Cosmic Ears CE6P

fluffyberry

100+ Head-Fier
Pros: Versatile and well-rounded sound, Value for money
Cons: ???
When I first started looking for a pair of CIEMs, I was determined to find the best one in the $1000 region that would serve me equally well for everyday listening as well as stage use (I play in a band) and after quite a bit of deliberation, settled on these, and man was it a good call. What follows is just a few of my thoughts on this excellent piece of audio goodness.
 
Gear 
CE6P w/ stock cable
CE6P with 4-strand copper type-2 litz from theheadphonelounge.com
AK100 ii
Music
HDtracks 2016 sampler
Michael Jackson - Bad (24/96) FLAC
Boys like Girls - Boys like Girls (16/44.1) FLAC
Edith Piaf - Complete Recordings (24/96) FLAC
Rush - Moving Pictures (24/48) FLAC
 
 
Build/Fit
Build quality is excellent, no bubbles or cracks anywhere on the shell to speak of. I got mine with a clear faceplate so I could see all the internals, and the shell in CE's classic purple, which turned out to be really pretty combination, so no regrets there. The CIEMs also feel pretty solid and able to take a beating (although I baby them so much I doubt they'll ever suffer more than a few knocks). For the fit, I went with CE's comfortable fit option, which isolates just fine. external noise on journeys on the subway and bus are still audible, but at much lower levels compared to previous universal iems I had, whether using foam tips, silicon ones or those brain-probing triple flanged ones Etymotic supplies. My only quibble was the discomfort I first felt initially wearing these as they are my first customs ever, thankfully that faded with use.
 
Sound
My sound preference has always leaned towards a more neutral tuning, with some boost to the bass and sparkly trebles, and honestly, the CE6P hit that ideal sound dead on. Flat enough to analytically listen to music, especially live, but fun enough that I wouldn't get bored after a few months. My previous pair of iems were the heir audio 3ai.s, a very V-shaped sounding pair, so it took a while adjusting back to the flatter response; but once I did, man was it good. Detail retrieval is excellent, and the soundstage, while not as expansive as my open-backed AKG headphones (come on how could they be) is still good enough to enjoy orchestral/musical pieces without wondering where the heck all the different sounds are coming from. With a laid-back-ish presentation, I found these to be perfectly suited to afternoons whiled away listening to Edith Piaf croon away, yet when the music demands it, The CE6P supplies plenty of kick and oomph. The distinctive bass line from Michael's 'Bad' is solid and meaty, cymbals shimmer in the frantic 'The Great Escape' from Boys like Girls...You get the picture.
 
I don't really want to split up the sound into bass/mids/treble and critique each one individually because at the end of the day, it's how the IEMs handle all 3 frequencies together that make it good or bad. For some the bass might sound a tad too thin, without the rumbling sub-bass extension (Cosmic Ears as a bass-tuned CE6B model though) that ground the music. Others might prefer a bit more brightness in the highs, but if not implemented properly, all that just overwhelms and squishes the music into something that it's not. The CE6P, in my opinion at least, has a sound that 'respects' that original tuning, and simply does its best to bring out all that is in the music for your enjoyment. 
 
Misc.
Drivability:
These CIEMs were driven perfectly fine from my AK100 ii, but they did benefit from a bit more warmth when I amped it with fiio's e11 portable amp, so it might be worth investing in one if that's your thing. I haven't tried them with a desktop amp yet, although I suspect they would benefit even more. While not hard to drive, the CE6P does benefit from a solid source and amp to really bring out its potential
 
Cables:
I used a bunch of cables with these: stock, fiio SPC upgrade cable, PW audio 'Legend' SPC, and my current litz copper one. While I can say that the CE6P where already great with just the stock cable, I found that the upgrade cables did have a fairly significant impact on the overall improvement of the sound quality, allowing for greater detail retrieval and extended highs and lows. 
 
Accessories:
The CE6P comes in a solid otter case style crush-proof case, along with a earwax removal tool, elastic band and cable tie, so about average in that department. 
 
Conclusion
With other 6-driver customs from competing brands like 64 Audio, Empire Ears, JH audio, and UE pricing their offerings in the $1000 range, the CE6P, at £600, is at a much more attractive price point, offering equal levels of quality. If you are looking for a mid-range pair of CIEMs, this is the one to get
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recondude
recondude
Completely agree with your conclusion. Really pleased with mine and feel they are top value for CIEMS. The only downside was the length of time from order to actually receiving them which was over 4 months. However this may have changed as Cosmic Ears have raised prices which may have reduced the backlog in orders.
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