Professor Thump:

Here is a picture of my case for Custom 3.  I don't carry my 80 G iPod in this case because it is tight with all the stuff and I figured I would see if a case on the iPod by itself would help the life of the hard disc.  The last 30 G iPod didn't like the drops, especially once on concrete, (but that is another story). 

I don't recommend including a larger MP3 in this case with Custom series since it may tend to kink your cable from the compression when closed.

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 That's what I'm talking about!  The cable on my original Custom 3's was bendy just like this picture, I couldn't kink 'em unless i was trying. I checked my reciept, purchased 2/08. Maybe I got dumb lucky because replacements I have now are as kinky as everyone elses. As far as working to some kind of elaborate wrapping/re-wrapping issue, I'm sorry these baby's cost way to much to have to put up with that kind of BS. I was a happy Klipsch buyer / vocal booster of many different items but because of this cable issue, I won't be buying anymore Klipsch headphones. Sad too, I love the sound

 

George 

gmg888:

Professor Thump:

Here is a picture of my case for Custom 3.  I don't carry my 80 G iPod in this case because it is tight with all the stuff and I figured I would see if a case on the iPod by itself would help the life of the hard disc.  The last 30 G iPod didn't like the drops, especially once on concrete, (but that is another story). 

I don't recommend including a larger MP3 in this case with Custom series since it may tend to kink your cable from the compression when closed.

===============================================================================================================

 That's what I'm talking about!  The cable on my original Custom 3's was bendy just like this picture, I couldn't kink 'em unless i was trying. I checked my reciept, purchased 2/08. Maybe I got dumb lucky because replacements I have now are as kinky as everyone elses. As far as working to some kind of elaborate wrapping/re-wrapping issue, I'm sorry these baby's cost way to much to have to put up with that kind of BS. I was a happy Klipsch buyer / vocal booster of many different items but because of this cable issue, I won't be buying anymore Klipsch headphones. Sad too, I love the sound

 

George 

 Ok, I'm an idiot and can't figure out how to post properly but here is the pic I was referring to....hope it comes thru.

don't shoot me...

 

 

 That's what I'm talking about!  The cable on my original Custom 3's was bendy just like this picture, I couldn't kink 'em unless i was trying. I checked my reciept, purchased 2/08. Maybe I got dumb lucky because replacements I have now are as kinky as everyone elses. As far as working to some kind of elaborate wrapping/re-wrapping issue, I'm sorry these baby's cost way to much to have to put up with that kind of BS. I was a happy Klipsch buyer / vocal booster of many different items but because of this cable issue, I won't be buying anymore Klipsch headphones. Sad too, I love the sound

 

 

 

Just saw a post over on HeadFi.org about this that indicates Klipsch has isolated the problem to "Certain Peoples" skin oil that cause the cable insulator to harden!!?!?!  And Klipsch has switched cable insulator materials to abate this issue.  Is there any truth to this and if so what is/are the plans to replace those IEM sets for those of us who suffer from this problem?

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f95/bad-customer-service-issue-resolved-now-376551/index2.html

 I've been extremely careful with the cable after reading the various accounts of kinks.  The main cable is now mostly fine, a few minor bends, but not kinks.  However, the bends remain all through the cable after the separater.  These clearly formed from the way the headphones were originally packaged.  There is no getting rid of them.  If Klipsch continues to use the same material/cable, perhaps they be packaged in a way that would minimize these creases?  It's quite annoying that I have done everything in my power to keep the cable in good condition, but that I cannot undo defects that were pre-existing.

 

As to the cause, I'm no engineer, but skin oil seems suspect when, at least in my case, permanent creases were created by packaging.

 When storing in the provided large case, I hold the headsets in the palm of one hand and wrap my Image  or Custom 3 wires loosely around two fingers. This creates a soft coil that fits neatly into the receptacle in the lower right quadrant of the case. There is no chance for kinks with such care. I never use any type of wire tie device on my headphone cables.

colterphoto1:

 When storing in the provided large case, I hold the headsets in the palm of one hand and wrap my Image  or Custom 3 wires loosely around two fingers. This creates a soft coil that fits neatly into the receptacle in the lower right quadrant of the case. There is no chance for kinks with such care. I never use any type of wire tie device on my headphone cables.

The fact you have to go to such lengths to avoid a problem that simply does not occur when a different insulator material is used adds further credence to this being a mfr/design defect. As with most, my problems existed right out of the box.  The insulator used, if in fact it is Teflon, resists chaffing, and is primarily used in applications where the wire is under some tension.  There needs to be a bit more disclosure on this issue as a lot of folks are making very public complaints about this.  There is no doubt the sound of the C3's is remarkable, it is why I did not initially return them but there should be a recall of sorts to correct this problem.  I for one will take a touch extra weight added to the IEM's via a different insulator in order to abate this problem.

 I wouldn't call it going to great lengths, just taking some care with thin wires on a fairly expensive piece of gear. 

 

But then as a roadie type I'm naturally picky about cable handling. The average consumer might think they can just wad them up and they'll last forever. That's not how wire works. 

 I have been reading this post and keeping track of what is being said because I am concerened about my own Custom 3's. I have been reading about how it is everyone else's fault but Klipsch that the cables are bending and think that Klipsch should admit to the problem and stop trying to put it in our laps.

 I think we all understand "how wire works" and are being very careful with a set of earphones in the $300.00 dollar range.

The "cold climate" reason is absolute crap. I have mine in the house (of course), where it is WARM and the cable is WAY too ridgid and, like other's have said came out of the package with kinks in the cable.

I am a huge Klipsch fan and I actually take offense to them telling everyone that it's our fault and that we should be more careful with our stuff. I am a 39 year old man and have been around long enough to know how to take care of things. I don't abuse my vehicles or my lawn tractor or my tools or my wife or my microwave oven or my son.

The problem is clearly with the product and not how it is being handled.

Mine are carefully wrapped up in an old container that a set of Sony earphones came in. The container is ridgid plastic and rotates so that the cable is pulled into the container and kept in a nice neat coil and protected from damage and actually "hold their shape" after being removed from the container. I have never seen another set of headphones do this. 

After reading this and many other posts about the Custom 3 cables, I wrapped some electrical tape around the jack in an attempt to keep mine in good condition. I hope it helps because I do enjoy the IEM's but do feel that they require too much "care" when being handled. They just don't feel strudy enough for everyday use.

And after reading the many complaints about them, I take even further care when handling them then I did before.

colterphoto1:

 I wouldn't call it going to great lengths, just taking some care with thin wires on a fairly expensive piece of gear. 

 

But then as a roadie type I'm naturally picky about cable handling. The average consumer might think they can just wad them up and they'll last forever. That's not how wire works. 

OK Lets define rough cable handling.  For a set of $300 headphones designed for the average Joe consumer to use, the insulator chosen should have some degree of malleability to it.  Can you abuse them no of course not, but normal wear and tear should not cause damage over a very short period (we're talking days here, they came out of the box kinked).  These things were designed to be wound up and stored in a small enclosure.  They should stand up to the design limits.  The design in this case fell short of reasonable consumer expectations.  Waaay short.  These cables are being harshly critiqued on other web sites.  The simple fact is that is bad for business.  It is a quality control issue.  People like myself are not just wadding them up.  Making a comment like that while trying defend Klipsch is simply taking an uninformed position.  Poppin off with "that not how wire works" is a dog that simply won't hunt here.  Look at the evidence it continues to mount.  I tried to keep my grievance private but the dialogue went dead.  I enjoy and exhibit a pretty defined loyalty to Klipsch products but some people seem to overzealously defend this company as if it cannot be at fault.  That approach is ridiculous.  Normally Klipsch’ customer service is first rate, but that is not so in this case. They are at fault here and should make good complaints in order to restore their credibility in this market.  They need to keep communication open.  They have been very tight lipped other than to try to find fault in the consumer, the folks keeping them in business.  Their mobile music products have had a good number of complaints here.  iGrooves with repeated remote issues, headphones with cable problems, there is clear evidence the product line needs more attention.

 

I've been reading this thread closely, and hoping that I'd see solutions being offered. Unfortunately haven't seen any yet, so I guess I'll have to add my voice to the unhappy ones already here. I got my Custom-3s at Christmas 2008. Cables were stiff right out of the box, so explanations like skin oils and cold weather don't seem to stack up. I have always been very careful with them, as I am with all my gear. Here it is 3 months later, and the cable has developed one very nasty kink where the flexible earpiece ends, and the insulation has worn off - see the photo. I have had MANY different types and brands of headphones and earphones without EVER experiencing a problem like this. I expected these to last a lifetime, and am getting very worried about whether they'll make it through the next few weeks/months. Please don't say to take them back to where I bought them, they were from Amazon.com and I'm now living in France. How can I get this sorted out?

 On top of the cables kinking all the time, my cables started to burst after less than a WEEK of casual use. I, like many others, take excellent care of my equipment and go to great lengths to keep them from getting tossed around carelessly.

 

 

Here is my review with pictures:

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/my-klipsch-custom-3-review-pics-included-cable-bursting-connector-after-7-days-411549/

 

I missed the deadline to return them to the apple store, so now I'm only left with sending them to Klipsch to have them "repair" these, or send me a new set that will probably have the same terrible cable and will probably burst too. :( Although they sound good I regret buying them more and more every day. I can't believe Klipsch will offer a 2-year warranty on their new cheapy S4 and only a 1-year on their top of the line Custom 3. 

Yeah the earphones are great, but the wires were a failure. Even if the "Prototype" managed to survive since 2007, a good portion of its copies proved undurable enough to be fit for normal use, even by experienced heaphone users.

I waned on this situation for a while. I was one of two people to be the first to get the new Custom 3 even before they really came out. I had won them in 2007 when I attended the Klipsch Annual Pilgrimage. It took about a year for them to reach production, at the time we heard prototypes. I received mine probably February of 2008. The cable on that was supple, I at the time had a 4g 60 gig ipod that I did not use that much since it is a brick to today's standards. So the Custom 3 were barely used for half a year or more. I then got a 16 gig 4g nano in October and started to use it more. Around February I had the same reoccuring problem with the cable right at the 90 degree mini stereo connection and wire meet. If I pushed the wire in the music would stop, If tugged on it the music would start, which is weird I thought. After about 2 weeks of that it finally gave in, the midbass was gone but the highs were still there. This made me wonder if there are 4 wires in there instead of two since this is a dual driver headphone. I guess it has to because of that. Well I graciously sent a replacement and low and behold, The wire was stiff out of the box. The kinks are just like the ones shown on the photos. I believe the supplier whoever they are changed the material. I counter the action of the skin oil since the older one was used and developed no kinks overtime. The cold debate may be true to an extent but I have on occasion left the headphones and ipod in the case in my car's trunk during the winter where sometimes the temperature has dipped to 15 degress F. The waterbottles I had in my car literally froze solid. But that cable developed no kinking tendancies. I am not sure but I feel that it is necessary to speak out about the headphone now. Also I am not sure if people have noticed but the 1/8 ministereo connection gold plating is less "golden" on the new one versus the current. It looks almost brass like while the original one had a deeper golden hue.

gmg888:

My original pair of custom 3's purchased from klipsch (2/08) came with cables that were fairly supple. they hung loosely and I could roll them around my hand and place them in thier case. Later when I retrieved them they would unroll without any real kinking. I had to RMA them 11/08 due a short in the boot covering the jack. The (replacement?) pair i recieved have cables like those mentioned in previous posts. Hard, kinky, constantly getting tied up in hard angles. I wonder, did klipsch change the cable material? i thought maybe this was refurb materials but now since reading posts here , i'm thinking klipsch went with some less effective material. i will be calling them in the morning to try and find out more. this new cabling has completely detracted from my enjoyment of these great sounding headphones. Sadly, if some suitable arrangement can't be made, this will be my last pair from klipsch.

So was it my imagination, or did others have really nice cables on thier Custom 3's????

george

I am having the same problem.  I demo'd a pair of Custom 3's that I ordered directly from Klipsch last year.  The cables were soft and plyable, and I never had any kinking problems.  I ended up returning them for a pair of Image.  I forgot them on the train one day, so I decided to go back to the Custom 3's this time.  I ordered them from Amazon this time, since I had $300's in GC's and the new pair I got is quite different from the first pair.  The cables are stiff and not even close to being as plyable as the first pair.  The wire on my first pair straightened out almost immediately, but this second pair never has.  All of the kinks that were their from the original packaging are still there.  The inner portion of the cable started coming out of the braiding within a day or two right next to the memory wire.  Now it is coming out right next to the housing by the 1/8 connector.  I have had these headphones for 1 - 1.5 months, and I always put them in the case and coil the wire up like others have shown in their pictures.

 I am so disappointed, and I am starting to question the build quality of these headphones.  The rubber stress relief portion next to the metal housing started ripping on my Image headphones.  I only had those headphones for around 6 months, and they started ripping at least a month or two before then.

 If this is the type of quality Klipsch is going to put into their headphones from now on, then I want nothing to do with them.  Right now I can't help but feel some buyer's remorse for not spending the additional money on the Westone 3's.  Hopefully my replacement Custom 3's will be better.  If they are not, I will likely sell them and buy something else instead.  Too bad they don't have replaceable wires, or I would just buy a better quality 3rd party wire.

Before anyone flames me for this being my first post.  I came on here to try and find out where to find the serial number, and then I saw the OP.  I felt compelled to add my own experience, and I don't see how it is possible that the materials haven't changed from that first pair to the second pair I have now.