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britabroad

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 16, 2007
105
86
Want to buy a pair of new headphones with controls for my 3GS and I'm down to these two models. Anyone heard them both? Obviously, sound quality is important, but anyone have any experience with noise from the cable, and with the cables getting twisted? Have an old (now broken) pair of V-Modas, and the cables were constantly getting caught up, and you could hear a lot of mic noise when the cable was rubbed. Any input gratefully received...
 

gunzmaiet

macrumors regular
Nov 18, 2009
108
0
the v-modas should have ear hooks for over ear wearing, this will eliminate most of the microphonics you are experiencing.

I would get the etymotic hf2's when they are on sale

or UE SuperFi 5vi bought from GRASSMD

but out of your choices, id go for the Klipsch's
 

hard-case

macrumors regular
Jul 10, 2007
210
3
I have the s4i's, for about a week now. Sound is good.....I'd rate them after a little break-in as close to my old Shure e3c's in sound quality (Shure a bit better on the highs and clarity, s4i's better on the lows/bass), so they're a good pair of phones, and I really like both the control design and the ability to use voice control. Didn't notice any issues with cable noise, and the cables don't seem to get any more twisted than, say, the apple stock headphones.

My only complaint is that if you've got a long face, like I do, mic placement might be uncomfortable...the mic unit is located at the end of the single cable (iPhone->cable->mic->split into 2 for buds), and when I have both in there's a little bit more than an inch between the bottom of my chin and the unit. Feels a bit odd.
 

jkozlow3

macrumors 6502a
Jul 16, 2008
973
658
I like the s4i very much and I'm pretty picky about SQ. In fact, I like them better than my $350 Westone 3's but only because I don't seem to get a great fit with the Westones for some reason. Fit is crucial to one's enjoyment of an IEM earphone. The built-in track/volume controls of the s4i can't be beat either - great feature!

Many people on head-fi.org use the Sony Hybrid tips with their s4i. They fit a bit better than the stock tips for me and are only around $8 at Best Buy.
 

asleep

macrumors 68040
Sep 26, 2007
3,686
1,574
I went with the S4i after ( a way too exhaustive ) research/reading reviews.

They say you have to burn them in for at least 48 hours at a volume slightly higher than you'll use for listening -- after that, they sound great.
 
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