Klipsch Image S4A for Android user reviews (Black)

Pros Best sounding headphones I've ever owned and the control features are great.

Cons There are none.

Summary I've had S4 for about 2 years and they sounded awesome! I decided to upgrade to the S4A to control my Droid Bionic and worth every penny! They sound just as amazing and the control on my Bionic rocks. I really like the 1-button mic.

Pros Sound is ok if you listen to base-heavy music. iPod control can be useful.

Cons Base heavy, flimsy and will most likely die within 1 year.

Summary I don't know why Cnet keeps giving these headphones such high reviews. I can only suspect that they don't use them long enough to learn that they will likely fall apart within 1 year. I have had 2 pairs and all have broken within 1 year. Klipsch replaced the first pair that broke but would not replace the second set after the left channel died 6 months later. I would strongly urge everyone to avoid these. They are not made well and will surely break within a year. I wish Cnet would use their products longer so their reviews will be more accurate.

Pros Excellent sounding headphones for the price. Great for bass heavy music. 2 year warranty!

Cons No dedicated volume buttons!!!
Only one button control functionality is unnecessarily complicated. Why?!
Questionable durability, based on previous experience with s4i's

Summary I'm going to start with the negative because this is a big negative. Why isn't there dedicated volume up and down buttons on the remote?!
Reducing button clutter is okay, but at the cost of functionality it's not. You can customize what the button does to a certain extent but it's so complicated getting the button to do what you want.(long press function can only be used for volume?) You can only increase volume! To get to a lower volume you have to click through the volume selections higher and higher until you get back to the lower starting point.

I would have not bought these if I knew how crappy the single button remote function was going to be.
I love the sound quality of these headphones for the money. Sounds reproduced accurately and clearly, with great bass response if you like music with a lot of bass in it.

Sound quality is awesome, but the headphones are just frustrating and not worth the hassle because of the remote.

Pros Good Sound, Android controls

Cons Straight headphone plug, thin wires

Summary I started reading earbud reviews when I decided to get new ones and was puzzled by the inconsistent opinions of people reviewing the same product. One says great sound but the next says terrible sound. One says overpowering bass and the next says non-existent bass. I found out why with these earbuds.

I bought these because I wanted good earbuds with Android controls and they were on clearance to make room for the S4A IIs. I have some Sony earbuds that cost $25 and sound better than any I had tried (except the Bose earbuds that were over my budget of "under $100"), but they have iPhone controls. A friend loves his S4s (no mic) so I figured these would sound great.

I tried every ear gel in the package and settled on the largest ones. Sound was OK but not as good as my $25 Sonys. No bass and a little tinny. As I was packing them up to take them back, I decided on a whim to try my Sony ear gels that fit me so well on the S4As. The shafts on the Sonys are a larger diameter so the ear gels slid up a little farther on the Klipsch shafts, but they fit OK.

With the Sony ear gels, the S4As sound fantastic! Deep but not overpowering bass and good balance between midrange and highs. The Klipsch gels were a decent fit, but I'm amazed at how much difference PROPERLY fitting gels make in the sound.

I didn't install the Control App because I already had Jay's Headset Control, another free app, installed. The middle button on my Sonys worked intermittently but the single button on the S4As works well. I can pause/play, go forward and back, and control volume with a single button.

On the negative side, the wires are a little thin and I'm concerned about them holding up. The negative reviews suggest they may not. My friend with the S4s, however, has had his for years and says they hold up fine. The only other negative is the straight headphone plug, which is more likely to be damaged than a 90 degree plug. Again, my friend hasn't had any problems. Both of these issues are fixed with the S4A IIs.

All in all, I'm pleased with these earbuds. I wouldn't pay full price for them with the S4A IIs out at the same price, but find them on sale and you won't regret it. IF they fit.