rich tarno

I bought the S4's first at a local Best Buy ($80) --- they do not stock the X5 . I was not entirely happy with them, but not completely disappointed, either . They seemed to improve with a little break-in time. I decided to buy the X5's ($150 at Amazon) because I read many good reviews, and also got some prodding from blsamuel, a member of this forum. Initially, I wasn't blown away by the X5's. They seemed overly bright with very little bass in contrast to the S4's which had muted highs and a muddy type of base. At this point let me state that I have been using both 'phones with two mp3 ploayers, a Cowon and a Sony. As a result of my comparisons, I found out that my two mp3 players have a distinctively different sound. The Sony is much brighter, the Cowon more laid back. It is for this reason that the S4's are a poor match with the Cowon, they sound much better with the Sony. At first, I preferred the X5's with the Cowon, but after a break-in period, they sounded just as good with the Sony. The break-in seemed to solve the initial overly bright, not enough bass sound of the X5's. Their sound now is lively, clear, and full --- an exciting sound! The S4's, in comparison, seem dull. This is in direct contradiction to the views of many others that have said that the S4's are "fun" ---they're not fun to me. Others might like that kind of sound, but its not for me. In fact, I returned the S4's. Even though I paid twice as much for the X5's, they're worth the extra cost to me.

Yeah, you were a factor in my decision, but not the only one. I scoured the net and read many owner reviews, forum comments, and expert reviews. I tried to consider everything that I've read (of course this probably can't replace actually prevewing them, but this wasn't possible for me). Using all of this, I came to my final decision. BTW, although I didn't mention anything about it, the comfort factor was also important in my buying decision.

All weekend its been eating at me, until finally my willpower disappeared. I bought the X5 from Amazon, tonight (Sunday) --- price was still $150 with free shipping. I'm still not sure whether I'll return, or keep the S4. I'll decide after receiving, and listening to the X5.

I have continued to listen to the S4's, and they're growing on me. Maybe its the tweeking with the player's equilizer (a Cowon D2 and a noise isolating Sony NWZ), the break-in period of the phones, or a combination of both. Whatever, I'm now seriously considering keeping the S4's. It's a matter of, I know what I have now vs. I haven't listened to the X5 and I'm not sure whether the upgrade is worth it. I checked my Amazon cart and the X5's are still available for $150, so if I change my mind I guess I can still get that deal --- but right now I don't see that happening --- even though, in the back of my mind, I'm still thinking that the X5's may be the elusive perfect headphone that I'm looking for. Oh well, unless I get some persuasive arguments to the contrary, that's where I stand.

blsamuel: Thanks for taking the time to write such a lengthy reply. I appreciate your views on the situation. I thought that the X5 would have suited me better than the S4, but I wanted some reassurance from someone knowledgeable. I bought the S4 because it was the only model that Best Buy carried, and I wanted to test out a Klipsch. It was worth the $80 that I spent, but not perfect, for me. I have read other questions/comments on the forum and am concerned about the "stress relief" problem of the X5 and X10. Is this problem as serious as it sounds? Does the S4 also have this problem? Although I might prefer the sound of the X5, I might keep the S4 if it is immune.

I just bought an S4, and now I'm wondering if I should have bought the X5, or even the X10. The sound of the S4 is pretty good, but its base may be a little muddy (for my taste), and its highs could be a little more clear/crisp. I like base but not the really booming type, I prefer it to be a little more tight. I could live with the S4, but if one of the others (especially the X5 which I can buy for $150), would suit me better, I would return the S4 and buy the other. From what I've read, the X5 seems to fit my taste better, however, there are 2 things I'm concerned about. #1: is its the base strong enough (I want to hear the "thump" of a base drum) -- not enough base would be worse than base that is a little muddy.Can anyonr comment on the base of the X5. I listen to various types of rock. #2 is VERY important: I will be listening to mp3's (bit rate of most of my songs are 128, 160 and 192 kbs). I have read that some consider the X5s not only overkill for the music I'm listening to, but maybe even a poor match. Supposedly, the X5 will emphasize the imperfections of the mp3s recorded at low bit rates. If this is true than I might be better off sticking with the S4. I would like to hear from a X5 (or X10) owner that has listened to mp3s recorded at low bit rates to confim or deny this.