Headphone/Earphone Reviews A-F
Archive #15539385
Audio Technica
Audio Technica are a well renowned Japanese high end audio manufacturer, that are surprisingly unknown by the masses. Today we will take a closer look at their IEM’s ATH-CK9 and ATH-CK10.
CK9 on the left and CK10 on the right, with accessories.
Upper left corner CK9 and lower right corner CK10.
Audio Technica ATH-CK9
Specs.
Single balanced armature
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 15 KHz
Impedance: 30 Ohm
Sensitivity: 104dB/mW
RRP: £159
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is absolute top class. The housing is made of plastic and the cable is 120cm/47in, with a straight jack. The cable is the best I have seen in a IEM, soft and flexible, not too thick nor too thin and very light, excellent work Audio Technica!
The included accessories are, three pairs of different sized silicone sleeves (S, M and L) and a semi-hard zippered case. Not too generous, but still everything needed for normal use.
Comfort and fit.
The CK9’s are quite large, but due to their design they do fit comfortably. They are to be worn with the cable running over the ear. Isolation from ambient noise is good and the excellent cable does not suffer from any microphonic noise.
Sound quality.
As a single balanced armature IEM the CK9’s could sound a little thin and flat, but they don’t. In fact they produce an impressive full bodied sound, and as an added bonus they respond very well to the use of EQ and DSP. The bass is tight and fast, very high in quality but quantity may not be enough for all tastes. The mids and highs are detailed and smooth at all times, and will please even the most demanding listeners. They have a very good level of detail and an airy soundstage that separates the instruments nicely. They never missed a beat during the different music styles I tried them with, but they do really shine with vocal and acoustic music.
To sum up.
The good: detailed and overall good sound quality, excellent build quality.
The bad: quite expensive, few accessories.
Verdict: they are pricey and they come with few accessories, but they do offer sound and build quality that few can match.
Audio Technica ATH-CK10
Specs.
Dual balanced armature, one for low and one for mid/high frequencies
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 15 KHz
Impedance: 55 Ohm
Sensitivity: 107dB/mW
RRP: £279
Build quality and accessories.
Simply put, build quality and detailing is stunning.
The included accessories are, just like with the CK9’s, three pairs of different sized silicone sleeves (S, M and L) and a semi-hard zippered case. Again, not that many accessories, but everything needed.
Comfort and fit.
The CK10’s are very small, light and comfortable. They are to be worn with the cable running over the ear. Isolation from ambient noise is good and the excellent cable does not suffer from any microphonic noise.
Sound quality.
The dual armatures produce a beefy and incredibly detailed sound, from the highly textured low end with its good depth and attack via the natural and buttery mids all the way up to the really sparkling and expansive high end. Natural, detailed and expansive, in the true meaning of the words, that is the best and most honest way of describing the CK10’s.
It’s like I am listening to, or rather, hearing my favourite music for the first time, they present me with so much detail that I have never noticed before. Hotel California and Comfortably Numb sound excellent, stunning and brilliant all at once, if I close my eyes I can almost imagine myself in the studio alongside the guys. The CK10’s make any music, I tried them with everything from classical to rap, sound extraordinary. The accurate and detailed sound make them well suited for critical monitoring and their relatively high impedance and low sensitivity means they do not suffer from any background hiss. They respond well to the use of EQ and DSP, if anyone would deem that necessary. Now if you’ll excuse me I will continue to explore my music library and enjoy the fantastic sound of the CK10’s.
To sum up.
The good: they have a fantastic sound quality and a build quality that trounces any IEM I have seen before, they are light, very small and comfortable, did I mention the stunningly detailed sound already?
The bad: main drawback is of course the price, and being picky, the bass may not be enough for bassheads, they don’t have many accessories included.
What can I say? The CK10’s are pricey and they come with few accessories, but they sound stunning and they define the meaning of build quality. These are a serious contender for the best universal IEM for sound quality, build quality and comfort. Is that recommendation enough?
CK9 above and CK10 below.
Brainwavz
Brainwavz Beta
Specs.
Single dynamic driver 11mm, with bass filter system
Frequency range: 8Hz – 28KHz
Impedance: 24Ohm
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Price: $29.50
Colours: Silver/black
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is very good. The housing is made of metal/high quality plastic and the 125 cm long cable, with its 45 degree jack is a soft, rubbery compound. The included accessories are, three pairs of silicone sleeves (2 cone shaped and 1 dual flange) and a pair of foam sleeves, bass filters, a pouch, a shirtclip and a cable manager. Not bad, but the cones are questionable due to shape and fit, at least to my ears.
Edit: Found a pack of three different sized foam/hybrid sleeves and a pair of earhooks in a "hidden" compartment of the packaging. The foam/hybrid sleeves are very comfortable and reminds of the Shure ones, but they are even nicer and more comfortable to my ears.
Comfort and fit.
The Beta’s are light even if they are larger than average sized, and they are about average for comfort and isolation. They can be worn both with the cable running over the ear as well as straight down. The sleeves provided should be enough for most users to get a good seal, the dual flanges did it for me. There are some microphonic noises, but they can be reduced by running the cable over the ears and using the clip.
Sound quality.
As a dynamic IEM the Beta’s require time to settle (burn in) to sound their best. Once settled they offer a powerful and involving sound. The bass is tight and punchy without interfering on the rest of the soundspectrum, the mids are smooth and the highs are crisp if a little recessed, the soundstage is wider than average. Using the bass filter, that easily screws on to the stem, they seem to become even more dynamic. The bass tightens up and punches harder, the mids levels out and becomes fuller, the highs are if not lifted up, then at least not as much in the background as without the filter. Soundstage seems to become a little bigger as well. Without the bass filter they would suit acoustic and folk oriented music, with the added dynamics they suit rock and bass driven music like a glove.
I prefer them with the bass filter on, but it must be said that the high sound quality of the Beta’s is a real eye(ear)-opener, they sound really good.
To sum up.
The good: powerful and fun sound, bass filter to adjust sound signature.
The bad: a larger selection of sleeves would be good. Edit: disregard from this, for the price there are no real shortcomings on the Beta's.
Verdict: for the price they offer a very good overall sound. I do highly recommend them.
Crossroads
Crossroads Quattro
The MylarOne Quattro by CrossRoads is brand new and set to take on the IEM market.
The thing that separates the Quattro’s from the masses is the use of tuning plates, they are small plates that go on the back of the earpiece and changes the sound signature, more about this later on. The RRP is set to $88 or around £55-60, they can only be bought online for now. There are three different colour choices, burgundy, black and red.
Build quality is very good.
The housing itself is made of metal, which gives a nice solid feel to it. The lightweight cable is 120cm/47in, and has a 45 degree angle on the jack, it also has a clip to secure the cable to your clothing. There are several pieces of accessories included, S/M/L/XL and biflange silicone sleeves to help you find a perfect seal, three pairs of tuning plates for the different sound signatures, a zippered soft case and an airlane adapter. All in all a generous amount of accessories, even if there are no foam sleeves or cleaning tool provided.
The Quattro’s are very comfortable.
The first thing that strikes you when you see them is how small they are. They can be worn either with the cable running straight down or over the ear. The size and the choice of how to wear them combined with the many different included sleeves makes the Quattro’s exceptionally comfortable to wear, you simply forget they are in your ears. Isolation from ambient noise is quite good, the cable suffers from some microphonic noise but this can be minimised with the clip or wearing them over the ear.
How do they sound?
The Quattro’s use a 7mm dynamic driver coupled with a bassport and the tuning plate already mentioned. As with all dynamic driver IEM’s, they need time to burn in or settle, allow them at least 20-30 hours for this. The tuning plates provide different amounts of warmth to the sound, from the bassy number 1, via the more neutral number 2, to the more analytical sounding number 3, or without a plate (just be careful not to get water inside the housing), which makes them sound like high end open back full size headphones with prominent bass and very bid soundstage.
The different sound signatures provide for different listeners as well as they suit every sort of music, they can produce the full spectrum from hard hitting drums to very expansive and natural sounding guitars and vocals and all the way up to sparkling highs of cymbals.
Hotel California and Comfortably Numb sound simply stunning, the dynamics of the recording really comes alive and I can nearly feel the music as well as hear it, the clarity these can maintain while punching deep bass at you is simply breathtaking. They may not be the most accurate or best suited for critical monitoring or provide the best absolute sound quality out there, but they are really, really good and so involving to listen to. After all, does one go to a concert to dissect and analyse the sound, or to have fun and get involved in the music?
To sum up.
The sound they produce is nothing short of stunning plus it can be tailored to fit the listeners preferences with the tuning plates, they have a generous accessory pack included, while design is subjective these really look nice, build quality and the metal housing deserves both thumbs up, they are light and very small and for my ears one of the most comfortable IEM’s I have ever tried.
The main drawback is the lack of availability in local shops, and a cleaning tool would have been handy to include.
As you probably have guessed already, I do sincerely recommend the Quattro’s, they have nothing to be ashamed of when comparing them to IEM’s that are much more expensive and higher profiled, at the asking price they are a real bargain.
Fischer Audio
Fischer Audio A'leph
Specs.
Single dynamic driver
Frequency range: 16Hz – 20KHz
Impedance: 18Ohm
Sensitivity: 104dB/mW
Colour: Titanium
RRP: $24
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is very good. The housing is made of plastic and the cable is 125cm/50in, with a (nearly) 90 degree jack. The cable is a bit plasticky, but still not too stiff, and it does soften from use.
The included accessories are, four pairs of different sized silicone sleeves (S, M, L and double flanges). Everything needed, but still a pouch would have been nice.
Comfort and fit.
The A’lephs are light and about average size, and very comfortable to wear even for longer periods. They can be worn both with the cable running over the ear as well as straight down. Isolation from ambient noise is above average, there are some microphonic noises but nothing too bad and wearing the cable over the ear reduces them to a minimum.
Sound quality.
Even though the A’leph is a dynamic speaker IEM, I did not notice any bigger changes in sound during the burn in. They have a very analogue sound, warm and lively with a tight and natural bass, a smooth and textured mid range, and highs that are crisp without being harsh. All this in a soundstage that is very wide and expansive. The analogue and pleasing warmth is very nice sounding and one can listen to them for hours on end, without any fatigue. The detail in the overall sound is impressive for a dynamic IEM in this price range.
The A’leph will make all music styles sound lively and enjoyable, with their analogue sound nicely wrapped into a large soundstage, they make for a great listening experience that soon will have you tapping along to the music. It can also be noted that they respond well to the use of DSP’s and EQ’s.
To sum up.
The good: excellent analogue sound, build quality, design.
The bad: maybe a few more accessories?
Verdict: great sound and stunning design, what more can one ask for? Highly recommended!
Fischer Audio Eterna
Specs.
Single dynamic driver
Frequency range: 8Hz – 22KHz
Impedance: 18Ohm
Sensitivity: 110dB/mW
Colour: Black/silver
RRP: $67
Build quality and accessories.
The build quality is very good. Just as the A’leph, the housing is made of plastic and the cable is 125cm/50in, with a 90 degree jack. The cable itself is thicker than the one of the A’leph but it has the same plasticky, yet not too stiff feel to it.
The included accessories are, three pairs of different sized silicone sleeves (S, M and double flanges), earhooks and a soft pouch.
Comfort and fit.
The Eterna’s are light even if they are quite large. They are to be worn with the cable running over the ear. Isolation from ambient noise is good and microphonic noise is minimal thanks to the thick cable and the way of wearing them.
Sound quality.
Just as the A’leph, I did not notice any bigger changes in sound during the burn in of the Eterna.
They sound just as involving as the A’leph, but more powerful. The bass is tight and full of energy, the mids are lively and very smooth, the highs are crisp without ever sounding harsh or sibilant. The soundstage is even bigger than the one on A’leph, which is very impressive. The warm yet powerful sound is very pleasing and easy to listen to, for very long periods of time without any fatigue. The detail in the overall sound is good, but the A’leph and especially the Eterna were not made for monitoring and critical listening, they are purely for the real enjoyment of listening to good music. Eterna also respond well to the use of DSP’s and EQ’s.
I have said this only once before, with the Audio Technica ATH-CK10, and now I can say it again in slightly different words, please excuse me while I rediscover the fun and musicality in my digital music library.
To sum up.
The good: powerful and excellent analogue sound, build quality, comfort and design.
The bad: a hard case would be nice.
Verdict: excellent sound quality, nice design and great comfort. Highly recommended!!