As an owner of all of Klipsch' IEM's, I was extremely pleased to hear Klipsch would soon be releasing an actual Headphone model, and couldn't wait to get my hands on a pair. Well the day finally came (A little over a month ago, but Amazon didn't yet have the product available for review) and I've put 'em through their paces.
FIRST IMPRESSION
The box is pretty unassuming and the Apple store even had it hanging from a peg, right next to the Dre Beats and Skullcandy's. Say wha??? But fret not. It's whats inside that counts, and these count in a big way. Accessories include a nice zippered pouch, the typical 1/8" to 1/4" headphone adapter, an airline adapter, the manual, the warranty card, etc. Pretty much what you'd expect to find when de-boxing headphones. But you're not reading this to hear about accessories, so let me get right to it.
BUILD QUALITY
The Image One's are quite nice looking and are seemingly well built. Although plastic is the primary material, it's quite sturdy and unlike the "creaky" Dre Beats. The leather patches on the outside of each 'phone are a nice touch and when mixed with the "chrome" accents, such as the Klipsch name, look really nice. The cable is actually thicker than most and seems to be quite sturdy. These aren't quite what I would call a work of art, but are still something you'll feel proud wearing and feel as if your money was well spent.
AUDIO QUALITY
Audio quality is very good. I've got probably 30 pairs of earphones/headphones floating around, and the only pair I like more than these, are the B&W P5s. But then again, those are in a completely different class.
BASS: If you're looking for a super-flat set of headphones, these aren't it. These have a VERY NICE bass response, but without sounding like a "fart cannon" and/or disturbing the rest of the spectrum. This is in contrast to a lot of other 'phones that can't seem to quite get it right. They're either all bass and trash the mids and highs (Dre Beats), or they are super clear from 800Khz on up, but have very little bass response(Etymotic HF3). It seems as if Klipsch finally got it right.
MIDS and HIGHS: The mids and highs are ultra smooth and there weren't any noticeable spikes, which could lead to audio fatigue. The bass seems to be the only aspect that is a bit "colored". I listened to several genre's of music from Dubstep to Classical and was equally impressed with the performance on them all. I could literally pick out the instruments being played and I felt as if I was right there in the studio.
COMFORT AND OPERATION
COMFORT: These are closed-back, supra-aural headphones. Meaning they sit on the ear, instead of over it. That being said, the soft leather pads and the design make them quite comfortable. I was able to listen for extended periods of time (2hrs+) without any major discomfort. My ears were, not surprisingly, a bit warm after use, but that's about it. Very nice.
MIC/IPOD CONTROLS: The control "stick" is located down on your chest, right where the "Y" splits off (I have uploaded a close up and added it to the image gallery). Some may not like this as much as having it up by your ears, but I actually prefer this design. To me, it's just easier to reach and control. The downside to having the stick lower is the mic is now further away from your mouth. That being said, I found mic clarity to be a bit muffled, and a heavy wind would cause the typical "audio-blowout", but neither were bad enough for me to consider a major negative. I don't use these on my iDevices much anyway.
SOUND LEAKAGE: The leather and foam pads do a nice job of keeping the sound in your ears, where it belongs. In fact, with a perfect "seal", I heard no leakage at all with my Fuze full-throttle. However, once the seal is lost, you do get some leakage (to be expected), but it's still nothing to be overly concerned about. I would feel comfortable using these in a library, as long as I didn't have the volume full-blast.
CONCLUSION
I simply cannot recommend these enough. I read somewhere that these were designed to be the Image S4's in a full size form factor. This is not the case. These sound very different from the S4's, and in a good way. The clarity, bass response and soundstage is pretty amazing. If you've been primarily an IEM user, and aren't going to the gym everyday, you owe it to yourself to try a pair. You'll be pleasantly surprised. They're priced right, look right and most importantly, sound right. A winner in my book.
Recommended. Klipsch Image ONE Premium On-Ear Earphones with Mic and 3-Button Apple Control (Black/Gloss)
I needed something for my daughters to use in the car yet I could use when i needed. These not only have a kool 3 button mic for the Iphone BUT work with just about anything. My daughters can now enjoy Klipsch like I do with my X10s! These isolate outside noise and sound incredible. Klipsch hit a home run!
I am a big fan of Klipsch to start off with, I own a pair of the Image X5 in ear headphones and a Klipsch surround sound system so when I began looking into over the ear headphones I had an idea to look at Klipsch. A little background about how I came to Klipsch. In 2009 I wanted the Beats by Dre for Christmas so I told my family. My mom did a lot of research and found that the Image X5 was cheaper and way better rated. I love the clarity it has and for such a small headphone it packs a great bass. Fast forward to 2011 and I am looking at over the ear headphones, by now the Beats by Dre had evolved from the Rap headphone to an everything headphone. I began to read the reviews of the Beats and saw their ratings had just tanked since their release. So I looked at Sony, Klipsch, and surprisingly Skullcandy, they actually receive some great reviews from users. I decided on Klipsch because I knew the product and I bought off Amazon so I could return it in two weeks or something if I hated it. So far I love them I think they are great, onto a review.
Build:
The build of these worries me, it scares me when headphones pack a carrying case because that means they break easily if they are not on your head. The Image One is built of plastic which didn't surprise me since the headphones were $140, a relatively cheap product from Klipsch. The headphones turn inward to fold into the case and I just see a problem arising there if you are going to pack it up every time you're done using them. The padding on the ear is amazing, it is the fake leather and it just feels amazing sitting on the ear. I have one complaint about the leather though, after sitting on my ear for over an hour I notice some sweat around the back of my ear, its just not vented well at all, Klipsch tried to give you the best seal over the ear they could. The headphones are incredibly light on your head, a benefit made possible by plastic, these were made so you could walk around with them, I am choosing to sit at my desk with them since I have the X5 already.
Sound:
The sound is nothing less than expected from Klipsch its very clear when off of a headphone amp. Off of the headphone amp the bass is nice, not as good as I would have liked but the overall sound is great. Now on a headphone amp these things shine. The bass is BOOMING, I listened to some Kanye West on Beats about a week ago then these on the amp and the Image One was way better than the Beats. One issue on the amp though, if you listen to Rap on a headphone amp the bass is a bit overpowering, it tended to blast out the other tones, I have been listening to Rock and you get the pop of the drum kick great and the background is not faded at all. So rap listeners beware of the amp you might have to adjust some settings. A point of weakness is the sound leaking, it isolates sound for you great but if you are listening to music kinda loud people around you will hear it. It doesn't leak much sound but if you're looking to blast your guilty pleasure secretly with a friend in the room, you might want to turn it down a bit.
Inside of the box was the carrying case, another headphone jack and an airplane jack. I found these to be a great purchase, at $140 for Klipsch its hard to pass up. I am not big on reviewing things but this one deserved a review. The sound is great, the build could be better but it would sacrifice the lightness of the headphone so its like a bittersweet thing. I would look into a headphone amp, you can find them cheap on ebay and amazon, it makes the sound amazing on them and you can leave it on your desk, they also make ones that look like an iPod nano that can go with a portable mp3 player. Its a great product regardless of being on/off and amp so don't hesitate to buy. - Earphones - Audiophile - Klipsch - Bass'
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