Klipsch Image sound-isolating earphones review

Klipsch Image sound-isolating earphones Review

Reviewed by: Nate Lanxon

Reviewed on: 9 May 2008

We all come in different shapes and sizes -- even our ears. With sound-isolating earphones, comfort and a good seal in the ear canal is vital. This is what the Klipsch Image sound-isolating earphones aim to offer, but at a price.

The Images cost a not-light-on-the-pockets £200 -- a price point dominated by renowned high-end manufacturers such as Denon and Shure. Is there room for one more?

Design
Klipsch has engineered these tiny earphones to be as unintrusive as possible. If you've ever suffered 'ear fatigue' from listening to earphones for too long, the Images will help you out by going practically unnoticed.

Handy: the Images are impossibly compact

In part, their subtle nature is due to their minuscule aluminium enclosures, which are insanely lightweight, streamlined and compact. It's also because of their silicon tips -- supplied in various sizes -- that delicately conform to the shape of the ear canal to ensure a tight seal without becoming a burden.

We wore the lightweight Images for hours on end without once feeling discomfort, ache or fatigue -- truly remarkable for any earphone. Lightweight too is the coated cabling, which doesn't pull on the earphones as you walk.

Features
Aside from being comfortable, these earphones feature full range micro-armatures in each ear. Klipsch refused to comment on specific frequency responses, claiming there's a "lack of a standard[s] for measuring frequency response in earbuds". From our testing, we put response between 21Hz-19KHz.

In the box, you'll find a range of silicon tips to ensure a good fit, and a tool for removing ear wax from them. A rock-solid case is included for carrying both iPod and earphones, but a smaller case is included exclusively for protecting the Images.