Alex,
Thanks for the reply. I work as a software developer that provides software for Apple Computers and I own two of them. I am not against IOS or Apple products and I believe that the X10i is a great product for the IOS market. On the other hand, half of the smartphone market is dominated by Android-based phones and I don't believe that the X10i Apple Controls will function on the Android phones. If the Apple Controls won't function on an Android phone, wouldn't it make more sense for an Android phone user to purchase the X10 rather than the X10i? Also, many audiophiles use dedicated devices to listen to their music and the X10i Apple Controls will not be useful to them. Check out head-fi.org and you will find a lot of the folks there using dedicated music devices. I agree with you that the segment of the market using dedicated music devices may be small, but it definitely exists. I have noticed that you offer the S4 sans controls/mic and I also own the S4. While the S4 is an excellent product, the X10 brings-out even more subtle details in the music. In my opinion, folks that own dedicated music devices will be more inclined to purchase the X10 rather than the S4. If you examine the IEM product offerings of Shure such as the SE series, the Etymotic ER-4, and others, you will notice that these high-end products are offered without Apple Controls. Some of the aforementioned products can also can be purchased with Apple controls. The manufacturers provide the option so that the customer can decide.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my input. I am a big fan of the X10, S4 and other Klipsch products and have been recommending them for many years. I believe that when you consider comfort, size, and audio quality, Klipsch has achieved near-perfection with the X10/X10i. I hope that in the future Klipsch will consider offering the X10 sans Apple Controls as a standard flagship product offering. In the mean time, I will purchase a second pair from Amazon.