Just bit the bullet on a pair of custom-3s for use with an 80GB ipod classic. Needless to say, I'm stoked!

 I plan on using it in synergy with a Portable Amp 2 Version 2 built by "Gary" (http://www.electric-avenues.com/), specifically for walking around campus all day. I doubt the PA2V2 will sound as delicious as the Rudistor amps at the pilgrimage, but it should be an improvement over the puny stock ipod amp nonetheless. They should be at home tonight as I felt the need to pay $18 [:'(]  for Amazon to ship them to me overnight. Oh well, not every decision can be a good one...

 I'll post some pics of me "sticking it in my ear" and give some initial impressions as soon as possible... 

You can all thank Prof. Thump for getting me hooked!

I've got mine connected to the same player (without the Amp 2).  As long as they're staying in my ears (I use when outside working and when my ears get sweaty, they slip out a bit, losing the seal)

Anyways, they sound killer, I suspect you will love them.

 Got the little guys this afternoon and gave a few quick listens from the stock computer sound card using itunes. It makes me realize just how far backwards music has gone. I can literally hear every flaw in a song at 128 kbps... Now, granted, I have no way of telling if the flaw is from when the song is originally recorded or if it arose from when it underwent compression. Also, I tried switching from using the sound card headphone jack over to my promedia 2.1's jack. It emphasized certain things slightly better, but when there was no music and the volume was adjusted to listening volume, there was an overwhelming background hiss.

Nevertheless, I can tell now that I have a long road ahead as far as finding what I'm really satisfied with... Don't get me wrong, these 'phones are fantastic, but the battle is uphill as far as source and amplification goes, I'd think. Anyway, I await my ipod and amp in the mail.

It never ends!

Also, and I direct this question to whomever already owns custom-3s or ideally, professor Thump:

Which EQ settings are ideal? I had it set to rock but to me the frequencies which were adjusted higher seemed out of whack. I've got it set at "flat" right now and it actually sounds good to me. But what do I know?

BuyOtherSoundEquipment:

I've got it set at "flat" right now and it actually sounds good to me. But what do I know?

Sounds to me, you know what you like....  isn't that half the battle?!!

Set it to whatever sounds good to you....  I leave the EQ and EAX processing off on my Creative Labs Zen XTra.  I suspect the EQ is good if you like a different sound or maybe can make up a bit for phones lacking bass for example.  I spend a few minutes trying the EQ and EAX processing, long before I got my Custom 2, and they all seemed to make the sound more artificial to me.  But what do I know? 

Enjoy 'em.  And yes, I hear a lot more noise and stuff with my Custom 2 than with anything else I've used (mostly Grado Labs SR60).  And a lot more music. 

 Thanks for the reply, professor.

Yeah, I noticed right away that the true enemy was recording quality.... and to think, millions of kids listen to such awful compression through those tinny lil' ibuds everyday! 

I may have even unintentionally done Klipsch headphones a disservice by letting one of my lesser-audio-informed friends listen to the C3s on a 128 kbps file. I tried explaining that the reason he didn't like them was because of the recording quality, but he wouldn't hear it. Oh well....