Intro
With so many budget IEMs around, it's hard to pick one out from the crowd as even a "starter." There are just too many from the major brands alone - Etymotic, Shure, Ultimate Ears, Westone - let alone the IEMs from other vendors like JAYS, V-Moda, CrossRoads Mylarone, etc. So when I set out to find an IEM for myself, I took a long hard look at almost every <$100 IEM in existence, and eventually decided to go with a brand that I figured wouldn't let me down - Audio-Technica. The one IEM with the most favorable impressions was the CK7, so I took a gamble on it. Did it pay off? Read on for the answer.
Equipment Used
Sources:
Arcam DiVA CD73 w/ Signal Cable Magic Power Digital Reference power cord
Arcam FMJ CD33 w/ Signal Cable Silver Res Reference power cord
HeadRoom 2006 Total Bithead (with laptop computer as "transport")
Cowon iAudio U2
(files in MP3 - ripped with EAC, compressed with LAME 3.90.3 using V2 VBR-NEW, limited to 96-256)
Amplifiers:
HeadAmp GS-X
HeadAmp GS-1
HeadAmp Gilmore Lite v2 w/ DPS
HeadAmp AE-2
Interconnects:
Signal Cable Silver Res Analog w/ Eichmann silver bullets
The CK7 was subjected to ~300 hours of burn-in for this review.
Aesthetics, Build, & Comfort
Based on what I've read about IEMs, the CK7 isn't a true IEM since it doesn't go all the way into the ear-canal. It's more of an earbud type design that just happens to socket into the ear-canal. Audio-Technica's recommended fit (as shown in the manual that comes with the box) is actually inserting it upside-down with the wire looped around the upper part of the ear. This fit works out well, and makes the CK7 comfortable for long-term listening, as it's unobtrusive and simplistic - it either fits in or it doesn't. Nothing wiggles around either. And with three sizes of tips provided in the box I imagine it shouldn't be difficult for the CK7 to accommodate any ear-canal size.
Per the norm for an Audio-Technica product, the CK7 is stylish-looking, with a silver metallic housing for the drivers and plain black tips, with black wiring. It's a nice sleek look, definitely the kind of thing you can wear in public without feeling awkward. An attractive simple design overall, kudos to Audio-Technica for not overdoing the bling factor as they do with some of their other headphones. It's also solidly built and actually quite rugged, as it can easily survive impacts to hard surfaces without scratching, from heights more than a couple feet even. Just don't drop it on something like rock from more than 4 feet though.
The only major complaint with the build is the slim wire that Audio-Technica installs on all of its low-end headphones. It kinks up way too easily making it hard to deal with. But at least it's not very microphonic.
Frequency Response & Sound Quality
As this was my first time going into an IEM, I wasn't sure what to expect from the CK7. Would it blow me away at how bad it would be, coming from full-size headphones?
I'll just say it right now, the CK7 has
much better sound than I was expecting! While it certainly doesn't compete with either of my favorite two full-size headphones (the ATH-AD2000 or AKG's K701), it's definitely opened my ears to the level of sound achievable on an IEM.
The CK7 has better overall frequency extension than either the former FC7 or ES5 that used to be in my system. And with respect to the ES7, it's about the same, but considerably flatter, as it doesn't have either the ES7's mid-bass hump or its forward mid-range coloration. That doesn't mean the CK7 is completely flat though - it's just the closest to flattest I've heard among Audio-Technica's lower-end products.
Bass response is highly dependent on fit (likely the norm for IEMs), but once you get a good sealing fit, it's very nice. It's the kind of bass that's fast and accurate and cleans up after itself - no boom, no flab, no mud. Quick and rhythmic. The audible range goes pretty low too - approximately to 40 Hz or so. Most of the audible bass is the 50-200 Hz range though, and it's there where the CK7 shows exemplary speed - tight, accurate, with just enough hardness & thump to make beat-driven music fun but not overblown.
Mid-range is nice and clear with not too much obvious coloration - there is a degree of warmth but it's not too much that it un-balances the bass and treble. It's quite a contrast from the AD2000 and ES7, which both have a full, forward mid-range. With respect to those two, the CK7 has a thinner sound, but it's still smooth and in a way, creamy, as it flows especially well with complex mixes, turning them into a kind of music soup as it integrates the various layers. A very pleasant, free-flowing presentation that's neither forward nor laid-back but somewhere in between.
And the treble is clear and nicely extended, well able to capture the timing of cymbal strikes and other fast percussion impacts, along with the requisite range of other high-frequency notes, including clinks, tinks, etc. No harshness or sibilance, and notes open and close cleanly, instead of blurring together. What the CK7 could use more of though is attack, which isn't quite as fast as it is on other Audio-Technica headphones. Faster notes don't jump out of the soundtrack as much as they could. A minor complaint though for something so cheap, and it beats both the FC7 and ES5 by a land-slide in this area.
Overall the CK7 has a very good open and clear sound that allows you to hear everything going on. A bit on the analytic side, as its overall FR leans towards being flat rather than bassy, warm, or bright, but if there's one part of the FR that dominates the rest, it's probably the treble. Not that it's bright, it's merely that its extension and speed is such that it's a clean, articulate, & refined sound.
Detail, Resolution, & Soundstage
The CK7 has very good treble extension for an IEM that helps it get most high-frequency detail, but there's still a portion that gets lost due to the fact it's not a full-size can. However, for an IEM that costs less than $100, it's ok that it's not as detailed as a full-size can. And the music it pulls off holds well together - unlike other low-end headphones I've heard, the layering doesn't collapse or fuzz out as more are added - everything remains clear and distinct.
Soundstage depth is pretty small on the CK7 - think being on the stage with the musicians instead of even being in the front row. It is an IEM of course, so not much soundstage can be expected anyway. There's more width than depth, thanks to some well-done stereo channel separation, and this width is actually quite wide. The lack of depth is a
good thing though - the CK7 doesn't force anything unnatural here, it just seats you in a way that sounds realistic, with no obtrusive air, but still just enough that you can hear some venue air. It still has good clean stereo-channel separation, which is really all that's needed.
Isolation & Amplification
If an IEM's passive attenuation is supposed to shut you off from the world, the CK7 doesn't succeed - far from it, in fact. However, some people might not
want their IEM to completely cut them off from the world - there are plenty of scenarios where it's necessary to hear what's going on around you. If that describes your situation, then the CK7 is for you. If ambient noise level is 100%, then the CK7 reduces it to the point to approximately 60%. Sounds like computer fans, or rattling metal, or any number of other distracting ambient noises get effectively reduced to the point where they're no longer a distraction. People chatter also gets completely muffled out. The CK7's passive attenuation alone is good enough to block out the random bustle of an office setting. It also effectively almost halves the noise of a bus or plane engine - bus motor noise is reduced to the point of being just a rumble underfoot, while a plane engine gets reduced to a muffled roar (well along with the high-pitched whine that sometimes accompanies it).
With music playing, the isolation factor increases, to the point where it's very possible (and ideal) to use the CK7 on a flight or public transit, as it blocks out pretty much everything. Engine noise can still be heard but only barely, and if you're not paying attention to ambient noise (or close your eyes to listen), it's as good as near full-isolation anyway.
The CK7 has a rating of 16 Ohms which implies high efficiency, and it is, it's indeed very efficient. It's very easily driven to loud volume. It does reveal some hiss in devices I previously thought were noise-less, the Bithead and iAudio U2, with more hiss on the Bithead than the U2. It also ruthlessly exposes the HeadAmp AE-1's high level of hiss (now heard for the second time after a brief listen last year using a UE Super.fi 5 Pro) but reveals no hiss on the HeadAmp AE-2. The CK7 is also surprisingly amp-dependent, as it reveals some differences between the AE-2, Gilmore Lite, and GS-1 amplifiers. It also sounds much better directly connected to the iAudio U2 compared to the laptop/Bithead system, as there's a better sense of overall clarity whereas the Bithead sounds a bit too warm for it.
Portability
The CK7 is an IEM. It's ultra-portable by definition.
Travels great stuffed into my messenger bag!
Conclusion
Well there you have it. Audio-Technica's ATH-CK7 isn't perfect, and I suspect it's just the beginning of my upgraditis path in the world of IEMs. But it's a great starter IEM, and it carries a great price tag at AudioCubes too, for $69. At that price I can't see any good reason to
not get it, it offers a fantastic clean & clear sound for under $100. If you want a fast, accurate sound from an IEM and not too much isolation, the CK7 is for you!
Post #4,001
Review: Audio-Technica ATH-CK7
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