Headphone/Earphone Reviews A-F
Archive #29217425
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 B2
Specs.
Dual balanced armatures
Frequency range: 20Hz – 20KHz
Impedance: 40 Ohm
Sensitivity: 110 dB/mW
Price: $159.50
Colours: Black/red
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality seems to be good, but one thing that bothers me is the lack of cable strain relief on the housing. The cable itself is braided and one of the best I have seen, very flexible and soft, it is 130 cm long and terminates in a 45 degree jack. The included accessories are, six pairs of silicone sleeves (S, M and L) and a pair of foam sleeves, airline adapter, a 3.5 to 6.3mm adapter, a shirt clip and a very nice hard case. Great accessory pack, if you ask me.
Comfort and fit.
The B2s are smaller than average for both size and weight, they are to be worn with the cable running over the ear. The sleeves provided should be enough for most users to get a good seal, and the isolation and comfort is excellent too. There are no microphonic noises from the cable.
Sound quality.
The B2s offer a detailed and natural sound that should please everyone.
The high quality bass is present, if not plentiful but very tight and punchy without interfering with the rest of the soundspectrum, the mids are natural and detailed, and the highs are very much the centre of attention and very nice and detailed, the soundstage is wider than average.
The B2s are very good, excellent even, sounding IEMs, the natural and neutral sound signature works with all music and really lifts the listening enjoyment to new highs. See what I did there. The highs is the B2s home field, this is where they excel, the amount of fine detail they can reveal from a good source is simply staggering.
My favourite tracks sound perfect, very dynamic with just enough bass and detail overall and in particular in the upper mids and highs. I may be partial, as they have my preferred sound signature but the B2s are one of my absolute favourite IEMs of all time.
To sum up.
The good: gorgeous and detailed sound, excellent cable, great accessories.
The bad: lacking strain relief on the housing, and maybe too bass light for some listeners.
Verdict: in one word, excellent. Highly recommended!
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. Highly recommend.
Brainwavz M2
Specs.
Dynamic driver 10.7 mm
Frequency range: 20Hz – 20KHz
Impedance: 20 Ohm
Sensitivity: 115 dB/mW
Price: $59.50
Colours: Silver/black
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is very good. The housing is mainly made made of metal. The braided cable, which is very nice is 130 cm long and terminates in a 45 degree jack. The included accessories are, three pairs of silicone sleeves (S, M and L) and a pair of foam sleeves, a shirt clip and a very nice hard case. Quite a nice accessory pack, if you ask me.
Comfort and fit.
The M2s are about average for both size and weight, as well as comfort and isolation as well. They can be worn both with the cable running over the ear or straight down. The sleeves provided should be enough for most users to get a good seal. There are no microphonic noises from the cable.
Sound quality.
The M2s require time to settle to sound their best, and once settled they offer a warm and bassy sound that should please the hardcore bassheads.
The bass is plentiful, but still rather tight and punchy without interfering excessively with the rest of the soundspectrum, the mids are warm and honey like and a little in the background, the highs are clearly audible if a little rolled off, and the soundstage is wider than average. The sound signature is V shaped, with strong bass and slightly upfront highs.
Due to the warm and bassy sound some fine detail will be lost and as such the M2s are not for the detail craving listeners. My favourite tracks sound powerful and dynamic, with good oomph in the low end, but for my tastes the bass can become a bit overwhelming on some tracks.
To sum up.
The good: bassy and powerful sound, excellent cable, nice hard case.
The bad: some detail is lost in the warm sound, probably too bassy for some listeners.
Verdict: for the price they offer plenty of bass and power. Recommended for bass lovers.
Brainwavz M5
Specs.
Dynamic driver, 10 mm
Frequency range: 16 Hz – 18 KHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 103 dB/mW
Price: $44.50
Colours: black or copper
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is very good. The housing is made of metal and the 130 cm long cable, with its 90 degree jack has a nice feeling to it. The included accessories are; seven pairs of silicone sleeves (s, m, l and dual flanges), one set of foam sleeves, a shirt clip and finally the very nice Brainwavz hard case.
Not bad at all, especially considering their price.
Comfort and fit.
The M5s are quite small and about average weight. Comfort is excellent thanks to the small size and wide array of sleeves included, and the isolation is very good for a dynamic IEM. They can be worn with the cable up or down, and as usual that means that the microphonic noise is well under control.
Sound quality.
As with all dynamic speakers the M5s need to settle or burn in, to sound their best.
Once settled they offer a warm and powerful but quite neutral sound. The bass is punchy and deep, the mids are smooth and warm, and the highs are crisp and detailed without being sibilant. The soundstage is big with very good imaging and instrument separation.
My test tracks sound marvellous, dynamic and with a great bass reproduction and overall lush sound. Even if they are warm sounding, they still offer good detail retrieval across the spectrum, and the bass or warmth of the sound does not colour the overall sound to any bigger extent.
Simply put, the sound the M5s produce is sensational for the asking price.
Brainwavz are really becoming a big player in the world of IEMs, first the B2 and R1, and now the M5. All exceptionally good, at a really great price.
To sum up.
The good: astonishing sound, very hard to beat sound per pound, great build quality.
The bad: not easily available to purchase.
Verdict: For the price, nothing beats them. Highly recommended!
Brainwavz R1
Specs.
Dual dynamic drivers, 6.8 mm tweeter and 9 mm woofer
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 22 KHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 95 dB/mW
Price: $37.50 or $42.50 with mic
Colours: black and red
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is very good, and with nice design to boot. The housing is made of plastic and the 120 cm long cable, with its 90 degree jack has a nice feeling to it. The included accessories are; four pairs of silicone sleeves (s, m, l and dual flanges), one set of foam sleeves, a inflight adapter, a 3.5 to 6.3 mm adapter and finally a very nice hard case for storing the R1s. Excellent accessory pack, especially considering their price.
Comfort and fit.
The R1s are light but quite large, to the extent that they may not fit comfortably in small ears. Comfort to my ears, after getting used to the size and shape, is very good and the isolation is very good for a dynamic IEM. They are to be worn with the cable running over the ear and that means that the microphonic noise is well under control, or more like totally eliminated.
Sound quality.
The R1s are dual dynamic earphones, meaning that there are two dynamic drivers in each earpiece, and as all dynamic speakers the R1s need to settle or burn in, to sound their best.
Once settled they offer a very musical and powerful, yet surprisingly neutral sound wrapped in a very large soundstage. The bass is very tight and full of energy, the mids are detailed and smooth, and the highs are crisp and detailed without being sibilant. The soundstage is one of the biggest and most 3D I have heard in an IEM, and also very accurate in imaging and instrument separation.
The sound the R1s produce is very enjoyable, it’s like having your very own and personal concert every time you put them on to listen to your favourite music. They really reveal new dimensions of the songs, my test tracks sounded spacious and very “out of your head”, in a good way, musical enjoyment at its best.
Technically speaking they are not as advanced as the top IEMs, but for pure enjoyment and musicality, they are definitely top notch!
The strongest point of the R1s is the astonishing sound and the unbelievable value, at $37.50 they have become one of my very favourite IEMs of all time, and that is remarkable!
To sum up.
The good: astonishing musicality and very enjoyable sound, large and detailed soundstage, sound per pound.
The bad: fit and comfort due to the size can be a problem for some
Verdict: If you are going to buy earphones for Christmas, these are the ones to get. For the price, nothing beats them. Highly recommended!
Brainwavz R3
Specs.
Dual dynamic drivers, 10 mm tweeter and 10 mm woofer
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 20 KHz
Impedance: 32 Ohm
Sensitivity: 95 dB/mW
Price: $99.50
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is excellent, and with a very nice and ingenious design. The housing is all metal and feels like you could run them over without scratching them. The 130 cm long cable, with its 45 degree jack is very sturdy, I have seen jump start leads thinner than this cable. There is a so called memory wire on the section that runs over the ears, which helps the earphones stay tightly put.
The included accessories are; eight pairs of silicone sleeves (two sets of single flanged S, M and L, dual flanges and triple flanges), one set of foam sleeves, a inflight adapter, a 3.5 to 6.3 mm adapter and finally the very nice Brainwavz hard case. Excellent accessory pack.
Comfort and fit.
The R3s are light but quite large and the design may be troublesome for small ears. Comfort to my ears is very good and the isolation is remarkable for a dynamic IEM. A bit of nitpicking though, the memory wire could be shorter for even better comfort. They are to be worn with the cable running over the ear, and this means that there are next to no microphonic noises.
Sound quality.
The R3s are dual dynamic earphones with a unique design. The two 10mm drivers fire against each other and into an acoustic chamber, from which the sound is then lead through the sound tube and into the ear.
There is no dramatic change during burn in, the R3s offer a very musical and quite neutral sound that is layered in a huge 3D soundstage. The bass is very tight and natural sounding, the mids are detailed and smooth and slightly upfront, and the highs are crisp and detailed without being sibilant. The soundstage is the biggest and most 3D I have heard in an IEM.
This is what I had to say about the R1s.
“The sound the R1s produce is very enjoyable, it’s like having your very own and personal concert every time you put them on to listen to your favourite music. They really reveal new dimensions of the songs, my test tracks sounded spacious and very “out of your head”, in a good way, musical enjoyment at its best.
Technically speaking they are not as advanced as the top IEMs, but for pure enjoyment and musicality, they are definitely top notch!”
Turn this up to 11, then you have what the R3s are like.
The way the R3s deliver acoustic music and folk-rock is nothing short of stunning, of course they handle other music well too, and they can also act as a home cinema surround system on the go when watching movies on your portable device.
The strongest point of the R3s is the musicality and the great soundstaging. Once again Brainwavz have managed to pull off a remarkable earphone, and another personal favourite of mine.
To sum up.
The good: a very musical and highly enjoyable sound with a huge soundstage, great design and feel.
The bad: the memory wire could be shorter.
Verdict: Excellent and different build and design and a sound to match, and that soundstage. Highly recommended!
Brainwavz S1
Specs.
Dynamic driver, 10 mm
Frequency range: 20 Hz – 24 KHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 93 dB/mW
Price: $59.50
Colours: dark grey with dark purple accenting
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is very good. The housing is made of metal and the 130 cm long flat cable, with its 45 degree jack has a nice feeling to it, and as an added bonus it is very tangle resistant. The included accessories are; eight pairs of silicone sleeves (single flange s, m, l, dual flange and triple flange), one set of foam sleeves, in-flight adapter and the very nice Brainwavz hard case.
Excellent accessory kit, especially considering their price.
Comfort and fit.
The S1s are about average when it comes to size and weight. Comfort is excellent thanks to the rounded design and wide array of sleeves included. The isolation is very good for a dynamic IEM. They are to be worn with the cable over the ear, and here is another trait of the flat cable, there are no microphoninc noises, at all.
Sound quality.
As with all dynamic speakers the S1s need to settle or burn in, to sound their best.
Once settled they offer a warm sound in a slightly U shaped sound signature. The bass is punchy and deep, the mids are smooth, warm and a little in the background, the highs are crisp and upfront without being sibilant. The soundstage is big with very good imaging and instrument separation.
My test tracks sound beautiful, very musical and overall lush. Even if the S1s have a warm sound, they still offer surprisingly good detail across the spectrum. The warm and powerful bass does not colour the sound too much, but the S1s are not made for critical listening and analysing sinus tones, but for pure enjoyment of good music.
As I have already said earlier, Brainwavz are really becoming a big player in the world of IEMs, first the B2, R1 and M5, and now the S1. All exceptionally good, at a really great price.
To sum up.
The good: beautiful sound, beautiful aesthetics, excellent sound per pound, great build quality.
The bad: not easily available to purchase.
Verdict: One of my personal favourites. Highly recommended!
Brainwavz S5
Specs.
Dynamic driver, 10 mm
Frequency range: 18 Hz – 24 KHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 110 dB/mW
Price: $99.50
Build quality and accessories.
Aesthetically the S5 is identical to the previously reviewed S1, except for being all black and having a straight jack. This is what I said about the S1:
Build quality is very good. The housing is made of metal and the 130 cm long flat cable, with its straight jack has a nice feeling to it, and as an added bonus it is very tangle resistant. The included accessories are; eight pairs of silicone sleeves (single flange s, m, l, dual flange and triple flange), one set of foam sleeves, 3.5mm to 6.3mm adapter and the very nice Brainwavz hard case.
Excellent accessory kit.
Comfort and fit.
Again, the S5 and S1 are identical for comfort and fit. The S5s are about average when it comes to size and weight. Comfort is excellent thanks to the rounded design and wide array of sleeves included. The isolation is very good for a dynamic IEM. They are to be worn with the cable over the ear, and here is another trait of the flat cable, there are no microphoninc noises, at all.
Sound quality.
The sound of the S5 is very much like the S1, but more polished and refined.
As with all dynamic speakers the S5s need to settle or burn in, to sound their best.
The bass is punchy and deep, without colouring the rest of the sound, the mids are smooth, warm and just a little in the background, the highs are crisp and slightly upfront without being sibilant. The soundstage is big with very good imaging and instrument separation.
My test tracks sound beautiful, very musical and overall lush. Even if the S5s have a warm sound, they still offer good detail across the spectrum, they are a real jack of all trades in the meaning that they suit all sorts of music, and seem to have no real weaknesses in sound or overall use.
They are one of my personal favourites, I find myself going for the S5s instead of many of my pricier IEMs.
As I have said many times before, Brainwavz are really becoming a big player in the world of IEMs with their exceptionally great sound at a really great price.
To sum up.
The good: very good sounding, very nice looking, excellent sound per pound, excellent build quality.
The bad: not easily available to purchase.
Verdict: Once again Brainwavz have produced an IEM that goes straight in as one of my personal favourites. Highly recommended!
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.
Denon
Denon AH-C710
First of all, thank you to advancedmp3players.co.uk for making this review possible.
Specs.
Single dynamic driver 11.5 mm
Frequency range: 5 Hz-25 KHz
Impedance: 16 Ohm
Sensitivity: 110 dB/mW
Price: £89
Colours: Black or silver
Build quality and accessories.
Build quality is top notch, the housing is made of metal and high quality plastic. The cable is 70cm and has an 80cm extension, the fixed cable has a straight jack while the extension has a 90 degree jack. The quality of the cable is excellent as well, very durable and rubbery.
The included accessories are, three pairs of silicone sleeves (S, M, L) and one pair of foam sleeves, 80cm extension cable, a shirt clip and a leather hard case with built in cable management. Not bad at all.
Comfort and fit.
The C710’s are about average both size and weight wise. Comfort is good due to the various sleeves provided, the isolation is about average. They can be worn both with the cable running over the ear as well as straight down, which is the intended way of wearing them. There are some microphonic noises, but they can be minimized with the clip and by wearing the cable over the ear.
Sound quality.
The C710’s require time to settle (burn in) to sound their best. Straight out of the box they offer bass, bass and more bass! Even after settling, the bass is still very dominant and warm sounding, but the detail and clarity is still good for a dynamic IEM.
The bass is plentiful and of good quality, the mids are very nice and liquid and quite up front, and the highs are crisp, but a tad in the background and they are slightly coloured by the warm bass and mids. The soundstage is one of the largest I have heard and very nicely layered as well.
My test tunes sound very powerful, the heartbeat at the beginning of Dark side of the moon is simply stunning and very strong, excellent! Dance music and other bass driven music is the C710’s home field.
To sum up.
The good: the bass, the sheer power and the excellent soundstage.
The bad: not for monitoring or bass-light tastes.
Verdict: if you are a true basshead, get the C710’s! Highly recommended (for bass lovers).