Customer Reviews

Klipsch Custom-2 In-Ear Noise-Isolating Earphones

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've had these Klipsch Custom 2 In-Ear-Monitor (IEM) earphones for about a month now. There are a number of things you should know before you buy a pair:

1.The Sound.
They used two Balanced Armature drivers to deliver a flat, balanced sound that really emphasizes the mid-range. Unamplified vocal music comes across warm and present. Treble is a less prominent than the mid-range. Bass is always in the background. Take note: The earphones can reproduce bass, however, it's muted--and after a few minutes of listening you don't notice it very much. It feels like it's missing something and this is due to the design. Balanced Armature drivers don't move the air as much as a moving coil "dynamic" driver, which many other earphones use. That's important because with these earphones we don't "feel" the bass punch the way you might be looking for. It's always in the background and not prominent with the Klipsch custom 2. This will be disappointing if you like music that emphasizes the bass. On the other hand, if you like a full-range earphone and find other earphones to be "too bassy", then these would be good for you.

So, these earphones are good if you like acoustic vocal music where bass is not a primary component.

If you do like bass, you'll find that these earphones are missing something which other earphones provide a bit more (no in-ear-phone will have a fantastic subwoofer-range bass response, especially for ipods, as earphones with an impedance of 16 ohms or over have reduced low-range on ipods).

Klipsch itself seemed to have recognized this as they have gone with a moving coil "dynamic" driver design in their Klipsch Image S4, which won an award from CNET recently.

*Update* I recently listened to the Klipsch Image S4. After a "burn-in" period necessary for dynamic driver-based earphones, it sounds great, with a more bass-prominent sound. The custom 2's are just slightly richer in the mid-range, but honestly, the Custom 2's are better than most earphones in that range. There are music tracks where you can hear elements of bass on the Klipsch Image S4 that you don't notice on the Klipsch Custom 2. The Image S4's are really great earphones and I wish I had bought them instead of the Custom 2's.

2. Comfort
Klipsch noticed that the human ear canal isn't round, it's oval-shaped. So, they've given us oval-shaped ear-gels. Well, an oval is different sideways versus upright, right? This accounts for all the discussion on comfort in other reviews. It takes a little time to orient the eargels in the right way. Once you get the hang of that, these are very comfortable earphones. A good fit is important for the sound quality (crybabies who gave these earphones 1-star clearly didn't take the relatively short time to properly fit the 'phones).

They have an over-the-ear loop. That may not be for everyone, but they're neat because you can pull the earphone out of your ear and let them dangle from the loop when you need to talk to someone or pay attention to your surroundings (IEMs block outside noise when they are in your ear). Not a feature for everyone, but it can be very nice.

3. Value
They used to be $199, now they are $60. There's a reason for the price drop, but if you like jazz or folk or acoustic or classical music, then these are a real steal (5 stars earphones for you). If you like punchy bass that really makes itself present and alive in your music, then you can avoid this discountinued set of earphones and maybe go for the Klipsch Image S4. People coming from an old pair of dynamic driver-based earphones (sony, monster, etc.) should go with the Klipsch Image S4 for sure. If you're coming from balance armature earphones like Etymolic, you'll find the Klipsch custom 2 to be more balanced than, say, the Etymolic Er6i.

For the past two years I have been using Shure E2C earphones and have been very happy with them. But they broke three times on me (Shure did a great job of replacing them each time) and with the warranty ending I decided that I would retire these as my main earphones and use them as back ups for whatever earphones that I upgraded to. After looking and reading reviews I decided to get the Klipsch Custom 2 isolating earphones.

I am in love. I must, however, confess that I did not fall in love instantly. It took a while. When I bought the Shure E2Cs, all I had to do was pick out the right size of sleeve, pop them into my ears, and love the sound. The Klipsch earphones, on the other hand, are far more sensitive to placement within the ear and far more difficult to fine tune. The Shures are very tolerant to the angle you place them in the ear; the Klipsch have to be "just so" or they will not work well. It was also pretty difficult to find precisely which sleeves I should use. After three days of experimentation I landed on the large sleeves and it has been nothing but joy since then.

The sound of these earphones is infinitely better than that of the Shures, but the improvement is not as large as the jump from the earphones that came with my iPod (which are, I'm sure we can all agree, are pretty much crap) to the Shures. Going from Sony's earphones to the Shures was a titanic leap in quality. The jump to the Klipsch did not represent anywhere near as extreme an improvement. That being said, there is a definite and sharp improvement. I tested a number of songs ripped at 320 bps (using EAC rather than iTunes) and in every case the Klipsch earphones brought startling new levels of detail out in the music. For instance, if I played a song at a rather high volume over the Shures there was a fair amount of distortion. The same song played over the Klipsch resulted in nothing but clarity. On many rock songs, for instance, there is a presence to the bass drum that is entirely lacking on the Shures. I couldn't be happier with the sound. And because there is so little distortion I find listening to my iPod even less tiring than I did before.

There are a couple of design details that I really love. For instance, the wires are wrapped in cloth mesh rather than rubber or plastic. Living in Chicago, this is a very big deal. I mentioned that I had to have my Shures replaced three times. In each case it was because of a short in one of the wires. I believe that each time the short was caused because of inflexibility in the wires when the covering material became very brittle during extreme cold. But with the Klipsch's cloth mesh covering, this simply will not happen. I don't know if I will have to have these replaced at some point (and let's face it, one of the real problems of earphones is that they are fairly delicate), but there is no question that these are much more sturdily constructed.

The comparisons I have been making between the Shure E2Cs and the Klipsch Custom 2s isn't entirely fair. After all, I paid just under $100 for the Shures two years ago (the price has since dropped further) while I paid $199 for the Klipsch. A truly fair comparison would have been with the comparable Shure product, which I have no doubt is very fine. But I don't have the kind of cash that would allow me to be fair. I can say that for the money both earphones are outstanding. I was a bit hesitant to double the amount of money that I was going to spend on earphones, but am very happy that I did. I can enthusiastically recommend these earphones, though I urge patience in experimenting to see which pair of sleeves is best suited to the user's own particular ears.

Klipsch. The company probably best known for very large floor standing speakers, including the legendary Klipschorn, now makes in-ear 'phones.

I ordered the Custom-2 Klipsch Custom-2 In-Ear Noise Isolating Earphone as soon as they were available directly from Klipsch. I was fortunate enough to try out prototypes of the IMAGE and Custom models this past summer. For absolute comfort, the IMAGE is unbelievable. The Custom series while not quite as easy to forget they're in your ears as the IMAGE are also amazingly comfortable. I have sensitive ears when it comes to sticking things in them and while I normally do not forget that the Custom-2 are in my ears, they are amazingly comfortable. I've used for several hours most days at work and my ears are very happy.

How do the Custom-2 sound?

Full, rich. Shimmering highs and thunderous lows. I've used Grado SR60's the past few years, which I still love, and the Klipsch Custom-2 sound more live. The music sounds more real. And there's more bass. The noise isolation allows one to better tune out nearby coworkers not to mention hear greater detail at lower volume levels.

Think you don't like in-ear 'phones? Try the Klpsch. I couldn't stand sticking 'phones in my ears but these are very comfortable and an amazing product.

The legendary sound of Klipsch that fits in the palm of one's hand or in one's ears.

As Professor Thump likes to say: "Stick it in your ear!"

I used to own the Shure E500 which are amazing headphones but with a very poor cable that usually breaks after months of use. The great thing is that Shure has a two year warranty and they just replace them with a new pair, no questions asked. The other thing is that they don;t always stay in place in the ear and tend to fall off, this does not happen with the Klipsch Custom-2. You can bend the little piece that goes behind your hear for a perfect fit. I love the quality of the cable, it's not rubber so it won't cracked after being bent over and over behind your ear. I think the sound quality is good, slightly below the E500 but very good and they totally block the outside noise. One recommendation would be to have a shorter cable with an extension (like the Shure) to allow for using a mic accessory for iphone or other mobile phones. I would def. recommend this product.

This is the first time I've ever written a review for anything I've purchased on Amazon. Why, well I didn't feel I had anything to write that was any more enlightening than previous posters. People are generally quite good at writing product reviews. In fact I find them usually much better than professional reviews. This time I feel I've got something to share that hasn't been addressed.

My comments are regarding getting the proper fit in order to maximize the sound quality of the Klipsch Custom 2 Earphones. I've had them now for roughly one week. I've used them for approximately 20 hours at this point. My observations are as follows;

#1 - Break in? I'd say they take roughly 5-10 hours to fully break in. The biggest difference is in the Bass region.

#2 - Proper Fit? What I've found at this point is that the sound quality cannot be accurately assessed until you invest the necessary time to get a proper fit. This is more challenging than one normally has to put into other Earphones. What I've found the biggest issue has to do with getting the proper angle of Earphone nozzle. This means constantly adjusting the flex wire around your ear in order to find that "perfect" angle.

None of this matters until you find the properly fitted Ear Gel so that's your first objective. Don't be surprised if you need to use the largest single flange ear gel. I have small ears and still needed the largest of the options. The dual flange ear gels were too deep for me and wouldn't seat properly.

#3 - Sound Quality? Once you've found the right fit (this takes measurable time and experimentation) you will be surprised by the amount of Bass these little gems can produce. Once I found the right fit (by bending the Flex wire forward, right at the ear piece, to angle the nozzle more upward) I was shocked by what these earphones could actually produce. Louder, Deeper, Fuller and Richer would describe the difference in the sound quality. This took quite a bit of experimentation and up until I found that proper combination I was less than impressed. So, if you're not experiencing what all these reviews represent you probably don't have them fit properly yet.

#4 - Comfort? Without a doubt these are FAR and away the most comfortable earphones I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. So comfortable and flat within your ear makes them undoubtedly the absolute best earphones while listening to music in bed. My last pair are the Shure E2C's and it's not even comparable. I never could get the comfort and sound quality I now get from the Custom 2's.

Overall I'd give these earphones a rating of 4.75. They really are an incredible value.

One added note...I use them with the new Sandisk Sansa Clip +. This is an incredible MP3 player. Tiny, powerful and the sound quality is absolutely superb. Until I purchased the Sansa Clip + I thought I was going to have to buy a headphone amp. The combination make for an inexpensive, powerful and a very high quality duo.

These are very good HP. Would say they are a 4.5, but amazon doesn't allow half stars, so I went with 5 stars.

I use it plugged straight to ipod with mp3's ripped at 196 or 256 bit rate. These are very clear with good instrument separation & spatial rendering of sound for an in-ear. Bass is tight, fast & plenty provided you have a good seal, which is not all that difficult to figure out as some other commentors will have you believe. It's real simple: put them in your ear & turn on the music; if they sound "crappy" or lack bass, keep working them in your ear---it will be pretty obvious when you have a good fit, because good fit v. bad fit is like night & day in terms of what you hear.

I had the S4 & found these custom 2's superior in every way except QUANTIY of bass....the S4 had waaay too much of it; when they say the S4 has "enhanced bass," they mean it, but it is loose sounding. The S4 renders non-bass parts fairly clearly, but you won't notice unless you concentrate hard to listen to it past the bass. I used the S4 for about 50 hours before making a decision.

I like bass. Listen to mostly Rock & techno.

I'm a music teacher who owns 5+ pair of high quality, noise-cancelling, headphones/earbuds. I wouldn't consider myself an audiophile, but I spend tons of time listening to music for the pleasure of listening (rather than worrying about the engineering details of why sound reproduction equipment sounds good). I own thousands of dollars of hi-end audiophile reference quality stereo equipment but find myself mostly stunned at how far the earbud technology has progressed in recent years. I have no ability to judge against Klipsch's hottest earbud, the Image S4, but can readily attest to the greatness of these earbuds relative to my Shure E5's (purchased about a year or so ago) and Ety ER6 (purchased many years ago).

I purchased these to replace the Ety's which broke after many years of dutiful work while I was running, mowing the lawn, plane trips, etc. These sound MUCH better than the Ety6s. Compared to the Shure, is another matter, but we're at a very different price point.

Comfort & Fit - Lots of options and most fit well. Not as good a fit or as comfortable as the soft black foam inserts I use for my Shure, but very good. They can slip out when I'm running in hot weather, but when sitting still or mowing, this is no issue at all. Sound isolation is 90% as good as the Shure and overall is excellent. They are very comfortable to wear for 2-3 hours, but I cannot say if they'd be a problem after that. I always choose my Shure earbuds for flights.

Sound Quality - These sound amazing for any Pop/Rock/Jazz. For high quality vocals or orchestral literature, you'll need to spend some more money to get the details. That said, asking an earbud to isolate sound AND reproduce classical music is ridiculous and the earbuds probably aren't being fed with a reference quality sound source or adequate amplification if you want audiophile sound quality.

Bass - plenty of bass for all but teenagers looking to replicate a bouncing car
Treble - Hi-End is surprisingly smooth and detailed
Mids - Varies from genre to genre, but verall very, very good

*****ONE CAUTION*****

These earbuds make a lot of noise when running and it took a while to adjust the wires to stop scraping against my body. The noise was intolerable for my first run, but got better as I moved them around and fitted different earbuds, so play with them for a while to get a good fit that doesn't project your every move.

Overall - for less than $100, you're getting earbuds that crush $500+ earbuds of 4 or 5 years ago and keep up with earbuds that cost hundreds more today. A great buy - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Klipsch Custom-2's are the best headphones I have ever listened to. Just as the product description says, there are very crisp highs, deep lows, and a full spectrum in between. Listening to a wide range of music on my iPod touch I have been able hear things in songs that I never knew where there. The sound is so clean that it has improved my listening enjoyment by an order of magnitude.

In addition to the spectacular sound quality, the construction and included extras make the entire package simply stunning. The cloth wrapped cable is very durable, low friction, and has a great feel to it. Unlike other earbuds that have vinyl cables that constantly get snagged and tied into knots, the Custom-2's simply uncoil without any fuss. The right angle connector has an excellent low profile and a very nice flexible strain relief. It is snug and resistant to accidental disconnect, yet has enough protection to prevent damage. The flush, over the ear design allows for use in high activity. Finally, the included case is a very nice complement. It is large and roomy, comfortably fitting the headphones and an iPod. It is durable, well constructed, and great looking.

The only downside is that, as the documentation with the headphones and Klipsch website states, it can be difficult to find a good seal. The included array of ear gels is quite extensive and easy to swap out. However, it may take quite a while to find a good comfortable seal, especially if you haven't used canal phones extensively before. Once you find the right gels and cable placement for a good seal, though, you will have great sound with very deep bass. If you are having difficulty, take a read through the Klipsch Forums on their website (klipsch.com). They have a number of tips coming straight from the engineers who frequently participate in the discussions.

Overall I highly recommend the Custom-2's. I purchased mine directly from Klipsch shortly after they were released.

Very nice earphones right out of the box, lots of plus! quality accesories! it behave so well at mid volume levels that you dont need or want to listen at high volume! max spl is above expected.
low frequencies, behave very well but you need to achieve the perfect fit, otherwise the sound change in every frequency as expected on a in ear! mid range is so clear and warm, that voices sound always great. highs are great, very clear, no distortion. Overall zero distortion, you'll never get the volume all the way up, max spl is very high! it behave so well at any frequency,
Very confortable earphones, the custom ear gels offer you a variety of fits, but when you get it , you will keep them on. No ear fatigue.
Very tight on your ears, they dont move at all, you can run, jump, anything...Excellent budget in ears. !!!

I know nothing about the technical aspects of sound, but I know good sound when I hear it, and these earphones are phenomenal! They fit perfectly with the medium sized single-flange gels, and the sound isolation is nearly complete. When I first tried them on, the first thing I noticed was that I could hear my own heartbeat. Then I tried out Iron Maiden's "Fear of the Dark" and I could actually hear indivual voices in the audience. Amazing! I tried out Sonny J's "Handsfree" and was stunned by the clarity of the bass - deep and heavy - again, amazing! I like the over-the ear hooks, as earbuds usually get pulled out of my ears pretty quick, and these stay put. The clip on the cord pulls the cord tightly to the back of your head, which further secures the gels into your ears, and even helps tilt them up slightly for the perfect angle, and it also serves to keep the cord out of your way so you're not snagging it on your hands, shirt collar, etc. I only paid $80 for these on Amazon and the are well worth it. The best earphones I've ever had!