Klipsch IMAGE S5i Rugged All-weather, All-sport In-ear Headphones with Mic

Reviews for Klipsch IMAGE S5i Rugged All-weather, All-sport In-ear Headphones with Mic

Customer Reviews and Ratings

3.5 out of 5 stars

Based on 29 reviews

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Not bad, decent value for the price.

    • Written by from edmonton

    NOTE: Klipsch S4, S4i and S5i all have the same frequency response on the boxes, meaning that its highly likely the drivers/speakers inside are also the same. That being said, all three are within 40$ price range from eachother and all have a seperate set of "accessories" to suit them, S4 being bare bones, S4i having remote/mic, and S5i having remote, mic, case and weatherproofness.

    use: on my Imac for a little more privacy on skype, with my iphone 4 for car use, and at college.

    i've had my ears in practically every brand of expensive headphones from monitor headphones, to listener based amplified headphones, to wireless etc... basicly I've owned almost every type of headphones out there.

    So here's the review. I looked at all three klipsch models and I really wanted a case, so this was my choice. The sound is pretty standard for its price range. Also cord noise as others are claiming, well thats standard with any in-ear headphones, if its an issue to them, they likely didn't pick the right product for their needs or arent using them right. The Sound is fairly flat, with a bit of extra bass, but i think its more a product of sound isolation than anything else. The cord is tangle resistant, which means its "less likely" to tangle up taking them in and out of of the case, and this claim is true, they are less likely than say your regular ipod headphones to tangle. So yeah I covered pretty much all of it for a new purchase, sound, value, quality are all decent... durability, we shall know with time.

    93 of 100 people found this useful

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  • 1.0 out of 5 stars

    OK if they worked

    • Written by from Burnaby

    One side stopped working after a couple of days .Like others said, too much cable noise. Every time they are moved or touched a thump comes though. I hope I can return them.

    19 of 30 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    great for those who reaaally sweat

    • Written by from Ridgewood

    Generally don't write reviews but I waited three months for these to come out and if this review "jinxes" the headphones I promise to come back and delete/re-write.

    Now, I sweat. I really sweat. I generally burn off apple's OEM in about 1 month. Seriously. I have tried all "sporty" and even one pair that warranted for "sweat." They all went bad--and none lasted more than three months. What also occurred with the other pairs of ~$100 headphones--almost immediately--is that when you sweat, the sound quality begins to die. Generally the Mic also stops working pretty soon--maybe after 2 real sweaty runs. I ran with these today 3 miles in 24 min and really sweated and throughout the run the sound remained the same. After the continued to work fine and so did the mic. I have had them since they came out but today I really "sweated" them.

    The sound itself is fine. I am not a sound expert so I will not pretend to go in that direction--but for me as long as the sound is loud and the bass is good--I am satisfied and these are sufficient in sound quality for me.

    The cord is long--this "gets in the way" and gets stuck in certain places sometime, but it is great for the gym--especially if you have no pockets. Again "sporty" is the word.

    The remote--big, too big--but you get used to it and everything else seems puny. I would prefer it a bit smaller but the "size" has its benefits. easy to go through songs when running and when not. The other bad thing is that since the size is big and so are the keys, they are very sensible. this means that your ipod/iphone starts rocking a few times a day on its own. to clarify, it's because the "play" button gets pressed by mistake not that they start on their own--this occurred in another pair because of the sweating.

    Also, there is some "cord sensitivity" issues that my girlfriend has complain about when I am on the phone--but it doesn't bother me and see my sound description, above.

    also, Super outside-sound blocking

    Overall the waterproof and the long cord and even the remote are great for working out.

    My review is inapplicable to those who do not sweat and are not mainly using headphones for sports--and for those who are seeking quality sounds. This last point stems from me not being a sound aficionado and does not reflect the sound quality of these headphones.

    117 of 124 people found this useful

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  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Not what I hoped for

    • Written by from Chesapeake

    I had high hopes these and wanted earbuds that could withstand being exposed to water. I have used the Apple earphones w/mic + control & the V Moda Remix w/mic + controls and in each case have had issues with moisture from exercising causing them both to malfunction. The Klipsch S5i's do function perfectly while working out but don't do much more. I couldn't get any of the included tips to fit my ears right & constantly had to adjust while exercising. It didn't matter if I wore them normally or in the recommended "sport fit" which means having the earbuds upside down w/ the cord wrapped behind your ears. A rugged earbud that can withstand the elements is a great idea but the execution of these leave a lot to be desired.

    8 of 18 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Much needed upgrade to the S4i

    • Written by from Miami Beach

    So, I'm not sure about this cord noise people talk about because the reason I use headphones is for gym workouts, and I'm too busy working out and listening to my music to notice any possible "cord noise." That being said, I've always wanted an iPhone-compatible headphone that had some sweat resistance since I've broken almost every headphone I've had that had a built-in mic/track controls due to sweat (S4i's, Apple's iPhone headphones and in-ear bud headphones, Sony iPhone headphones, etc.). These have so far stood up to my sweat without a problem. I can still skip tracks, answer calls, etc. even though the control unit is somewhat drenched. The headphones are very noise-isolating just because they provide a good seal in your ear canal... some may complain that it's too much noise cancellation, and I'd just respond by saying well don't use these in a car or riding a bike on the street (unless you have the volume turned way down). There are plenty of headphones out there that don't have good ear seals that will have less noise isolation but you'll also get a less impressive sound profile from them (less bass comes to mind). Anyway, I love these headphones for the purposes they were made for (adding sweat/moisture resistance to the S4i's). Hopefully they'll continue to work for a very long time.

    12 of 13 people found this useful

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  • 2.0 out of 5 stars

    Rugged maybe, but I'm not keeping them long enough to find out

    • Written by from Scotch Plains

    I've really been trying to find something that replaces my Shure E2c's, but these certainly aren't the ones. I did try the Shure SE210m+ and wrote a review on them here, so I'll explain why these S5i's are getting returned, and make some comparisons to SE210m+'s, and the E2c's.

    Start at the connector - it is the typical straight style. I prefer an angled one, but this seems OK.

    Up to the controls - yes, it it looked large in the box, and it truly is HUGE compared to the S4i's and the Shure SE210m+'s I tried. By huge, I mean it measures almost 2.5"/6.5mm long, and .5"/1.5mm wide.

    However, the size alone wasn't the problem with this - the cables are attached to it sloppily. If I hold the left and right ear buds, the control twists sideways, as if the cables should have been inserted/soldered/attached with more precision. if I hold the left and right apart, the control should lay flat, it doesn't, no matter how many gentle twists I try on the cable.

    Another reviewer mentioned the cable noise - it is bad - especially compared to the E2c's and the SE210m+. Klipsch seems to use a similar material to the headphones that come with an iPhone - the rubbery feel. You can somewhat lessen the effect of it by using what they call "Sport Fit" - which means placing the cable up and over the top of your ear, which is how I wear my E2c's anyway, but with the large control, as light as it is, it isn't enough to keep the cable over the top of my ears. That simple little clear plastic slider on the Shure E2c's is still the thing I am really after in terms of fit.

    Finally - the buds themselves - I switched to the large at first, then onto the double flanges - they held OK, and insertion was easy enough. The sound was pretty darn good. Not over-exaggerated bass, treble was a little lacking, and mids, well, were OK, but not too well defined.

    Oh, and lastly, the case - really - do we need an LED case, with a belt clip? If these are supposed to be the "Rugged" ones, it makes even less sense, and seems like a waste of packaging and plastic...

    How I arrive at the 2 stars:
    -2 for the cable noise (yes, it was that bad)
    -1 for the control sloppiness

    I really wish the rating was broken out by build quality and other factors...In sound quality, they would have scored pretty well overall...

    13 of 22 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    So far so good

    • Written by from NEW YORK

    I had been using Shure headphones for a few years (the SE110 and now the upgrade of the SE115K) and had the music phone adaptor that Shure made that I had bought with it. The Shure's I would say block out 98% of noise where these only about 90%. These are however more comfortable to wear and the sound otherwise is just as good. I switched to the Klipsch because the Shure's would break every 6 or so months. Shure was really good if they broke to send a replacement for no charge so hoping the same with these Klipsch ones (although my big reason for choosing these now is the "rugged" tag on them, which I am hoping will avoid this from happening).

    Phone functionality is good on these, although I have been told that you can tell I am on a headset when using them for phone calls. I would have ideally expected perfect quality being that these are a wired headset and not bluetooth.

    8 of 9 people found this useful

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  • 4.0 out of 5 stars

    Exceptioanl Sound for the right individual.

    • Written by from New York

    The sound quality of the Klipsch is exceptional. The Noise Isolation is exceptional. Highs are great, and the bass is deep and not overpowering. (Not for the bass fanatic though.) The rugged aspect of the headsets are great. I have not had a chance to do a comparison to the to the S4i, although I am assuming that the sounds quality is the same between the two models, just a more rugged designed for the S5i for $30 more.
    The sounds is amazing for the price of earphones, although referring to the title of my review. These headphones are not for me. Why? I use Bose qc15 for my noise canceling and listening enjoyment while traveling. Those are amazingly comfortable for long flights. If these will be your only set of earphones, then absolutely purchase.(Sound it not to far away from the bose products for a fraction of the price.)
    I purchased these for my walk to the gym and for my workout. I occasionally take calls before, after, and during my workouts. The problem I have with with the noise isolation is I can't hear myself speak, which is a problem. I find my self speaking louder than necessary. This is not a Klipsch problem, but a problem with incorporating noise isolation with mobile phone use. I would prefer an open ended design such as the Bose Mie2i.
    This other CON is the location of the music and phone control. The control button housing is far to low and too large for me. Yet I am sure this will hold up in all situations, it is quite rugged. I keep my earphones behind me while working out, this creates and problem when sitting or lying on a bench.(The control module rests in the middle of my back) The second I sit down , the song is either paused or skipped. Once again this is a personal issue that may not apply to everyone. I will be returning them. For $129.99 I need to find whats right for me.

    12 of 14 people found this useful

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  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great headphone for working out

    • Written by from Mendota Heights

    I just got them a few day ago. I have used them every day at the gym and at home. They sound great and are stay in my ears well once I got the right size of buds. They feel good even after I have them in for 2 hour. The sound has a great balanced, good bass but not to strong, The mid and highs sound clean. They do keep out a lot of noise that is fine for the gym, home or on a plane. I ride a lot of bike I would not use them biking they block out to much sound for that. The only down side I see is you get some noise from the cable rub.

    75 of 77 people found this useful

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