speedboxx

Thankfully, the split strain relief wont affect sound quality...but it does increase the chances of the wire breaking off in the future. Too bad the X10s dont have user replacable wires. Ive found that out all off the different types of glue Ive tried...none seem to bond to rubber very well. I havent tried rubber cement though...so maybe that would work better? Another thing to try is to take a piece of wire/cable with a flexible rubber jacket that is roughly the same inner diameter as the X10s, then use a set of pliers and stretch the wire jacket over the X10. Or you could try heatshrink tubing, which would probably be easier. Or better yet, rubber cement + heatshrink tubing.

While the skin oils/chemicals of the user might contribute to the splitting, the fact of the matter is that the strain reliefs simply arent designed that well from a physical standpoint. The rubber is flimsy and thin but also, it is not a single rubber piece. It is two separate pieces bonded together somehow (you can see the line where they bond together). This bond appears to be where the split usually occurs.

I dont think the main Klipsch RMA number located in the US will be of any help to non-US customers other than directing you to a distributor in your area. That was my experience with a Canadian RMA. I wonder how people RMA their products if there is no distributor in their area? The main Klipsch USA office seems to refuse RMAs from non-US locations. Heck...if you are outside of the US and you need to RMA your product, you're not really even dealing with Klipsch...you're somewhat dealing with an outsourced 3rd party.

When you call Klipsch, they ask you where you bought it from so Im assuming the warranty is only valid if purchased from a licensed distributor. I dont think they will make you ship it back to the US though. They will mostly likely have a distributor in Germany that you ship to. Here in Canada, the RMA goes through Gentec and not Klipsc.

This is a problem on the x10s as well. The strain relief design is the same as the x5. As of now, I dont see ANYONE at Klipsch taking note of the design flaw and providing a solution to customers unless they are under warranty. Unfortunately my x10s not only started to split at the end, but at the end closest to the earpiece as well. Here's what my x10s looked liked when the split was initially small (I used my x10s very lightly...didnt even take them out of the house): Then it eventually leads to this: VERY dissapointing, especially for Klispch fans like myself =(

Sorry If Im hijacking your thread with my own Klipsch problems, but I appreciate your support. Anyways, Klipsch doesnt "need" to offer me anything, as it isnt their policy to accept RMAs on products still under warranty without a receipt. I have basically been turned down by customer support already, and it's understandable. However, it sure would be nice for Klipsch to step up and take some sort of responsibility for the poor design of the x10 and x5's strain relief. Shure has been known to RMA their products outside of warranty for known design defects, mostly with their cabling. Ive looked at a bunch of pictures that people post of their headphone rigs and about 50% of the x10s seem to have a strain relief that start to go bad. For future reference, here is what your x10's may look like in the future starting from one small split in the strain relief (before and after): I guess the important lesson to learn here is to keep your receipt, or scan it in.

Glad you managed to get your Custom 3's sorted out. I think the Custom 3's and the x10s probably dont have studio quality accuracy to it, but then again it doesnt really bother me too much as they are really fun sounding earphones. If you want flat response, you would probably look into something like Etymotic. But I personally think that music is meant to be enjoyed, not analyzed. But it's all just personal taste of course, if you enjoy it, then that's all that matters. Anyways, as for my x10, I dont think I will be as lucky as you. The strain relief on my x10's literally split in half and they have not been abused at all. I have always been a huge fan of the Klipsch sound and I own alot of Klipsch products, but the x10 is a HUGE dissapointment for me. Although they are the best sounding iem's I have, I cant believe how terrible the build quality is considering that they are the top of the line from Klipsch. I really hope someone at Klipsch is paying attention and fixes this problem. I understand that without a proof of purchase, I am probably out of luck as far as getting my x10s replaced/repaired but I wish Klipsch would print a serial on their iems or something so that a warranty replacement can be issued even without a receipt. Shure does this with their products and they have been known to have pretty amazing customer support (had my old Shure e2cs replaced under warranty no fuss at all and without a receipt).

I will admit that their email support was a little longer than most other companies, but Im surprised it took you that long through phone support. However, since you have the receipt as proof of purchase, I dont think you'll have any problem getting them exchanged. Im surprised your C3s broke so fast. Compared to my x10s (which are breaking after very little use), the C3s are actually built MUCH better.

Arg!!! The strain relief problem is just getting worse. On one side, the plastic rubber has completely come off the enclosure! Im REALLY dissapointed that my $300 earphones are so flimsy! Am I out of luck here since I've lost my receipt for proof of purchase?

Ok so none of my local hardware stores seem to carry rubber cement, so maybe someone can recommend another adhesive to try. Contact cement perhaps?

Ive got a pair of the Image x10s which have only been used for about 6 months and already the strain relief is cracking. Ive read other threads on the internet and it seems like this is a very common problem for the x10 and x5 series. I love the Klipsch sound, but Im very dissapointed that these $350 iems are breaking so easily. The strain relief is incredibly thin at the end and I wonder why the Klipsch engineers didnt design it better. I have been very careful with these iems and have rarely even taken them out of the house! Although my x10s are still under warranty, I lost the receipt so I doubt Klipsch would be able to do anything. I suppose the best I can do now is to just patch them up somehow, so I was wondering if you guys have any suggestions. What type of glue would work? Rubber cement maybe?