Product Review
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BRIEFLY:
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The IMAGE S4's are comfortable, wired, in-ear earphones that deliver surprisingly (to me) good quality sound while causing very little discomfort. The ear-tips fit inside the ear canal and muffle all but the loudest outside noise therefore making them an excellent 'at home' listening option but probably not recommended while driving or even walking. The 4 ft. long chord is perfect for listening off an iPod but may not be long enough if one wants to plug then into a computer.
THE LONG DISCUSSION:
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Personal bias and circumstances
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For the sake of honest disclosure, I do not consider myself an audiophile. I do listen to music and I do use earphones while in the office but most of my listening comes from open speakers. Since most of my listening is done either in the car or in the office where I must be aware of my surroundings, I will not use these earphones. This is GREAT news for my just-turned-teen kid who's jumping up and down with joy because he tried them out and he absolutely LOVES them.
Contents
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You get the following in the box:
- Earphones
- 3 pairs of different size ear tip gels (small, medium, large)
- Ear tip cleaning tool
- Tin case
- Multi-language manual/warranty statement page
Evaluation
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- The following are my views on manufacturer's claims and they seem to hold true:
[TRUE] - Enhanced bass, dynamic in-ear headphones. - The sound quality, bass included is clearly superior to whatever ear buds came with my kids MP3 player.
[TRUE] - Noise-isolating. - These are not noise-cancelling earphones. By simply stuffing the ear tip gels into your ears you no longer hear most of the sounds produced by the outside world.
[TRUE] - Comfortable. - I have a low tolerance to in-ear headphones but, to my surprise, I enjoyed wearing these for extended periods.
[TRUE] - Compact design. - They are, indeed small.
[MOSTLY TRUE] - Feel your music, not your earphones. - As I stated already, they are comfortable. I can't say that I can't feel them but I have no problem tolerating them.
- The 2 year warranty provides for replacement or repair of the earphones IF you are the original purchaser, can prove it and you didn't abuse them in some unspecified way. However, the warranty does NOT cover the wires or the connector so, if the wire breaks, you're out of luck.
Rating
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With the exception of the rather strange warranty limitation, I find these to be VERY good at their price point. While they don't approach the level of a $200 or $1000 earphones set, the sound quality is actually good and most of the outside noise is successfully muffled or eliminated. The carrying tin case is a big plus because it allows for keeping everything in one place and I don't understand why many similar products in the $100 price range don't provide this convenience. The wires are a little fragile and, unless treated with care they COULD break.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars but I am going to round it up to 5.
=======
The IMAGE S4's are comfortable, wired, in-ear earphones that deliver surprisingly (to me) good quality sound while causing very little discomfort. The ear-tips fit inside the ear canal and muffle all but the loudest outside noise therefore making them an excellent 'at home' listening option but probably not recommended while driving or even walking. The 4 ft. long chord is perfect for listening off an iPod but may not be long enough if one wants to plug then into a computer.
THE LONG DISCUSSION:
====================
Personal bias and circumstances
-------------------------------
For the sake of honest disclosure, I do not consider myself an audiophile. I do listen to music and I do use earphones while in the office but most of my listening comes from open speakers. Since most of my listening is done either in the car or in the office where I must be aware of my surroundings, I will not use these earphones. This is GREAT news for my just-turned-teen kid who's jumping up and down with joy because he tried them out and he absolutely LOVES them.
Contents
--------
You get the following in the box:
- Earphones
- 3 pairs of different size ear tip gels (small, medium, large)
- Ear tip cleaning tool
- Tin case
- Multi-language manual/warranty statement page
Evaluation
----------
- The following are my views on manufacturer's claims and they seem to hold true:
[TRUE] - Enhanced bass, dynamic in-ear headphones. - The sound quality, bass included is clearly superior to whatever ear buds came with my kids MP3 player.
[TRUE] - Noise-isolating. - These are not noise-cancelling earphones. By simply stuffing the ear tip gels into your ears you no longer hear most of the sounds produced by the outside world.
[TRUE] - Comfortable. - I have a low tolerance to in-ear headphones but, to my surprise, I enjoyed wearing these for extended periods.
[TRUE] - Compact design. - They are, indeed small.
[MOSTLY TRUE] - Feel your music, not your earphones. - As I stated already, they are comfortable. I can't say that I can't feel them but I have no problem tolerating them.
- The 2 year warranty provides for replacement or repair of the earphones IF you are the original purchaser, can prove it and you didn't abuse them in some unspecified way. However, the warranty does NOT cover the wires or the connector so, if the wire breaks, you're out of luck.
Rating
------
With the exception of the rather strange warranty limitation, I find these to be VERY good at their price point. While they don't approach the level of a $200 or $1000 earphones set, the sound quality is actually good and most of the outside noise is successfully muffled or eliminated. The carrying tin case is a big plus because it allows for keeping everything in one place and I don't understand why many similar products in the $100 price range don't provide this convenience. The wires are a little fragile and, unless treated with care they COULD break.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars but I am going to round it up to 5.
