Audio Technica ATH-CK10 - Page 2

SELLING THE ORTOFON??? Say it ain't so!!! Well, I've decided that if I am interested in another iem it's best to just save and save (unless I can get review samples) until I can afford them. But listening to the e-q7 on the way to work today, it's no way I could see me (or anyone) giving them up that easily unless you had a seal/fit problem. So I concur, slow down there @ Pianist...lol

ORTOFON NATION!!

EricP

Yeah, no need to do anything drastic. If you are happy with the Ortofon, no need to sell and buy a new earphone! arggg

Just got in the door, opened the CK10 packaging (so easy to use, for once) and ... bummer, I cannot get any sort of seal with the included tips, not over the ear or straight down.

Moving to the trusty Sony hybrids, large, they are perfect except for one thing, they also will not seal over the ear, just won't. Must be my ear shape or something.

The good news I can get a seal with them down and listening to Erykah Badu's Baduzim (On and On, Jazz Mix) and Appletree, two great jazz cuts. Amazing detail, no doubt. However, I am no basshead but I definitely have to click the Sony X Clear Bass to +2 and take down the 16khz slider down one notch. Many of my tracks are 192WMA or MP3, but there is a very slight hint of ssss, no deal breaker at all. But easily tamed with the excellent EQ on the Sony.

I need to get some sleep, and tomorrow do some serious listening with the CK10s, WM2s and Custom Trips.

Once I got them in with the Sony tips, they are really comfy and light, and I do love the cable. Just too tired to make any statements on the sound sig except to say that they are indeed detail monsters and very, very airy. Again, I need to do more than 15 minutes of listening. What I need to determine is do I really need three pair of excellent IEMs, or will two suffice? Since the Trips are customs, they are going nowhere, and they are excellent. W2s also strong. If the CK10s seems to fill a special niche, then they will stay too.

Way too early to tell. Time to sleep.

^ I'm interested in your further impressions post-restorative sleep. However, I am already mildly concerned by the fit issue that you've experienced with the CK10's. It appears from your post, that these diminutive phones may be better suited to people with petite ears. Mine are generous (like my nature) and I suspect that I have ear canals rivalling train tunnels. I wouldn't want to swallow them whole.

Can't fine any place to purchase W2s from ??

No, that's not quite it. I have relatively small ear canals/ears. It's just being able to get them in deep enough for a seal. I know AudioDwebe, in his review, says he had an early shock because he didn't insert them deep enough. Once he did, the CK10s came to life (of course). I got them to that point, but only after 1) moving to the hybrids and 2) going with the straight down method of wearing them, which I don't mind. Have some real work to do this morning, but will do some intense comparing with the W2s and Custom Trips.

Since it will be a while before you get to them, why don't you run them in a bit. I know you may not think it helps but it sure wont hurt and take a variable away. I suspect some BAs change more noticably than others but regardless of your feelings it couldn't hurt to humor some of us.

Okay, so do these require deeper insertion compared to your other earphones?

Good idea. I am going to run it on my "burn in" CD and see if that has any impact, just out of curiosity.

No, not deeper, but you must be able to get a good seal, naturally. I had the im616s (basically Ety nozzles) and the CK10s are not close in terms of deeper insertion. It's more the way the housing is positioned, as if when I try to insert them over the ear, the housing bumps into my ear and won't allow me to get a seal. Not an issue hanging down. Only problem with the latter is the cable near the housing rests on my lower tragus and that could result in long-term pressure pain.

I need to sort this all out today. Right now, I am going to just give them an hour on the IsoTek CD, and see if that changes the sound at all. Again, I just don't have a chance this morning to get to it. But I will this afternoon.

I don't remember anyone having fit issues with the CK10s before, so I hope it's not just me. On the other hand, I think I got a decent early audition with them down, and they do really have intense detail, separation and clarity. My only real concern is that it may be even too much resolution, if that makes any sense at all.

more to come

Almost forgot. I know AudioDwebe found the hybrids a negative influence on the CK10 sound sig. I will certainly revisit the OEM tips today, and see if I can't get them to work for me. But I didn't have any problems with the sound using the hybrids once I got them sealed. I have to check Joker's recent review to see what tips he is using as well.

not sure if its just me
but i find them WAYYY too siblant, at least in comparison to CK100, Westone 2, UM3X and IE8.
For a similar but much more palatable sound sig i'd go for the CK100.

I did notice a hint of sibilance out of the box, and I wondered if it was the newness or my choice of tips. I am not giving up on them of course, but the CK100s are way too expensive for me, esp since I am extremely happy with the W2s and the Custom TF10s I have here. I got the CK10s out of curiosity, because I do like detailed, analytic phones too (almost wonder if I should just get another pair of ER4Ps if I don't keep the CK10s). The Etys are cheaper, and certainly a known quantity.

Anyway, if that sibilance issue remains for me, back they go to newegg. We shall see.

Also, if I decide that the fit or slight harshness issues are ones I can't overcome, I will list these for $185 on the FS forum, since there is a restocking fee at newegg (15 percent). I would rather sell them at a discount to a HF member than pay newegg the $30 restocking fee, of course. But it's way too early for that step.

Thanks mate, your post came at the right time! I was just considering buying these even though I already have the CK100.

tstarn06, what did you mean by "too much resolution"? I know it's early days but have you noticed a "thinness" to the sound signature that some people have mentioned?