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Klipsch

The Gizmo Report: Klipsch's Image S4i In-Ear Headset

If you've flown on a commercial airline since 2000, you've probably seen people wearing Bose QuietComfort headphones. They're expensive and large, and I don't like them.

Their noise-cancellation circuitry actually generates noise of its own, and my ears are good enough to hear it as long as I'm not seated too near the engines.

I started wearing earplugs on airplanes in the 1980s when I discovered the squishy memory-foam type. They block noise better than headphones ever could, and they don't make any noise themselves.

But when I bought my first iPod, that strategy didn't seem quite so perfect anymore. The ear-bud headphones that came with the iPod never fit me at all; they just fell out. After some experimentation with small folding travel headphones, I decided I was happiest with in-ear headphones. They gave me most of the noise reduction of the foam earplugs along with the ability to listen to music.

The problem with in-ear headphones is finding a model that fits me. I gather that this is a common problem with this type of product. I went through several low- and mid-priced models before settling on the old Apple In-Ear headphones--they just worked the best for me. (Interestingly, I had the same experience as CNET's Steve Guttenberg when he reviewed them: they only fit well when inserted upside-down.)… Read more

iPhone-friendly Klipsch Image S2m is a great value

There's nothing like good, old competition to keep tech prices in check. Case in point: earphones. The headphone market is heavily saturated, and that's why there are so many worthy earbud contenders in the sub-$100 price range. Klipsch is one company in particular that has impressed us with earphones in this price range, and its latest entry is no exception. The Image S2m is a stereo headset with an integrated mic and call button that sells for a very reasonable $60. Like its Editors' Choice award-winning sibling, the Image S4, these 'phones offer impressive sound for the … Read more

When stereo's one speaker too many, think mono

Mono was the one and only way to listen to music and movies for decades.

But it's not ancient history. Mono's on something of a comeback, and the upcoming remastered Beatles catalog will be offered in an all-mono box in September. You can listen to mono over just one speaker, or with two or more speakers. But mono at its purest is a single-speaker deal.

A fringe segment of the audiophile community still buys mono phono cartridges to get the best sound out of mono LPs. Over at BuyMeGetMe they're listening to an all out single speaker … Read more

The Top 10 greatest audiophile speakers

As a reviewer I get to hear lots of speakers, and I immediately forget most of them.

It's not that they're bad, just unexceptional. Here's a Top 10 list and photo gallery of the very best-sounding speakers I've heard for less than $3,500 per pair. The brands may be unfamiliar, but each speaker is a stand-out winner. I will at some point do a Top 10 without price constraints. For now I want to highlight more affordable speakers that you can buy new.

A chance to win the Klipsch Image S4 earphones

Generally, I ignore company promotional e-mails that spout promises of wonderful prize giveaways. There are two reasons for this. Either the "wonderful prizes" are actually not so great (read: cheap), or there is some irritating catch buried within the rules (like you have to sign up for a yearlong subscription to Home & Garden magazine).

But when I woke up this morning to discover that Klipsch is hosting a contest in which one prize is the Editors' Choice award-winning Image S4 earphones, well that is just something I can't ignore. Plus, the action required--writing a caption for … Read more

MP3 Insider 147: When worlds collide

In this episode of the MP3 Insider, Donald and Jasmine weigh the benefits and drawbacks of the rumored iPod camera. Plus, Jasmine has a pair of Editors' Choice earphones, Donald rates the Samsung U5 $40 MP3 player, Pandora goes premium, and touch-screen MP3 players band together to challenge the iPod Touch.

Listen now: Download today's podcast |  Subscribe in iTunes |  Subscribe in RSS |  Watch on CNET TV… Read more

The fantastically phenomenal Klipsch Image S4 earphones

Although I don't generally pimp out reviews here on MP3 Insider, I couldn't resist pointing all you discerning listeners in the direction of the Klipsch Image S4 earphones. Straight up: these in-ear headphones shocked me with their superb sound quality, especially given the $80 price tag. Sure, they're not precisely "cheap" compared to some models that are available, but they do fall in the sub-$100 range and they offer audio on par with sets that cost three times as much. Truly, if you are looking for a new set of ultraportable headphones, the Image … Read more

Klipsch, Scosche announce VoiceOver-compatible iPod Shuffle earbuds

Apple said it would have third parties developing accessories for the new third-generation iPod Shuffle, and sure enough, they are. First out of the gate: Klipsch and Scosche. And by the end of the week--if not the end of today--we should be hearing about more.

As Engadget notes, Klipsch's press release was pretty weak--the company only said that it would have VoiceOver-compatible Shuffle 'buds by summer and that they would cost $99.99.

Scosche was a lot more specific. It plans to have three earphone models--the IDR350M, IDR450M, and IDR650M--that feature an integrated control surface and range in price … Read more

Two-channel home theater vs. sound bar speakers

Let's face it, setting up a home theater with five speakers and a subwoofer is a hassle.

Home-theater-in-a-box systems ease the pain somewhat, but you still have to run wires to five speakers and a subwoofer. Single-speaker sound bar systems? Sure, they eliminate the tangle of wires, but they're just glorified stereo bars and never really sound all that good. You can get much better sound from a decent set of stereo speakers.

You could put together a much better sounding system with Integra's DSR-4.8 DVD/AV receiver ($600) and a nice pair of speakers and possibly a subwoofer. It's a stereo receiver with 50 watts per channel with a built-in DVD/DVD-Audio/SACD player; video connectivity includes a 1080p HDMI output, one HDMI input, and two composite inputs. (You can multiply the usefulness of that single HDMI input by adding an inexpensive HDMI switcher that multiplies the number of available outputs.)

Let's compare and contrast an Integra DSR-4.8 based system with Yamaha's YSP-4000 single-speaker surround system ($1,800). The Yamaha is self-powered so it doesn't need an AV receiver, but it doesn't make much bass. So, you'll need to add a subwoofer, like Yamaha's YST-FSW150 ($280) and a DVD or Blu-ray player.

Fifty watts may not seem like much, but Integra components sound pretty good; pair the DSR-4.8 with efficient speakers you'd get a big sound. Klipsch's RB-61 bookshelf speakers ($499/pair) would be ideal and make better and more powerful bass than the YSP-4000, so some of you won't have to get a sub. But if you're thinking about going whole hog, I like Klipsch's Sub-12 subwoofer ($500). That's all together a $1,600 MSRP system, so it's at least $500 less expensive than the Yamaha system.

The Integra/Klipsch system would be way, way more dynamic, with vastly greater clarity for movies and music (single-speaker systems never quite sound right for music). To be fair, the Yamaha big claim to fame is its ability to produce a facsimile of surround sound from the single speaker, and it's the best of its type (I've reviewed a ton of single-speaker surround systems for CNET--both units with built-in video connectivity and those without--so I should know). The Integra/Klipsch is strictly stereo, but it'll be really good stereo. Big and wide, with a great sense of depth and spatiality.… Read more