CCA CKX

disclaimer:  I was approached by  CVJ about reviewing the latest crop of CCA products and agreed to review the Cs16 and CKX as I had not had the opportunity to try either yet.      CCA (Clear Concept Audio) of course is the sister brand of Knowledge Zenith and often parallels the KZ releases with slightly different versions of their own.  In the case of these two, neither has a direct counterpart in the KZ line although both do have models with similar configurations on the KZ side.   I have no financial interest in CCA, KZ, or any of their vendors and was not provided any remuneration for this review.    Interestingly, CCA doesn’t seem to have a website or their own Facebook page and information regarding CCA models usually has to be found from their vendor’s.    For more information about CCA and to purchase your CKX, see their Amazon store.

 

Unboxing / Packaging:

Those who own pretty much any CCA product will know the formula here.    White box, CCA on front, specs on sticker on side, earpieces in foam surround and box with rest of kit resting in the lower half the space.    The CKX stays with the tried and true packaging and the kit is also pretty standard with earpieces, cable, 3 sets of tips, and manual in the box.       No carry case or even cable tie is provided which is a bit of a let down as most others at this price-point now offer at least those two amenities.

 

Build/Fit:

The CKX are smaller than one would expect considering the cargo the shell is carrying. They are all metal in an inverted tear shape with a two piece shell consisting of face plate and inner shell/nozzle assemblies.   Fit and polish is very good with seams being hard to feel even when deliberately trying to.   The Raised bi-pin connector sits at the junction of the face plate and inner shell and is well fitted with no play, glue, or cant to it.  There is a single vent at the rear  edge of the inner shell.  With the position of the vent, it may be blocked depending on the shape of your ear. For me it was not, but a millimeter either direction would have likely put it in a position where my ear blocked it so if you get bloated bass, check to make sure the vent inst obstructed.   Nozzles have a forward and slight upward rake that gives them fairly good insertion depth despite the small size.   Isolation is average due to the small size of the earpieces but comfort is quite good for long wear as weight is well managed by the earh0oks.

 

Internals:

The CKX is a hybrid model with a 10mm coaxial dynamic driver for lows,  two dual driver 30017 armature packages for mids, and two 30095 single armatures for highs for a total count of seven (7) drivers per earpiece.      Nominal impedance is listed as 22Ω with a sensitivity of 115dB/mW making the CKX an easy to drive in ear.   I found the CKX was easily driven but benefited from a bit of extra power as the armatures seem to require a bit more power than the dynamic to really do their best work and there was just something that seemed a bit out of sync when trying to use the CKX attached to my LG on low power.  High power was better but it was improved even more when a proper amp was used and for that reason I am going to recommend these be used with an amp despite the numbers provided to the contrary.

 

Cable:

I have written up basically the same cable probably nearly 50 times now as most of the budget models seem to use either KZ made cables or something very similar in design and construction.   This one is slightly different, but honestly probably not enough to justify speaking to it more than in passing.  It is listed as a 25core per strand, 4 strand cable using silver plated oxygen free copper in a clear casing.   Once we get past the color change from brown to clear on the casing and the silver plating of the strands, not much has changed.  The splitter still sits about navel high when worn and is way too low, the 90º jack is still the same heavy plastic housing as earlier models, and the clear connectors on the hooded bi-pin connectors are still difficult to identify right and left as the markings are clear.   Is the cable usable, certainly, does it seem fitting for a near flagship model, maybe not so much although it does pair better with the semi-industrial look of the CKX vs the Cs16 that also comes with the same cable.

 

Sound:

 

Bass:

Sub-bass is moderately emphasized with good rumble and roll-off not detectable until the mid 20Hz range.  The trade off, is sub-bass texture is somewhat limited as it does reach low, but loses a bit of detail as you move below a certain threshold.   Sub-bass emphasis centers around about 60Hz and gradually tapers off as the signature moves up into the mid-bass.  Mid-bass is still above the baseline (set at 1kHz by the mid trough in this V) but is more detailed and a bit cleaner than the sub-bass comparatively.   Mid-bass does have some small bleed into the lower-mids and while it contributes some warmth it isnt enough to be obstructive to the lower mids.

 

Mids:

Lower-mids are well presented with good detail, and enough energy to give male vocals good weight and timbre.  Guitar growl is good with sharp edges as well.    Strings have good voice as well but lack a touch of energy needed to be completely natural (here its brother the Cs16 is better).   There is a good sized push of the upper-mids that returns them to the level of the sub-bass elevation and does mean female vocals stand in front of most of the instrumentation.  Even with the push though, female vocals are not harsh or strident unless it is recorded into the track.  This seems to be at least partially due to a quick step back down above 2kHz which keeps the upper-mids from getting too hot.

 

Treble:

As mentioned above, lower treble drops back about as quickly as we move from the upper-mids in and keeps the CKX from getting harsh but still is elevated above the baseline enough to provide the energy needed to keep snare rattle sharp and cymbals sounding nearly real (they could use a bit more energy).  Detail in the treble is good with subtleties being well presented and more micro-detail than is usually found in the sub-$100 bracket.     There is some grain to the treble as it has a series of minor peaks and valleys throughout its range that do keep it from sounding entirely even.   Roll-off is above 14kHz so extension at least to my ear is quite good.

 

Soundstage / Imaging:

Stage is well proportioned with a bit more width than depth and height is somewhat limited as well.   As a result the CKX presents a somewhat intimate signature with singers sounding as if singing directly to the wearer.   Seating the orchestra is straight forward although the seating winds up being somewhat wide and shallow due to the stage dimensions.    Instrument separation is quite good and layering is as well.  I did find some mild compression with really involved tracks particularly where the bass is heavy in both quantity and detail level.   Imaging is good with movement easily tracked and identified in space although movements around mid-stage lose a bit of precision (not uncommon).

 

Thoughts / Conclusion:

From a build perspective, this is the best CCA to date, with its all metal shell, high level of fit and finish (its hard to call it polish with a flat powder coat on the shell), and less than expected size.   The shell seems barely large enough to contain a 10mm dynamic driver let alone another 6 balanced armatures in that tiny space.    The cable is a bit of a let down as is the kit with no case, cable tie, or foams, here CCA has room for improvement.    Sound wise, its a big V which will be polarizing, but its well implemented with good detail, minimal bleed, and good dynamics.    Those looking for an in-ear for EDM, dubstep, hip-hop or pop will appreciate the tuning and will get the most out of the CKX.  Those looking for something to listen to strings will likely prefer its stable mate the Cs16 which is more mid focused at the expense of sub-bass.   Overall, its hard to knock the CKX, it does what it sets out to do and offers a consumer friendly signature in a shell that should be comfortable for most listeners and durable enough to last well.   Is it worth a look?  Absolutely.  Is it what you should purchase, maybe depending on your musical preferences.