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  • Introduction

  • Comfort, Design & Features

  • Audio Quality

  • Conclusion

  • Science Introduction

  • Frequency Response

  • Noise Reduction

  • Other Tests

  • Introduction
  • Comfort, Design & Features
  • Audio Quality
  • Conclusion
  • Science Introduction
  • Frequency Response
  • Noise Reduction
  • Other Tests

Introduction

Comfort, Design & Features

Fragile, but accommodating.

If you find an appropriately-sized sleeve in the packaging, the fit of the Klipsch X10 isn't all that bad, and in fact can be decently comfortable—as far as in-ears go. It should be made clear that everyone has differently-sized ear canals, so the sleeves may or may not fit as well for you. Thankfully, Klipsch includes quite an array of sizes for you, so you shouldn't worry too much about a poor fit. Over time there is very little fatigue on your ear canal because these things are so ridiculously light. You may notice some heat buildup, however, and that alone can cause some issues.

Due to their incredibly diminutive size, problems inherent to the in-ear design are made even worse.

Even though they're not large enough to really be noticed, the Klipsch X10s are actually quite slick-looking. Granted, to the casual observer it will look like there's just a wire going into your ears when they see you wearing them. Due to their incredibly diminutive size, problems inherent to the in-ear design are made even worse. Solder points and likely areas of pressure are going to be much more prone to breakage. If you make liberal use of your carrying case, however, the risk should be minimized, but be careful with these.

When you want to stow your in-ears, you can wrap them up and put them (along with your accessories) in the leather carrying case, which should be able to fit in your pocket, as it is quite small. Additionally, because these things are tiny, they do not weigh all that much.

{{photo_gallery "product tour"}}

Audio Quality

The audio quality isn't perfect, but it is respectable

The frequency response of the Klipsch X10s is very dynamic, but it isn't very erratic either. I will point out that it does roll off in the high end rather early, but it's not as dramatic as other headphones. Still, you may notice higher notes or harmonic frequencies coming in a bit quieter than they "should." If you equalize these, try turning the lower frequencies down a bit and raising the overall volume.

The frequency response of the Klipsch X10s is dynamic, but it isn't very erratic either.

There's also virtually no distortion, and neither side comes in louder than the other. It may sound like it should be common, but it isn't always the case with headphones.

Conclusion

Impressive and tiny in-ears

Consumers who prefer in-ears to on or over-ears, but need an extremely light pair may enjoy the Klipsch X10s. While they definitely have their durability concerns for a pair of high-end headphones, their audio performance fits their pricetag, and may be available in sales at this point in their life cycle.

With a decent frequency response, solid noise isolation, and near-perfect tracking, the Klipsch X10s are a decent option for people who demand high performance but want to take their music listening on the go. So long as you are someone who takes very good care of your headphones, these should serve you well for a time. Just be sure to stay on top of maintenance and your X10s will do well.

Users of smartphones may want to buy the Klipsch X10i variant of this model, as it has a remote and microphone, but we cannot speculate on whether its performance is close to that of the Klipsch X10. Still, this set of headphones should work famously for most mobile listeners.

Science Introduction

A lot of audio performance in a tiny package.

Frequency Response

Not bad

For casual use, these headphones should fit the bill well. They definitely emphasize lower frequencies quite a bit, but the only major issue of note here is the underemphasis in the high end. Typically, when you see such strong bass emphasis, you will also see a corresponding peak at 10kHz due to the fact that humans often need a volume bump there in order to hear those frequencies at the same perceived loudness as the others.

Noise Reduction

These seal out a bunch of noise.

Even though these aren't fancy noise-cancelers, in-ears typically block out a bunch of outside noise by simply making a seal inside your ear canal. Using the double-flanged sleeves, the Klipsch X10s manages to prevent a ton of environmental noise from bothering you when you're out and about, so if you're a commuter, or walk in a city a lot, these are ideal for listening to music on the go.

If you really wanted to destroy your hearing, these headphones can blast music at a level of 120.78dB(SPL) before reaching a 3% level of distortion. While it's nice to know that distortion should theoretically never be a problem for you, please control your volume.

Other Tests

Meet the tester

Chris Thomas

Chris Thomas

Staff Writer, Imaging

@cthomas8888

A seasoned writer and professional photographer, Chris reviews cameras, headphones, smartphones, laptops, and lenses. Educated in Political Science and Linguistics, Chris can often be found building a robot army, snowboarding, or getting ink.

See all of Chris Thomas's reviews

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