paisley1

The practical side of what Thump is saying I resonate with. I notice a HUGE difference from the custom-1's to the custom 3's while listening to any surround sound movie, tv show or theatrical score, it's phenomenal really. The custom-1's are consistently tinny and scratchy in the high end, for example, the sound of gunfire on HBO's The Pacific sounds like rocks rattling against a metal garbage can, but with the custom-3's, the gunfire is a quieter and more uniform (balanced) "thud" sound, which is easier on the ears and closer to the sound of my speakers. As well, my ears don't get sore with the custom-3's as they did with the custom-1's, as I'm not straining my ears listening, as I was always cranking up the volume on my custom-1's to try and hear what I'd hear on my speakers, even with the bass booster on, on my ipod. Little sounds are also far more pronounced and warmer, most notably, the clarity of the bass on theatrical scores with the custom-3's, listen to Bear McCreary's "Prelude to War" from Battlestar Galactica's season 2 soundtrack and let the custom-3's woofer blow your mind away!!! The custom-3's clarity on acoustic music like Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven" is the same thing, where little sounds, like hammer on's and pulls, are distinct and clear, as well, no "ssssssssssss" sound in the background on acoustic tracks with the help of that low pass acoustic filter....you may not notice it now, but it's definitely there without the custom-3's, all adding to easier listening than the custom-1's. I couldn't imagine using my ipod headphones, after experiencing the noise cancellation of the custom-1's, but with the custom-3's, I'm just plain spoiled. The strength of the cord and the ear hook were huge selling points for me with the custom-1's at the time of purchase over comparable Shure and Westone earbuds, as I just draw the cord under my shirt to my ipod in my pocket then hook the earbuds on the top of my shirt when I take them out, instead of having to pocket them....but yes, they do get tangled quite easily with the cord, but to me that's a necessary evil for those of us who are rough on their toys and need the added strength over comfort, and don't want earbuds dangling when they're not in-ear. Rough and lazy. Apathy at it's finest! []