audioadrenaline:

I received my Images today....

The Images are well balanced over the complete sound spectrum, extended highs w/pratt, good mid, w/full mid bass and lows. It hard to imagine Professor Thump getting it any better than this (Custom-3s), I'm truly impressed. My initial impressions are very positive and I'll add more after I spend some more time with them. Congrats Professor Thump, I'm sure you have a winner here!

 

AudioAdrenaline

Dear AudioAdrenaline,

Thanks for the kind words… Please keep in mind that it wouldn’t have happened without a lot of people doing their jobs.  Brad did a tremendous job on the ME design.  He truly is a “Boy Wonder”!  Tom made it easy for the team to work because he paved the way for us to do our jobs.  No distraction and lots of support, that is what makes Klipsch Audio work. 

Have you noticed the website?  We have Sarah wordsmithing for the laymen from engineering “Geek Speak”.  We have Kevin putting together one of the nicest websites I know of.  George using his magic hands to create the artwork, Phil shooting lots of nice pictures from models who are Klipsch employees, Todd putting together a great manual, and Tamara putting the marketing all together.  Mike Klipsch was instrumental in making it all happen from a business level.   And the list goes on….

Let’s talk about the fun stuff…the way Image sounds. I am a really picky person when it comes to music.  After spending years mixing live sound, I have a better idea of how the mix is as much an artist’s paint brush as any other musician in the band. This is what I keep in mind when crafting the sound signature for these personal monitor designs. Voicing the PM’s are very similar to a live mix.  You can hide vocals in the mix or bring them to the forefront.  You can emphasis the bass to be full or subtle. But what is most important is that you can make a pair of armatures, and electro-acoustic filters bring out ALL the qualities of the performance, IF the sound signature is accurate.  This is what IMAGE does and especially what Custom 3 will do.

 It is hard to believe that sound quality can be any better than IMAGE in my less than humble opinion, but it is true.  Custom 3’s is a bit better.  Brad and I agree that we are getting spoiled.  These little headphones are like Crack for your ears (or adrenaline in your case).  We have a hard time listening to a lot of other HP after tasting these ear candies.  If I could design a loudspeaker to have the robust quality in the lows and the effortless highs, now that would be a speaker.  The vocals in the midrange are as warm as I know.  I am starting to get concerned if I can design a 3 driver PM any better than this.  I can’t wait to hear that final voice!

So I am glad that you can now "STICK IT IN YOUR EAR"

Fud:

Requests for pics from both of you please! =D  Perhaps with objects of comparison for size (i.e. common, everyday items), and some pics of the earphones inserted, all the accessories, etc.  I need to live vicariously through other owners until my own reach me =P

Fud - here's a couple of quick pics I believe with the large single flanges installed.

blsamuel:

Fud - here's a couple of quick pics I believe with the large single flanges installed.

 Thanks! I ordered right after checking the thread to see if they would fit my ears, and it looks like they will.  Custom 2s are coming my way!...plus another pair for my brother...then some Custom 1s for my sister =D
 

WOW!

Talk about marketing and promotion, the customs ares meant to sell themselves

el jopez:

WOW!

Talk about marketing and promotion, the customs ares meant to sell themselves

Apparently, they do sell themselves=P  The Custom 1s are backordered, expected to ship in about 2 weeks =/ 

Fud:

Professor, after reading this post, I'm now quite certain that my wallet will hate you when the triple driver PMs come around in the future =P  Does the sound signature stay similar throughout the entire range of Klipsch PMs, or do the tweaks in each earphone make for an entirely different beast?

Hi Fud,

Glad you are gonna stick it in your ear! 

As far as the sonic signature goes, the headphone upgrades are similar to speaker upgrades. The higher the price the more tools that the engineer has to do a better job at attempting to create the perfect beast.   Entry level designs start out with high quality armatures, but no frills, i.e. no venting on the chamber, no special black voodoo magic to optimize the voicing no crossovers.  As the budget for the bill of material increases so do the features.  Add a vent…get more bass.  Add another driver, increase the headroom.  Add an acoustic filter…improve the shape of the response.  Add a crossover… minimize the IM Distortion and optimize the EQ.  The IEM should improve as you add more armatures.  I am not sure how many armatures are enough, but I am pretty sure it is similar to live sound PA’s.  You can’t have too many speakers…IMNSHO. 

So to answer your question… The characteristics can be similar in all designs but it is like comparing apples and oranges.  Does a single cone driver in a speaker box have a similar sonic signature to a 2 way with a nice crossover?  Hardly.  There are no replacements for an optimized driver in a specific bandwidth.   A woofer can’t do what a tweeter can and vice versus.

Professor Thump:

...  Add a vent…get more bass.  Add another driver, increase the headroom.  Add an acoustic filter…improve the shape of the response.  Add a crossover… minimize the IM Distortion and optimize the EQ.  The IEM should improve as you add more armatures. ...

I think that's the logic I used to spring for the Custom 2 as opposed to the Custom 1.  The dual armature's are going to be an improvement over the single armature Custom 1.  That said I think I'd have been very happy with the Custom 1.  Hopefully I'll be able to compare the different models some day.

Fud - Stick it in your ear and enjoy!       

Fud:

blsamuel:

Fud - here's a couple of quick pics I believe with the large single flanges installed.

 Thanks! I ordered right after checking the thread to see if they would fit my ears, and it looks like they will.  Custom 2s are coming my way!...plus another pair for my brother...then some Custom 1s for my sister =D
 

Nice Fud,  splugining on you and your bro' and cheapin' out on your sister.

I'm looking forward to when those 3's are ready. I'll be right there, ready and waiting to order.

Gee... I wonder how much I could get for the six Custom 3 I have in the lab on eBay?

Just kidding...

scott0527:

Nice Fud,  splugining on you and your bro' and cheapin' out on your sister.

Lol, now you're making me sound like the bad guy =/  My siblings chose to order what they did on my advice, but the decision was still made by them.  I gave them my opinion and they let me spend their money for them, trusting me to give them the best choice within their budget and needs...so there! =P

Professor Thump:

Gee... I wonder how much I could get for the six Custom 3 I have in the lab on eBay?

Just kidding...

Evidently someone else wasn't...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kilpsch-Custom-1-Headphone-BRAND-NEW_W0QQitemZ230192568913QQihZ013QQcategoryZ152377QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

They are already on eBay. 

eBay already?  Are they legitimate or am I detecting the scent of rotting fish in the eBay air?  

So six Custom 3 - maybe you could loan them out to the early converts so they could compare or the people waiting on the production run.  I'm sure Jay would love to borrow a set until they start hitting the shores.  That is if you can keep them in the lab and out of people's ears.