custom headphones

Our resident CNET audio expert Steve Guttenberg finally joined the rest of us and started his own Twitter page, so we invited him back on today's episode to see what else is going on with The Audiophiliac.

Steve always comes prepared with relevant (and not so relevant) talking points for us, and today's includes Joy Behar's mixed-breeding novel Sheetzucacapoopoo (Steve's a big fan of her work), the value of headphone amplifiers, and his concerns about the next generation of self-proclaimed audiophiliacs.

It's not a term that should be lightly used to describe anyone who loves music, and Steve considers a real audiophiliac to be someone who is truly concerned with an active music listening experience where extra attention is paid to audio fidelity in all its expensive glory.

The high-priced equipment might be the reason why audiophiliacs are a dying breed of enthusiast, but Steve makes it clear that quality audio gear is worth the price, especially when you consider that some equipment like headphones can last a lifetime.

We also learn that today's younger audiophiliacs are specifically interested in headphones and can be found on Head-Fi.org, a comprehensive audio site with in-depth headphone reviews, expert forums, and more.

Check it out if you're shopping for new cans or earbuds, along with CNET, of course!

While Jasmine was busy freaking out over the Klipsch Image X5 earphones last week, I found myself bouncing back and forth between the company's line of professional earphones: the Klipsch Custom 2 and Klipsch Custom 3.

Unlike the lightweight and delicate design of the Image series, the Custom series is built for abuse. The earphones include dual-balanced armatures, braided cloth cables, five pairs of ear tips, flex wire ear fittings, and a zip-up softshell case.

Quality doesn't come cheap, however. The Custom 2s cost $199 and the Custom 3s will set you back $299. But are they worth … Read more