Custom 3 review

[Jay481985]

I want to thank Klipsch for providing me the pair. I won these at the KlipschAnnual Pilgrimage when my name was pulled out of the hat when they were raffling these off. I waited along time and kept my mouth quiet about what I won until they announced they were making headphones. The order was filed 2-6-08 and they were delivered today.

First I must say they went crazy on the packaging.... There is more plastic than need be. It came in a Mylar and bubblewrap bag but due to the plastic shell the box was perfectly fine. There is an external plastic case and then an internal one both of which are clear. There is air between the two plastic cases to prevent I would presume shipping damage, but it is very snug. They use plastic dots to close the boxes. It took me about 3 minutes to open it up. The speakers are then found inside another attractive brown paper box with the Klipsch logo and such. It is also well protected. They say Custom-3 on the front and the headphones are clearly seen in the front. Behind the headphones is the black medium carry case. The headphones are in plastic and held down with ties. There is also literature one to register and get two free pairs of contour ear gels when you register online though they gave a mail in version for the less tech/internet savy people which is prepaid which is nice. There is a yellow quickstart guide to show how to take the tip off and on, how do insert etc.Then there is the owner's manual, its in english, french and spanish. I guess they want to sell them overseas too. It gives a pretty basic but detailed guide. They even include the OSHA standard for sound loudness which is nice.

Okay now for the actual Custom 3 parts. The Custom 3 come with a medium sized carrycase. Its pretty nice, although its faux leather the quality is better than most freebe. The zipper is real metal and included is the 10 ear gels, a cleaning tool, airplane adapter, 1/4 adapter and the carry case as said before. The carry case is big though I wish there was a specialpart for the custom 3 as the inside is nylon netting one side the length of the case and the other side is split for the adapters and the cleaning tools. Since the custom 3 are not flat they tend to stick out the nylon netting. Also the case is big enough that you can possible fit a normal newer ipod in there since its roughly the same size. I am not sure cause I own a 4th generation ipod 60 gig photo that is larger. It seems the nano and shuffle will fit fine. I would probably use the fabric that comes with the ipod to prevent scratching and take the adapters and ear tool out.

The custom 3 fit and finish. The smallest earplug fit me the best. The small double flange fit but it was a bit to snug for my liking. The headphones are not light but at the same size the are comfortable and do not hurt like the ipod headphones that they give you. I can actually put my head on the side with a pillow and not have it hurt. It fits deep into your ear. The black strap like thing bends very nicely around the top of the ear. The headphone is not as hard to put in as other competitos like etymotics and shures in which I literally had to open my jaw and force in to get in, maybe its cause I found my ear canal is small I guess? But the etymotics and shures also irritated my ear canal skin cause i had to shove them in. One thing to note is the 50 inches of cord is long.... too long. I have a smart cord which is alot of money for a piece of silicon but does its job well, something like that would have been nice as part of the carry case accessories. One nice thing is the nylon braid around the wire. It definitely makes an impression but one thing to note is the wire is not I forgot the exact term but you can hear the cord rubbing on your clothes as it drags across it. Have a shaky leg, you will hear the cord move. The headphone plug side is slim and 90 degrees. I think its a bit "weak" perceptually but its most likely fine and better option for most ipods as the tip is thin for those cases that really block the audio hole.

[Vick's Pit]

I just received my Custom 3's today also. I actually thought
the packaging was perfect so that the likelihood of damage occurring during
transit is low. One less thing Klipsch should have to worry about. Since
Jay pretty much covered everything up to the part about how they sound, I can
speak of that. I found the largest size ear gels are what worked best. It took
some experimentation to figure this out, but worth it in the end. In my case
the small gels just didn't seal off the outside noise enough and that resulted
in weak bass. Once I switched to the large gels the bass was fantastic. Kudos
to Klipsch for providing a wide variety of gels to accommodate everyone’s
individual size. Once I turned the music on I was amazed. These are the most ridiculous
in ear headphones I have ever heard. By ridiculous I mean good. Super clean
highs and deep thumping lows. All the music sounded really clear and detailed.
I played a couple rock tracks and then switched over to some electronic mixes.
The headphones never skipped a beat. I must say I have only heard a couple
other in ear phones before such as Bose, Apple and Shure, so there may be some
other really good competitors out there? I still just think the Custom 3's seam so much
more detailed and clear. By all means if you can pony up the $ for these phones,
I don't think you will be disappointed. Hopefully they will provide listening
enjoyment for years to come.

[Jay481985]

I got everything up to the sound. I am holding off until I can hear more genres but for now it sounds great

[Donald1800]

I got them yesterday. Spent the appropriate period of time to get the seal and confort right, then proceded to test them out.

The mid range was clear and smooth - nice. The bass was a little subdued and 'muddy' compared to my Klipsch ProMedia 5.1 with stacked subs. They lacked the tightness and impact in the low frequencies. I had to boost the 30hz and 16khz bands +6db and the 60hz and 8khz bands +3db to approximate my current system. I do recommend these headphones while listening to 'Dolby Headphone' post processed music for the best sound.

Before people jump all over me about a "poor fit", let me say that I started out with the smallest gels which were too small - no seal, no bass. The mediums sealed and delivered the bass as described, as well as the largest double flange model. I had trully subdued ambient background noise (plugged ears) and no ear discomfort. The next size was uncomfortable to insert, let alone wear for an extended period.

Donald

[SilverSport]

Mine arrived today as well although outside in the cold temps I will give them a day to warm up...been busy...looking forward to reading the reviews and listening myself...HUGE Thanks to Klipsch and to Amy!

Bill

[BLSamuel]

Congratulations Jay and Silversport (Bill?).! []I know the wait has been hard on Jay. I hope they're everything you've hoped for and more. Looking forward to reading your review(s).

[Jay481985]

Just a reminder, the custom 3 require some time for proper ear placement. They are not as easy as the image and takes about 30 seconds to put in and wrap the black nylon thing to stay around your ears. Also placement is key, if you actually listen to music and touch the earphone and move it you can actually block the earplug in a way it blocks the sound.

Also black earplugs make me think my ear is full of wax all the time..... next time maybe clear or white or beige earplugs?

One other thing to note, I do not particulary like the feeling I get when I have any earplugs in me. The custom 3 are no exception since it becomes just too quiet for my liking.

[Jay481985]

Congratulations Jay and Silversport (Bill?).! I know the wait has been hard on Jay. I hope they're everything you've hoped for and more. Looking forward to reading your review(s).

thank you blsamuel..... It was hard during my winter break me being a college student and the fact my rf-83 were in the dorm. At that time I had no Klipsch.

[el jopez]

ooo color me jealous.

Can't wait for more end user experiences guys!

[Donald1800]

Now that I've lived with the new Custom 3 eadphones for several days, ripped many CDs and post processed with 'Dolby ProLogic II' and 'Dolby Headphone', and learned how to use the Xonar U1 external USB Audio 'Card', I can now honestly say that after using the Xonar U1 Equalizer to remove the "Muddyness" and resonances, these headphones ae putting out sound of a quality I have not heard before from ANY headphone, and MOST speaker systems. Trully outstanding audio quality.

Here is what I did to get this performance. If you have this card or have access to an equalizer with your sound card, try duplicating these settings and see what you get - I can switch between the Default 'Flat' and UserDef curve I labled 'HP Correction'. The difference is nght to day.

I clicked the 'EFFECTS' button on the bottom, clicked on the 'MORE OPT' button on the left, selected 'Padded Cell' from the drop-down menu, set the equalizer to the following settings: 30hz +4db, 60hz -4db, 120hz to 1Khz -8db, 2Khz -4db, 4Khz 0db, 8Khz +4db, 16Khz +8db.

I've tried these settings with many kinds and styles of music, and I haven't found any adjustments from these settings that produces better quality. Give it a try and let us know your results and/or preferences.

Love these 'phones. I guess that even headphones can benifit from an equalizer.

Donald1800

[pretzelb]

Just a reminder, the custom 3 require some time for proper ear placement. They are not as easy as the image and takes about 30 seconds to put in and wrap the black nylon thing to stay around your ears. Also placement is key, if you actually listen to music and touch the earphone and move it you can actually block the earplug in a way it blocks the sound.

THis is very true. I'm still not sure I have a perfect fit but it's much harder to get a good fit than with the Image.

As far as the sound, I have nothing of equal price/quality to compare it to with respect to IEMs, except for Image. Trying to compare these two and it's going to be very difficult for me.

[Jay481985]

I thought a small was the perfect fit, even though it still technically is, but all of the earplugs fit for me but not as comfotably as the small earplugs.

[customsteve01]

I have now spent a little time listening and I find the larger of the two double flanged ear gels seal the best and are very comfortable.

So far I have this impresion on the bass "How can this sound be in my head but I don't feel it pounding my chest." By far the best bass responce of any earphone I have heard. It is really amazing how they can get such a full sound out of something so small.

Steve

[Professor Thump]

I want to thank Klipsch for providing me the pair. I won these at the KlipschAnnual Pilgrimage when my name was pulled out of the hat when they were raffling these off. I waited along time and kept my mouth quiet about what I won until they announced they were making headphones. The order was filed 2-6-08 and they were delivered today.

First I must say they went crazy on the packaging.... There is more plastic than need be. It came in a Mylar and bubblewrap bag but due to the plastic shell the box was perfectly fine. There is an external plastic case and then an internal one both of which are clear. There is air between the two plastic cases to prevent I would presume shipping damage, but it is very snug. They use plastic dots to close the boxes. It took me about 3 minutes to open it up. The speakers are then found inside another attractive brown paper box with the Klipsch logo and such.

Glad you finally got your C3's!In regards to the packaging... We spent "a ton o" time and money on the packaging. There are several goals to display packaging for retail. Here are the reasons why it is designed the way it is:

· Personal Appeal – The packaging was designed to appear to float inside the outer box.

· Cost - We started with a solid polycarbonate design to create this illusion. The walls were 3-5 mm thick. This would have been similar to some watch boxes. It would have been beautiful BUT it is real expensive using that much plastic resin to make a display box that you will probably throw away anyhow. We would have made it to this design because packaging sells product in the store. It is the first impression that is important. In doing so though we would have had to take all the accessories including the carrying case out of the package because we couldn’t afford it. So this solid plastic box was too expensive. The alternative was to do a double box that appears to be ½” thick.

· Theft proof – There are a few dishonest people that think it is okay to take things without paying for them. If a retailer loses two or three IMAGE headphones they can’ afford to sell the product. So we put lots of wafer seals on the box to make it harder to open and steal. It also allows the box to have cleaner lines. Sorry but the other option was to a clamshell which you can’t open without a razor blade or good scissors. We didn’t want anyone killing themselves trying to open our product.

So again… sorry if it takes a long time to open the product up but think of it as waiting longer to open up your present.

Then… Why don’t you stick it in your ear!

[H]

[Jay481985]

There was a lot of plastic but it is attractive none the less. After telling me the initial solid polycarbonate design, I think that it was a good compromise and it does look like it floats.

The theft proof issue though.... I worked at an apple store and bestbuy...... I know that if a person really want to steal it, they will. With the packagingI can see someone just using a box cutter to chop the box and get the goodies.... I remember people used to do that with the i-Pods, where they would pick it up, walk around to a place they feel safe and away from customers, employees and video cameras and then cut it and take just the ipod, leaving the accessories due to the time concern. I think the best way to actually deter theft would be to make a box that makes as much noise as possible, a distinct crunching or crinckling noise maybe from the plastic when you try and take the package out or such. But this method doesn't deter the people that just lift the whole item and open it up home.

[Jay481985]

One thing I have come to realize is the fact that the over the ear placement makes it hard to wear sunglasses at the same time

[customsteve01]

Jay,

I were glasses and I have not had that problem.

Steve

[Donald1800]

I too wear glasses while using the Custom 3s and haven't discovered any problems or discomfort. What specifically is the problem?

Donald1800

[Jay481985]

my sunglasses rubber ear things and the custom 3 kinda float on top so it can fall off easier.

[pretzelb]

I didn't like the packaging at all. In fact, it was so bad that I actually THOUGHT about the packaging. I can't recall any other packaging for a product so this must be a bad sign.

It was just too dang hard to get to the product, Plus, I kept thinking of how much waste I was putting in a landfill with all that plastic. I can understand that some is needed but wasn't it like 3 layers? I distinctly remember being eager to get to the C3 and saying outload to myself "Oh come on, you have to be kidding me! Another layer to bypass before I can get to these things?"

I think the final kick in the pants was finally getting to the C3 and not being able to pull them out. Why? The tiny twist ties that held them to the final bit of plastic. They were already snug into the plastic layer, the twisty was totally unnecessary imo.

All in all this is a minor gripe but since it was mentioned I wanted to add my opinion. I shudder to think what I will do if I return these as I'd rather try a Rubic's cube before trying to put this back together.