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I've actually had another chance to more properly assess the K3003 since then. IMO, the reference vs. high boost filter is another one of those compromises: With the reference filter, the treble peak, though still evident, is tolerable. Unfortunately, the reference filter tends to lower the overall treble slightly too much for my tastes. In addition, the treble filter also seems to decrease the K3003 resolving capabilities, to the extent where I feel it doesn't compete against other higher-end designs.
Fair enough and thanks for adding a few extra thoughts and an update.
I trust the second time around you spent a bit more time with the AKGs and tried varying degrees of insertion (and maybe even the odd aftermarket tip). Regardless, like I said before, perhaps you'd still come to the same or very similar conclusions you did the first time round. Or perhaps not as harsh, or not rated the K3003s as low as you originally did.
Anyway, here's a few things I feel should be taken into account with regards to the K3003s, aspects which will be viewed / rated differently by each user, and aspects which different reviewers sometimes either don't notice much /overlook or don't consider very relevant.
Design & build quality.
Form factor: For such small (tiny almost) housings to be able to pump out such (good) SQ is quite a feat in itself. For several users, to find the sonics of such a small device to be fairly close to the pretty bulky, non-portable HD800's sonics, seems quite an achievement, certainly in my book.
I personally don't like the design of custom IEMs or customs made universals (they all seem like hearing aids to me [and other people] no matter how cool-looking the faceplates mat be). BUT, that's a personal preference I know many on HF don't share / care about.
One seemingly irrelevant aspect of the K3003 is that you can have a cable-down fit or an over-the-ear fit — I favour the former.
Another similarly unimportant aspect, or largely overlooked—thought to me and others seems very important—is the K3003's absolutely non-microphonic cable, one of the biggest downsides of the new $1,000 Sennheiser IE800, the $1,350 FitEar 334 and, apparently, of the now rather popular 1 Plus 2. The 334 has quite large housings, much bigger than those of the K3003, an issue with not everyone has been too happy with. The 1p2s, by all accounts, seem to have even bigger housings than the 334s and some people have reported issues with said design, with some also reporting issues with the tips not fitting properly (not remaining firmly secure on the nozzles).
The K3003s have what appear to be practically indestructible housings, made of one single piece of stainless steel (not aluminum).
Filters can easily be swapped quickly, with a very precise and secure fit, and no extra tools. In addition, the filters can easily be washed/cleaned.
Yes, a detachable cable would be desirable by many on the K3003s and that may well be a deal breaker for some, but I'm almost convinced AKG felt the very small design would have been (severely) compromised. Still, something definitely for people to consider, particularly if they're prone to 'abusing' their IEMs. You do get a 2-year warranty, but that may still not be enough for a product in this price range.
Sonics.
You, in particular, through your years of experience with speakers and high-end gear, may be much more familiar with, sensitive of, or able to discern, very minute changes/differences (flaws?) that not only the average listener, but even the odd seasoned 'audiophile' may not detect, not so easily detect, or detect but still not consider a serious issue / flaw (a deal breaker), and find such a small piece of sonic engineering to be very much worthwhile, perhaps not perfect but certainly worth it.
If your rating, purrin, was based on SQ alone and price-to-performance, I suppose, in your particular case, you may not rate the AKGs very highly, though other seasoned HF'ers, on SQ alone, rate it quite highly.
There are several experienced HF'ers, none of which are suspect of being shills or having hyping tendencies—something I know you're very familiar with and have been very critical of, and I applaud you for it—such as k3oxkjo, james444, piotrus-g, tumburu, MuppetFace, shutgunshane & music_4321, who have rated the AKGs very highly. Even Joker and avarage_joe—two HF'ers I personally don't always put too much stock in their reviews (and no offence meant to them), and who I feel tend to favour multi-BA IEMs and customs (over DD IEMs and universals), rated the K3003s pretty highly, specially Joker.
Now, I came across a couple of very brief posts by Tyll (on different sites) where I learnt he wasn't all that keen on the AKGs, saying that for that money the JH13 was the obvious choice (or words to that effect). I've no idea how he tested the K3003s and if he, perhaps like you originally, went about auditioning them the wrong way. No idea.
But, here's the thing, and it was a constant for many months before the K3003s were released and for a few months after they were finally in people's hands / ears: Some people seem to insist that for this kind of money customs is the only logical way to go. It may well be for some / many, but it certainly isn't for (many) others — now, to take a statement like Tyll's as fact just isn't right, at least not right for everyone.
There are a number of issues with custom IEMs many people are still unfamiliar with / unaware of, though judging by what we've seen in the last year alone, new high-end customs turned universals, it seems several manufacturers are realising there is a market for said products (just look at Heir Audio and their cheaper entry-level customs turned universals).
And yet, we still find people like me, who find the K3003 quite a bit better sonically than their $850 customs (Westone ES3X). An experienced 'audiophile' and reviewer compared the $500 EX1000 to the JH16 in some aspects. And there have been people who openly have preferred a high-end universal over a good pair of customs (james444 himself seems to prefer his FI-BA-SS & K3003s over the very highly regarded UERM).
I personally found the Sony EX1000's bass sometimes ever so slightly more textured / refined, but the EX1000's has a 16mm dynamic driver. I think the K3003's is either half that size or 6mm (nearly a third of the size). This is, of course, also related to design.
How much should one pay for an item like the K3003s, an audio device where the manufacturer spent time and money on R&D, a piece of gear that is manufactured in a country (Austria) with very high labour costs.?
So, what's the point of all the above, aspects which may seem all too obvious perhaps or simply rehashed? The point, among other things, is that the views of some people like you, Tyll, LFF, Jude or Currawong (and Joker and average_joe) carry much more weight that those of many, many others. As such, when all of you praise or trash a piece of gear, your comments will be noted / taken (very) seriously by many. There is an obvious element of responsibility all of you should always try keep in mind.
I do respect and even value some of your 'shock' no-nonsense approach after so much hype seen in these forums and elsewhere. I think this time, in the case of the K3003s, though, you could have done things a little differently.
... Otherwise the metal housing (although it could be a bit uncomfortable inside my ears) is a very durable design and spells quality.
