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Headphone specific query: Shure or Klipsch

F

fluffer

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 3, 2009
94
0
I'm looking to replcee my lost pair of Skull Candy FMJ's. I'm thinking about pitching a little higher with the following 2 models for my 3G S : SHURE SE115 or Klipsch Image S4.

Has anyone had any specific experience with any of these that could help me decide?
 
I do not own the S4, but i own the Se115 and the Klipsch Custom 3 but they are not in your price range so i would say look for the Custom 1 instead of the S4.
 
I own the Klipsch s4i, basically the s4 but with in-line mic/remote; I'm really happy with the sound, my only gripe is that it took a lot of time to find just the right seal with the earbud tips.
The s4i's have very tight bass, not boomy. The highs are fairly bright and the mids are well balanced. I'm at a loss for how else to explain the sound; all I can say is that I'm happy with my purchase.
 
SchneiderMan,

You were part of the Apple IEM debate over on head-fi.org so you know there are a lot of people there that share my high opinion of the Apple IEM's. I found the NuForce to be just average for the price and returned. I then purchased the Apple IEM's and founds them to be wonderful.

Maybe I get a really good seal with the Apple but not with the NuForce. Because the NuForce had very little bass and sounded too bright to me. Where is the Apple IEM's have appropriate bass and accurate mids and highs.

S-
 
There was a slight distortion and clarity with NuForce until some time back with their custom ear tips, but that was resolved when lot of members wrote to Nuforce team to include a silicon tip ear plug... initially comfy or shure's e2c ear tips were a perfect combo with Nuforce, but as of now NuForce is including similar silicon ear plugs around 3-4 pairs along with the packing.. You need atleast 60-90 hour burn time to get the best from these ear phones.

Lets face it... Apple earphones and Itunes are the worst thing to happen to Iphone/Ipod's!!
 
sidewinder said:
SchneiderMan,

You were part of the Apple IEM debate over on head-fi.org so you know there are a lot of people there that share my high opinion of the Apple IEM's. I found the NuForce to be just average for the price and returned. I then purchased the Apple IEM's and founds them to be wonderful.

Maybe I get a really good seal with the Apple but not with the NuForce. Because the NuForce had very little bass and sounded too bright to me. Where is the Apple IEM's have appropriate bass and accurate mids and highs.

S-
Click to expand...

You didnt use them with the Comply foam tips so no good seal means no good bass, i understand that. I dont use those silicone tips that come with all the in-ears anymore. Foam tips are the way to go and will improve sound immensely.
 
Thanks for all your replies. @SchneiderMan, those Custom 1's look like a good contender. I like to keep iPhone functionality and so would need that in-line control thing from Apple in addition but still going to consider.
@holyindian, on a quick search, the Nuforce dont seem to be around too much in the UK but the Nu Force NE-8 at $104 seem to around in the US quite a bit.
@sidewinder, reading the reviews on Apple, there seems to be a good wave of people complaining about poor bass response and overall discontentment. I know you cant tell unless you try but it's difficult with in-ear headphones to get the correct tip to ensure the best performance.
@BigBearAZ, the attractionof the S4i's are that they have great reviews and also have the in-line mike/remote already built in! Their £89.99 tag is a little more than I wanted but still not too far out.

Cheers again.
 
You should consider the Etymotic ER-6i or HF2 too... (I have the last one)

I have the last one, and it simply is superb. If you read the reviews there's only one complaint that there isn't enough bass. I'm absolutely sure that that's not true.

1) You have to get a good seal with these earbuds (with all earbuds actually, but with these especially because they are very accurate)
2) Compared to other headphones there is less bass. But, it's not too little, it really is perfect! After switching back to my Sennheiser CX400 it just shocked how much bass those have, and how distorted, unreal, and unclear this was! And I loved these earbuds before!

So only if you really want more (than natural) bass I wouldn't recommend them. But they really are great, I was never so happy with spending money on accessories. You really hear things you didn't mention before, and everything is just as it should be! :)
 
@Stormbringer, cheers for that. I've seen these at Apple and have been intruiged. Just wondering what the £5 difference is between the models you mentioned.
 
£5 really? Frankly I don't know exactly, but the HF2 is almost the same thing as the ER-4P, which retails for $300 and is very popular. The difference is the design, the mic, and that the HF2 has not so many checking on the production process, so some units could be "not perfect".

By the way, if you're looking for a good isolation, I think the specified 98% blocking is not exaggerated! That has it's downside of course (not knowing people are talking or shouting at you), but if you like isolation (like I do), this triple flange design of the HF2 surely is great! I'm not sure about the other in-ear buds listed here though, I have only experience with different Sennheiser and Sony models. But they all seam the same to me, so I think Etymotic has an advantage here, personally...
 
The ER-6 retail in the UK for £73 ($121) and the HF2 for £77 ($128). It's the ER-4 that are at £145 ($240). As mentioned, I'd prefer inline controls but would also consider a module for the mic/remote.
 
I'm sorry, but what' the difference between "inline controls" and "module with mic/remote"? What do the Klipsch and the Etymotics have?
 
Just bought the Klipsch Image S4's last night and even with no break in period, they are hot. I'm working on "cooking them" for 40 hours which I hear is where they hit the sweet spot. If they keep getting better from here, than that's only a good thing IMHO. I considered all makes and models up to 200 and all of the data and user experiences kept pointing back to the S4's for what I wanted them for. Lightweight, extended (6 hours a day) comfort, punchy bass and a great soundstage.
 
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