Klipsch S4 Review
This should have been posted long time back .First of all a big thanks to Strategy for loaning me his Klipsch S4 . This is one IEM Ive always wanted to a try and have never been able to try them for long every time I came across one.So this time when Strategy sent me his S4 , I ended up keeping it for more than a month using it once in a while and comparing it with the M2s ,M3 etc.
Since I didn't get the S4s in the complete retail box, you will have to take help of google for those snaps and other info . Also the metal box provided by Klipsch is beautiful but the one I got was in a pretty bad shape so haven't uploaded any snaps of that as well.
Just some snaps of the earphones and a lot talking.
The S4s are very tiny and have a nice modern design .The housing has black and silver/chrome coating which looks amazing . There this one really good thing about big brands like Klipsch ,Sennheiser ,Sony etc .They always come up with some of the most beautiful looking products and you will hardly find them adopting generic designs or OEM housings.Same applies for the S4 ,its a very different and well though design .
The build quality if the housing is pretty good . The cables mediocre, not the best. Its smooth and a little too thin .
Now there's one which deserves a special mention- the Klipsch oval silicon tips . The tips provided with the S4 are nothing like the usual rounded silicon tips.Klipsch seems to have done a lot of Research and Development , undergone testing of different types of ear-shapes/canals and come up with a conclusion that most openings of ear canals are always oval in shape and not circular. I am not sure how far this is true but these oval tips provided by Klipsch are damn comfortable ,and when I mean comfy I really mean one of the most comfortable IEMs Ive ever tried . They easily slide into the ear canal and hardly put any weight .The result- you just don't feel like you've shoved something down your ears !
The isolation is also pretty good with bi-flanged oval tips .
Design : 4/5
Build Quality :3.5/5
Comfort : 5/5
Isolation : 4/5
Sound Quality :
Tested them mainly on the Fuze with my usual play list of assorted music , details can be found in other reviews.
*Sound is very subjective and the below impressions are solely based on my hearing capability and perseverance of sound.The ones who have been in sync with my other reviews might find it much easier to understand the description and also agree with the same.
Bass - The S4s are neither bass shy nor are they too heavy on bass.It isn't very fast either , there's the usual lack of speed and attack expected from a dynamic driver.Its the better than average bass which lets you enjoy the kick drums and bass guitars. It doesn't go too low or produce any sub-bass.For that you might have to look at other offerings like the hIPPO VB.
Comparing the bass with the Brainwavz M2 ,the definitely has more bass quantity as well as slam.The S4 in comparison sounds less bassy even though its not at all bass-lacking. So that should give you an idea how heavy the M2s are on the bass. Although the bass on M2 is heavy it doesnt get very boomy or muddy,it's just tight bass slams and punches all over. Also it has a good speed for dynamic driver of this price. The bass does rise up at times not needed but shouldn't bother much unless you hate bass.
Most people who prefer heavy tight bass with authority(no not the bassheads ! ) will definitely prefer the M2s whereas someone who needs medium bass will digg the S4.
Midrange - The mids are smooth and clear , not too forward nor to recessed. I really like the S4 mids ! But then very occasionally the lower mids S4 get shadowed by the slight mid bass hump. Not noticeable unless you are listening to bass heavy music.
The vocals sound clean and neutral , whereas the instruments sound a bit more forward compared to the vocals.The vocals are bang in the centre and the instruments placed all around. Listening to some classical tracks or live Jazz performances shows you the true potential of S4.Whereas with theM2s complete midrange has a hint of warmth and is slightly upfront compared to the S4.Also vocals sound heavier. It is easier to pickup the micro-detailing on the S4s compared to M2 but other than that I find both of them almost equally detailed.
Treble - The treble is something I am not very fond of on the S4 .It sort of like the treble is trying to play safe. It just lacks that perfect sparkle and shine in my opinion. Its not very bright but not even laidback .All I can say is its decent enough. Nothing that impresses me. I prefer the treble on the M2s over the S4s cause it goes all the way till the end of the spectrum without any hint of sibilance. It has that perfect hint of sparkle a treble needs.
Soundstage - The S4 has a very good soundstage .Much better than most midrange IEMs. Not as wide as the RE1 but a just a notch below. Pretty good width and a decent depth in sound .Comparing it to M2 its much wider as the M2s soundstage is slightly congested in terms of width but the M2 has better depth than the S4 , a much better depth actually.
SQ rating : 3.9/5
Conclusion :
Frankly speaking considering just the price tag and the level of sound quality I wouldn’t consider the Klipsch S4 to be the best in its price range .Value for money - Not , Good SQ - Yes. I mean the M2s do come pretty close to the S4 in detailing and some might even like the M2s better , some not .For slightly higher price a lot of other earphones offer much better SQ.
Now there are other factors to be considered like the brand name , 2 years of replacement warranty, the superb comfort provided by the patented tips etc. Considering all that the Klipsch are worth considering especially if you have tiny ears and don't find most earphones comfortable enough.
VFM rating : 3.5/5.
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