Images
Just because the price of MP3 players is dropping faster than a rugby player’s pants at a stag do, doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of an upgrade. Take the iPhone 3G for example; it’s one of the best-sounding players we’ve heard and available for free on contract, but it demands to be paired with better headphones than the budget plugs it comes with.
You could go for a £20 upgrade, but for truly mind-blowing performance you’ll need to times that figure by ten and grab something like Klipsch’s Image earphones.
Miniature marvels
Headphones with a £200 price tag are often big, chunky and blinging, but the opposite is true here: the Images weigh just 10g and are so tiny, they won’t even stay in your ear without the use of the supplied silicon buds.
Once you’ve found the right-sized tips for your lugholes, the Images are (perhaps surprisingly) extremely comfortable indeed, and they easily block out ambient noise. Also, thanks to that lack of weight, they’re easy to forget about.
Big where it counts
Well, they would be if the sonic delivery wasn’t so darn exciting. Despite their diminutive size the Images have a lovely weight that sees chunky bass frequencies thump straight to the brain. Klipsch hasn’t overcooked the low-end though, so vocal performances and guitar riffs are clear and solid, too.
Detail levels are equally impressive, offering amazing texture and definition in individual instruments and voices and, although the Images burrow deep into the ears, the soundstage is absolutely massive.
Are there any problems? Well, the Images are so detailed that they easily expose overly-compressed or poor quality recordings, but that’s not their fault – it’s more of an advert for high-quality digital music.
Sure, £200 is a lot to spend on earphones, and in the case of the Images it doesn’t look like you’re getting much but, believe us, you are. In fact, you’re getting one of the best pair of portable headphones we’ve heard.
Comments
liweifr
1 year ago
That is really incredible,I love it.I have seen many Headphones,but i like this one.
veeraganesh
4 years ago
I bought this In-Ear canals. They are light and very comfortable for wearing longer periods. You need to rip MP3's at least 320kbps to notice the difference these fellows offer. I also got V-Moda Bass frequency canals, They sound amazing, but doesn't stay in the ear when commuting or during work-out and gets little uncomfortable after a period of time. Overall hands down for their light weight and comfortableness, but little down in the sound department. The best price as of 7/11/08 is via misco.co.uk @ 147 and shipping.
scontini
4 years ago
Just found this review comparing the Klipsch Image X10 with the Sleek Audio SA6 and it seems to confirm my comments above - see http://blog.hifiheadphones.co.uk/2008/09/06/review-klipsch-image-x10-v-sleek-audio-sa6-earphones/
scontini
4 years ago
Based on all the good reviews I bought a pair of Klipsch Image X10's about a month back. These earphones really are miniature! The bass response on the X10's is truly excellent (very multi-layered). The high trebles are also very strong (e.g. cymbals and high hats), but I was a bit disappointed with the mid trebles. I listen to quite a bit of female vocal (Nora Jones) and acoustic guitar. The Klipsch Image's don't really do this kind of music any justice as the mid trebles are so distant. I'd definitely recommend the Klipsch Image X10 for bass heavy rock and electronic music.