm. Knapper Sieg für die Triple.Fi(Triple.Fi 9 von 10, Klipsch 8,5 von 10)- der Bass ist bei den x10 druckvoller, ohne aber an Präzision etwas einzubüßen oder das restliche Klangbild zu verwaschen. Sieg für Klipsch.(Triple.Fi 8,5 von 10, Klipsch 9,5 von 10)- bei den Mitten bin ich mit beiden sehr zufrieden. Unentschieden. Beide manchmal ein wenig zurückhaltend.(beide 9 von 10)- das Klangbild ist bei den Triple.Fi etwas differenzierter. Die einzelnen Instrumente scheinen mehr Platz zu haben und wirken ein wenig räumlicher. Dennoch waren auch bei den Klipsch allenDetails, die ich bei den Triple.Fi entdeckte wahrzunehmen. - Knapper Sieg für die Triple.Fi(Triple.Fi 9,5 von 10, Klipsch 9 von 10)Unentschieden - 9 zu 9 im Schnitt! Die Triple.Fi zeigen etwas mehr Brillanz und Differenziertheit. Die Klipsch unterliegen hier aber nur knapp. Nachteil bei den Triple.Fi ist der störende Hiss.Punkten können die Klipsch X10i durch den besseren Bass.- Der Rest ist Geschmackssache. Ich empfand es bei den Klipsch dennoch etwas angenehmer von der Klangfarbe her. Die brillanten Höhen bei den Triple.Fi hatten die Eigenschaft teilweise etwas metallisch, aggressiv zu klingen. - Knapper, subjektiver Sieg für dieKlipsch (Triple.Fi 9 von 10, Klipsch 9,25 von 10) ...mag daran liegen, dass ich die Klipsch X10i jetzt noch weiter verwendet habe und zum Beispiel Brothers in Arms von den Dire Straits neu entdeckt habe ;-) deshalb lasse ich es bei der Bewertung außen vor.Komfort und SonstigesHauptkritikpunkt bei den Triple.Fi war wie gesagt der Komfort. Hier konnten die Klipsch durch ihre Größe, ihr Gewicht und die Passform absolut überzeugen und fahren einen klaren Sieg ein. Man merkt sie nach einer Zeit kaum noch in den Ohren!Das Design bei Klisch überzeugt auf ganzer Linie. Es wirkt Edel und bei weiten nicht so klobig wie bei den Triple.Fi.Diese Punkte gehen klar an Klipsch!(Triple.Fi 6 von 10, Klipsch 10 von 10)Kabelgeräusche. Wer schon mal inEars benutzt hat und sich dabei bewegt hat kennt sie. Die Klipsch X10i haben hier gleich zwei Vorteile: Die Kabel sind nicht so dick und starr ...und sie bringen einen Kleiderklipp mit (unglaublich, dass der bei einem Produkt dieser Preisklasse bei den Triple.Fi fehlt!). Auf jeden Fall fallen die Geräusche bei den Klipsch deutlich geringer aus und auf.Punkte für Klipsch.(Triple.Fi 7,5 von 10, Klipsch 9 von 10 Klipsch)Weiterer Pluspunkt bei den Klipsch X10i - das i verrät es - sie verfügen über eine Fernbedienung! Gefiel mir schon bei den S4i sehr gut und ich habe sie etwas vermisst. Hätte für die Triple.Fi im Vergleich zu den S4i aufgrund des besseren Sounds verzichtet.... Aber jetzt habe ich ja beides ;-)Pluspunkt für die Klipsch.Beim Zubehör gibt es kaum Unterschiede. Beide Kopfhörer bringen eine hochwertige Transporttasche mit (Bei den Triple.Fi aus Aluminium und bei den Klipsch aus Leder) und diverses Kleinzeug (Adapter und Flugzeug Equipment, habe ich nicht weiter getestet). Es ist etwas schwierig die Triple.Fi in ihre Transporttasche zu bekommen. Auch hier stört das starre Kabel und die Größe.Sehr schön bei den Triple.Fi fand ich hingegen, dass 2 Paar Schaumstoff Ohrstücke beilagen. Erstens haben sie den Triple.Fi zu einem halbwegs guten Sitz verholfen und bringen auch so ein ganz gutes Gefühl mit. Werde sie wohl mal bei den Klipsch auch ausprobieren... Obwohl ich mit dem Sitz hier ja sehr zufrieden bin.ohne Wertung.FazitDer Klang ist natürlich ausschlaggebend. Hier haben wir für mich ein Unentschieden. Der Tragekomfort ist aber auch sehr wichtig... ich verzichte hier auf eine prozentuale Gewichtung der einzelnen Kategorien, da in allen anderen Kategorien Klipsch vorne liegt und durch die Fernbedienung noch zusätzlich Pluspunkte sammelt, ist der Sieg nach dem Unentschieden in der wichtigsten Kategorei klar: der Aufpreis ist gut investiert - der Sieg geht an die Klipsch X10i!Nachdem ich die X10i jetzt noch weiter gehört habe, ändert sich an meinem Urteil nichts.. Ich genieße jede Tag den tollen, detailreichen Sound mit ausgezeichnetem Komfort. Bislang kann ich auch nichts negatives über die Verarbeitung und Haltbarkeit sagen.Trotz des dünnen Kabels gibt es hier nach einem halben Jahr keine Probleme! :-)

Ermuntert durch allerlei positive Tests (Suchmaschinen finden schnell entsprechende Quellen) landete auch eine der edlen samtartigen Schachteln mit dem edlen audiophilen Inhalt bei mir.Der Ersteindruck also wertig und nobel.Heraus purzelt feinste Minimalistik,zwischen dem vergoldeten Stecker und den vertrauenswürdig massiven Ohrstöpseln aus Metall-Plastikgemisch sorgt spilleriger gummierter Dünndraht für Kontakt zwischen Klangerzeuger und Menschenohr,negative Rezensionen bezüglich Kabelbruch halte ich für glaubwürdig.Hier wäre den Designern Ideenreichtum angeraten gewesen,ich ziehe einen Stern ab,unzählige Male habe ich diverse Kabelknoten entwirrt,die Konsistenz der Kabel entspricht ziemlich exakt der von gekochter und auf 30 Grad abgekühlter Spaghetti.Klanglich ist der Kopfhörer auch angesichts des Preises keine Enttäuschung,das den Ipods beigelegte Produkt (auch in der "neuesten Version") ist der Klipsch deutlich spürbar überlegen,etwas schwieriger wird es mit Mittelklassestöpseln,verglichen mit einem allgemein als gut klassifiziertem Sony-Modell für um die 70 Euro hatte ich schon arge Unterscheidungsprobleme,vielleicht auch musikmaterialabhängig ,MP3 in 128-256 kb,da versumpft sicher einiges.Selbst nutze ich den Winzling auf dem Rad in Verbindung mit einem Ipod nano,also konsequente Gewichtsreduzierung für das Audiovergnügen Radio/mp3 unterwegs,die Kabelfernbedienung mit Clip funktioniert sauber und "blind" bedienbar,die Silikon-Ohrstöpsel in verschiedenen Grössen lassen jedermanns Ohr seine passende Grösse finden,der Tragekomfort ist dann problemfrei,auch bei extrem langen Dauergebrauch.Radioempfang ist ein weiterer Kritikpunkt,das Kopfhörerkabel fungiert in der Ipod-Welt als Antenne,der Klipsch fällt gegenüber dem Standardkopfhörer von Apple deutlich ab,kurzfristig habe ich eine Abwertung auf drei Sterne erwogen.Starke Sender sind ok,bei der geringsten Schwäche rauscht es unerträglich (getestet im Grossraum Dortmund,da dürfte es eigentlich niemals schwächeln)Die Abschirmwirkung ist gut,im Strassenverkehr etwas Obacht,bei einem gut aufgedrehten Ipod belästigt kein Strassenverkehrsgeräusch mehr des Radlers Ohr,auch kein Martinshorn in wenigen Metern Entfernung.Ansonsten nutze ich ihn auch gern mal zu Zeiten wenn die Lust auf laute Musik oder Computerspiele dem Recht der Nachbarn auf Nachtruhe diametral entgegensteht am heimischen Mac.Eine faire Bewertung fällt mir schwer,das labberige Kabel missfällt,für die Hälfte des Preises liefern Mittelklassestöpsel ähnliche,für Durchschnittshörer kaum hörbar schlechtere Ergebnisse.Radioempfang ist definitiv eine Schwäche..Andererseits,Audioprodukte haben eine gewisse Langlebigkeit,was heute hervorragend ist wird morgen und übermorgen auch noch prima sein,warum nicht einmal richtig zuschlagen und in die beginnende Oberklasse einkaufen?Soweit meine Überlegungen,die Kaufentscheidung und als Fazit,bislang letztendlich ungereut weil auf der Habenseite der tadellose Klang,der hervorragende Tragekomfort und ausgeklammert des Audiokabels auch eine wertige Verarbeitung stehen.Die Kernkompetenzen werden erfüllt.Darüber wird die Luft dünn und teuer,AKG 3003 vorneweg für schlappe 1100 Euro,darunter drängelt die Mittelklasse für zweistellige Eurozahlen..Eine Kaufempfehlung mag ich nicht abgeben,jeder darf sich aus den geschilderten Schwächen und Stärken seine eigene Bewertung aus 1-5 Sternen bilden

Zum ersten Mal Klipsch im Ohr, da war ich etwas skeptisch, auch wenn die externen Soundsysteme von diesem Hersteller durchaus einen sehr guten Ruf geniessen.Der Kopfhörer ist sehr schön und aufwändig verpackt. Mitgeliefert werden 5 Paar Silikonaufsätze in drei Grössen und zwei weitere mit doppelter Kappe, auch für kompliziertere "Ohrgeometrien". Darüber hinaus gibt es noch einen Flugzeugadapter und ein Reinigungswerkzeug, alles in einer kleinen Box zum Aufbewahren.Die Ohrhörer machen einen sehr gut verarbeiteten Eindruck und sind sehr leicht. Der Stecker ist in einem Bogen fast 90 Grad abgewinkelt, steht aber aufgrund seines grossen Radius dennoch recht weit vom Anschluss ab, dieses eher unpraktische Detail scheint der Ästhetik gewidmet zu sein.Führt man die Hörer ins Ohr ein, gehen diese recht tief hinein, da sie über ein passives Noise Cancelling verfügen, baut sich dabei Druck auf, diesen empfinde ich als sehr unangenehm, umgekehrt beim Herausnehmen, baut sich ein Unterdruck auf, dass man fast das Gefühl hat, dass sie mit einem *blop* aus dem Ohr gehen. Dafür sind die Umgebungsgeräusche gut abgeschirmt, ob das allerdings z.B. für das Musikhören im Flugzeug ausreicht, bliebt noch zu testen.Der Tragekomfort ist trotzdem als angenehm zu bezeichnen, die Kabel ziehen nicht an den Hörern und auch wenn man etwas schwitzt, rutschen die Hörer nicht aus dem Ohr. Leider werden aber die Kabelgeräusche sehr stark übertragen.Der Sound allerdings ist sehr gut, schöne klare Höhen ohne Hissing, die Mitten sind betont und die Bässe vorhanden aber nicht übertrieben. Ich kann zwar nicht hören, ob der Frequenzverlauf linear ist, aber mir scheinen die Mitten ein bisschen zu sehr angehoben zu sein. Dieser Kopfhörer verlangt aber nach guten Voraussetzungen. Bei mir hängt er an einem Cowon J3 und die verwendeten Musikdateien sind verlustfrei (FLAC) oder MP3s mit hoher Qualität (320 kbit/s). Die Auflösung ist phantastisch, es ist kaum zu glauben, wieviele Details plötzlich hörbar werden. Die Klangfarbe und -tiefe sind ebenso beeindruckend, so einen kristallklaren, brillianten Sound hatte ich voher noch nie, hatte ich aus diesem Preissegment schon Sony, Beyerdynamic, Bose und Sennheiser. Ich bin davon regelrecht begeistert.Ich glaube, hier handelt es sich um ein strategisches Produkt von Klipsch, mit dem man in den High-End-Markt einsteigen möchte, aber dazu hat man noch nicht den Namen.FAZIT: Ein In-Ear-Kopfhörer, der in der Spitzenklasse mitspielt. Er sei jedem mit hohen Ansprüchen an die Wiedergabequalität empfohlen und kein Problem mit einer guten Schallabschirmung nach aussen und mit Druck und Unterdruck im Ohr, beim Herein- oder Herausnehmen, hat.

Welcome to my review, let me start by saying that I love my music and was fed up of listening to it being murdered by the bundled Apple headset from my iPhone, so in the last 3 years I have owned the following headphones -  Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones QC3 , Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio High Definition Headphones - Black , Klipsch Image - High Performance Noise-Isolating In ear headphones , Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD with ControlTalk Headphones - Black , looking to find the perfect ones for me was not easy :DWell it has taken me quite a while and a fair bit of money to reach this point, when I had the Bose QC3 I was generally happy with them, they were excellent on the plane but the sound distorted at the top end and they lacked bass!! I then heard the hype about the Studios by Dre and decided to sell the Bose to fund them (big mistake) I returned them within 2 days, leaked way too much sound and felt cheap and nasty.So again I was on the look out for a replacement, I decided on the  Klipsch Image - High Performance Noise-Isolating In ear headphones , I loved them, amazing sound from such a small unit, perfect for the gym, on the plane, at home infact they ticked everybox minus one.....the ability to change volume/track from the wire, however no big deal I lived with it. All was well until one day my "better" half decided to run the dyson over them, bye bye headphones, apparantly it was my fault for leaving them lying about, I suppose she was right!! Thank god for insurance, £50 excess paid and I received a £170 Amazon gift voucher.Next I went for the Solo HD's, I should have learned from the experience of the Studios, after about a week one of the ear cushions came away as I was walking around on holiday and was lost, never buying a Monster product again!!! Amazon were great and issued a refund, there was no doubt in my mind what I was going to buy now,  Klipsch Image X10i Noise Isolating In-Ear Headset with 3-Button Mic for iPhone / iPod - Black !!!So they arrived today, the control functions work perfectly with my iPhone 4, I must say that I don't think they sound as great as my X10's did but I am sure that is just because they are new, after a bit of "burn in" they will be as fantastic as my X10's were.If you can afford to spend £170 on headphones then I would urge you to try these, the sound is just amazing, so warm with tight punchy bass. Well balanced for all music types from dance to classical. I am not sure there is any others that can compete at this price point.One criticism I have is that the case you get with the X10/X10i is too small in my opinion, I don't want to crush my £170 headphones into a tiny case, Klipsch should still use the larger case they used to have in my opinion.With these headphones you must try all the different ear buds to get the perfect fit, the large double flange ones work best for me but I have decided to have some custom ear moulds made by ACS, once I have these then I am sure the Image X10i will be the ultimate listening experience for me!!!!These do need handled with care, I can see them being very fragile, have seen on Klipsch forum the strain reliefs splitting and from what i can gather if you buy outside of the US/Canada you only get 12 months warranty not the 24 months you get on the other side of the Atlantic, which I think is highly unfair too.Overall though I happy with my purchase.UPDATE!!!!I have had 2 replacements due to the iPod control going wrong, I can't keep putting up with them breaking, Amazon have refunded no problem. Bose QuietComfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones QC3Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio High Definition Headphones - BlackKlipsch Image - High Performance Noise-Isolating In ear headphonesMonster Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD with ControlTalk Headphones - BlackKlipsch Image - High Performance Noise-Isolating In ear headphonesKlipsch Image X10i Noise Isolating In-Ear Headset with 3-Button Mic for iPhone / iPod - Black

Everything is some kind of a compromise and these earphones make that clearer than most. The designers have gone all out for excellent technical performance and light weight. The penalty is cost (though MP3 Accessories have priced these £90 under Apple retail!) and feel.Cost / performance is a dilemma we can all identify with so I'm going to talk about feel. In particular that the lightweight cords retain their coiled or scrunched up kinks when unwound. This a) makes them look cheap and b) means there are more opportunities for snagging because the cord just won't lie flat. There's also no advantage to cord noise; I hear my chin stubble now not my coat. Others have commented on their longevity - I have yet to worry but I'm pretty careful so I have my fingers crossed. I'm not sure the indestructible kink free weight of say Denons (C700 at least) is needed but my personal preference would certainly be for somewhat heavier grade cable or shielding - Apple have it nailed (provided you are a neat-freak coiler not absent minded scruncher).Bizarrely given the price and pitch, Klipsch have adopted a really nasty approach to packaging. The cardboard box has perforated edging for the back to tear away (a rubbish experience in itself) but the quality of the card means you're more likely to simply rip your way in. The earphones themselves come in a nice little presentation box but it's covered in a low grade textured finish and sealed by a super-sticky seal. Again it's a case of ripping and tearing to get in. It's all a triumph of form over function and completely un-necessary. I suspect it was a deliberate attempt to create a high end feel which backfired. As you can tell I'm a bit of a geek that enjoys the unboxing experience. In the grand scheme, it's no reason not to buy these - just something not to expect to lead to any satisfaction for laying down a lot of hard-earned cash.The audio performance though is excellent and why I bought them. I'm not a descriptive audiophile but can tell good from bad and these are good. There's strong not drowning bass (possibly the C700s only performance criticism). The trebles are clear, undistorted and balanced. Overall I just like the rich, warm feel to pop and I can here all the detail in classical. Lovely.I haven't made many calls yet but the combination of the X10i and iPhone 4S (I'm not sure which gets all the kudos) is excellent. The receivers are hearing very little background noise (this could be a directional microphone or the 4S's cancelling or both) but you the user do so you have the context to not SHOUT TO HEAR YOURSELF resulting in a) looking and sounding like an idiot b) seeming normal to the other party on the call. I like it a lot.