Review: Klipsch Image earphones

Finding a good pair of earbuds for the iPhone is not easy. I've used several types of eabuds over the years, and I finally settled on the Etymotic ER 6i which I've used for the past year. The sound quality was good, but the three-flange eartips are too big and aren't very comfortable. I guess most earbuds are never completely comfortable, but they are a lot more practical than say DJ-style headphones when you're at the gym.

I got my hands on the new Klipsch Image earphones, and since I have small ears, I absolutely loved the small earbud design. Klipsch touts them as the world's smallest and lightest in-ear headphones, and indeed they are. I like to think of them as the Supermodel of earphones compared to all the other earbuds out there. They're sleek, thin, fashionable, and very sexy.

They're also not white, which is a big plus in my book. As a matter of fact, the Image earphones are all black with copper tips. Unlike other earbuds, these ones have an aerodynamic shape to reduce cable stress and minimize cable noise. They do have a very long 50-inch vinyl cable, but the cable is thinner and lighter than on most earbuds, including the Etymotics.

The package includes five pairs of Contour Ear Gels, which Klipsch says are anatomically designed to fit inside the ear canal. They all vary in size from small to large and are either single or double flange designs. Now I'm not an audiophile in any way, but anyone who upgrades to high-end earbuds like these will certainly be able to tell the difference in sound quality. Klipsch's Image earphones sound clearer and have more bass, and since the ear tips created a good seal, the sound coming out of my iPhone didn't have to compete too much with ambient noise.

Unfortunately, the in-ear headphones retail for $349, which includes a small magnetic case, a larger zippered case, an airplane adapter, a quarter-inch adapter, ear gels, and an ear gel cleaning tool. They're not cheap, but if you want quality earphones, these are the ones to check out.