A good portion of my wallet goes to audio products, specifically earphones and ancillary equipment. I previously owned the Klipsch Image S4 series, but found the bass too muddy and looked for IEMs with more sonic accuracy.
So I went up several price brackets and tried these: Shure SE530, Etymotic ER4s, Klipsch Image X10, Klipxh Image X5, Phonack PFEs. Needless to say, I feel in love witht he Image X5s.
The overall sound signature is not cold and lifeless like the Etymotics. Most of you can get a decent fit with the stock tips included with the X5s, the oval shape really fit my ears nicely, and the nice bass will add just the right amount of warmth as intended by your music, drums strikes are individually discernible, the kick drum magnificently reminds you its there. Bass isn't just the obligatory "boom" anymore, now it's what the artist and mastering technician intended. Mids are perfect, you can hear the rasp and breath in a voice. There is no distortion in the highs, little details surround you, sibilance is not a problem. High notes on the Violin are crisp, both the leading and trailing edges of the notes flow smoothly.
Many users say the X10 has more bass, I have found the X10 seems to have more quantity because it seems to go a little bit deeper into your ear due to it's smaller size. However, the X5s have ample bass that gives the music full-bodied life. There is no shortage, and the treble extension and overall accuracy of the X5s is actually better than the X10s. I know $250 seems steep for a Single Balanced-Armature earphone, when others claim to have two or three Armatures to bring more range. Remember a well-made single Balanced Armature is good enough. Compare to the Shure, and every other brand, Klipsch Image IEMs are the most comfortable for universal IEMs. The X5s are very small, they can easily be worn for hours on end.
I got these for $99 new at Ultimate Electronics, but they sold out. These occasionally go on sale in the mid $100 range, keep an eye out. Definitely worth the money.
My full review of the X5 and a couple of other headphones is up on my audio blog @ [...] Klipsch Image X5 Noise-Isolating Earphones
Although I was once a professional bass player in a previous life, I'm going to try to tell you in plain English why these are great earphones. The bass is excellent. It is clear and defined, not muddy or boomy. The quality is such that you can tell if the bass is in tune. Indeed, you can discern the quality of the instrument. The midrange is good. Male voices are clear with no unwanted low overtones. Female voices are crystal clear. The highs have a sparkle without being harsh or raspy. What this means in real life is that you can hear each individual instrument, even when that instrument is in the background. For those of you who saved all those high bitrate mp3's, you can now hear the reason you did that. These earphones compare very favorably with my high end Sennheiser headphones. If you buy the Image X5 earphones, you will not regret it. You know you want them ....
The sound quality is orgasmic, especially when paired with a decent DAP, and the comfort is second to none. I bought and paired the X5s with a Sony Walkman and was giddy with excitement; I could hear details I never had heard before, the bass was thumping, and the isolation was very effective (I nearly got run over by a bus the first day I wore them because I couldn't hear it!) When I read the reviews on CNET, and other places, that expressed concern over the durability of the wires, I dismissed them because they seemed to be engaging in speculation.
However, about 5 months after purchase, problems began to occur. The right ear-bud would hiss, crackle, or go out completely. Granted, I was performing extreme physical activity at the time, things like walking, turning my head, or standing completely still, but those were the scenarios in which I hoped to listen to my music.
Then, 7 months after purchase, the entire right ear-bud goes 95% dead. What little I can hear sounds like a blown out subwoofer. It's cringe inducing noise. I had minor complaints up to this point (the outside of the wires seem to conduct electricity as well as the inside and your ear gets a steady pulse of static electric shocks in dry winter weather, etc), but nothing I wouldn't put up with so long as I was getting the sound quality. After the right ear-bud went comatose, these were obviously not worth it anymore.
I won't go into detail about my exchange / warranty problems as I think mine are fairly unique (I bought them in a foreign country and Klipsch outsources warranty problems to the local distributor) and they in no way impact the durability of the design, which is my main point. Just be sure to save your original receipt if/when your headphones begin to degrade or flat out malfunction.
So in the end, I cannot recommend these to anyone seeking a long-term investment. They were amazing while they lasted, but something about the wires or the connection of the wire to the headphone appears to be lacking. Google search "Klipsch Image strain relief" to get a sense of this.
This was my first "higher end" IEMs, so I am limited in comparing them to others. However, I can with confidence say that this purchase was worth my money. The X5s look great and fit my ears comfortably (and stay in place). As for the sound, I have been running them on higher bitrate MP3s on my laptop, and they sound great. Clear mid/lower ranges with super rich overall impression of sound. The base, as some people have commented, is not overstated, instead a "tight/crisp" thump, which I like.
Packaging is high quality and the carrying case is top notch. I can highly recommend the X5s!
Tried out the S4 headphones first, but they were bulky in my ear and came off when I walked. I did a lot of research on the X5's and the only concern I had was the amount of money. I decided to buy them at B&H and boy do I NOT regret it. These are by far the best headphones, earbuds or over-the-ear, I have ever tried out. They are indeed noise-isolating to the point where you really can zone out and truly enjoy the music. Phenomenal and worth the money. I will point out that B&H had them on sale when I purchased them ($145) and their customer service is great, too. - Earphones - X5 - In-ear - Headphones'
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