Klipsch Image X10i In-Ear Headset for iPhone and iPod

• Petite High Fidelity

  5.0 out of 5 stars

  The first thing that struck me is the X10i is on the delicate side: tiny machined aluminum earbuds and slender wires that tangle e asily. The wires are thin so treat them with care. The barrels are finished with anodized copper. I prefer plain goth black. The X10i is not nearly as burly as the Shure E series. However, the fit and finish of these made-in-China cans are excellent, albeit understated.
  
  The earbuds are so small they disappear deep in your ear canal. Nevertheless, these are the most comfortable earbuds I've owned and I've owned dozens. The ultra soft silicon earplug-style design allow them to be worn comfortably for hours. The oval shape of the ear gels fit my ears more naturally than the round ones of other designs. I suffered no ear fatigue after five hours of listening on a flight between Honolulu and Las Vegas. For this design to work correctly, they need to fit perfectly and be worn deep in the ear canal. If worn too loosely or not deep enough, noise leaks in, bass response disappears and the sound stage deflates.
  
  The integral remote tangles at my upper chest and forms the yoke for the right and left earbud wires. Compared to the remote on Apple cans sold with the iPhone and Touch, this one is beefy and confidence inspiring: switches are well raised (to operate by touch) and have just the right resistance. My only complaint is the middle remote button requires extremely fast presses to invoke forward (2 clicks) and reverse (3 clicks) commands.
  
  Noise Reduction: When worn and fitted properly, these earbuds reduce the rumble and grinding of motors, air conditioners, traffic, etc., considerably. The reduction is sufficient to make music listening on an airplane, bus or train a high fidelity experience rather than an exercise in irritation.
  
  Sound Quality: The sound quality of these headphones is stunning: smooth, detailed, and neutral. I listened to classical and jazz selections through an Apple Touch and was amazed by the large and vivid sound stage. They have a "big speaker" quality to the sound stage making the imaging and position of each instrument crystal clear. The only thing missing is the tactile sensation of sound waves striking your body! These are not the right cans for hip-hop and metal fans as the reproduction is too smooth and balanced.
  
  Like most headphones, they sound best after a few hours of play-in. Out of the box they were thin, bright and soft. I let them play overnight and in the morning they morphed into deep tight bass, rich mids, smooth treble and detailed resolution.
  
  This is one pair of fine sounding and comfortable cans. In fact the best earbuds I've owned, and I've owned many. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Peter F from Honolulu
  • May 9, 2010

  142 of 159 people found this useful

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• fantastic

  5.0 out of 5 stars

  pros:
  100% noise cancelling- when the earbuds are in, you cant hear anything but rich sound
  deep base- even with the bass turned up there is never a buzz
  
  cons:
  fragile- because the base of the earbuds are rubber they rip easily if not properly stored
  price- quite pricey for headphones … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Amy B from scottsdale
  • Jun 5, 2010

  89 of 99 people found this useful

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• worth every penny!

  5.0 out of 5 stars

  in the last 10 years I have owned a few premium headsets, but there is always a compromise between size, performance and comfort. These earphones is a golden middle, very comfortable, with great sound and unbelievably small and light. if you considering them - buy it ! you would not be sorry... … More (Read full review)

  • Written by GENNADY K from wellesley
  • Apr 29, 2010

  79 of 99 people found this useful

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• A+ From a Real Musician Reviewer

  5.0 out of 5 stars

  Don't know what the bad reviews are about - maybe just got a lemon? But I use these as live, on stage, in-ear monitors and they ar e amazing.
  
  Clarity is wonderful, bass is perfect; kick drum, guitars, etc are right on the money. Been using them for over a year for this.
  
  I also use them at home, of course, to listen casually and they are the most comfortable I've ever tried - and I've tried a lot. How the heck does Klipsch get that much sound out of these tiny tubes???
  
  Don't hesitate to buy if you can afford them! … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Daniel K from Cupertino
  • May 18, 2013

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• After 7 months

  2.0 out of 5 stars

  I must say that these earbuds sounds amazing.
  
  But, they are built very delicately. After 7 months of use, the plastic/rubber p art at the bottom of the buds is beginning to split. I called for warranty service and I was told that this is normal wear and that taping the crack would keep my headphones working trouble free.
  
  Fair enough, but having to start taping up $400 earbuds after less than one year of use is very disappointing to say the least.
  
  I would recommend looking long and hard at alternate high end earbuds before committing to these. … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Richard M from Oxford Mills
  • Mar 19, 2013

  6 of 7 people found this useful

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• Truthful review here

  1.0 out of 5 stars

  First of all, I am not an audiophile, I am a musician and music lover who listens to music loud and proud. As you have probably re ad in recent reviews, yes these are built like delicate things, but I think that was the point cuz these babies weigh nothing. I am not a klipsch basher cuz I love their image one on hear headphones. I shelled out big money for these thinking I was goin to be memorized. I'm gonna be honest when I say that once you start to pay about $70 on up for earbuds, the differences are hardly noticeable to me. I had a pair of monster original turbines and hardly could tell the difference from my $60 ultimate ears and jays earbuds. I had to force myself into saying " I hear the difference" So I figured $350 earbuds will surely let me know where my hard earned money went. Ok so here is my truthful take on these buds. I listen to everything but mainly rock, and I like to crank my tunes up cuz that's just me. The sound of these was nothing special to justify all that money, secondly and most important..at nearly full volume playing through my iPhone these things distort so bad they sound like blown speakers. I know I shouldlnt be listening to music that loud but sometimes I get lost in the music and crank it. Horrible! $30 earbuds hold their sound at full volume! I took these back and ended up getting monster turbine pearls. The case that klipsch gives you is cool but it's not even real leather! C'mon, for $350 the case should be freakin Italian leather or something. They did look smooth though, the chinsy wire sucked and looked cheap but I'm sure they did that do keep the weight down. There is my truthful review from a listener who like to have fun with his earbuds. Thanks … More (Read full review)

  • Written by Joseph R from San Antonio
  • Jun 29, 2012

  65 of 131 people found this useful

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