Headphones

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

mcqueene — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:54:35 GMT

Loud&Clear:
Professor Thump:
From what I can tell, the custom 3s are sonically designed to be top of the line, while the Images are more designed for small size and comfort. Sound quality of the Images falls where in the Custom 1/2/3 continuum?
Am I right in what I'm taking away from the product page descriptions on the Klipsch website. My question boils down to 2 items:
Which of the 4 models has the highest sound quality?
Are the Custom-3s nealy as comfortable and easy to get a good seal on as the Image?
Thanks,
Kimball

From my experience the Image are just brain dead easy to insert / remove. It's so basic that I can't see anyone having an issue, though I'm sure someone out there will (some don't like IEMs).

I was able to get a good fit with the C3 by using the large gels and letting it sit outside my canal. This is different than trying to have the gel go into the canal, or, I think it is. I get a decent seal but I think it's not as good as it could be. But I can hear a sound difference. Others are having trouble with fit so they don't hear a difference or that big of one. I think it's clearly better. The subjective part is weighing the sound against the Image ease of use and comfort.

To make it worse, the Image are pretty nice. I think I get a better soundstage with them because of the easy seal. This also causes the outside world to be more closed off. But the C3 aren't uncomfortable for me either. I expected to be fatigued with them but so far it hasn't happened. So one might fit better but it doesn't sound so bad, the other sounds better but it's fit isn't so bad.

I understand you dilemna. I'm living it.

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

baglunch — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:01:39 GMT

Just a quick note on my epoxy idea... I tried putting a dot of epoxy on the rubberized sleeve of the driver. Once it dried, it fell right off. So epoxy won't do it. Was great for the minute it was there. Back to the drawing board!

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

Professor Thump — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:32:41 GMT

Loud&Clear:

Professor Thump:
From what I can tell, the custom 3s are sonically designed to be top of the line, while the Images are more designed for small size and comfort. Sound quality of the Images falls where in the Custom 1/2/3 continuum?

You are correct Kimball. C-3 is currently the top of the line audio quality for Klipsch headphones. IMAGE follows slightly behind that. Some may actually prefer IMAGE since the position and fit may be a different experience for the user.

Loud&Clear:

Are the Custom-3s nealy as comfortable and easy to get a good seal on as the Image?

The second question depends on your ears. For me it is as easy to get a good seal on Custom 3 as IMAGE, but Dr. Cochlear and I designed that family of products so of course it would fit us. Our focus group studies have indicated that IMAGE is easier to use and to get a seal. It is just simple to use.

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

Loud&Clear — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:10:21 GMT

Professor Thump:

From what I can tell, the custom 3s are sonically designed to be top of the line, while the Images are more designed for small size and comfort. Sound quality of the Images falls where in the Custom 1/2/3 continuum?

Am I right in what I'm taking away from the product page descriptions on the Klipsch website. My question boils down to 2 items:

Which of the 4 models has the highest sound quality?

Are the Custom-3s nealy as comfortable and easy to get a good seal on as the Image?

Thanks,

Kimball

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

mbb5355 — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 13:26:38 GMT

mcqueene,

New to the forum, just investigating purchasing the Image phones. At least for comfort comparisons, and taking into account that I may have small ear canals, I owned a pair of Shure E530's for a year. I travel all the time and no matter which foams, or gels I used, after about an hour my ears were killing me. I bought the Bose QuietComforts; great sound and unbeatable comfort, but when you travel for a living, way too bulky to carry all the time.

As far as sound quality, I can't imagine anything better than the Shure's with the three drivers. The Bose didn't sound any better to me; but I just couldn't get past the pain of the Shure's so I sold them a couple of months ago and have been looking for something else and it looks like I may take the plunge for the Image.

I will write a comparison between the Image and Shure 530's when I decide to purchase the Image pair.

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

blsamuel — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:02:06 GMT

Now if I could just afford the IMAGE.... but the Custom 2 I settled for back in November are quite comfortable and the sound is nothing short of AWESOME .... ... Just not as comfortable as I remember the IMAGE and the sound isn't quite to the IMAGE level but not sure how much I'm missing...

I hope I can try all 4 models at some point in the future...

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

blsamuel — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:52:44 GMT

Dreven,

The Qtip probably does a little better than the photo of the IMAGE in the hand in showing how small they are. I still think sticking a set in one's ears is more powerful to really understand how tiny and comfortable they can be.

Thanks for the pic

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

Dreven — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 23:27:59 GMT

You inspired me to pull out my camera again blsamuel! Maybe this will help with the understanding....

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"How small are the Klipsch Images?"

"Do you know what it feels like when you put a Q-Tip in your ear?"

"Yes.... ?"

"You've answered your own question, thanks for playing!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hehe...

Disclaimer: If I see a Klipsch Image commercial or ad featuring a Q-Tip, I want a cut! (another pair of Images will do!)

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

blsamuel — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:18:13 GMT

I was thinking more a small little ring molded into the strain relief of the same color where one (at least I think I did when trying the prototype) picks up the IMAGE to stick in the ear.

A ring or bumps around the strain relieve would enable it to be felt no matter the angle it was picked up. And I think would be unobtrusive enough that it would not be visible without looking real close, though I could be wrong - highly visible if a different color. If that were too conspicuous, the bump(s) or a small ridge on the head side would be a better option but if picked up top to bottom as opposed to side to side might not be able to feel. I suspect any such molding could be quite small.

The IMAGE are so small and sleek that the look probably has to win out over absolute user friendliness from a marketing standpoint. As their name implies, IMAGE is very important. But to most of us, COMFORT and SOUND are more important and they've got to be the most comfortable IE's there are and the sound is not lacking that I'm aware and may be hard to beat at the price, except for the Custom 3.

People are amozed at the size of the IMAGE when I direct them to photographs but I don't think they really understand just how tiny they really are. In this case, if a picture is worth a 1,000 words, sticking 'em in your ears has got to be worth at least 10,000

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

baglunch — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 05:12:14 GMT

I'm not sold on the shrinkwrap, though. You'd have to grope up and down the length of the wire to feel where it is in the dark, and easy to lose track of the wire as you grope your way back to the top again... or if you had it near the earpiece, it'd (maybe) be unsightly or look like an earing dangling from it... wouldn't fit the streamlined profile. Bumps for the win! Or, there's always epoxy.

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

Professor Thump — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 01:57:10 GMT

Hi Peter,

That looks like a little piece of shrink wrap tubing. Could be an option... good point!

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

PeterDLai — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 23:36:45 GMT

The small ring idea reminds me of what EarPeace did with their LiveWires custom IEMs. Notice the little red block on the cable signifying the right channel:

Source

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

blsamuel — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:05:43 GMT

I suspect a small little ring molded around the bottom of the strain relief would work well also. I think it could be small enough so that it wouldn't interfere with the exterior aesthetic.

The Klipsch logo could be molded in on one side but that might interfere with the aesthetic as one would look different but it could be subtle enough to be better noticable.

I kind of like the small ring around the black cable strain relief - I think one could feel it no matter what angle the IMAGE was picked up to insert into the ear. One might have to feel for the bumps or the ridge though I think either on the head side would work better than the bottom or top and maintain the aesthetic better.

With the IMAGE, LOOKS are VERY important and need to be maintained.

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

baglunch — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:51:32 GMT

I was thinking something like this:

Click the image for a larger version... the forum is shrinking it down.

Keep the bumps on the inside of the curve to maintain the exterior aesthetic.

Or have them on the rear-facing side wall of the IEM (don't have a suitable image for that, but the side that faces the back of your head whene you have them on, instead of the underside).

Re: Klipsch - Image Review

blsamuel — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:42:21 GMT

Professor Thump,

Couldn't you mold a small ridge or bump on the cable strain relief coming into the aluminum body?

Being able to identify which side was which in the dark would be great for all models (probably can with the Custom once remember how the wires connect but that'd require some thinking). I'd think a small bump or ridge in the molding would do the trick, strategically placed but still easy to identify as the left (or right) in the dark.

The drop of glue, while a workable idea could also damage the finish or the strain relief I suspect if it wasn't compatible with the materials or cause discoloration.