X5
Extremely petite IEMs.
Following on from its previous headphone effort, the X10s, come Klipsch’s newest in-ear monitors, the Klipsch X5s. The X10s were lauded for their miniscule design; while the X5s aren’t quite as diminutive as their older brother they are still some of the smallest headphones on the market right now. Klipsch, while not being a big player in the headphone market, is known for its high quality audio systems. These headphones continue the trend by providing impressive audio at a competitive price.
Pros
- Tiny design, well-rounded sound, nice rich bass and treble
Cons
- Some minor distortion, airy mid-range might not suit everyone
Bottom Line
The Klipsch X5s are some very solid IEMs. The tiny design makes them exceptionally comfortable and the sound quality is excellent, all things considered.
-
Where to buy
Priced from: $ 39.00
Selling at 6 stores
- $49.00 - Minidisc
- $175.00 - Unique Mobiles
- $39.00 - Minidisc
The overall sound of these headphones is quite balanced and fairly neutral; no single register is greatly emphasised over the others, which gives them a slightly more analytical sound. However there is enough warmth to ensure the listening experience is still fun.
The bass has a good level of punch and a somewhat slow, resonating tone. However it doesn’t extend quite as deeply as on some competing units. We could have done with a little more control in the lower register notes, but there was a nice level of detail and things never really got out of hand.
We found the mid-range sounded quite airy. This was particularly evident in some passages with heavy guitar riffs, where everything sounded more distant and spaced out that normal. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it will irritate users who prefer a more full on, in-your-face style presentation.
Treble notes have nice extension and a fairly smooth presentation. There is no harshness or shrillness and they are well balanced against the mid and low ranges. We found our piano-based tunes were rich and sweet, while high-pitched acoustic guitar strings rung out nicely without too much twang like you’ll hear on some cheaper units.
There was a small amount of distortion at times in passages of heavy riffing which was a little irritating but it didn’t occur enough to be a real problem. We found the separation and detail to be excellent across the entire sound spectrum. Every instrument was well defined and lots of details were brought forward rather than being lost in the background noise.
As they have a fairly tiny design the X5s are incredibly comfortable to wear, even for long periods of time. We’d go so far as to say they’re the most comfortable IEMs we’ve ever had in the office. That isn’t to say, however, that they don’t provide adequate isolation. They slip easily into the ear canal and do a good job of blocking out external noise. The 50in cable will also be appreciated, particularly by taller users who want to keep their media player in their pocket.
Make your own
Most Popular
Best Deals on PCWorld
- HeadphonesView all »
-
-
Sony Headphones XBA-4 Balanced...
$375.95 -
Logitech Stereo Headset H130 B...
$20.49 -
Pioneer SE-CL331-P Closed Dyna...
$41.95 -
Skullcandy Smith 2011 Maze
$134.96 -
Plantronics Bluetooth Headset ...
$59.95 -
Logitech Ultimate Ears 100 Noi...
$18.00 -
Plantronics Savi 440 Portable ...
$242.00 -
Dick Smith 2.4GHz Digital Wire...
$89.97 -
Plantronics Blackwire C620 Ent...
$108.57 -
Beyerdynamic DT440 Edition Pre...
$188.00 -
iTech MyVoice 615 Bluetooth He...
$58.30 -
Shure SE115 2nd Gen Sound Isol...
$95.95 -
V-moda VModa White Pearl Cross...
$213.60 -
Skullcandy Headphones Skullcan...
$49.95 -
0 Jabra GN2110ST GN 2100 Serie...
$120.00 -
Razer NEW! Razer Star Wars The...
$279.39
-
- Mobile PhonesView all »
-
-
HTC NEXUS ONE - Google Android...
$699.00 -
Nokia Lumia 710 White Unlocked...
$248.97 -
Samsung Galaxy Y S5360 Metalli...
$139.00 -
Nokia X7
$299.00 -
Samsung I9003 Galaxy SL Androi...
$259.00 -
BlackBerry 9850 Torch - Black
$432.22 -
Sony Ericsson ST17a Xperia Act...
$289.00 -
Nokia 603 Touchscreen Phone - ...
$244.00 -
LG C900 Optimus 7Q C 900 7 Q W...
$304.00 -
Motorola RAZR XT910 Smartphone...
$473.00 -
BlackBerry Torch 9860
$379.00 -
Nokia E7 (UNLOCKED) Mobile Pho...
$351.00 -
Sony XPERIA Sola MT27i Smartph...
$384.00 -
Sonim XP1300-E Core - Black
$237.93 -
Samsung Omnia W i8350t 8GB - B...
$414.95 -
Vertu Ascent TI Neon Quadband ...
$6945.84
-
- TabletsView all »
-
-
Tegatech TEGA Touch Tablet PC ...
$1119.80 -
Dell Streak 7 Android 3G Touch...
$289.00 -
Apple The New iPad 3 WiFi 64GB...
$705.97 -
Apple New iPad - 64GB Wifi Onl...
$754.00 -
Apple The New Apple IPAD 3 32G...
$609.00 -
Amazon Kindle Fire
$299.00 -
Sony Tablet S 16GB wifi
$529.00 -
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 P6800 3...
$509.85 -
Apple iPad MD367XA with Wi-Fi ...
$772.20 -
Tegatech TEGA Touch Tablet PC ...
$975.66 -
Toshiba 10.1 WX 350 CSV LD nVI...
$417.39 -
Toshiba Tablet WT200
$907.93 -
Apple The New Apple IPAD 3 64G...
$774.00 -
Asus Eee Pad Transformer 16GB ...
$559.00 -
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 3G (Sil...
$509.00 -
Toshiba TOSHIBA AT100 NVIDIA T...
$417.39
-
- MP3 PlayersView all »
-
-
Apple iPod shuffle 2GB - Green
$55.00 -
Apple iPod Touch 64GB White
$428.00 -
Samsung Casemate Samsung Galax...
$49.99 -
Apple iPod nano 16GB - Blue
$169.00 -
Speedo Aquabeat Waterproof 1GB...
$76.79 -
Apple iPod Classic 160GB Black
$268.00 -
Apple MD057ZPA White 8GB iPod ...
$218.90 -
Apple iPod Nano 16GB Silver
$169.00 -
Sony Wireless Lightweight And ...
$68.95 -
Cowon C2 16GB MP4 Player (Gray...
$191.99 -
Apple iPod nano 16GB - (PRODUC...
$169.00 -
Sony NWZ-S764 8GB Video MP3 / ...
$211.19 -
Apple MC547ZPA iPod Touch 64GB
$438.90 -
Apple iPod nano 8GB - Orange
$149.00 -
Archos Noreve Archos 605 Leath...
$60.61 -
Creative ZEN Touch 2 8GB
$149.00
-
- Home EntertainmentView all »
-
-
Luxman B-1000f Monaural Power ...
$29995.00 -
Samsung HTE4500 3D Bluray Home...
$353.10 -
LG 5.1 ch. DVD Home Theatre Sy...
$200.00 -
Samsung 5.1ch 3D Blu-Ray Home ...
$319.00 -
Sony DAVTZ135 DVD Home Theatre...
$217.80 -
Martin Audio Blackline H3T
$5845.00 -
Luxman C-600f Control Amplifie...
$7995.00 -
NAD C375BEE Integrated Amplifi...
$1699.00 -
LG 3D Blu-ray Home Theatre Sys...
$879.00 -
Panasonic - SC-BTT370 - 3D Hom...
$399.00 -
Panasonic - 2.1 Channel Home T...
$511.00 -
Axis 4 ch BRIDGEABLE AMPLIFIER...
$239.00 -
Sony BDVN990W 5.1ch Bluray Hom...
$658.90 -
Arcam FMJ P777 Power Amplifier
$7777.00 -
Panasonic 3D Blu-Ray Disc Home...
$658.00 -
Yamaha HD 5.1 Home Theatre Sys...
$1285.00
-



































































































User Comments
Be the first to comment.