When comparing Klipsch Image S4i Rugged vs Apple Airpods, the Slant community recommends Klipsch Image S4i Rugged for most people. In the question“What are the best rugged and durable earbuds & IEMs that last?” Klipsch Image S4i Rugged is ranked 7th while Apple Airpods is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose Klipsch Image S4i Rugged is:
Klipsch S4 earphones have excellent response at both the high and low ends of the audible spectrum, providing clean and undistorted sound.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Crisp treble and solid bass
Klipsch S4 earphones have excellent response at both the high and low ends of the audible spectrum, providing clean and undistorted sound.
Pro Clear call quality
The built in mic provides a good experience when talking on the phone.
Pro Numerous controls accessed with 3 buttons
The S4i's buttons recognize combination presses, tap patterns and held buttons, allowing access to many features: call answering, voice control, song titles, etc. These controls are intended for use with iPhones.
Pro Very secure fit
These headphones come with four different sets of silicone plug tips, allowing a snug fit for nearly any size or shape of ear.
Pro Built for outdoor and sports use
Klipsch S4i Rugged earphones are designed to withstand extreme conditions in both activity and environment.
Pro Lightweight
These come in at only 4 grams per earpiece. The absence of a connecting cable further minimizes the weight.
Pro True wireless
There is no band or cable connecting the earpieces. You won't have to deal with the noise caused by a cable rubbing against your clothes or body.
Pro Bass-light sound signature with good clarity
These headphones do produce some low-end, but the bass does not come with a lot of power and oomph. The highs and mids are good though. They are not too forward and present a nice level of clarity. Most genres of music will sound good with these, though bass heavy tracks like dance, hip-hop, EDM and the like may sound lacking.
Pro Easy to connect with Apple devices
Thanks to the proprietary connectivity chip used, the Airpods sync to Apple devices without a hitch. This is a noticeable advantage over many third-party wireless headphones where you might need to go through a lot of steps just to get them synced properly.
Pro Signal stability and quality is great
The signal cuts-off only on very few occasions. Generally, you should have a stable wireless listening experience. Also, there is no noticeable lag between what is happening on screen and when you get to hear the sound from these headphones when watching videos.
Pro Microphone sound quality is good
Voices sound clear and full so conversations will not be an issue.
Cons
Con Controls are designed for Apple products
The built in controls are only guaranteed to work with iPhone 3GS and onward. (The Klipsch S4a, designed for Android devices, does not have a rugged version.)
Con Limited controls
There are only two control gestures (double tap on either one of the two Airpods), which is enough for basic running (where you might only skip a song once in a while), but less than any other headphones with inline controls.
Con If you get sweaty ears, there is a good chance these will fall out
Con Bass may be too light
If you listen to a lot of bass heavy tracks or if you want all of your music to have great low-end punch then the bass reproduction may be too thin for you.
Con Hard to acquire
In most places of the world, you need to wait about 6 weeks to get your hands on these.