Klipsch Image X10 Noise-Isolating In-Ear Headphones - High-Fidelity Sound, Comfort Fit - Perfect for Commuting, Workouts & Travel (Discontinued)

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 SR60Sleek, comfortable, and unbeatable sound quality...all while drowning out the snoring passenger on your right, are very welcome characteristics of the Klipsch IMAGE X10 earphone.For several reasons, my review of these earbuds is an anomaly. I don't normally write reviews for one thing...and I also usually don't purchase ridiculously expensive ear buds when I'll likely lose them somehow. But, thanks to a special deal on Amazon in support of Black Friday, I was able to get these earbuds at a much more reasonable cost. A cost which, as of the time of this review, remains close to what the price is now.QUICK NOTEI'd like to start my review by saying (like many of those before me) that I am NOT an audiophile. I love good music, I love when things sound amazing. I also enjoy researching, so I have a bit of knowledge about the characteristics of a good set of earbuds. That said, if you want an expert review please look elsewhere. Additionally, I will review the SOUND of the earbuds. Not the case, not the box it came in, how long it took to unwrap etc. I bought these in hopes to hear music, and thus that is what I will review.====BACKGROUNDA couple of years ago, I purchases a set of Klipsch image x4's. I was blown away by how great they sounded, despite the relatively reasonable price. Having had such a positive experience, I had always wanted to upgrade to the companies top of the line model, the x10. But, at the going cost at the time ~$350 dollars, buying such earbuds was pretty much out of the question. Considering how much I'm on the go, a real possibility exists of these getting lost or broken somehow, especially with their small size. So I had decided against buying them until I saw them at fire sale prices, and I am REALLY glad I did.COMFORTInserting the headphones is a bit tricky, they're the "in ear" variety, so you'll actually have a silicone piece IN your ear canal when you're listening to these. This can be a bit awkward at first, but having owned the x4's (which are the same IEM type), I was quite used to the feeling. Once you're used to them, these are extremely comfortable. On multiple occasions I quite literally forgot they were in. That may sound crazy, since I was playing music at the time...but its true.SOUND (general thoughts)"Okay so this is great and all...but can you tell me about the characteristic that I actually came to your review to read?"When buying pretty much any earbud that isn't a cheapo bottom end model, the sound *generally* seems to (or does) improve with time. This is known as "burn in" or "break in" and you'll read it in many audiophile reviews. In more simple language...its like breaking in a new pair of shoes. The shoes get more comfortable over time. Sometimes this is due to your feet getting used to the shoes, other times its due to the shoes getting softer with use...sometimes its a bit of both. The same can be said for headphones. When you first listen to these, while they WILL sound great, they will NOT be at full quality. This isn't to say that you won't be amazed when you first listen to them (assuming you haven't had ridiculously expensive *custom* IEM's before)...but the sound may also not be worth the pretty penny your paying for them.I cannot tell you how long you'll need to break them in for, because scientifically, research on the whole concept is lacking. What I *can* say, and have had first hand experience with...is that these earbuds sound better now than they did when I first listened to them. Why? I don't know. Reason...also don't know. But, they sound better.As of today, the 16th of December 2011, these earbuds are amazingly good. Knowing what I know now, I WOULD pay twice the cost I did pay for this set. Not $300, but more than what I did.I really wasn't convinced when I used them on my ipod. They sound GREAT there too, but I mean..its an MP3, its compressed. The size of the audio file actually does matter when trying to assess the quality of music. When played with audio from a CD...which is NOT compressed (or if so, not as much), these sound surreal. I can't really describe it in words. I can hear literally every nuance of the music, and parts of songs I never knew existed! The bass is not over or underdone, its exactly what it should be, and doesn't sound distorted.SOUND (quality itself)High range: Clear, minimally distorted (and after "burn in" effectively none)Mid range: Also really clearLow range: You'll take the earbuds out, look at them, and wonder how in the world sound like THAT can come out of something so small and comfortable.The earbud can effectively handle any type of music, though I will digress bass-centric music will not be fully represented by this set. Again, since there really isn't a bass exaggeration, if you exclusively listen to music that focuses on (xyz) range, buy buds that are built around that. These earbuds are great when you listen to a LOT of different types of music.Overall, this is one a very small set of products I'd *actually* recommend to someone else if they asked me about it.========A few tricks and hints:1) Insertion: These come with several different ear-tip sizes. Its entirely possible the attached medium-single flange won't be your size!! Try different sizes and find the one that works best. You won't really appreciate the sound if your busy going "&##@$*!!!! why won't these things stay in". Also, remember that your ear canal is TALLER than it is WIDE in most cases. So, insert the tips with the LONG axis of the oval in the vertical direction. When the earbuds are in completely, exterior sound should be minimized.2) Even if you don't normally, try these (even once) with a CD, or other higher quality sound recording compared to an mp3. It WILL surprise you. It surprised me into writing an impromptu review.3) Burn in/wear in/blarga flarga in. Whatever you want to call it, these earbuds will sound better after use. If you want to accelerate the process, multiple cheap apps are available via itunes and many more online which will play hours of varying noises designed to make burn in easy. Basically, just put on a loop while you sleep, and in the morning...ta da 10 hours (or 4) of burn in. Yay!-------Overall, if prices remain low, and you're on the fence about these verses another brand of similar cost...get these. They WILL amaze you.Personally, I think this product has turned me into a loyal klipsch customer for quite a long time.Just a quick word to support all those who have given these beauties a high rating. When they dropped under £100 on Amazon last year(?) I snapped them up and have not had a single regret since. No issues with the cable to-date. Great sounding in-ears. I also own the Sennheiser ie80 pair (which cost considerably more) and the Klipsch 'phones are comparable in my opinion. A slightly different emphasis on sound balance, but overall a strong rival - it's down to personal taste and preference.Personally, I think the main problem (challenge) is finding the right ear buds - not always those that are supplied. Human ears come in an infinite variety of sizes and shapes, so finding the best fit for comfort and sound is not that simple. I have Comply buds fitted to both my sets and find these really help, preferring them to the as supplied sets. I found them a worthwhile 'upgrade'.Oh, and I also prefer the simple Klipsch case to the overly fussy Sennheiser box.Add a suitable DAC/Amp and you'll be positively beaming with audio pleasure. :o)[EDIT]It is with regret that I have to join the ranks of those who complain about the durability (or otherwise) of the cabling on this model of earphone.I purchased a pair in February 2013 and enjoyed using them in the office at my desk. Not a demanding environment. Even less so, when you consider that I have alternated them with another well-known brand of high quality earphones. Indeed, I cannot fault the sound quality at the price.However, in early March 2014 I suddenly noticed that the black sleeve at the business end of each bud is splitting along the seam. I suppose I could attend to this with a piece of insulation tape or similar, but I really think that this should be an unnecessary step for a premium pair of earphones. I will shortly be getting in touch with Amazon to see what can be done. The manufacturer warranty is supposed to be greater than 12 months so I will see how it pans out. In the meantime it looks as though I will be moving to the sturdier Sennheisers.So, where does that leave them on the rating scale? I deduct 2 stars. I can hold the seams together with tape, but shouldn't need to. At over £200 as originally sold, there is no way the kind of use I have put them through should result in degradation like this. A great shame - disappointing.[LATEST EDIT]The other day I decided that it was simply too much bother to go down the route of contacting whoever might wish to claim responsibility for the disappointing durability of the x10 earphone cables. Instead, I applied a small dab of Locktite glue to the offending areas. This appears to have effectively welded the seams and stopped the rot. It's not ideal and it's not elegant, but it works - for now at least. The earphones still sound terrific. :o)I spend an awful lot of my life listening to music, or being on calls, on my iPhone. I had for the previous couple of years been using SkullCandy Full Metal Jacket (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skullcandy-Jacket-In-Ear-Earbud-Headphones/dp/B004P1IU20/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1399883730&sr=1-7&keywords=skullcandy+full+metal+jacket) and had been very happy with them, despite the cost of replacing the comply foam tips (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comply-Tx-400-Isolation-Earphone-Medium/dp/B002OOWBWA/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1399883791&sr=1-1&keywords=comply+foam+tips) every few months. I decided though that I would upgrade to a better set of headphones and after researching multiple websites and reviews I decided that these offered the best performance and value for money.When I first had them delivered and plugged them in, I was very disappointed. They were tinny and frankly the tips supplied were rubbish. Even switching to the double flanged large tips still let me feeling very much that I had wasted £100 on a pair of headphones that weren't a patch on my old ones. However, two things occurred to me, firstly that with them being more 'high-end' maybe they needed running in. I have to say, after a few days of listening there was a definite improvement, especially for music that is based around acoustic instruments, Mumford and Sons for example sounded great. The issue for me was that I mostly listen to electronic music and here they were a disaster. They totally lacked low end punch with most music sounding as if I had turned the bass off. Even setting my iPhone to one of its bass heavy sound settings made absolutely no difference.This is where my second idea came in to play. I checked on the website and the Comply foam tips I had used on my SkullCandys also fitted these. Fortunately I had one new set left so I set about fitting them to the Klipsch headphones. Wow, what a difference, for me at least. These headphones have suddenly come alive! Filled with bass and with absolute clarity right through to top end hi-hat and snare. The Comply tips succeed where the Klipsch rubber tips fail miserably. The noise isolation is perfect, even on flights, provided I am in front of the engines I can hear almost nothing, if I'm near the back of the aircraft them it's not perfect, but it's very good.I should also add, the performance of the microphone and the buttons to operate the iPhone are really good. Previously when using the SkullCandys people would often comment on how noisy it was as the microphone picked up everything going on around me. This has never happened with the Klipsch; people just don't know I am using a headset and that's a real benefit as I don't have to keep switching mute on and off anymore.Overall, I am extremely happy with these earphones now I have the Comply tips fitted. Without these, I would have been giving them two stars. I have never been aware that I have giant ear holes, but clearly Klipsch's idea of large tips doesn't match with mine so thank you Comply for having a better solution (for me at least). Please read the other reviews though as lots of other people find the Klipsch tips extremely comfortable and great for them.I love these and would have given them 5 stars but typically Klipsch have cut corners compared to my last set, the jack no longer has a right angle from it so it sticks out the bottom of my ipod and puts unnecessary strain on the flimsy wire when you carry the ipad in your pocket (as we all do). The last ones came in a very nice leather box to keep them in when not in use but this latest set turned up with a cheap small vinyl zip pouch which is poo so I threw that away and re-cycled by old leather holder. what I do love is the size of these they are tiny and fit snugly in your ears and give great sound reproduction the 'flimsy' wires are also good as so many ear plugs come with bulky ridged cable that makes you feel like your wired up to the mains!! Great product overall, good quality sound but can't give a 5 as Klipsch are listening to the bean counters at HQ and cutting costs rather than just being passionate about serving up a quality product as they say "the devil is in the detail"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.I ordered these a few days ago and they have come today, I absolutely love them.The sound quality is absolutely brilliant especially from such a small driver unit! I play drums so naturally when I listen to music the drums are the main thing I look out for, It's honestly amazing how much extra I am hearing from the drums in each song and it's not just the drums, every instrument seems to be doing twice as much as when I had a pair of £50 Sennheisers.Once you put these in you'll actually forget they're in your ears because they are that comfortable, the oval tips really do make a difference! The mic/controls on the wire work very well with my