Custom-3 announcements and impressions

[HiFlight]

Originally Posted by tnmike1

Ron--I'm curious. Notice in your sig you have the ER4P/S like Ido. So how do you compare the Custom 3 or Image sound quality to the Etys???

I prefer the sound of the Images to that of my Etys. It is less analytical, with a fuller bodied soundstage and better imaging.

The Etys sound cold and rather thin by comparision unless a lot of attention is paid to EQ. I find that, given an appropriate source, the Images provide more of a subwoofer feel to the very low bass that the Etys lack.

I also find the comfort for me to be much better with the Images using the large eargels than with the Etys with their triflanges or foam tips. I soon forget the Images are in place, whereas I am always aware of the Etys.

For casual listening, I feel that the Images are more tolerant of less than stellar sources.

I found the C3s to have a soundstage that was centered in my head rather than the illusion of musicians in front of me. It also seemed like I could clearly hear the crossover point between tweeter and woofer drivers, which sort of spoiled the imaging for me.

To be honest, I preferred the sound of my Atrios with the Klipsch gels over that of the C3, as imaging and soundstage are better, as well as the comfort, as the Atrios have a smaller driver housing that doesn't affect the fit to my ears.

For those who can get a consistantly good fit and enjoy being close to the music, the C3 would be a good choice.

[antonyfirst]

Are the Image comparable to ER4P (not ER4S) in regard to details?

[visia]

Originally Posted by tnmike1

I'm amending my comments with a caveat: have had one of those tri-flanges come off in my ear during experimentation. Thankfully, I've got a wife with a pair of tweezers who could tweeze it out.

B-flanges seal really well as well, so they have to be pulled very gently. I've been experimenting with few tips the last few days. The bottom line is that Klipsch eargels don't work for me at all. The stems are just not long enough and IEMs interfere with proper sealing. Sure olives seal OK, but are not that concenient, nor are they that good sonically. Atrio bi-flanges, on the other hand, are excellent. They seal really well and immediately, stay put and are very confortable. Furthermore, I can get a good seal with either medium or large b-flanges. Medium ones jam much deeper and that provides more up-fron sound and collapses the imaging. Large bi-flanges are a bit more difficult to put in (I have to gently find a spot at the opening of the ear channel where they seal, without jamming them in), but the sound is excellent.

[tnmike1]

so I suppose the bottom-line question is this: for a $300 IEM is it really worth all the hassle of experimenting with tipping, or should Klipsch introduce a new and better gel or other method to get perfect fitting? I'm listening now as I type with the gels that came with the Custom 3 originally, billed as fitting 60% of the population. So far, I like them. But we'll continue to experiment.

[pretzelb]

Originally Posted by tnmike1

so I suppose the bottom-line question is this: for a $300 IEM is it really worth all the hassle of experimenting with tipping, or should Klipsch introduce a new and better gel or other method to get perfect fitting? I'm listening now as I type with the gels that came with the Custom 3 originally, billed as fitting 60% of the population. So far, I like them. But we'll continue to experiment.

I guess it depends on what all the other $300 IEMs are like. Is this common for people to have to try various tips?

Also I'm not sure if it's just the tips. Seems like the driver housing (not sure what else to call it) is what is causing most of the problems. People can't get the tip into their ear AND have the housing sit on the outside like it's designed. I know this is why I can't use anything but the large gels - anything smaller can't be angled into my ear AND have the housing sit outside.

One thing I discovered this weekend is that some of what I call funk music sounds great.

[visia]

Originally Posted by tnmike1

so I suppose the bottom-line question is this: for a $300 IEM is it really worth all the hassle of experimenting with tipping, or should Klipsch introduce a new and better gel or other method to get perfect fitting? I'm listening now as I type with the gels that came with the Custom 3 originally, billed as fitting 60% of the population. So far, I like them. But we'll continue to experiment.

Well, Shure500 were even more and came as a huge disappointment for my taste. But it also seems pretty self-defeating on Klipsch part not to do something about it, if there are so many complains about people not getting a good fit. It seems that the stem of the earpiece is just simply too short to fit securely with the eargels that are provided.

[OracleGuy]

Originally Posted by Amy

Hello!
I believe they will be in London Drugs and Best Buy, although I do not have details of when. I will try to find out more for you.
Thanks!

Amy, I was at a London Drugs yesterday and asked the manager of the photo dept. (where they sell iPods, Shure IEMs, etc.) if he knew anything about Klipsch earphones. He had no idea that Klipsch makes anything other than speakers (they are a Klipsch dealer for your home theatre gear as I'm sure you know). He looked at me like I was crazy actually.

So you've got a bit of education to do with your Canadian dealer network!

If they don't want to carry your IEMs then you should open up your web store to us head-fi'ers north of the border.

[tnmike1]

Originally Posted by visia

Well, Shure500 were even more and came as a huge disappointment for my taste. But it also seems pretty self-defeating on Klipsch part not to do something about it, if there are so many complains about people not getting a good fit. It seems that the stem of the earpiece is just simply too short to fit securely with the eargels that are provided.

Now THAT'S a great observation. Took a two-mile walk this afternoon, tested three of these tips, and Rachmaninoff's piano and Diana Krall's bass player were simply non-existent unless I really pushed on the earpieces to keep them in place. So maybe you've hit on something here--the stems might be too short???

[visia]

Originally Posted by tnmike1

Now THAT'S a great observation. Took a two-mile walk this afternoon, tested three of these tips, and Rachmaninoff's piano and Diana Krall's bass player were simply non-existent unless I really pushed on the earpieces to keep them in place. So maybe you've hit on something here--the stems might be too short???

In essence the bi-flages serve as stem extensions, they only snap on the very tips of the stems.

[Amy]

Originally Posted by OracleGuy

Amy, I was at a London Drugs yesterday and asked the manager of the photo dept. (where they sell iPods, Shure IEMs, etc.) if he knew anything about Klipsch earphones. He had no idea that Klipsch makes anything other than speakers (they are a Klipsch dealer for your home theatre gear as I'm sure you know). He looked at me like I was crazy actually.

So you've got a bit of education to do with your Canadian dealer network!

If they don't want to carry your IEMs then you should open up your web store to us head-fi'ers north of the border.

Thanks so much for the feedback, I will definitely pass this along!

[slwiser]

Originally Posted by Amy

Thanks so much for the feedback, I will definitely pass this along!

Amy

Please provide return information for my Custom-3s. I want to exchange them for the Images. I have noted this on your site support email and don't want to wait long cause the 30 day return period is about up. My invoice date of shipment was 2/8/08.

[AndrewF]

Does anyone with the Custom 3's have any thoughts on them relative to the UM2's? I was waiting for the Westone 3, but it doesn't look like they'll ever come out. Would the Custom 3's be an improvement over the UM2's (which I love) or pretty much similar?

Andrew

[Amy]

Originally Posted by slwiser

Amy

Please provide return information for my Custom-3s. I want to exchange them for the Images. I have noted this on your site support email and don't want to wait long cause the 30 day return period is about up. My invoice date of shipment was 2/8/08.

I'm sorry, I'm not in customer service. Please call us at 888-554-5665, or email rma@klipsch.com. They will need your original order information. As long as you get the call or email into us before the 30 days, you'll be fine.

Thanks!

[Lifter59]

Originally Posted by AndrewF

Does anyone with the Custom 3's have any thoughts on them relative to the UM2's? I was waiting for the Westone 3, but it doesn't look like they'll ever come out. Would the Custom 3's be an improvement over the UM2's (which I love) or pretty much similar?

Andrew

I have both sets of IEM's and I find that the C3's have a wider sound field (if that makes sense). Both have very good definition across the high and mid range but the C3 seems to be a bit tighter and cleaner in the bass portion of the curve. I was able to hear more definition with them as well - the sound was very "up-front" and the drivers handle just about any type of music you might throw their way.

Hope that helps.

[AndrewF]

Thanks. Very helpful.

AF