That which is unattainable is often that you find the most intriguing. Picking the forbidden fruit, open up Pandora’s Box, and getting a sample from some large companies. After six months of correspondence with PR people all over the world I gave in and bought a set. The expectations were really high, and I have only heard praise over the Image S4i. The oval ear tips, the lightweight design and heavy bass has impressed a lot of people.
The Klipsch Image S4i comes in two different colour schemes, which inverts the black/white layout. Both look really cool, vibrant, modern and match the iPhone very well. The design is quite similar to other in ear headphones with one exception. The ear tip is angled into the ear. This gives it extra friction, and makes it usable when exercising. The ear tips are really comfortable, but the oval shape doesn’t add anything special to the feel. From the resulting noise isolation however it works wonders. The noise isolation is definitely on par with the best such as the Etymotic ear tips. The ear tips are also comfortable, and is made from a rigid soft plastic.
The sound is strong with powerful bass. It works well with all sound sources, and there are no real weak points. Perhaps a lack of personality when compared to the warm Bose in-ear, and thumping Beats by Dr Dre tour. The microphone is good as well for making calls in most environments. It is placed too low though, and needs to be held closer to the mouth. A strong crocodile clip is included allowing you to fasten the microphone closer, and it is needed. It is so strong though that it stays clipped to the clothes when you remove the headset without opening the clip. I really like that the microphone is accompanied by volume buttons. The buttons aren’t coded with a plus or minus, and this actually makes it hard to know if you lower or raise the volume when the microphone is upside down.
The cord is prone to tangle due to high friction. It also transfers noises from rubbing against your clothes. Overall the cord feels cheap to the touch, and this is actually a problem for the entire headset. It feels cheap, and looks quite cheap as well. I have yet to have any durability issues, and it feels more rugged than it looks.
The Klipsch Image S4i is a good overall communications solution with a good microphone, excellent noise isolation and rugged design. On the negative side we have a noise transferring cord, too low microphone placement and cheap look and feel. Overall I can still really recommend the headset for most users.
Final Rating
Klipsch Image S4i Earphones at the US Apple Store $99.95
