gmarcm

I have several sets of different IEM's and I have found Comply tips to be the best for me. They seem to stay in better and they isolate very well. They make several different ones. Look at this link. It may be what you need. 10 bucks for three sets. Some stores are carrying them now. http://www.complyfoam.com/products/S-100/

I broke down and nabbed a set of X10 for $89. I don't NEED them, but for that price I couldn't pass them up. I have too many headphones and IEM's as it is but a man can't have too many toys, right? My S4's are about 5 years old and I abuse them. They still sound great but I keep expecting them to die on me at some point. If they ever do I will bring the X10 into service. Heck of a deal for $89. I have turned several folks on to them.

Listen to a lossless file of a song that you are familiar with, then listen to the same file in 256. Use a good pair of headphones or IEM's. The difference will be dramatic. Even 320 will be noticably different. I don't download anything less than 320 because my ears with my equipment can tell the difference. I am almost 54 and I have some degree of hearing loss (too many concerts when I was younger). I guess most of us do at this age. But higher bit rates, to me, are much different. There are a few sites that offer higher bit rate downloads but they have limited selections and are pretty expensive. There was one that I used called musicgiant.com but they went belly up. One of the reasons was a constant fued about digital rights. Most of the stuff I got from them is useless now because it is DRM protected. Maybe I can figure out a way around it. Also, when you rip a CD to iTunes you can set the bit rate that it copies at. You can even use Apple's lossless set up. It makes it a really large file but it sure sounds better. Thanks for the compliment on my posts. I just call a spade a spade, and let the chips fall. I am a headphone and earphone junky with a little bit of experience.

If the Klipsch tips work for you then stick with them and save the $20. It is all about what you like and what works for you. I don't like them at all, but that is me. Some drive Ford and some drive Chevy..... The 535 is exceptional for Jazz. I am not a classical guy so I can't comment there. I don't like the S4 for jazz but I like them a lot for rock. I noticed from another post that Amazon is having a fire sale on the discontinued X10. For $89 I am going to grab a set.

If you do try the 535's, make sure (Shure) that you try a set that is well broken in. I found that mine were kind of stiff sounding out of the box. But I only spent a few minutes with them before I broke them in for more than 50 hours with an iPod set on shuffle. Like night and day. And after 200 hours they were as sweet and silky smooth as you would expect for something with that price. I absolutely love them. I also have a set of Klipsch S4 that I like a lot, but they are different animals and I use them for different kinds of listening. The X10 is in between the S4 and the 535. But hey, if you like them and if they are comfortable to you, stay with what you like. My opinion and a quarter is worth about as much as a cup of coffee.

I agree that they are larger and might seem bulkier and harder to wear. I used the original black "acorn" tips but didn't care for them, like you said, over longer listening periods. I used the yellow foam tips and although they were more comfortable, they didn't isolate nearly as well. Then I had an audiologist do an impression of my ears and had custom made molds made that pretty much fit my ears perfectly. But the comfort level was awful. After about 20 minutes, I was done. I was at IES last year in Vegas and I went to the Comply booth. The guy gave me a handful of their different tips to try. They made all the difference in the world. They are very comfortable, they stay put well and they isolate almost as well as the custom molds. I used the 535's with them last night and I listened to all of Led Zep's Celebration Day CD - both sides. No fatigue and no discomfort. Regardless of which IEM you use you should try them. One thing I do like about the X10 is it's narrow tubular shape. I do NOT like the silicon tips but I would sure like to try a pair with Comply tips. Don't get me wrong - I am not saying a bad word about the X10. It is a good IEM that I would give a solid rating. I just like the 535 a whole lot better. Personal opinion. I agree that it is unusual for a company to discontinue one thing before they bring out a replacement, but it happens. Surely Klipsch will do something to replace the X10, or reissue it. Have you tried the S4? A step below the X10 and kind of bass heavy and lacking some in the mid range, but still a solid IEM that is a real value at less than $100.

I agree with most of what you said here. Even though I use an Apple phone I do not use an earphone of any sort with it. I use bluetooth, both in the car and in my office. When I use an IEM it is strictly for music, and like you, I do not want the Apple controls on the cord. And it obviously costs more for the i version than for the standard version. Consumers that either don't have an Apple phone or don't use the phone for listening to music will balk at paying extra for something that they don't want or need. And they will look elsewhere for IEM's. With that in mind, Klipsch isn't in the business of losing sales. I suspect that they have another model in the works or some other option as a replacement for the X10. And to be honest, I was not aware that the X10 was discontinued. Maybe someone from Klipsch will read this and respond. As for the X10 being the best IEM..... I don't share your opinion. While they are very good, the Shure SE535 is light years ahead of the X10 and most everything else out there. If you had said best IEM for the money, then you would have a good arguement. The SE535 is almost $500 and the X10 is less than half of that. The X10 probably fits into the same category as the 3 series Shure's, but at a better price point. I think they are a good sounding IEM, especially when used with a set of Comply tips, which are more comfortable and isolate better than the standard silicon tips. I think Shure needs to come out with a true high end IEM to compete in the market with the higher end Shures, the Etymotics, JH, etc.

Couple of things..... Like any earphone, headphone or speaker, break in time is required. They simply will not sound as good as they can straight out of the box. I think it takes a minimum of 50 hours. I don't judge a headphone or IEM's until they have 200 hours. I take an iPod, set it to shuffle, and sit it in the corner for about a week or so. Volume at about 50%. Don't listen to them at all during that time. Do that and see if your opinion changes. Also, the S4 is clearly EQ'ed with heavier bottom end. Many people like that and it works for some music. The X10 is a more accurate sound than the S4 with no coloration and no emphasis on more bass, etc. But if you take the time to really listen you will hear things that you don't hear with the S4. There is still plenty of bass but it is projected accurately, never bloated or boomy. Mids are very nice and detailed, which is the strength of the X10. Highs are, again, accurate, not rolled off and not piercing. The X10 is a much more refined sound, and they sound even better with a headphone amp. I think you will find that you can listen to these for longer periods than you can the S4. Both are good IEM's but the X10 is just a different type of sound than the S4. The fact that you mentioned FLAC recording tells me that you aren't listening to low bit rate crap. I laugh when I see people get expensive earphones and then listen to iTunes music and AAC files at 128 or 256 and gripe about how bad the earphones sound. That doesn't appear to be the case here. Try breaking them in for at least 50 hours, maybe more. If that doesn't make a significant difference you may have a defective pair, but I kind of doubt it. Let me also suggest Comply tips in place of the stock silicon tips. A very cheap investment that makes a major difference in comfort and certainly in sound because they isolate so well. Less than $20 for three sets, and the audible difference is well worth it. Good luck.

That is odd. Maybe one of the Klipsch guys that oversees this forum can give you a better idea. I use several different ear phones - different brands - and I have not had the issue with my iPhone 4, but I use the straight 'phones.

Is it an iPhone 5? If so, there is a known issue with the phone and earphone compatability. Not just the Klipsch earphones. There is actually something about it on the Apple web site. I heard that they had a work around or an update that takes care of it.

Throw away the stock tips. Spend about $20 for three sets of Comply tips. These are far better than any of the stock tips. They stay in very well and isolate better than anything I know of. They make several different models including a pro tip that is longer to go further into your ear canal.

Over the ear 'phones in the gym? Not sure I would try that, but whatever works. You should try the Klipsch S4 with Comply tips. For me, the stock tips are terrible and not only do they not stay in most of the time but also do not isolate well. The Comply tip are less than $20 for three pairs and they work great. I have used a pair of S4 for several years, At the gym, working in the yard, etc. I have bordered on abusing them and I have not had one issue with them. And for the price they are a real bargain and they blow away some "name" in ears that cost as much as double the price. Break them in for at least 50 hours and I would be surprised if you didn't really like them.

Sounds like you got a counterfeit pair, amigo. If you paid with Paypal you can probably go back through them and get a refund. I hate to add salt to a wound, but ALWAYS make 100% sure that you are buying from an authorized dealer. Better yet, support your local economy and buy from a local dealer. You might pay a little more, but you sure won't get counterfeit goods. And if you have a problem you are much more likely to get it handled locally than from an ebay seller. Good luck.

I have heard about some of the Amazon X10's ad S4's being Chinese made clones. Do what you want, but I wouldn't take the risk. There is a reason that price is so low. Get them direct from Klipsch or get them from Best Buy or a local retailer. If you have access to Fry's Electronics give them a look. They often have great prices, and they are authorized. The S4's are terrific, especially for the price. X10 has more of a refined sound, but if your stuff is copied at anything less than 320 you will probably not appreciate the difference.

Comply makes a set that is actually longer than their standard set. They stay put very well and they isolate much better than the stock tips. I had been using Shure tips on my S4's and they sound better than the stock tips and stay in better (but still not great), but the Comply tips are a step above even the Shure tips. I actually use them on my Shure SE530 in place of a custom molded set that I paid over $140 for. More comfortable and almost as good of a seal.

I know you aren't happy with what happened to your 'phones but you can't ask for much better customer service than that.

Hard to compare BT headphones to non BT. There is not nearly the same frequency response. Very compressed. It doesn't sound bad, but if you listen to a non BT set you will tell a huge difference. Maybe someday.....

There are fake ones sold on Amazon every day. Sounds like you got a pair of them. Real X10's sound very good, even out of the box. You should contact Amazon and get a refund, then go buy them from a local distributor, like Best Buy. What did you pay for them?

I don't care for the factory tips, either. I suggest Comply foam tips. I like the Isolation model the best because they are longer and go further into the ear - and they stay put very well. Extremely comfortable and very affordable. Money well spent. http://www.complyfoam.com/

I'm curious where you got them. That is how the "clones" that I am familiar with sound and I hope you didn't get stuck with a pair of them. That would be Chinese made units that look just like the real thing but sound like crap. If you purchased them from a reputable dealer or an authorized online Klipsch dealer then you should have no problem exchanging them for another pair or maybe even a refund. If you got them from a non authorized dealer then I am afraid you are on your own. If you purchased them from ebay and used Paypal, you can open a dispute with Paypal. They have ways to go back to the dealers and force them to take care of you. Good luck.

Now that I look at it more closely I can see that it is a corner design. Interesting. You might want to contact the Klipsch museum in Hope, AR and let them ID it for you.

I may be wrong but I don't think it is a Rebel. The Rebel was a corner speaker with a similar physical design to the K Horn, but there may have been other designs that I am not aware of.

Fry's Electronics in the DFW area was running a special this weekend on the S3 for $17.99. I showed up late in the day on the 23rd figuring that they would all be gone but they still had some left. I grabbed two pairs because that was the limit per customer. I realize that these are not as good as the S4 but they aren't bad, especially for the price. I will give one away as a gift and keep the other as a back up.

I could be wrong but it sounds like an earwax issue. I had the same thing with a pair of Shure earphones a few years back. I couldn't imagine that would be the case but when I sent them in they told me that more than half of the time the "faulty" earphones are simply caked with earwax. I think Klipsch supplies a cleaning tool. If not, google how to clean them. I hope that is the case rather than a faulty set. Good luck.

Why not have them exchanged if they are defective? You have no idea how they will sound at this point. But if you want to throw money away it is your choice.