Klipsch X20i In-Ear Headphone

These earphones are spectacular great piece of kit with or without a DAC player

I previously owned a pair of X12i’s; very similar in many way to the X20i’s, particularly the cable used. They did the job, excellent for use on the move, in my case with an iphone, streaming Spotify and Tidal. When I permanently mislaid my X12l’s, I decided to stick with what I knew and obtain the updated version of the same thing. Unfortunately that proved to be exactly what I ended up with; more or less the same thing. There was talk of improved treble, and it has to be said the ear-pieces are definitely heavier, but alas, whatever small improvements have been made do not justify the substantial increase in price. Very nice earphones, but not worth £400 plus. For home use I use Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, which are currently available on Amazon for £425, a little less that you would pay for a Pair of these at full price, and believe me the Amirons are quite simply in a different class, albeit for use in a different environment.

It's been a long time since I've been able to give a pair of headphones 5 stars. I've tried several pairs of headphones, mostly of the in ear variety, all being returned for comfort issues or underwhelming audio performance, or both. I've long since been settled on the Klipsch x10 (x10i, x11i, x12i) which all seem to be about the same thing of a different generation. The x10 line has been with me since about 2009, stored in my pocket when not in use. It's been through a lot and still working great. I was hoping for a headphone with more treble response and was really waiting for Klipsch to come out with their own headphone to do just this. I love the design of the x10 line headphones, super small, very comfortable and easy to use. When I saw that Klipsch released and new and improved version called the x20i, I ordered a pair almost immediately. There was a hiccup in the ordering process through Amazon as the first order I placed for these I was instead presented with a 17 pound large center channel speaker. Don't know how a large speaker gets mixed up with earbuds, but when I tried it again I was correctly sent the x20i in a beautiful wooden box. These headphones resemble the x10s in many ways, they are still quite sleek, very small, and will still fully insert into your ear canal if you so desire. The included eartips fit the same way as the x10, but there is a new size, the 'super slim medium'. I haven't gotten the most out of the super slim, they seem to small for me to get a good seal. So instead I use the normal medium on the left ear, and the normal large on the right ear. The nozzle opening on the ear tips and earbuds are larger than that of the x10, and the cable a bit thicker. There wasn't a shirt clip included with the headphones this time around, which helps with the heavier cord weight from bouncing and tugging on your ears. I borrowed the clip that came with my x10i... also the eartip cleaning tool, and the adapters don't seem to be included anymore either. Must be the trade off for getting a pretty box instead. I plugged these into my iBasso DX50 digital audio player, listening to only lossless flacs, some being hi-res. The moment I hit play, no burn in what-so-ever, I immediately noticed a big difference between these and the x10s. They both have the same woofer driver in them, they both can play a good deal of strong rich bass. The mids were pretty good on the x10, the highs were really weak though. The x20i is pairing the x10's woofer with a super tweeter, the main difference in how they sound is that on the x20's it sounds suddenly like the treble has come out to play. The highs are incredible now, and the bass just as rich as ever with less distortion now. The sound signature resembles the x10s, but with the benefit of a tweeter, and that makes everything sound quite a bit different. Things sound very detailed, guitars sound so crisp and clean, drums are amazing. Switching back to the x10s after these and everything suddenly sounds very muffled through those. After having been using them regularly for over a week now, they've had plenty of 'burn in' time, however I don't notice them sounding different from burn in. I'm not a believer in this highly spoken of burn in concept, they sounded brilliant the moment I first hit play, and sound brilliant still now. There is an annoyance factor with these headphones, it has annoyed me since the x10i came out, but now more so because the x20i has a replaceable cable. The annoyance is, these headphones come with an Apple mic and control in the headphone cable. Past 7 years I have never got to use this feature as I never own Apple products and it doesn't work at all with Android products. Not that this really matters what it works with because I don't even listen to music using a phone, so the existence of the mic is pointless. The x20i has this mic further up the cable on one side, and I find this location horribly annoying. It is inconvenient, it is harder to wrap up the cable in a way to where it doesn't feel like I'm going to eventually break it, and the control itself is made of plastic whereas all the other accents on the cable is steel. I'd prefer this mic to be removed. Since the x20i lets you swap cables, I'd prefer Klipsch release optional cables that either have no mic or have an Android compatible mic, or both. I'd buy them. As it is now, I do not know where to obtain reasonably priced replacement cables for these headphones with these connectors, and I love the design Klipsch gave the cables. Being see-through, you can see the copper strands within. Well, that minor complaint out of the way, overall I love these headphones. They are amazing and feel they are worth my money, and worthy of being a replacement to the over comfortable x10. :)

Das ist mein vierter! Klipsch-Kopfhörer. Gebe ich nicht mehr her. Klasse Klang! Ein Stern weniger als 5: - die Kopfhörer wiegen etwas mehr als meine anderen Klipsch- in-Ear. Ist pysikalisch klar, führt aber praktisch dazu, dass ich sie bei Sport (sind auch nicht primär dafür ausgelegt) nicht mehr anziehen kann, da sie nicht sicher im Ohr halten. Also immer nur in "Ruhe" hören... - Das Tastfeld wirkt edler mit dem Wippschalter. Von der Bedienung sind die herkömmlichen 3 Taster deutlich intuitiver und treffsicherer. Wäre mir lieber. Kabelqualität ist sehr gut - Geräusche durch Kabelbewegung stören den Klang nicht. Den Vorteil der abschraubbaren Kabel habe ich noch nicht erkannt. Vielleich kann mir jemand weiter helfen?

I've returned mine after extensive testing. At the price they are good IEM's. However, they lack at certain key areas Pros; tiny form factor; patented Klipsch eartips which are very comfortable; improved depth of bass and sub-mids as compared to X12; classy design and leather case Cons: the two drivers don't sound very symbiotic; no option for balanced (4.4mm) connection, stiff cable, in-cable Apple microphone that feels off for a supposed high-end IEM as no one should use these on an iPhone... All in all, if you want high-end earphones that are tiny, these are a good purchase at the current price. But with Sennheiser's IE800 and IE800S you've got better options, albeit at higher price points.

--TLDR-- * First pair was flawed from factory, died really quickly. * Second pair is great * A few minor gripes * All considered, they still reign supreme in my bag! * AMAZING FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION...can't hear a thing! **** Update 3/4/15 **** As I hoped would be the case, the second pair came in promptly and the returned pair were refunded the same day they received them! I have had the new X20's for about 3 months now and My only complaint is that I wish the cable was about a foot longer (which they could come out with longer replacement cables) and I wish the breaks where you can unscrew the cables were physically smaller as I have found it can be somewhat of a bear to get them into the case neatly. Now on to the case, at first I thought it would be fine, if not somewhat neat to have a leather pouch thing, but I have found myself putting them into my glasses case if they are going to be in any sort of bag. On my trip to Italy/France/Germany we had quite a few times where we had to "run and gun" if you will as far as baggage goes to make our connecting transport, and every time my heart would drop and I would dig out the pouch thinking that for sure the little plastic remote would be toast and I would be left with a disappointing story. And for the remote, I have one word...WHY? it is inconvenient at best, and the mic on my phone with a lifeproof on sounds better! They should absolutely sell a set of cables that omits the remote because I have honestly debated clipping it out and soldering on a new SSMCX connector! Get on those cables please... All of that being said, I do love them, and I absolutely believe I made the right choice! I think there must have been something wrong with the other pair from the factory because even my parents noticed a difference between the two. The replacements are extremely clear, they get MUCH louder than the old ones, and the bottom end that was missing before really sings now. To the point that I would stack them comfortably between the 535's and the 846's, pushing well into the latter range. If only Klipsch would have put the SSMCX in the headphone body, many of the gripes I have would not be applicable. All in all, I don't think I would hesitate on picking them up if you have the opportunity. I will update again if anything changes over time about the above. **** Original Comment **** We will have to take a wait and see. I got these for a trip coming up and after maybe a total of 5 hours of use the left earbud is all but unusable! The driver for the highs is very obviously dead, but the low end still works fine (for now) as does the other side. The new extra small tips are simply perfect for these, wish they would have put em out with the X11's cause that would have been a perfect match! This is maybe my sixth pair of Klipsch earbuds, and while these sound better, I got them so I would have a more reliable sturdy pair, but I may have made a mistake :( I have tried other brands, but I just love the profile that Klipsch products produce, so we just keep going back. We have a set of the in ceiling speakers, a 7.2 system, one of the older ProMedia 5.1 desktop systems (what got me hooked), a few different docks, assorted headphones (my M40's just died after a hard life); so I think I can confidently vouch for the quality and consistency in Klipsch's product line, and this pair just doesn't fit that trend, also the only reason I have decided to give them a second chance. I have a replacement on the way, but now I have $1100 in headphones sitting on my card until I get the broken ones refunded. Hopefully these just turn out to be a bad pair, because they honestly are some of the best headphones I have heard. I would almost go as far as to say they sound better broken than most other headphones out there! My friend has a pair of Shure 535's (if my memory serves me right) and these definitely had a better overall experience, almost on par with the 846's I tried a while back! With the X20 just missing some of the power in the deep (DEEEP) lows that the 846 had. I just really don't like the whole over the ear thing for daily drivers. ******** yay.

I really do like these. I'm a HUGE Klipsch fan. I'd give these a 4.5 if I could, but I can't so I did a 4. See reasoning in my Pros/Cons. I have a Reference Premier system from them. But I can't bring a huge stereo system everywhere with me, so I decided to get these. I'm very impressed. PROS: -Unreal sound. You can hear everything, it's incredible. Little nuances that you have never heard in music you've been listening to for years suddenly comes alive. The clears and highs are brilliant and the lows are phenomenal. It's hard to wrap your mind around how they got this big sound out of something that is so small. -They are made well. Unlike previous models I've read about (and had second hand experience through my friend on), these are made VERY well. My buddy has a pair of the X11's and the wire is separated and fixed with electrical tape in two areas. I can't see that happening with these. They are far better. The wires are thicker, it seems the seams are far better constructed, and they seem very strong. Plus, I like that you can unscrew the ear bud wires from the main wire SHOULD something happen. Then you only have to replace a part of them, rather than the whole thing. -They look amazing. I've had people ask me who makes them or what they are made of. It's that "famous" bronze/copper color that attracts peoples eye. The buds themselves are so nice looking...they have brushed metal and a nice little shiny copper part on them. And the wire is black and copper. They look great. -This may sound silly, but the packaging and how they come is amazing. Really luxurious compared to their other/lower models. They come in a real wooden Klipsch branded box that includes everything. A really nice leather pouch for them (much better than the annoying leather thing that comes with the x12i), the manual (which basically just is a bunch of warnings for listening to loud music), and a plastic piece that holds all the extra ear tips (there are 5 different sizes/types plus the SM/M that come on them in the box) and the metal Klipsch branded clip for the wire if you want to clip it to your shirt, etc. The wooden box comes with a cardboard protector around it, so it doesn't have much of it exposed for prior damage. And the box is great to use after. You likely won't use it to transport the x20i's because you have the nice leather pouch, but the box is great to have for other uses. CONS (and these are more just things to note, NOT reasons to keep you from buying) -They suction into your ears. Now this is nothing to be worried about, it creates a nice seal to not only block out noise, but to let you hear EVERYTHING from your music. But I've noticed at times, it can start to bother me a tiny bit. Nothing bad or painful, just a bit annoying. And sometimes, when you go take them out, they make a little popping noise as the suction is lost. Again, NOT a reason to not buy these, but just something to note. -They are SOOOO clear, if you're listening to poorly recorded songs or very low quality stuff, they are going to sound awful. Now that's not really a huge knock on these for being so good, but it's something you need to note. You will notice every subtle thing in your songs with these and if you listen to really bad ripped music, it's going to be noticeable. Summary - I'm a HUGE audio fan. I'm a somewhat practical audiophile. I don't spend 40 grand on my systems. But I really do look for high end stuff and these fit the bill. The price may be high seeing as you can get so many in ear buds for 50 bucks. But these will BLOW YOUR MIND. As I noted, I'd give them 4.5 stars if I could. I just take .5 off for the minor Cons I mentioned. But these are by far the best in ear headphones you will ever have. They are crystal clear, strong with the lows, and make you hear music like you've never heard it before. And one last note - although these were purchases primarily for music use, I have used them for phone calls and I can't believe how clear and precise they are. And my callers have said they can hear me so well. So if you are getting them to use for that as well, you will be very happy.