Can I have nice things?

[jbaer]

Every pair of headphones or earbuds I've ever had, I've eventually lost or broken. So I'm nervous about paying more than $30 or so for headphones. But I've always preferred over-the-ear headphones, and lately I've been missing that experience. I also want an iPhone remote/mic, which narrows my options considerably - mostly to options that are $80 and up.

Full size headphones would be harder than earbuds to lose, so my main concern is durability. I was ready to get the Philips/O'Neill "The Stretch" headphones, which are designed to be extremely rugged. But when I tried them out in an Apple Store, they sounded terrible - especially when I compared them to the Image Ones.

So I guess it comes down to this: how much of a beating can the Image Ones take? And how forgiving is Klipsch's two year warranty? Like, I assume that if the sound goes out in one ear, they won't look at it, see some scratches on the plastic, and say I'm not covered. I think I can trust myself enough to avoid stepping on them or dropping them in a toilet but is that enough? Where does Klipsch draw the line on acceptable wear and tear?

Thanks!

[BLSamuel]

My experiences with Klipsch customer support have all been positive. Even more positive positive than expected in a couple of non-headphone cases. I had the Image x10's with splitting strain reliefs and sent back in with electronic receipt at almost 2 years and received replacements with no hassle. The strain reliefs on the replacements are starting to split but if it's like my first set, they never really got much worse after I noticed it. I try to take very good care of them but occasionally they'll get yanked out of my ears.

I demo'd a pair of Image One and they sounded great and seemed to be constructed very well. I suspect you'd be much happier with then at $150 in the long run than 2 less $80 phones or 8 $30 phones.

I think they'd be convered as long as you don't run over them with a car or worse, dunk them too much, or get chewed up by a dog.

Good luck.

p.s. Keep your receipt and be sure to buy from an authorized reseller. Be aware that while Amazon.com is authorized in the US many that sell on Amazon are not. If hot sure check the Klilpsch website or call Klipsch. I wouldn't trust sellers of gray market or counterfeit 'phones to be truthful.