Customer Reviews

Klipsch Custom-3 In-Ear Noise-Isolating Earphones

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

***Note: This review has been updated since originally posted. Please check the "Comments" on this review for further discussion as well!


SO, you're shopping for high-end earphones, eh? Let me begin with this: you've found the right products.

This is a review of BOTH the Klipsch Image X-10 earphones and the Klipsch Custom-3 earphones. (Amazon used to group reviews for all Klipsch headphones together for some reason...now they are separated, but here is a review of both earphones anyways.)

I've had a pair of the Klipsch Image earphones for a good year now. (Klipsch has introduced a cheaper version, the Image X-5, and renamed the original Image the Image X-10...so I will refer to mine as the X-10s from here on.) The Image X-10's are a fantastic pair of earphones. They are TINY...really, really small. This makes them extremely portable, light, and comfortable. When I first received the Image X-10's, I simply placed them in my ears and the seal was perfect - on the first try with the standard medium single flange gels! It is EXTREMELY easy to insert and remove these earphones. Instant, perfect seal every time. They are very, very comfortable. I have worn them for hours without my ears hurting or itching...they feel about as natural as can be. The sound quality is great as well, and when you consider their size, it is unbelievable how they designed these earphones. Stock iPod earphones and most every other "upgrade" earphones will pale in comparison to the sound quality and clarity of the Image X-10's. One of the highlights is the soundstage - with the Images, you can visualize & "place" the location of each of the instruments in a song around your head...very distinct. These earphones provide exceptional quality and comfort. Definitely more clarity than the Sennheiser PX100 (open air, on ear supra-aural...very inexpensive, about $30-40 street, yet an incredible warm sound with great bass, the best deal for headphones) and even better detail and reproduction than the AKG K271 Mk II (fairly high-end closed circumaural around ear studio monitor headphones, accurate and crisp detail, about $200 street, my favorite all-around headphones for studio work and mixing). The Images are very adept, with the ability to provide shockingly defined but totally encompassing bass when asked to, much like my Grado SR225s do (and the Grado's have the advantage of an open ear design.) The Images have very good sound isolation with the single flange gels I use, and you can get a little extra isolation with the double flange tips.

I've had the Klipsch Custom-3's for quite a few months now (a few less months than the Image X-10s). When I first put the earphones on, I had some trouble getting the fit/seal right, so I tried moving up to the single flange large ear gel instead of the medium ones that come on the earphones. (On the Image X-10s, I use the medium single flange gel and it works perfectly...kind of weird that I would have to use a large on the Custom-3's to get the seal right when it should be the same as the Images...the gels visually appear identical in both earphones...) After some experimentation, I dropped back down to medium size gels, and just inserted them deeper in my ear canals. This seems to work best, but after about 15-30 minutes, I have to press them back in to maintain the seal (especially if I have been moving around). Losing the seal is quite annoying and is one of the major reasons why I will almost always reach for the Images before the Custom-3's, unless there is some specific situation where I want the flush around-ear design of the Custom-3's. Recently, I have found that using 3rd party foam eartips improves this problem of getting the right fit and maintaining the seal, so I definitely recommend picking some up if you are having trouble with the included silicon tips. (I used the orange ones made by Shure, so I can say with certainty that they will fit properly and work, but I didn't try any other types so I can't give any other specific recommendations here.) The Custom 3's are a bit troublesome and time consuming to put on (even beyond achieving the seal), mostly due to this style of headphones (behind the ear cables -- you have to get the seal right while at the same time properly wrapping the loop around the back of your ear...but it gets easier with practice.) Sound quality on the Custom-3's is unprecedented and exceptional....can't even begin to describe it. Better than the Image X-10's. From what I've heard, it is better than the comparable Shure SE-420s that cost nearly twice as much. I bought the Custom-3's for that extra bit of sound quality, and to use as In Ear Monitors for singing vocals. They are designed perfectly for this use. Great choice for stage musicians and the like. The Images also come with a great compact leather case that securely holds the earphones and stays shut using magnets...very sleek. The Custom-3's do NOT come with this case or anything similar, and believe it or not, this is actually a significant point because the Custom-3's do not have any compact way to safely store them.

The Custom-3's do block out a ton of exterior noise, so in the end, they seem to be built for professionals on stage or hardcore audiophiles who want the best sound quality in a small package. Don't try to talk to people or hear outside noise with these on, let alone with music playing. I wouldn't want to wear these walking around on the street or in public, I'd prefer the Images or some less isolating headphones. Comfort is good, but the Image X-10's are definitely better...since they are so small and light, you don't even know they are in your ear. I almost always prefer the Images when I want to listen to music...only on stage and sometimes while lying in bed do I prefer the Custom-3's. This is because the wire on the Images sticks straight out of the ear, where as the Custom-3's are more flush, so you can sleep on the Custom-3's a bit better (but still, as with nearly all earphones, you will feel some pressure pushing in).

In the end, here's my best advice:

Looking for excellent sound quality, comfort, easy accessibility (on and off), and portability? Go with the Image X-10's. You will NOT be disappointed. What they "lack" in sound quality is more than made up for by their size and comfort. And let me emphasize, these do NOT lack in sound quality...they will blow most every other earphone out of the water.

BUT, if you are looking for the absolute best sound quality, bar none...Maybe you are a professional musician/audiophile/studio mixer/etc...then the Custom-3's might be for you.

I fit both categories, so that's how I ended up with both the Images and the Custom-3's.

In the end, I highly recommend both earphones, even though I feel the Image X-10s are far more versatile and a better option for 95% of people. But, you really need to know your intentions and decide between the two based upon what you plan to use them for. Both are excellent headphones, Klipsch really hit the mark right on. You won't be disappointed with either choice. The tradeoff between the best sound quality and best comfort will be apparent in any other competing earphone, as the laws of physics do limit the size of miniature components. In my opinion, Klipsch has really done an excellent job -- and the Image X-10's and the Custom-3's provide two distinct options for the high-end earphone buyer.

My review on how these perform sound/fit wise will follow the problem that you should be aware of:

I have owned my Custom 3's now for about 3 months. Right out of the box I noticed that the cables on these were unusually "stiff" and had already formed some kinks. These kinks have only progressively gotten worse to the point now that the copper wiring has protruded through the cloth sheath and will soon break. That is not an acceptable life span for such an expensive product or even one costing 1/10 as much. Klipsch has responded to my warranty claim (Amazon IS an authorized dealer) and will be replacing them.

Negative reviews rarely gain helpful tags but please do yourself a favor (don't just take my word for it) and search Google for the following: Klipsch Custom 3 cable problem. The first few results will take you to Klipsch own forum site where multiple users have experienced this problem OR you could go to [...] and look up reviews there. Unfortunately for me I didn't come across any of those prior to my purchase.- only the many good reviews about how these sound.

Now for how do these sound/fit?- They sound GREAT! Some of the best IEM's that I have heard; they were a bit difficult to get to fit right and my left ear is a bit larger than my right making it lose it's seal from time to time but once you get them "dialed" in they are incredibly good sounding for the money- even at full retail. For me these were also incredibly comfortable and cable noise/microphonics are not that big a problem with these.

It's so sad that this otherwise great product is just killed by a fatal flaw. Please note that I am a verified purchaser and not just someone here to "talk trash" about a product but to post real word concerns so that others may make a better decision. I will update to advise if my replacement pair is any different as I have heard that some people got a cable made with a different material after returning.

UPDATE
12/04- I have received my replacement C3's from Klipsch. Their customer service was easy to deal with but a little slow. Unfortunately the replacements seem to have the same issue with the cord, it's not as pronounced as the first pair but I guess time will tell. Right now I'm going to baby these things and just hope I don't have to make another claim down the road.

Being a Juilliard graduate, I have a need for pure music reproduction. Living in New York City, I also have an absolute need for sound isolation in earphones, which can only mean sound-isolating earbuds.

Being a bit of a connoiseur of earbuds, I own the Shure E5C and SE530, Westone UM2, ER4 and 6. Because of the Klipsch legend in speaker design, I took a flyer on their Custom 3. They are superb.

I chose the Custom 3 over the Image because I prefer the buds that fit the ear like a hearing aid, sitting in the ear canal, rather than the type that stick out of the ear. I never seem to feel comfortable with the latter type, get a good fit, or feel they sit securely. For that reason, I find that I never use either of the ER's. Without all of these re requirements, good sound reproduction is not possible in a bud.

The Custom 3's are warm, bright, and offer resonant bass -- not to mention a spacious sonic field and beautiful instrument placement. For me, as one experienced in earbud fitting, they required no special attention to fit except to substitute the large eargels for the medium which come attached in the box. I don't generally care for the double-flange type as they seem to make for an artificially dampened sonic field and collect earwax inordinately.

The Custom 3's are very lightweight, are no more prone to microphonics than any other bud, and seem very sturdy. I love the hardwire around the ear which makes finding the right ears a breeze. Love the E5C's for the same reason: no fumbling!

I would say the sound of the Custom 3's equals or surpasses both the Shure and Westone models, for significantly less money. I have already ordered a second pair (also have two of the E5C's). Like to have backup!

Bravo to Klipsch for giving us such another beautifully engineered product. Love the demo video, too. Very droll!

I have to say that the review written by "Smileyborg" is right on. I think that the Image 10 (herein 10) is an incredible piece of technology. I doubt that there is a more comfortable earphone on the market. As Klipsch has brought down their prices, the 10's and the Custom Three are very competitive considering the very high quality. If you want comfort, you cannot beat the 10's. The weight of the wire is so light and the unique ear gels designed for the "perfect fit" for virtually any ear really work great. I believe the key is that the actual earphone is so light weight that the very lightweight gels which are designed to really create a seal work wonders. I am concerned that the very light weight wires may tend to "kink" and maybe short in the shortrun, but only time will tell. They seem to kink when I "wind them up and put them back into the case." Something that Smileyborg did not cover is that the 10's come with a really great case that holds the earphones and all of the adaptors icluding a jack that fits into an airplane jack to listen to the radio or a movie. It also holds a second smaller case that holds your earphones without any other gear or extra eargels. Lastly, Klipsch will send you an extra pair of the eargels of your choice when you send in your warranty card.

The Custom 3's are the best. I like to listen to modern jazz which is mostly on acoustic instruments. The Custom 3 has an incredible bass response for an earphone, but it is not exaggerated like the Sennheiser 8 can sound (if the bass is adjusted too high). The sound is not so saturated as the Ultimate Ear Tri-10 or the Shure 530 (both magnificent earphones). The Shure fits like a dream. All of my Shure earphones fit like a dream.

The Custom 3 comes with the same great case and adaptors. I am concerned that the wires will not be as durable as the wires that come with the Shure, Ultimate Ear, or Denon 701, but it really sounds great and the earphones looks cool. They really are designed to be very esthetically appealing.

The one very serious downside is the fit and the seal. I had previously owned a pair of Custom 3's and sent them back because I just could not get them to fit properly which allowed for the necessary seal required to give the listener a full bass response (which also balanced the high end treble resproduction). What I had to do is use a black foam earpiece made by Shure which fits perfectly on the Custom 3. Then I got a perfect seal.

As the price of the Custom 3's has dropped by 30-50%, they are now really a great deal. Amazon and their Marketplace sellers are selling them for what other dealers tell me is their cost. If they do not fit properly in your ear, try the Shure black foam ear pieces that look like black olives. This is not the first time that I have had a problem getting the proper fit on earphones. The Denon 700 and 701 which are virtually the same earphone (he wiring on the 701 is better and yet it sells for a lot less money) did not fit for me until I fitted them with the Comply Comfort Foam tip. Now the Denons sound just great!!! I now carry all of the Comply Comfort Tips and all of the Shure earpieces. I can virtually guarantee a fit and proper performance from any earphone now.

With summer coming up, it is much more comfortable wearing an earphone than an over the ear headphone. I always combine the use of the earphone or headphone with an headphone amplifier to achieve maximum results with an Ipod. I would recommend a Headamp "Pico", Ray Samuel's Audio P-51 Mustang, TTVJ Millett Portable Tube Amp, Meier portable, or the ICube by Quable available specifically from Moon Audio. Recently, I have tried the Leckerton portable which is 30-70% cheaper than the other portable headphone amps,but sound very good. I believe that generally, they are the best portable headphone amps available and will fit in your pocket with your Ipod.

Post Script:

I have since heard many other new earphones. I can say that these earphones are generally smoother than many others I have heard. I have the new Grado 8. They are brighter and have a better sense of separation for the instruments, but they still do not take the place of these earphones when it comes to listening to my jazz music. To be fair though, I need to say that I always (with the exception of exercising at the gym) always add a headphone amplifier when I listen to earphones or headphones. I use and Ipod wherein I have recorded all of the music on my computer into Itunes on the "lossless" setting which is a compromise between a full wave-file and an mp3 which is only an "outline" of the music. It only takes an ear--not even a good ear to tell the difference between a compact disc and an mp3.

These headphones are fabulous. I have noticed a big price increase. When I purchased these earphones, they were much less expensive (more than $100.00 cheaper. I purchased two pair because I was so impressed. Anyway, despite the addition of new earphones, I still think that these are my favorite canal phones for jazz music. I would not part withe them.

Post Post-Script: I have been using the Custom 3 earphones to listen to classical music. They are fabulous for classical. With the Shure foam tips that look like mushroom caps, they block out all other noise and have a wonderful, balanced response. With some of my other earphones like the Westone 3 and 3x (which are mighty fine earphones, the sound of harpsichord and violin was just too bright. The Klipsch made them sound very comfortable together. This kind of sound would not have been possible for me with the eargels that Klipsh provided. The clear plastic gels worked marvels with the Image 10, but not these. It could be because the Image 10 weighs practically nothing. These earphones absolutely have more mass and appear far more substantial. I have not had any problems with the wires, but because of the design and very thin wires, I use these earphones at home when I am not doing anything too arduous. I do not know how well they would hold up if you were putting a lot of stress on them. I use a pair of Audio-Technica earphones at the gym which have not only held up well, but have been through the washmachine twice (in the Shure zippered clam shell case) and still work great.

Well, I've been having an interesting experience with these headphones. When you do manage to get a good seal in both ears the sound is amazing, very enjoyable to listen to however the comfort is not enjoyable at all. I have not been able to get comfortable with these while maintaining a seal. I've had them about a month now, experimenting about every day with them, trying all the ear gels extensively and even mix matching sizes for each ear. These things nearly almost hurt.

I can't really get a very good seal with the medium flanges regardless of what I do, the bass just ends up weak. Interesting enough I also can't get a good seal with large double flange gels either, or either of the small gels. The one size I can get a perfect seal with and am able to get the seal every time is the large single flange. That's when they sound amazing and the bass becomes very rich and full. Though I haven't really found it matters what size ear gel I use, they eventually start hurting my inner ear canal just from the pressure. It really gradually starts getting insanely uncomfortable to where I have to remove them. Also at times my ear canal tends to get incredibly itchy with these in.

I really don't understand it, I just don't understand why these are the entire opposite of comfort I can possibly imagine, they just are. I can't sleep with them in either, I lay on my side and with my ear against a pillow with one of these in is just a painful experience.

They're also not really convenient as far as ease of use goes, they take a good deal of effort to put each side in with a seal and you can't really hear much else when they're there. So, at a place like at work at my desk, I usually won't hear my phone ring or when someone comes up and starts talking to me they'll have to repeat everything they just said once I realize they are even there. Now of course you can just let them 'float' in your ear with no seal at all but they don't sound good or exciting at all. The apple earbud headphones are much more suited for work, they sound good with bass with no seal, create no pain or pressure, go in your ear with no effort at all, and I can sleep on them.

I never really wanted to compare these headphones to apple's earbuds but unfortunately that's the way it works out. In fact I will probably be returning these headphones and getting a new pair of apple earbuds (I needed new headphones in the first place, my original pair of apple earbuds died).

I really do love Klipsch products though, own two full theater systems from Klipsch and have heard a number of other systems of theirs. Really great stuff, though this would have to be the first time I've been less than happy with one of their products. If Klipsch decides to make different kinds of headphones that aren't ear canal types I will be interested to try again in the future! I'm sure they'll sound even more amazing. I'm definitely impressed with the sound of the custom-3's, just the comfort is not my bag of chips.

Looking at your (amazon) receipt, it appears as though you
purchased your headphones from an unauthorized
seller.

Since it was purchased through an
unauthorized seller, your headphones do not carry
a manufacturer's warranty.

Since we do not repair
those headphones, your best course of action would
be to contact your seller to see if they have any
recourse for you.

Sorry we can't be of more help.

Had these for about 6 months. They worked GREAT at the beginning. Best I've ever had. Stayed in my ears perfectly and sounded perfect. The technology is excellent. There is an Achilles Heel in this product - the wire. It WILL break on you. After 6 months my wire is so knotty and kinked that sound quality is highly degraded. Almost no sound in left ear bud, but the right one is still working. But a 50% working ear-bud set is NOT enjoyable to listen to. So I must buy new headphones after spending more than $100 on these. Got them for a "deal" so at least I didn't have to pay the full $300. But they are not worth that much. I would take my chances with a slightly less technical but more durable pair of headphones unless you plan to treat these like a baby. A real, living baby. They take a lot of work to keep in good condition. Disappointed that headphones as good as this come packaged with such crappy wiring.

As many of you have already read, there is a built-in defect in these earphones related to the cabling. You can google images, but essentially, the stiffness of the cables causes "kinks" in the cabling which become more pronounced over time. The main concern is that the cables will develop a 90 degree kink near the mini jack and another near the "ear connector" (the piece that wraps around your ear). I've noticed that the casing is tearing away and the "gold" interior is exposed. This occurred over the course of 6 months. I'm scared to use them in case of more damage, so they have been neatly stashed away.

I've emailed Klipsch and they were very prompt in sending a nice reply. Unfortunately, these were a gift from someone that I really don't speak to anymore... no chance of getting a receipt. They were adamant in replying that an original receipt is needed (even though when I contacted them, the product had not even been out for two years, which is the warranty period). If you purchase from Amazon, you will have the full warranty, but I cannot recommend a 300 dollar pair of earphones that are inherently poorly manufactured. Save your heartache and look at some of the other wonderful earphones available in the same price range. I've owned Etymotics, Ultimate Ears and Shure's and all have superior build quality. Sound quality on the Etymotics is still superior to the Klipsch.

The sound quality is just amazing. You won't be disappointed. With these earphones, when I close my eyes, I'm at at a very quite place where I can distinguish all different sounds and voices in the music, no matter where I am or how noisy the environment. There is one small catch about the sound though: bass is a little bit too much pronounced for my own taste. Unfortunately, I can not say the same high praises for the construction quality. The material choice for the cable is just horrible and very poor. It is not what I would expect from a high-end product. The cable is made out of semi-rigid material, which means very sharp kinks. It's been three days since I received the item and the cable already started to wear out. There are fractures on the cable already. This is not acceptable. Another thing that has been bothering me is that the cable transmits a lot of noise while I am walking. I can hear my footsteps! So, it is also not suitable when jogging.
I am thinking of returning the item back even though I like it very much. I don't think the cable can survive 2-3 months even with very good care :-(

Don't be fooled by reviews suggesting that these monitors are less than perfect. Some stated that the Custum-3 emphasizes on the lower range or bass heavy, that is simply not true. They may not deliver the best sound they capable to produce right out of the box, but within 36 hours they will greet you with the distinctive Klipsch sound: crisp, clear and very balanced.
The gels included might not do the job for everyone, however, so if you browsing around here with trigger happy fingers, I recommend you to pull the trigger on a set of Comply T-100 foam tips, those will set you back by another $14 but it will be well worth it in case the included gels won't work. With the comply tips these plugs are extremely comfortable, isolate well and the sound is incredible. Outstanding!