How do Klipsch Customs and Image compare to top rated IEM's (ie: Shure, Westone, Ultimate Ears, Etymotic) ?

[smoore]

I have tried and are familar with all the other brands of IEM's, all of which have their pro's and con's. I would love to see a head to head comparison of the top rated IEM's with the Klipsch. I love the Klipsch brand and have owned Klipsch speakers for many years. I would love to have some IEM's that remind me of the Klipschorn. Was this the goal when Klipsch created the Custom and the Image? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

[bhenry]

I'm not familiar with the other brands but I can tell you that I have the Custom 3's and the sound is fantastic. I have been keeping up on cable problems with the Custom 3's but I still bought some because they do sound great.

[J.4knee]

Sonically the C3's are fantastic. I love em but the cable problem is an issue that needs serious attention.

[theunionjack]

I had a pair of Etymotic ER-6's before splurging on Custom 3's. I was very tempted to go for Ety's ER-4p because of the reviews they get, but I've always really enjoyed the Klipsch sound, plus the Custom 3's have dual drivers, so I went Klipsch. The sound quality of the C 3's is simply worlds above the ER-6s. I've also had Shure's E3c's. I mean, really no comparison. after the initial burn in period, I am amazed to have a product in my ears that sounds this good. However, there are some things to keep in mind.

The fit on these things is unlike any other IEM i've ever tried. it could just be my ear shape, but i've never had such a hard time fitting. i still can't make these things comfortable in my ears.

the cable issue, as pointed out in an earlier post, is something to look out for. you can prevent the cable from getting permanent kinks, but it takes A LOT of active monitoring and care. Kind of annoying...

[smoore]

Thanks for all the info so far, from what I've gathered the cable and fit issues are the biggest problems with the Klipsch IEM's.

[00formulahawk]

just something to consider as far as fit goes.. I've found that I can make my own foam tips out of cheap ear plugs for the custom 3's that fit worlds better than the gel tips that came with them.. I tried all of the gels that came with them and though they sounded good, was never real impressed with the sound isolation, and by the end of an 8 hour day at work, my ear canals were sore.. with the ear plug tips, I get considerably better sound isolation, I noticed the bass coming in stronger, and I can wear them all day long and my ears never get even mildly sore from it..