The ATH-CK9LTD’s were purchased by me and I’m not in any way affiliated with Audio-Technica.
I’ve reviewed the ATH-CKR9 and ATH-CKR10 earlier, those reviews are available here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-in-ear-headphones-ath-ckr9-japan-import/reviews/13273
And here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-ckr10-in-ear-headphone-titanium-sonic-pro-dual-push-pull-drive-syst/reviews/13292
I’ve got quite a few PM’s lately asking about the difference between the three and since they’re identical in accessories, very similar in ergonomics and do share quiet a lot of their sound signature I thought that I’d make this review more of a comparison between them than just a review on the CKR9LTD’s.
I’ve owned these for eight months, six months and five weeks and I've used them a lot so I think it’s fair to say that I’m very familiar with them.
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
I do not use EQ, ever.
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life, Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
Built and accessories:
The ATH-CKR9LTD is a dual dynamic IEM featuring two 13mm drivers. The drivers are mounted to face each other and are wired out of phase, Audio-Technica calls this “dual phase push-pull driver system”.
Housing is made of aluminum and overall build quality feels very good. The design looks as if it was made for detachable cables but unfortunately that’s not the case. The housings are fairly large but the design with a pretty shallow fit still makes them very comfortable to wear. I’ve got small ear canals but these stay well in my ears and I also use them in bed while going to sleep without any problem. The angle of the stem on the CKR9LTD’s is slightly dofferent from the regular CKR9’s and it helps for an even better fit for my ears.
The cable doesn’t look or feel like anything special but in use I find it to be excellent with very little tangling, low on microphonics, soft and flexible. The plug is L-shaped and feels very solid
.
The accessories are not much to write home about featuring four different silicon tips and a carrying/storage pouch. I’d have liked to see a lot more tip options included at this price point.
The CKR9LTD’s are very easy to drive and works great out of every source I’ve tried them with.
The specs for all three for easy comparison:
*All specifications was found on the official Audio-Technica website
Demo list:
Mark Knopfler – Sailing to Philadelphia
Røyksopp (Feat.Susanne Sundfør) – Save Me
Ane Brun – These Days
Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
Metallica – Die Die My Darling
The Peter Malick Group – Immigrant
Eva Cassidy – Songbird
Thomas Dybdahl – A Lovestory
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
Celldweller – Unshakeable
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Seinabo Sey – Younger (Kygo remix)
Dire Straits- So Far Away
Passenger – Let Her Go
Lupe Fiasco - Deliver
Morrissey – Earth Is the Loneliest Planet
Sound:
As mentioned initially I’m not going to spend a lot of time describing the sound of the CKR9LTD’s but rather focus on the comparison between the LTD’s, the regular 9’s and the CKR10’s.
To make a very short list of the main differences it would be:
Comparison:
Please note that the comments in the comparison section are not in absolute terms but in comparison between subject A and B. This means (as an example) that if subject A is found to be brighter than subject B it does not necessarily mean that subject B is bright sounding in absolute terms. I hope this makes sense.
CKR9LTD vs CKR10:
Compared to the CKR9LTD the CKR10 has an even warmer, thicker sound with more intimate presentation. The CKR10's has a lift in the lower midrange that makes mid-bass more prominent. They both share the non-fatiguing treble and excellent bass layering. The LTD’s are a bit more airy in overall presentation and better balanced.
CKR9LTD vs CKR9:
Compared to the CKR9LTD the CKR9 has an overall slightly brighter presentation that gives a feeling of more air in the overall sound. Bass impact is very good on both and the LTD’s feel more balanced through the spectrum and better balanced.
CKR9LTD vs CKR9 vs CKR10 breakdown:
Ergonomics:
Weight: CKR10>CKR9LTD=CKR9: The 10’s are quite a bit heavier than the others.
Fit: CKR9LTD>CKR9=CKR10: The slightly different angle on the LTD’s makes them a better fit for me.
Isolation: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: Isolation is about average with silicon tips and slightly below average with foam tips.
Microphinics: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: The cable is pretty low on microphonics and behaves a lot better than it looks.
Sound:
Sub-bass impact: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: I find the sub depth and impact to be similar with them all.
Mid-bass impact: CKR10>CKR9LTD=CKR9: The 10’s has the most amount of mid-bass.
Mid forwardness: CKR9LTD=CLKR9>CKR10: This is a hard one since the 9’s got a lift in the higher mids and the 10’s in the lower while the LTD’s is more even but this is how I hear it. There’s not a big difference though and the kind of music one listen to can be enough to get a different result. The difference between the 10’s and the regular 9’s are much more prominent than the one between the LTD’s and the other two.
Treble extension: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: I find the all to extend equally well in the treble.
Sibliance: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9: I don’t detect any sibilance with either of them.
Soundstage width: CKR9>CKR9LTD>CKR10: Not a big difference but this is how I hear them. None of them has a huge soundstage width.
Soundstage depth: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9 Equally good on all and REALLY good on all to my ears.
Airiness: CKR9>CKR9LTD>CKR10
Thickness: CKR10>CKR9LTD>CKR9
Intimacy: CKR10>CKR9LTD>CKR9
Energy: CKR9>CKR9LTD>CKR10
Warmth: CKR10>CKR9LTD>CKR9
Details: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9
Separation: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9
Layering: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9
I don’t feel that the last eight parameters need any further description so I just leave it at this.
Please note that this is the way I hear it and not necessary the way everyone else will hear it. After all these belong to the same family and they're certainly more siblings than cousins so different music genres and differnt gear may give other results.
Conclusion:
I think it’s safe to say that Audio-Technica has hit the sweetspot for me with the top offerings of their CKR line.
I began my journey (after a LOT of back and forward on which one to get (between the 9 and 10) with the CKR10’s. I found the higher bass/ lower midrange to balance on the verge of what I enjoy in impact but they still do what they do so good that I appreciate them a lot.
I enjoyed the CKR10’s a lot and they fit my ears really well but I still wasn’t 100% satisfied with them (are we ever) so I decided to jump on the CKR9’s as well as the price started to come down on them. This was homerun for me, perfect bass amount and quality that I haven’t heard even in full sized cans combined with a more airy presentation.
Being very happy with the 9’s and 10’s I finally decided to go for the CKR9LTD’s as well partly due to the inconsistent reports from people where some find them to sound like the regular 9’s and others like the 10’s. Yet others claimed that the LTD’s was an upgrade from both. So curiosity got the best of me and I ended up with the LTD’s as well.
So who was right and who were wrong in their description of the LTD’s? To me everybody was right, let me explain: The CKR9LTD’s does really sound like a lovechild between the regular 9’s and the 10’s. To put things in an easy way I’d say that they’ve got the lower part of the frequency spectra from the 9’s and the higher part from the 10’s. This resulting in them sounding like the 9’s with some music and the 10’s with other. They’re fuller sounding than the 9’s but has less mid bass impact than the 10’s. I’ve got no idea if the slightly different angle on the stem is what causes the difference or if they use different drivers or just different tuning but it works and there’s definitely a sonic difference between the three to my ears.
Some people would certainly prefer the more balanced sound from the LTD’s over the lifted lower mids on the 10’s or the similar lifted higher mids on the regular 9’s but to me this is more about personal preference than one being technically superior to the other. As for me I love all three of them and consider myself very lucky to be able to alternate between them depending on the kind of music I listen to or what mood I’m in.
I’ve reviewed the ATH-CKR9 and ATH-CKR10 earlier, those reviews are available here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-in-ear-headphones-ath-ckr9-japan-import/reviews/13273
And here:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/audio-technica-ath-ckr10-in-ear-headphone-titanium-sonic-pro-dual-push-pull-drive-syst/reviews/13292
I’ve got quite a few PM’s lately asking about the difference between the three and since they’re identical in accessories, very similar in ergonomics and do share quiet a lot of their sound signature I thought that I’d make this review more of a comparison between them than just a review on the CKR9LTD’s.
I’ve owned these for eight months, six months and five weeks and I've used them a lot so I think it’s fair to say that I’m very familiar with them.
About me:
I’m a 43 year old music and sound lover that changed my focus from speakers to headphones and IEM’s about five years ago. At that time I realized that it wasn’t realistic for me to have all the different setups that I wanted and still house a family of four children and a wife so my interest turned first to full sized headphones and later also IEM’s.
My preferences are towards full sized open headphones and I believe that also says something about what kind of sound signature I prefer (large soundstage in all directions, balanced and organic sound).
My music preferences are pretty much all over the place (only excluding classical music, jazz and really heavy metal). My all-time favorite band is Depeche Mode although I also listen to a lot of grunge/indie, singer/songwriter/acoustical stuff as well as the typical top 40 music.
I do not use EQ, ever.
I’m a sucker for value for money on most things in life, Head-Fi related stuff is no exception.
Built and accessories:
The ATH-CKR9LTD is a dual dynamic IEM featuring two 13mm drivers. The drivers are mounted to face each other and are wired out of phase, Audio-Technica calls this “dual phase push-pull driver system”.
Housing is made of aluminum and overall build quality feels very good. The design looks as if it was made for detachable cables but unfortunately that’s not the case. The housings are fairly large but the design with a pretty shallow fit still makes them very comfortable to wear. I’ve got small ear canals but these stay well in my ears and I also use them in bed while going to sleep without any problem. The angle of the stem on the CKR9LTD’s is slightly dofferent from the regular CKR9’s and it helps for an even better fit for my ears.
The cable doesn’t look or feel like anything special but in use I find it to be excellent with very little tangling, low on microphonics, soft and flexible. The plug is L-shaped and feels very solid
.
The accessories are not much to write home about featuring four different silicon tips and a carrying/storage pouch. I’d have liked to see a lot more tip options included at this price point.
The CKR9LTD’s are very easy to drive and works great out of every source I’ve tried them with.
The specs for all three for easy comparison:
| CKR9 CKR9LTD CKR10 |
Type | Dynamic Dynamic Dynamic |
Driver Diameter | 13 mm x2 13 mm x2 13 mm x2 |
Frequency Response | 5-35 KHz 5-40KHz 5-40 KHz |
Maximum Input Power | 200 mW 200mW 200mW |
Sensitivity | 109 dB/mW 110 dB/mW 110 dB/mW |
Impedance | 12Ohms 12Ohms 12Ohms |
Weight | 12 g 12 g 16 g |
Cable | 1.2 m, Y-type |
Connector | 3.5 mm gold-plated stereo mini plug, L-shaped |
Accessories Included | silicone eartips (XS/S/M/L) and protective carrying case |
Demo list:
Mark Knopfler – Sailing to Philadelphia
Røyksopp (Feat.Susanne Sundfør) – Save Me
Ane Brun – These Days
Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
Metallica – Die Die My Darling
The Peter Malick Group – Immigrant
Eva Cassidy – Songbird
Thomas Dybdahl – A Lovestory
Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why
Celldweller – Unshakeable
Jack Johnson – Better Together
Seinabo Sey – Younger (Kygo remix)
Dire Straits- So Far Away
Passenger – Let Her Go
Lupe Fiasco - Deliver
Morrissey – Earth Is the Loneliest Planet
Sound:
As mentioned initially I’m not going to spend a lot of time describing the sound of the CKR9LTD’s but rather focus on the comparison between the LTD’s, the regular 9’s and the CKR10’s.
To make a very short list of the main differences it would be:
- The color (big surprise)
- The slightly different angle on the stem for the LTD’s compared with the other two
- The LTD’s have the most balanced sound out of the three due to the lift in the lower midrange on the 10’s and a similar lift in the higher mids on the regular 9’s while the LTD’s are more even across the whole midrange.
Comparison:
Please note that the comments in the comparison section are not in absolute terms but in comparison between subject A and B. This means (as an example) that if subject A is found to be brighter than subject B it does not necessarily mean that subject B is bright sounding in absolute terms. I hope this makes sense.
CKR9LTD vs CKR10:
Compared to the CKR9LTD the CKR10 has an even warmer, thicker sound with more intimate presentation. The CKR10's has a lift in the lower midrange that makes mid-bass more prominent. They both share the non-fatiguing treble and excellent bass layering. The LTD’s are a bit more airy in overall presentation and better balanced.
CKR9LTD vs CKR9:
Compared to the CKR9LTD the CKR9 has an overall slightly brighter presentation that gives a feeling of more air in the overall sound. Bass impact is very good on both and the LTD’s feel more balanced through the spectrum and better balanced.
CKR9LTD vs CKR9 vs CKR10 breakdown:
Ergonomics:
Weight: CKR10>CKR9LTD=CKR9: The 10’s are quite a bit heavier than the others.
Fit: CKR9LTD>CKR9=CKR10: The slightly different angle on the LTD’s makes them a better fit for me.
Isolation: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: Isolation is about average with silicon tips and slightly below average with foam tips.
Microphinics: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: The cable is pretty low on microphonics and behaves a lot better than it looks.
Sound:
Sub-bass impact: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: I find the sub depth and impact to be similar with them all.
Mid-bass impact: CKR10>CKR9LTD=CKR9: The 10’s has the most amount of mid-bass.
Mid forwardness: CKR9LTD=CLKR9>CKR10: This is a hard one since the 9’s got a lift in the higher mids and the 10’s in the lower while the LTD’s is more even but this is how I hear it. There’s not a big difference though and the kind of music one listen to can be enough to get a different result. The difference between the 10’s and the regular 9’s are much more prominent than the one between the LTD’s and the other two.
Treble extension: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9: I find the all to extend equally well in the treble.
Sibliance: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9: I don’t detect any sibilance with either of them.
Soundstage width: CKR9>CKR9LTD>CKR10: Not a big difference but this is how I hear them. None of them has a huge soundstage width.
Soundstage depth: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CKR9 Equally good on all and REALLY good on all to my ears.
Airiness: CKR9>CKR9LTD>CKR10
Thickness: CKR10>CKR9LTD>CKR9
Intimacy: CKR10>CKR9LTD>CKR9
Energy: CKR9>CKR9LTD>CKR10
Warmth: CKR10>CKR9LTD>CKR9
Details: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9
Separation: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9
Layering: CKR10=CKR9LTD=CLKR9
I don’t feel that the last eight parameters need any further description so I just leave it at this.
Please note that this is the way I hear it and not necessary the way everyone else will hear it. After all these belong to the same family and they're certainly more siblings than cousins so different music genres and differnt gear may give other results.
Conclusion:
I think it’s safe to say that Audio-Technica has hit the sweetspot for me with the top offerings of their CKR line.
I began my journey (after a LOT of back and forward on which one to get (between the 9 and 10) with the CKR10’s. I found the higher bass/ lower midrange to balance on the verge of what I enjoy in impact but they still do what they do so good that I appreciate them a lot.
I enjoyed the CKR10’s a lot and they fit my ears really well but I still wasn’t 100% satisfied with them (are we ever) so I decided to jump on the CKR9’s as well as the price started to come down on them. This was homerun for me, perfect bass amount and quality that I haven’t heard even in full sized cans combined with a more airy presentation.
Being very happy with the 9’s and 10’s I finally decided to go for the CKR9LTD’s as well partly due to the inconsistent reports from people where some find them to sound like the regular 9’s and others like the 10’s. Yet others claimed that the LTD’s was an upgrade from both. So curiosity got the best of me and I ended up with the LTD’s as well.
So who was right and who were wrong in their description of the LTD’s? To me everybody was right, let me explain: The CKR9LTD’s does really sound like a lovechild between the regular 9’s and the 10’s. To put things in an easy way I’d say that they’ve got the lower part of the frequency spectra from the 9’s and the higher part from the 10’s. This resulting in them sounding like the 9’s with some music and the 10’s with other. They’re fuller sounding than the 9’s but has less mid bass impact than the 10’s. I’ve got no idea if the slightly different angle on the stem is what causes the difference or if they use different drivers or just different tuning but it works and there’s definitely a sonic difference between the three to my ears.
Some people would certainly prefer the more balanced sound from the LTD’s over the lifted lower mids on the 10’s or the similar lifted higher mids on the regular 9’s but to me this is more about personal preference than one being technically superior to the other. As for me I love all three of them and consider myself very lucky to be able to alternate between them depending on the kind of music I listen to or what mood I’m in.