bettinadifiore

Hi again - just to clarify, the insert-and-twist trick does "work" with the counterfeits, in that they do sound better when you employ that method than when one does not, and the "sealing" effect does occur. However, they still sound muddy and crummy, even after one has twisted them in and found the proper fit, especially when compared to the McCoys. I'm glad to hear that you feel you got your money's worth with the right size earbuds! I have been so happy with mine, I would be super bummed-out to find out someone else had had a lesser experience with them than I have.

Hi there! You have a good point about positioning, as it does indeed make a big difference in the sound quality. However, the fakes sound crummy and muddy even when they are "twisted" upward in the correct position. I too had to fidget with mine to find the right fit, but even doing that does not make the phonies sound like the real ones do (I have owned both a counterfeit set and a legit set and have compared them side by-side at this point).

It took me a while to find a store that had the S4s in stock, but I finally laid my paws upon a pair about an hour ago, and WOW - the difference between these babies and the ones I got off of eBay is like night and day! I am tickled pink! These are phenomenal - crystal-clear in all pitch ranges, gorgeous balance, just amazing in every way - nothing like the muddy, soupy sound of the ones I must assume are counterfeit. Another difference I noticed (in addition to the ones pointed out by others further up this thread), is the relative texture and thickness of the two cords - the phonies have a very thin, smooth cord, whereas the McCoys have a more matte-textured, thicker cord that strikes me as likely being of higher quality. Hope this helps anyone who is trying to determine whether or not theirs are the real deal - if they aren't, do yourself a favor and go dish out the extra dough for the true-blues; you'll be oh-so-glad you did!

Will do!

After reading all the amazing reviews on the S4s and deciding to buy, I too jumped on the too-good-to-be-true ~$45 eBay bargain bandwagon, and was painfully disappointed by all the same stuff everyone else here has described - muddy bass quality, lack of mid- and upper-range tones, and my logo rubbed off almost immediately as well. It was mainly the sound quality that put a frown on my mug - I just couldn't understand what had prompted all the glowing reviews. I never once suspected forgery - color me naive. Then this morning I received an email from eBay stating that the copyright holder had reported the listing from which I had purchased my earphones as potentially counterfeit merchandise, and that I should seek a refund. It was after receiving that email that I found this thread, which was most enlightening. I just wanted to let everyone know that eBay is taking action against the counterfeit sellers, at the prompting of Klipsch, which means that Amy's investigation must indeed be producing results. As for me, I'm off to Best Buy to get the Real McCoy . . . can't wait to hear how they sound!