Now that school has reopened, and the holidays are over, I can finally get down to writing about the little holiday I took with the family in June.
We didn't really plan anything so I just booked a stay in a hotel in JB, Malaysia for three days. I know what you are thinking, what is there in JB? Well, I can tell you that JB has three things going for it.
1. It is near.
2. It has affordable and good Malaysian food.
3. The hotel has a pool and a mall attached to it.
Sightseeing was not on the agenda. My kids just like the idea of a hotel stay (and staycations in Singapore cost a bomb), being able to swim at the hotel pool, and hanging out at the mall. The wife was happy to just shop in ringgit and my mother could get some marketing done too. Isaac, Faith, my wife, my mom and my helper went by the little family car. Joy and I took the bus over. Yes, I took public transport to JB.
Given the mode of travel, the one thing I wanted to do was to pack as little as possible. I managed to squeeze three days worth of clothes, toiletries, and electronics in this little 20L Deuter daypack. When I say electronics, I mean my Sony A7 camera with two lenses and my iPad Air. That was it. No laptop, no PS Vita, and no bulky headphones. I just wanted to chill with the family, and maybe listen to some music or watch a tv show or movie on the iPad Air if there was time.
Enter the Klipsch R6 and R6i (with iPhone remote). This is the replacement for the Klipsch S4 (and S4i), the entry-level earphones that I used and liked in 2011 (how time flies!). And just like the last time, I experienced the Klipsch while on a trip.
For the purposes of this review, I used the R6i, with the iPhone remote. The R6i surprised me. If you didn't tell me they are meant to be entry level earphones, I would not have thought they were. The signature S4 sound is still there, but vastly improved. First of all, that sibilance that used to be fairly pronounced on the S4 is pretty much gone. Second of all, the build quality has gone up significantly, using aluminum and elastomer for a more high-end look. The headphone jack, a critical part, looks reinforced, which means better protection from failure.
The bass is punchy but not overwhelming. The mids are now less muddy compared to the S4 series it replaces. In fact, I could hear details that I didn't used to get from the S4. I also felt the sound was slightly warmer. You could say that the R6i is a more refined brother of the S4i.
The best way I can describe the R6 is that it is balanced. Soundstage has also improved over its predecessor. And the new flat cable is much better, making the R6 less prone to tangling.
It is very diminutive when you pack it for travel. Even in its pouch, the package is slim. I shoved it into my pants pocket when I wanted to take it along, and other times, I just shoved it with its pouch into my backpack. It was light, small and got out of the way, and rarely got tangled up.
The oval ear-buds, a Klipsch thing, made the R6i very comfortable for long periods of use. The remote control on the R6i is also nice, with the play button being obvious to the touch, while the volume controls are flush with the remote. This means that without looking, you can locate the single bump of the play button very easily instead of being confused by three bumps.
I normally burn in my earphones by playing them for more than 20 hours before using them, but the R6i was something I just grabbed for the trip and used. Sounded great out of the box, which I didn't expect. After hours of using it on the road, it sounded even better.
Oh, how could I leave you without photos of our little vacation, right? Here are the kids enjoying the heck out of the hotel pool, which even had a dinosaur theme pool area.
The yellow float cost me ten ringgit to rent, which was ok, I guess. I rented two floats so the kids wouldn't fight over it.
Faith totally loved the holiday. We let her swim all she wanted, and there were no plane rides (not her most favorite thing). And I got to eat all the lovely street food in JB, and even squeezed in some time for a late night massage with the wife.
Not bad for a last-minute holiday.
-------
Sponsored message:
Klipsch SEA is giving away 20 pairs of Klipsch R6/R6i! All you have to do is to answer a few questions in their quick survey and you will automatically stand a chance to win a pair!
Simply LIKE their fan page at www.facebook.com/KlipschSEAsia and do the survey with a DESKTOP COMPUTER (not on mobile) at this link: http://mrbrwn.co/klipschsurvey
A big thank you for taking part and good luck!
