Custom 3 Headphones
Company: Klipsch
Price: $299.99
http://www.klipsch.com
FEATURES
The audio engineers at Klipsch have included many state of the art technologies within the Custom 3s. With such features as oval ear tips and flexible over the ear wires for a greater level of comfort, tweeters and woofers engineered in combination with an electroacoustic crossover system, the Custom 3s are feature rich and ready to meet the demands of the audiophile searching for a mobile or in-studio headphone solution. For more information on the features of the Custom 3s, jump to the product page.Â
DESIGN
Klipsch has done a nice job with the design of the Custom 3s.
Many comfort and convenience elements (five sets of oval ear tips with a cleaning tool, flexible over the ear wires, 50″ anti-tangle cable, 1/4″ and airplane adaptors, and a quality carrying case) have been expertly combined with the required high performance audio components (KG723 tweeters, KG731 woofers, an electroacoustic crossover system) to produce a professional level headphone system for the discerning audiophile.
Indeed, all of this audio goodness comes at a price. However, when speaking about high end audio equipment, those who are finicky about their audio, are generally willing to pay a little more for quality. When compared with some of the other high end headphones on the market, the Custom 3s stack up nicely and, feature for feature, are a good value.
USABILITY
I found the Custom 3s to be very comfortable to use. The oval shaped ear tips fit nicely into the ear canal and produced a good seal every time. Unlike many of the round ear tips I have used, the oval tips allowed me to enjoy my audio content for hours at a time.
PERFORMANCE
Of course all the comfort and added features mean nothing if the headphones do not produce the pure and discernible sound of each instrument as you listen to your favorite aria or symphony. To an audiophile, the headphones are a critical piece of the audio system that must be carefully selected to insure the highest quality and standards. Does a surgeon use a subpar scalpel, or a professional golfer, a subpar set of golf clubs? Of course not! Nor will an audiophile use a subpar set of headphones.
I set out to test the audio performance of the Custom 3s by listening to a wide range of audio content at different audio resolutions (the bit rate at which the content was recorded or imported). I have a reference playlist which allows me to put any piece of audio equipment through its paces. I listen to all of the content first at a bit rate of 128 kbps (Kilobits Per Second) and then 256 kbps.
At 128 kbps, the Custom 3s are neutral. Of course, much of the detail contained within Classical music, for instance, is not perceivable at 128 kbps because of compression. However, when the same content is played at 256 kbps, the Custom 3s come alive. The fidelity and overall tonal quality really improves.
At this higher bit rate, the promise of the Custom 3s are immediately realized. The lows are rich and the highs vibrant. The middles beautifully span the peaks and valleys. I found myself listening to a great deal more of my classical collection. With the Custom 3s, one may hear the delicate whisper of the flute, or the subtle resonance of the cello.
As with any reference audio equipment, the Custom 3s were not designed with a bias towards the heavy bass, but rather, toward being neutral in order to give balance to the content. If you are looking for headphones to thump your brain, these are not for you. If you want a high quality set of neutrally tuned headphones, the Custom 3 Headphones from Klipsch would be a great choice.
MyMac.com RATING
I am very impressed with the Custom 3 Headphones. They combine many comfort and convenience features as well as everything needed for the high performance associated with the Klipsch brand. When compared with other products in this space, the Custom 3s provide a nice value as well. Therefore, I am awarding this outstanding product a 5 out of 5 on our MyMac Rating System.
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