What Hi-Fi? Verdict
If you’re serious about getting the most out of your smartphone, you must investigate these
Pros
- +
Superbly insightful
- +
Exciting performance
- +
Smooth presentation
- +
Amazingly comfortable
Cons
- -
Nothing of note
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.
It’s always tough to follow up a hit, but Klipsch has managed it nicely. The banana-shaped X11is, with their comfy silicon tips, are the successors to the Award-winning X10is.
Are they any good? Oh yes. Very, very good.
Performance
We’re amazed by their powers of resolution. The level of insight is seriously impressive and there’s plenty of detail and texture.
Tonally, there’s a good balance: the strong, well-defined bass doesn’t overpower the expressive midrange or crisp treble. It’s a punchy performance; yet smooth enough for long-term listens.
Build and design
At first glance, you wouldn’t expect such an exceptional performance. The buds are less substantial than most rivals, and that cable looks weedy. But there’s more going on here than you’d think.
The cable is lined with Kevlar - the stuff they put in body armour. While the X11is probably won’t stop bullets, they can take being stuffed into pockets. And the square cable is genuinely tangle-resistant.
Verdict
Great sound and great design: if you’re serious about portables, these in-ears need to be on your shortlist.
