Klipsch Image X5 earphones

CNET Editors' Rating

4.0 stars
    Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)

Excellent

Average User Rating

5 reviews

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Klipsch Image X5 earphones
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CNET Editors' Review

CNET Editors' Rating

4.0 stars Excellent
    Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)
  • Design: 9.0
  • Features: 7.0
  • Performance: 8.0
  • Reviewed by:
  • Released on:
  • Reviewed on:

The good: The Klipsch Image X5 earphones are ultracompact, lightweight, and comfortable, and they offer great sound quality. The contoured eartips offer a secure fit with exceptional sound isolation, and the plug is uniquely designed for durability. Includes a nifty travel pouch, an airplane adapter, and a cleaning tool.

The bad: The Klipsch Image X5 earphones have a thin, tangle-prone wire that raises some concern for durability, and they're pricey. Shorter warranty period than competition from Shure.

The bottom line: The Klipsch Image X5 earphones are a bit of an investment, but they're worth it if you demand excellent audio quality and have had trouble with earbud fit in the past.

Review:

When it comes to portable devices, audio quality depends just as much on the headphones as it does on the audio specs of the player. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that many people spend more on their headphones than they do on their MP3 players. In fact, a good pair of earphones could carry you through several rounds of devices, which is why we're so enamored with the Klipsch Image X5 earphones, despite their $250 price tag. This ultraportable pair offers solid sound and an exceptional fit, but we're a bit wary of ... Expand full review

When it comes to portable devices, audio quality depends just as much on the headphones as it does on the audio specs of the player. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that many people spend more on their headphones than they do on their MP3 players. In fact, a good pair of earphones could carry you through several rounds of devices, which is why we're so enamored with the Klipsch Image X5 earphones, despite their $250 price tag. This ultraportable pair offers solid sound and an exceptional fit, but we're a bit wary of the extrathin cable.


Other than the cable, which is tangle-prone and doesn't seem very durable, we're taken with the Klipsch Image X5's design. The ear pieces are among the smallest we've ever seen. They measure about an inch and a half long, but are very narrow, and taper toward the wire. This, combined with the contoured silicone eartips--which are oval rather than round to better fit the ear canal--makes the X5s some of the most secure and comfortable earbuds we've ever stuck in our ears. They're an ideal option for those with small canals, as the smallest tips are truly tiny. That said, these 'phones may not be the best for those with larger ears: although Klipsch includes five sets of tips--three sizes of standard-oval fittings and two double-flanged numbers--even the largest size is not super big.

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Average User Rating

4.5 stars out of 5 user reviews

Rating Breakdown

  • 5 star: 5
  • 4 star: 0
  • 3 star: 0
  • 2 star: 0
  • 1 star: 0

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Most recent user reviews

Showing 3 of 5 reviews

5.0 stars

"impressive" By elmoramos

Pros: great balanced sound, bass is just right

Cons: a bit pricy

Summary: these are the the most amazing earphones i have ever tried. the sound is just indescribable.

4.5 stars

"Great earphones. My music has never sounded better." By dwcliff

Pros: Comfortable...Great sound....nice extras (case, extra ear fittings, airplane adapter)

Cons: Expensive....although a little searching will find you $100 off the retail

Summary: Saw these earphones on sale online and decided to see if they really were all they were promoted to be. Figured I could return them if not. After receiving them and making sure that the right earplugs were on them I decided to test them against my normal in ear ... Expand full review

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Specifications

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Quick Specs

  • Headphones Type: Headphones - Binaural
  • Product type: Headphones
  • Design: In-ear ear-bud

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