When comparing Klipsch Image S4i II vs Phiaton BT 100 NC, the Slant community recommends Klipsch Image S4i II for most people. In the question“What are the best in-ear headphones that come with a microphone?” Klipsch Image S4i II is ranked 1st while Phiaton BT 100 NC is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose Klipsch Image S4i II is:
At this pricepoint S4i headphones offer excellent sound quality and, on top of that, they include a decent microphone and useful bundled extras.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Excellent value for money
At this pricepoint S4i headphones offer excellent sound quality and, on top of that, they include a decent microphone and useful bundled extras.
Pro Comfortable
The uncommon oval eartips allow for comfortable use of headphones.
Pro Echo-cancelling microphone
S4i's microphone is works reasonably good both indoors and outdoors. Although, it may over-emphasize lows a little bit.
Pro Three sizes of oval eartips
S4i comes bundled with 3 sizes of oval eartips for you to help adjust how they fit in your ear.
Pro Can answer calls
You can answer calls by clicking the middle button on the remote.
Pro Great isolation
Due to the fact that eartips fit tightly within the ear, they provide good passive sound cancellation.
Pro Decent sound quality
S4i offers clear highs and rich lows while not over-emphasizing any of the two, thus allowing for the headphones to keep a rather balanced profile. Of course, it's not perfect, the bass can distort a bit at higher volumes and highs can be fuzzy at certain situations, but at this price point it offers sound quality that's way above expectations.
Pro Useful bundled items
These headphones come bundled with:
- a clothing clip
- a carrying pouch
- 4 pairs of different sized eartips
- an eartip cleaning tool
Pro Support for iPod Shuffle's VoiceOver
Provides voice control for iPod Shuffle.
Pro Support for iPhone 3GS's Voice Control
Provides voice control for iPhone 3GS and later.
Pro Combines good sound, splash resistance, noise cancelling and wireless connectivity at a great price
You get a lot of useful features from the BT 100 NC which includes decent noise cancelling, Bluetooth as well splash resistance, which makes these earphones great for casual or active use. Sound reproduction has great clarity as well as full mids and okay bass, and should work well with many music genres.
Pro Detailed and clean sound
Bass is not emphasized yet is full and has good punch so the sound does not sound lean. The mids are warm and full, so guitars, vocals and drums sound great. The highs are slightly emphasized, which brings out a lot of detail from the music, but can also make cymbal and “s” sounds quite harsh.
Pro Collar design houses all earphone controls
You’ll be able to control the various earphone functions using the buttons and switches on the BT 100 NC’s collar. It houses the earphones’ battery and noise cancelling circuitry along with the buttons for answering and ending calls, play/pause/skip/previous tracks, volume adjust and the noise cancelling switch. Aside from being easy to reach, the collar also takes as much weight off of the earpieces as possible, so they stay inside the ears well.
Pro Good battery life
You’ll get a good amount of wireless listening time off of these earphones. Battery life with noise cancelling and wireless activated is around 8 hours, while you can get 12 hours of noise cancelling when these are used in wired mode.
Pro Okay noise cancelling
While not the best, the noise-cancelling is decent and can reduce noise that may mix in with your music. You’ll still be able to hear some low pitched noise like the sound of engines though.
Pro Earpieces can be stored in the collar
You can bring these earphones on the go without the earpieces flopping all over the place when they are not in use. There is a space in each end of the collar where you can dock the earpieces for easier transport.
Cons
Con Limited functionality with some mp3 players
Due to S4i using the Apple chip to control iOS devices, full call support or device control might not be possible with all mp3 players.
Con Bass-light with slightly aggressive treble
If you love powerful bass or non-fatiguing treble, then the BT 100 NC’s sound signature may not be for you. The bass is present, but the quantity may not be enough. The slightly emphasized treble can make the sound harsh and can be fatiguing to listen to for long periods, especially if you are sensitive to treble.
Con Collar design may be uncomfortable
The collar rests on your neck. While lightweight, you may find this piece of plastic to be annoying, especially when doing vigorous moves when running or working out.