Klipsch Image S4 - Logo fading?

[niko5519]

Here is what is the situation with me: On the left earphone the logo is completely gone and now the chrome already started to fall, but the right earphone still look brand new.Seller on eBay who said "The left earphone is defective or that they forget to put a last protective coating over their logo on the headphones" is right, only that he had forgotten to say that they are 100% fake :-) When I put them in my ears for first time I noticed was a sound signature of all overpowering bass with no definition in the mids or clarity in the highs.I was very disappointed.I wanted to have headphones, not subwoofer for head :-) but now, after 1 month and 100 hours burn-in they sound good (not amazing like genuine S4s but good).Only have sibilance on some vocals, but I listen Electro House and there are not many vocals.I am confident that the earphones I have are fake but it's not cheap copy, if this can be comforting for someone.

[parrighi]

Wow.. I think we've started a support group fellas! lol. I bought from the same seller and had exactly the same experience - wrote-in about the logo fading and was given the same story and refunded my money after a few days.

Guess the lesson to be learned is if it's too good to be true it probably is. But when I read this:

after 1 month and 100 hours burn-in they sound good (not amazing like genuine S4s but good).Only have sibilance on some vocals, but I listen Electro House and there are not many vocals.I am confident that the earphones I have are fake but it's not cheap copy, if this can be comforting for someone.

.. I can relate, because there are times where I think these "fakes" have sounded decent. I listen to a lot of live shows, so sometimes the quality of source is to blame for a tinny sound. Certain styles of music seem to sound better than others on my pair - in particular, horns sound better in afrobeat/funk while I feel the bass could be more full overall. Someone tell me - will genuine S4's (through Klipsch) blow me away? What's the return policy if I buy through Klipsch and I'm unsatisfied?

[Amy]

Two things I'd like to comment on:

"If
you think there fake look up the serial number or call it in......they
will match out being sold to an authorized dealer.

Serial numbers are very easy to fake.

There are currently two small recalls on this
product and one of them is that the protective top coat was not applied
to protect the logo on the headphones.

There are no recalls on this product.

[parrighi]

There are no recalls on this product.

Thanks for the info Amy, very helpful!

After this eBay fiasco I decided to purchase a pair direct from Klipsch. I noticed your satisfaction guaranteed return policy. If these sound as good as they're supposed to, then I'll be more than happy paying $80 for them. Looking forward to hearing a difference!

[b00gn1sh]

I found this thread because I purchased some used S4s on eBay, and the first thing I noticed was the logo on them was coming off. They came only with the tin and a single pair of (large?) tips. These are clearly used, and the logo issue isn't so much that you can rub it off but it definitely can be scratched off with a fingernail.

Waited until my order of Comply T-100 tips came in to form a final judgement. I purchased these strictly for travel. I have Bose QC2 phones, but I'd much rather take the compact S4s. I also have Sennheiser over the ear phones that are my mainstay and some old Koss too. I work with audio and have some faith that I can differentiate between gradations of quality. I wouldn't call myself an audiophile by any means. I can do a side-by-side comparison with other better and worse (ipod earbuds) headphones though.

From what I've read here in this thread, the fakes suffer from a few common afflictions: (a) not only does the logo rub off, but so does the underlying chrome paint, eventually; ( the back V logo is larger; © sound suffers including over-compensated bass, lack of much room in mid and high range, sibilation.

I'm not finding any of that and I've tested these now with a wide variety of music: reggae, drums & bass, steely dan, neko case, jazz, acoustic ... and the biggest problem is that bass is a bit weaker than I'd like it ... but they are earbuds after all. Everything else sounds good with excellent clarity and decent noise reduction (airplane will be the real test). Not the best audio I've ever heard, but I doubt fakes could sound this crisp. I paid $30, but they're worth $80. A bit loud, if anything.

What would help people in this situation, Amy, is to know:

1. Is there a large stream of fake S4s now currently on the market? Given the company stance of only supporting qualified vendors, it suggests you are aware of the counterfeit problem.
2. Do any legitimate S4s suffer from logo peeling, either immediately or over time?
3. How do customers identify real ones from fake ones, besides purchasing from an approved vendor?

I need my buds for a trip coming up, but I'd be happy to send them into Klipsch after, in July, if it helps the investigation. I think there is a Q/C issue there with the logos peeling eventually, but you're having a hard time with counterfeits too.

[Amy]

Is there a large stream of fake S4s now currently on the market? Given the company stance of only supporting qualified vendors, it suggests you are aware of the counterfeit problem.Do any legitimate S4s suffer from logo peeling, either immediately or over time?How do customers identify real ones from fake ones, besides purchasing from an approved vendor?

Our company stance on qualified vendors has been a long-time policy. Klipsch products have been knocked-off since 1946! []

We are still investigating the current sitution, and will post details as soon as we have them, promise!!

[Amy]

After this eBay fiasco I decided to purchase a pair direct from Klipsch. I noticed your satisfaction guaranteed return policy. If these sound as good as they're supposed to, then I'll be more than happy paying $80 for them. Looking forward to hearing a difference!

Very good to hear, and we definitely appreciate your loyalty and support!

[BeSerious]

Pictures: http://imageshack.us/g/696/dscn4188a.jpg/

Purported Counterfeit (Ebay - seller: phogel)
- Black box
- Case is a little darker and grainier
- Comes with an ear wax pick
- Regular earplugs on the earbuds itself, plus 3 more pairs in a plastic bag inside the case
- Connection piece (3.5 mm) is L-shaped
- Klipsch logo rubs off very easily!
- SOUND QUALITY: Hollow, alot of muffled bass, does not hit any of the mid or highs (treble)


Authorized Retailer (BestBuy)
- Blue box
- Case is shinier
- Does not come with an ear wax pick
- Regular plugs on the earbuds itself, plus 2 more pairs not in plastic bag inside case
- Earplugs are a bit more translucent than the plugs for the other one
- Connection piece (3.5mm) is straight
- Klipsch insignia (the bird-shaped thing on the back of the earbuds) are slightly smaller and faded than other the other one
- Klipsch logo does NOT rub off! You can sort of feel the extra protective coat.
- SOUND QUALITY: Less muffled bass, beautifully hits the mids and highs!

Disclaimer: I only JUST got the authorized version and therefore did not burn them in but you can notice the diffference INSTANTLY. I suggest if you bought these earbuds online through ebay or a 3rd party seller and fall under the category of the counterfeit, buy the real ones and you will not be disappointed!

[hefeweizen1]

Hi, I found another interesting thing. Please look at the aluminum can and check the relative positions of the character "h" and the position of right arrow. On the real one, they are a little far from each other, while on the fake one, they are pretty much close (both laterally and horizontally). Search google images for "Klipsch s4i image", and you'll see a difference.

see pics at:

http://imageshack.us/g/84/dscn4189h.jpg/

[niko5519]

Hi, I found another interesting thing. Please look at the aluminum can and check the relative positions of the character "h" and the position of right arrow. On the real one, they are a little far from each other, while on the fake one, they are pretty much close (both laterally and horizontally). Search google images for "Klipsch s4i image", and you'll see a difference.

see pics at:

http://imageshack.us/g/84/dscn4189h.jpg/

lol. My carrying case is made ??of steel..not aluminum. I checked with a magnet.I guess the genuine S4s come with aluminum carrying case.

[aj28]

Pictures: http://imageshack.us/g/696/dscn4188a.jpg/

Purported Counterfeit (Ebay - seller: phogel)

- Black box

- Case is a little darker and grainier

- Comes with an ear wax pick

- Regular earplugs on the earbuds itself, plus 3 more pairs in a plastic bag inside the case

- Connection piece (3.5 mm) is L-shaped

- Klipsch logo rubs off very easily!

- SOUND QUALITY: Hollow, alot of muffled bass, does not hit any of the mid or highs (treble)

Authorized Retailer (BestBuy)

- Blue box

- Case is shinier

- Does not come with an ear wax pick

- Regular plugs on the earbuds itself, plus 2 more pairs not in plastic bag inside case

- Earplugs are a bit more translucent than the plugs for the other one

- Connection piece (3.5mm) is straight

- Klipsch insignia (the bird-shaped thing on the back of the earbuds) are slightly smaller and faded than other the other one

- Klipsch logo does NOT rub off! You can sort of feel the extra protective coat.

- SOUND QUALITY: Less muffled bass, beautifully hits the mids and highs!

Disclaimer: I only JUST got the authorized version and therefore did not burn them in but you can notice the diffference INSTANTLY. I suggest if you bought these earbuds online through ebay or a 3rd party seller and fall under the category of the counterfeit, buy the real ones and you will not be disappointed!

I'm here trying to determine if mine are counterfeits as well, and while I think some of your points are spot-on, I'm not so sure on some others... The gray/black box is the packaging the Image S4 originally shipped in. The blue box was (I think) introduced in 2010, at which point they also changed the jack design from L-shaped to straight and discontinued the ear wax pick. That also throws into question whether they changed the tin, ear buds, and the headphones themselves... I've seen a lot of old YouTube reviews with the grainy tin you have in your pictures. Also, Best Buy lists the Image S4 as having 4 sets of ear buds, and Amy mentioned in another thread (http://community.klipsch.com/forums/t/149098.aspx) that they may have changed the number included.

I think the logo wearing off instantly is probably the best way to tell... I guess we'll just see what Amy has to say about the situation.

[neron112]

I managed to get my money back,so it's solved,at least for me. I also got the same thing as BeSerious, everything was as he said. BTW, what serial numbers do you have on your packaging, maybe we have the same? That way we'll surely know if they are fakes or not. Mine had these numbers there where the barcode is 101047109352399 or 7 43878 02129 5, so check- maybe you have the same.

[BeSerious]

Mine had these numbers there where the barcode is 101047109352399 or 7 43878 02129 5, so check- maybe you have the same.

101047109351126
7--43878 02129 5--5

Interesting. It seems the top numbers are different. Darn! I thought we nipped this in the bud! Haha

However, it's very, very possible that they have a couple serial numbers circulating. It still does not disprove that these are counterfeit/subpar/very-defective because having compared sound quality with the authorized retail version, they are instantly distinguishable - there is not an iota of doubt which are real.

[aj28]

I managed to get my money back,so it's solved,at least for me. I also got the same thing as BeSerious, everything was as he said. BTW, what serial numbers do you have on your packaging, maybe we have the same? That way we'll surely know if they are fakes or not. Mine had these numbers there where the barcode is 101047109352399 or 7 43878 02129 5, so check- maybe you have the same.

I don't have the box anymore, so unfortunately I couldn't tell you... Hopefully we'll get some feedback from Amy soon on the differences to look for. Maybe they're waiting for a pair in the mail from Hong Kong. =P

[Polite]

I also bought some S4s on ebay, from an Australian seller and have been pretty upset with the sound quality. The sound is unbalanced with the right bud lacking volume and bass. No problem with the logo rubbing off though. Box is the old style, silver/grey, L-shaped plug, 4 pairs of caps (s,m,l and s flanged) which were in a plastic baggie and a cleaner. Everything other than the sound quality seems legit, which makes me wonder if it's just a defective unit rather than a fake. I figure they probably aren't an authorised reseller, but i was wondering how you tell. There doesn't seem to be anywhere on the klipsch website that lists authorised sellers. Help?

Serial and barcode are 101047109337385 and 7 43878 02129 5 respectively.

I've contacted the seller and I'm still waiting for a response. In the meantime I'm going to wear in the phones overnight and see how they sound in the morning.

Pretty sad about the experience at the moment.

[neron112]

Well, mine had no problems with volume and bass. There was too much bass,but it was without definition and sounded cheap and boomy. Mids and highs were without definition and clarity,the bass colored and distorted them. The people over at head-fi forum say s4 sometimes sound muddy and with too much bass, so I was unsure- maybe that's the way they should sound in the first place. And then the logo faded away, so i returned them. If they don't have enough bass, try with different size earplugs until you get a good seal.

[aj28]

Well, mine had no problems with volume and bass. There was too much bass,but it was without definition and sounded cheap and boomy. Mids and highs were without definition and clarity,the bass colored and distorted them. The people over at head-fi forum say s4 sometimes sound muddy and with too much bass, so I was unsure- maybe that's the way they should sound in the first place. And then the logo faded away, so i returned them. If they don't have enough bass, try with different size earplugs until you get a good seal.

This is what's interesting to me... A lot of people say the logo fades, but for some it doesn't. Some say it has too much bass, some say it has too little... As I pointed out in an earlier post, the reality is that Klipsch does change the design of these things from time to time, be it discontinuing the cleaning tool, changing the number of buds, or, as some reviews seem to imply, maybe even changing the internal design of the headphone itself.

Needless to say, I'm lost, because there doesn't seem to be a definitive way to know. >.<

[BeSerious]

Well, mine had no problems with volume and bass. There was too much bass,but it was without definition and sounded cheap and boomy. Mids and highs were without definition and clarity,the bass colored and distorted them. The people over at head-fi forum say s4 sometimes sound muddy and with too much bass, so I was unsure- maybe that's the way they should sound in the first place. And then the logo faded away, so i returned them. If they don't have enough bass, try with different size earplugs until you get a good seal.

This is what's interesting to me... A lot of people say the logo fades, but for some it doesn't. Some say it has too much bass, some say it has too little... As I pointed out in an earlier post, the reality is that Klipsch does change the design of these things from time to time, be it discontinuing the cleaning tool, changing the number of buds, or, as some reviews seem to imply, maybe even changing the internal design of the headphone itself.

Needless to say, I'm lost, because there doesn't seem to be a definitive way to know. >.<

Even with external design changes, the internal design surely does not change. That would call for an entirely new line of earbuds. Honestly, the only way to know is to go to an authorized retailer, buy it, and compare them. In the real ones, there is no bass overload - all mids and highs can be heard. For people who say there is too little bass, it's because they haven't got the fit right and/or haven't gone through the 50 hours of burn-in.

I think it comes down to this: regardless of whether your earbuds (that you bought online from a non-authorized retailer) have logo fading, if you immediately notice muddled and over-powering bass that eats up the mids and highs, they are fake.

[aj28]

Well, mine had no problems with volume and bass. There was too much bass,but it was without definition and sounded cheap and boomy. Mids and highs were without definition and clarity,the bass colored and distorted them. The people over at head-fi forum say s4 sometimes sound muddy and with too much bass, so I was unsure- maybe that's the way they should sound in the first place. And then the logo faded away, so i returned them. If they don't have enough bass, try with different size earplugs until you get a good seal.

This is what's interesting to me... A lot of people say the logo fades, but for some it doesn't. Some say it has too much bass, some say it has too little... As I pointed out in an earlier post, the reality is that Klipsch does change the design of these things from time to time, be it discontinuing the cleaning tool, changing the number of buds, or, as some reviews seem to imply, maybe even changing the internal design of the headphone itself.

Needless to say, I'm lost, because there doesn't seem to be a definitive way to know. >.<

Even with external design changes, the internal design surely does not change. That would call for an entirely new line of earbuds. Honestly, the only way to know is to go to an authorized retailer, buy it, and compare them. In the real ones, there is no bass overload - all mids and highs can be heard. For people who say there is too little bass, it's because they haven't got the fit right and/or haven't gone through the 50 hours of burn-in.

I think it comes down to this: regardless of whether your earbuds (that you bought online from a non-authorized retailer) have logo fading, if you immediately notice muddled and over-powering bass that eats up the mids and highs, they are fake.

Let me start by saying that I absolutely agree with the premise of a significant difference in sound quality between genuines and fakes. That much seems evident, at least from the reports I've read here and on eBay...

That said, I'm not so sure about the other part... It's very difficult for any company to build a piece of electronics exactly the same over a very long period of time, and changes may or may not be documented when it comes to issues of internal parts suppliers. I've had experiences before where two units of a specific brand and model of headphone purchased years apart (in that case, Sennheiser) sounded different, and they were both from the same authorized B&M dealer. Also, things like LCD monitors will often use different brands of panels just depending on the batch that monitor was a part of or the specific factory it came from. Heck, there are models of cars where final assembly may be done in two completely different countries, and you can't know without checking the VIN!

In the case of these specific headphones, when Klipsch changed from the L-shaped connector to the straight connector, people also started noticing differences in the wire strength/thickness and other issues... I wouldn't be surprised if there was a change of suppliers when this happened in 2010.

I do agree though, it seems that if the headphones have very muddled bass and lack definition, they are definitely suspect. Fortunately, the pair I bought off Amazon doesn't seem to have that issue... A relief to be sure! Hurrah! =D

[neron112]

I think it's very difficult to talk in terms of ' if it sounds bad,it's fake'. SQ is a subjective thing, what someone considers bad,for someone else is great. For example,60 ppl bought the earphones from my seller,and they all think they're great. And there was someone in this thread who said that although the logo faded away also, they sound great for him and he doesn't think they're fakes. And there are many reviews of S4s that say they sound muddy. Exact words I would describe the sound of the S4s I got. And there's an e-mail from Klipsch saying that, at least from the serial # on the box, my earphones were not fake. I have doubts about comparing them to the new model also, because ebay lot seems to be an older model,with different packaging, connector and who knows what else. Untill Amy gives us a definite answer, I think we can't be 100% sure that logo fading away is a sign of fakes.