[Amateur Review] Audio Technica (CK10,CK90PRO,CK100), Monster (Turbine Pro Gold, Miles Davis),...

Introduction

Due to some very fortunate circumstances (as well as at the expense of my wallet) I was able to acquire a couple of earphones that have been praised highly the last couple months. Warning: this review is very long.

I typically do not do reviews since I am not as good as others in here at articulation as well as describing what they are hearing in words so hopefully everyone understands the point I am trying to get across. Also this is my first (and probably only) review so keep that in mind.

Disclaimer

I do not believe I was biased in any way but I'll put it out there. I only own the e-Q7 and CK10. The rest are loaners. As always everything you read here is IMO so YMMV and please don't flame me

Background Information

All my previous phones are in my signature and current are in my profile. I prefer balanced or analytical type iem's as supposed to bass heavier ones. Also my music preferences include pop, rock, trance, country and asian pop.

Gear Used

Sources: Nuforce uDAC, Sansa Fuze (Rockboxed)
Earphones: Audio Technica (CK10, CK90pro, CK100), Ortofon e-Q7, Monster (Turbine Pro Gold, Miles Davis)
Bitrate: various mp3 bitrates ranging from 128kbps to 320kbps and FLAC.



Build Quality and Microphonics

Audio Technica CK10

The build on these iem's are amazing. These cables are very solid but there a couple ways the cable could be improved but that does not mean the build quality is bad because it is great. There is no real strain relief where the housing meetings the cable. There is just some rubber sleeve which I believe is a trick into making you believe there is a strain relief there.The plug unfortunately is a straight plug which I do not like. I do wish they came with a shirt clip but that's just nitpicking there. There is no microphonics when wearing over the ear.

Audio Technica CK90PRO

I am extremely disappointed with the build on these coming from Audio Technica. They do come with a nice right angle plug which is the only good thing I can say about them compared to a CK10 or CK100. The “strain relief” on the driver to cable area is even more trickier than the CK10. The CK10 looks like a sleeve and is a sleeve but this one looks like a strain relief but is just a tighter sleeve. The Y split needs some strain reliefs since it has none. The cable itself is your typical rubber cable that unfortunately will retain memory of how you store it but not overly so. Lastly a huge oversight is that there is no chin slider and to a lesser extend no shirt clip. These are a bit more difficult to have the cable stay over the ear due to a larger housing so a chin slider is needed and recommended you make your own. Microphonics is not bad but there is some and the majority of that would go away if you make your own chin slider.

Audio Technica CK100

The build on this is pretty much the build on the CK10 with the imrovements I would have wanted in them. It comes with a nice right angle plug compared to a straight angle plug. Also there are proper strain reliefs where the housing meets the cables instead of just a rubber sleeve. The cable itself is identical to the CK10. Like the CK10 there are no noticeable microphonics when over the ear.

Ortofon e-Q7

The build quality on these are good but not as good as the CK10. They have a proper strain relief however. There are some issues I have with the cable. Although it is well made from the plug to the Y split is some kind of cloth cable and it shapes like a memory wire to speak so it is not very practical when on the go. I don't really like cloth cables as they can catch onto things and the cloth could come apart.There is no chin slider and no shirt clip. I feel that the lack of a chin slider is a major oversight by Ortofon. With a shirt clip and a slider there are some microphonics but it isn't too bad over the ear. I made myself my own slider and put on a shirt clip so those issues are gone.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold

The build quality on these are fairly good and the best of the three newest Monster products. They have proper strain reliefs and a good right angle plug. They also have a cable slider but I prefer the kind of slider on the CK10. The cable however is soft and flexible. They do not retain much memory of how you store them which is quite nice. I do not get any noticeable microphonics when worn over the ear especially when you use the cable slider.

Miles Davis

The build quality is very similar to the Golds being that the same company made them but it is inferior to the Golds. The cable is stiffer than the Golds which make them more prone to memory and kinks. They do have proper strain reliefs and a nice right angle plug. They also have a cable slider which is quite needed. There is noticeable microphonics when worn over the ear if you do not use the chin slider. Using a chin slider and a shirt clip is recommended.

Lastly it is very rare for an iem to make both the Coppers and the Golds seem ordinary and bland while at the same time looking like the epitome of ugliness in the form of an iem. However the MD's were definitely up to the task and stand out in a large crowd of iem's.

Conclusion: Some are built better than others here but for the most part they aren't too bad. The best built here is the CK100. On the flipside the worst built goes to the Miles Davis.


top to bottom: CK10, CK90PRO, CK100, Miles Davis, MTP Gold, e-Q7 (with self made cable slider)

top to bottom: CK10, CK90PRO, CK100, Miles Davis, MTP Gold, e-Q7

top (left to right): CK100, CK90PRO, CK10
bottom (left to right): Miles Davis, MTP Gold, e-Q7

Comfort and Isolation

This section was mostly tested when on the go since that is when isolation matters. I tested each phone for two days when on the bus, subway or in the streets while moving around NYC which can get loud.

Audio Technica CK10

The comfort of these with sony hybrids (and also triple flange tips) are the best I have ever had. These are very low profile and just disappear in your ears. Isolation is very good but not quite there compared to an Etymotic but then again what really is.

Audio Technica CK90PRO

The comfort with triple flange is fairly good. They are much bigger than the CK10 so they do not disappear at all. Their comfort is definitely a step behind the CK10. Isolation is good for portable use.

Audio Technica CK100

The comfort of the CK100 depends on the tips used. I started out using them with triple flange tips but they were uncomfortable after a couple hours so I switched to sony hybrids. They became much more comfortable but still not as good as the CK10. Using hybrids they definitely don't disappear due to its larger housing but they are close to it. Isolation is fairly good for portable use using either tips.

Ortofon e-Q7

The comfort with Sound Magic double flange tips is good and even better with the Monster foam supertips (thanks again..you know who you are!). Isolation with the double flange tips is fairly good since they go in deep however it is even better with the supertips since it is foam and I don't have to insert it as deep which makes it even more comfortable.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold

Their comfort is good with sony hybrids. The housing is much lighter than it looks. I can wear them for hours if I wanted to. Isolation is also fairly good and the tips help a lot.

Miles Davis

Their comfort is similar to the Gold's but better. The housing is rounder than the Gold's so it fits into your ear better. Isolation is average since the soundmagic tips I use are pretty thin. If I used hybrids isolation would be on par with the rest but I ran out of hybrid tips.

Conclusion: The majority of these are comfortable with the one exception being the e-Q7 since that will depend on if you can get a good fit since some members have had issues with the larger sized housing. The most comfortable however goes to the CK10 and the least is probably the Golds since I have no issues with the e-Q7. Isolation is very tip dependent. They all can have good isolation depending on the tips used.

Sound Signature

Audio Technica CK10 (dual BA driver)

Treble: This is where the CK10 shines depending on the user. The treble does have some warnings and that is that the treble lives very dangerously. These either have a nice extended treble or are too harsh. The other one is that if you have recordings that are very sibilant please be prepared to feel lots and lots of pain. Sibilance gets exaggerated on this phone with certain tips. That being said this phone has the best treble I have ever heard on a phone (although I haven't heard as many phones as some others in here have). It is really fast and I mean ridiculously fast. The treble is well extended, highly detailed, has great clarity and is just about right for my tastes.
Bass: The bass is tight, very detailed and extends fairly low so the bass here is of the high quality bass. I can hear the bass notes very easily however the impact is not as much as some people may like. The slam won't be there for bassheads. There is not much decay here so the bass does not stay for very long which is another reason for bassheads to stay away however this is just about the right bass for me.
Midrange: The midrange on these are very good for my tastes. They are not forward or recessed so I find them balanced in terms of that with the bass and the treble. The midrange is also very detailed and smooth. Clarity is also quite good here.
Other: Separation is extremely important to me if I got the right terminology here. This is the ability to separate one instrument from another and if that is wrong please let me know. Many times I find myself focusing on one instrument and putting the rest in the background if that makes any sense. I find the instrument separation amazing in that aspect. I can separate the instruments very easily and focus on one if I wanted to. Lastly, these are very fast phones. I mean really really fast. Oh did I mention they are fast? They are the fastest phones I have tried so far.
I would like to clear up one thing regarding the bass and it's highly debated topic. I am in the camp that believes they are neither bass light nor bass heavy. They are perfect to my ears. The impact is not as much as other phones but it is not made that way. I will provide an example that shigzeo used on some other phone somewhere in this forum about some phone that I don't remember. If you consider the bass impact of the CK10 like a knock on a door then the e-Q7 would be a banging on the door. In contrast something like the Golds would be a bulldozer demolishing the door.
Extra Comment: These phones are definitely of the analytical type. Their focus is from upper mids to treble. It has amazing speed and clarity.

Audio Technica CK90PRO (dual BA driver)

Treble: The treble is fast, detailed and overall very similar to the CK10 treble but it is tamed compared to it. There is a bit of a rolloff at the upper frequencies but not too bad. There's less detail compared to the CK10. The treble is fairly smooth however with the exception of that drop.
Bass: The bass has good extension and hits harder than its Audio Technica brothers. It has a nice slam (however typical BA type slam), is fast and well defined. The impact is harder than either AT phones or the e-Q7 but nowhere near the Golds or MD's.
Midrange: The midrange is nice and smooth. It is not forward or recessed but in line with the rest of the spectrum. There is lots of detail in this region.
Others: Instrument separation is superb on this phone with imaging being good as well but not as good as some others here. This phone can definitely keep up with some very good phones and I find it is a very enjoyable iem for me. The music just captures you here.
Extra Comments: To sum it up this phone is pretty much a CK10 with less extension but hits harder probably due to that acoustic horn they have.

Audio Technica CK100 (triple BA driver)

Treble: The treble can be summed up in one word: hot. The treble is wonderfully done however. It extends very well however maybe a bit less than the CK10 and it is very smooth.
Bass: The bass of these is very similar to the CK10. It has a little bit more impact but lacks extension compared to the CK10. It does have similar qualities to the CK10 so it is fast and well defined. It is punchy and doesn't have much decay. Bassheads should avoid like the plague.
Midrange: The first reaction is that these are forward and I mean reallly really forward and much more so than any other phone I have used before. It is fairly smooth but still very forward. I suspect you will ever love it or hate it.
Others: This phone has some kind of magical connection with female vocals in particular and is very good. Instrument separation and imaging is good and this is phone that is tailored to a certain kind of sound but if it fits your music you will like it very much. This is a very good phone for vocal type music.
Extra Comments: They are very source sensitive and synergy can become an issue here. Also not purposely done but there was some comparison with the CK10 here but that's just something that it is hard not to do because of its similarities.

Ortofon e-Q7 (Hybrid Moving Coil Driver)

Treble: The treble is nice but there is a slight rolloff. It doesn't extend as well as I would like to but it has a good amount of detail as well as it being fast. I like the treble but there is just a little bit missing to fully enjoy it. It probably was not a good idea listening to this right after the CK10 most of the time.
Bass: The bass has a very nice rumble where it shows its dynamic qualities. The bass has good extension, good impact and is fast. It's not a bass monster by any means but can still display a good amount of impact whenever it is needed.
Midrange: The midrange seems to be the focus of the phone. It definitely is very detailed however it is a bit more forward here than other phones. One word to describe the midrange is that it is just effortless.
Others: The ability of this phone in terms of instrument separation is excellent. I am able to pick out different instruments very easily and is almost as good as the CK10 in that aspect. Also this phone is definitely a very interesting one. They have dynamic qualities but still retaining BA qualities. This new hybrid driver sure is a nice change Also a welcomed change after owning the CK10 is it's reproduction of cymbals which is much more natural.
Extra Comment: This phone is fairly balanced but not analytical like the CK10.The focus seems to be towards the mids and its ability to have both dynamic and BA qualities.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold (Dynamic Driver)

Treble: The treble for the most part is done pretty well but it is just missing something for me. It extends fairly well, sound natural and has good speed but just doesn't have the high end sparkle like my CK10 has.
Bass: These are pretty much bass monsters here. The bass is of the high quality bass, extends fairly low and I would be very surprised if it did not satisfy bassheads. Lastly the impact pretty much kicks you in the shins with some steel toe boots. Also the bass is sometimes very sneaky like a thief on the run. It creeps up into the mids and goes where it isn't supposed to however it still remains enjoyable..most of the time. This doesn't mean its uncontrollable however but it does sneak into the mids at times.
Midrange: This midrange is incredibly smooth and very enjoyable The best part is that it isn't forward or recessed so it is right where I want it to be.
Other: The MTP Golds are very tip dependent. They are even more so than the CK10. I started out with the gel supertips for a day and I thought these were no better than my first iem (Sony MDREX71) which was absolutely horrible. I tried some other tips and it was much better and have settled on hybrids.
Extra Comment: This phone is crazy warm. It's definitely not balanced to my ears, actually it's nowhere near balanced but it is a very fun phone that I can enjoy in shorter listening sessions.

Monster Cable Miles Davis (Dynamic Driver)

Treble: The treble takes a step back compared to the bass and midrange since the treble is not as focused compared to the other two. It does have extension but not as good as my CK10. You can hear a good amount of detail but a bit less than my CK10 again. However don't get me wrong as they do have lots of detail but it seems out of focus here.
Bass: The bass is excellent on these. It has good definition, weight and a thunderous impact without being overly done. The bass reproduction feels very natural and almost feels like you are there feeling the impact. There is some decay which is a nice change when my CK10 has very little and yes I am able to enjoy both
Midrange: I feel like the midrange step forward but that may be due to the detail and the weight of instruments in this area. The midrange seems to be the main focus of these phones and to a smaller extent the bass. There is a lot of detail here and in short the mids are great here.
Other: Imaging and separation on these phones are excellent. You would need to be deaf to say that these phones have bad imaging or separation. However this is where this phone becomes very interesting. It has very good imaging and separation so you would expect a very large soundstage right? Well you would be dead wrong! I feel like I am in a small lounge or club listening to all of this. I have to admit that these are a very special phone. They are highly addictive. They make you not want to turn off the music even if you wanted to. It's like some kind of seductive ability they have. It's hard to explain but this is a very good thing and something I cannot say about any other phone (and this includes my CK10 which is by far my favorite phone).
Extra Comments: This is a bit on the warm side but not overly done. Emphasis on the mids and a bit on the bass. It also is very addicting

Song Comparison

I originally was going to do two more songs but I had some time constraints that prevented this from happening. I tried to be as detailed as I could and the descriptions for the trance song probably doesn't make much sense. I may add the other two songs later but unlikely. I also do have notes from the MTP Copper but felt it was unfair since it was just a listening session for 2 hours compared to having these iem's with me for many many days. However I can put it up if you want to see how it compares but I really can't compare the Coppers to anything on the list.

Aerosmith – Dream On (256 kbps MP3)

Audio Tehnica CK10: The guitar this song starts out is nice and well detailed. The bass is tight, well defined and lighting quick. Male vocals sounds excellent here. Electric comes in and lets you know it is there but doesn't have the authority compared to some other phones. Separation is excellent here as is imaging.

Audio Technica CK90PRO: The guitar is also just as nicely detailed. The bass hits a lot harder than the CK10 but loses a bit of definition. Male vocals is very good here. Electric comes in with much more authority and you know it is there. You can definitely feel the bass much more than the CK10. When the song starts getting more involved the CK90PRO definitely doesn't miss a beat. Separation is excellent here with imaging being good here but more of a general placement.

Audio Technica CK100: The guitar is a bit more in your face compared to the CK10 or CK90PRO. There's more detail in the male vocal compared to the other AT phones. Electric definitely does not come in with as much authority as it should as if it was in the background. Separation is top notch here with imaging being fairly good. Bass is there but slam is comparable to the CK10 however it sounds a bit sloppy. Stage is pretty impressive for an iem. I get this 3-D like effect with this song.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold: The guitar is back to being more relaxed than forward. The bass extension is impressive as is its monsterous impact. Decay is quite noticeable here. The male vocal sounds nice and sweet. Electric comes in and lets you know it's there but not too much. It is however very detailed and fast. Stage is pretty large here.

Miles Davis: The guitar is nice and smooth. The bass is extended with a strong impact but feels weak coming from the Golds. There is a decent amount of decay in the bass but less than the Golds. The detail in the midrange is comparable to the CK100 and very impressive. The male vocal sounds very nice here. Electric doesn't come in with a thunderous slam but it lets its presence be known. The overall detail is very good here.

Ortofon e-Q7: The guitar is back to being a bit forward but nicely detailed. The cymbals on the drum are done wonderfully and sounds natural. Vocals sounds great and lots of detail. I feel like I can hear the monitor as well. Bass is tight, well defined and gives you a good hard impact. Electric has a nice thunderous introduction. The e-Q7 is definitely no slouch when the music starts getting involved. Imaging is excellent as is separation.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Hey (FLAC)

Audio Technica CK10:The bass starts out very tight and nicely defined with a good amount of impact. The guitar just has amazing detail here with a good amount of microdetail as well. Vocals come in smoothly and is just very nice. Electric is done nicely as well. It does have nice authority when it is introduced. Everything seems to be in balance here. The song does get a bit involved here and nothing falls behind. The drums is nicely done but cymbals do sound like the drum is played with a shield around it.

Audio Technica CK90PRO: The bass is tight and very impactful. You can definitely feel the bass. The guitar has good detail but sounds a bit forward compared to the CK10. Vocals are smooth and sounds amazing. The electric comes in and is the life of the party. It is nicely detailed and sounds very natural. The cymbals seems to be done better than the CK10 and sounds it uses a thinner shield.

Audio Technica CK100: The bass doesn't sound as tight as the CK90PRO and lacks impact compared to it. Extension does not sound very impressive but does have a bit more decay than the CK10. Vocals are great however. A step up has been taken compared to the CK10. Treble detail noticeably takes a step back compared to the other AT phones. Cymbal reproduction is somewhere between the CK10 and CK90PRO and closer to the latter. The electric guitar comes in and grabs your attention by force and shows off its impressive detail.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold: The bass has more decay but hits harder and lower than any of the other phones and you can feel it even more. The guitar is a bit overshadowed by the bass but not overly so. Vocals are nice and sweet. Overall detail is a step behind the CK10 or CK90PRO. Cymbals are done much better than the BA phones have shown so far. The shield has been removed. The bass isn't at the point of overpowering but does make the song feel warm. The electric guitar has a nice introduction but not as strong as the CK100. It lacks detail compared to the AT phones.

Miles Davis: The bass has nice extension and hits low but not as much as the Golds. It's a nice change of pace after those phones. Vocals are smooth and soothing. The treble detail is similar to the Golds but a bit ahead of it. Cymbal reproduction is excellent as well but not as natural as the Golds. There is a hint of warmth in this song and not as much as the Golds. The electric guitar does grab your attention but not as much as the CK100 does. The detail is just as impressive however which is very nice.

Ortofon e-Q7: The bass definitely doesn't hit as hard but is tight and very nicely defined. Guitars give a nice detail and a bit of forwardness. The same goes for the male vocal since it feels like he took a step up. There definitely is no shield around the drums and cymbals are excellent and natural sounding. The warmth of the Monster iem's are gone. I am quite impressed with the stage as it is quite wide here. The mini electric solo and powerful and comparable to the introduction of the CK100. Detail is just as good and this phone definitely doesn't miss a beat when the song gets involved.

Sarah McLachan – Building a Mystery (FLAC)

Audio Technica CK10: The guitars that the songs start out with is very detailed and you can hear the strums and the separation between acoustic and electric. Female vocals are lively and done wonderfully. It feels like nothing is between you and the vocals. Cymbal reproduction could use some work here. There is a bit too much treble energy for them. The bass isn't very prominent but it is tight and has good extension but difficult to feel. Imaging is very nice and it just feels like the treble is endless (in a good way) here.

Audio Technica CK90PRO: The electric is definitely more prominent than the acoustic guitar here but both are nicely detailed. Vocals are nicely done but a tad forward but not overly so. The immediate difference is the bass where you can feel it and hits harder as well. Cymbals is done pretty good for a BA driver as it sounds very realistic. Overall the phone did a great job here.

Audio Technica CK100: The electric dominates the acoustic so it is a bit harder to hear the acoustic. The electric shows off its detail here. The lead vocal is done very well. It sounds smooth and very soothing. The details in the vocals is very good as you can hear all the backup vocalists very well. The bass is near the level of the CK10 as it is not prominent and a bit more difficult to hear compared to the CK90PRO but you can feel it a bit more. As the song progresses the electric just continues to show off and is done very well.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold: Both guitars are a bit better balanced in that they aren't forward or recessed here. The acoustic is done better however. Vocals are nice and sweet. The bass is done wonderfully. It is there in the background, you can feel it and it doesn't hit too hard that it covers the rest of the spectrum but is still pretty powerful since bass isn't supposed to be very prominent here. The cymbals are done very well. It sounds very natural. The backup female vocalists are a bit harder to hear. Separation is fairly good but imaging is a bit blurred.

Miles Davis: The guitars are nicely detailed here and strings are done very well here. The female vocal seems is done well. There is lots of detail going on here which I like. It sounds very nice. The bass is powerful and you can definitely feel it but it is a bit much for me. Cymbal reproduction is great here. It definitely sounds like it is when live. The other vocalists are there and much easier to hear than the Golds. The separation of these are amazing.

Ortofon e-Q7: The acoustic guitar has so much detail going on here with strings done beautifully. The electric is also very good. The female vocalists sounds amazing and very soothing. Cymbals are done quite weel but not quite at the level of the MD's but easily better than the BA drivers. The bass is fast and tight but not as prominent as the Monster iem's but definitely there with a nice low rumble. Both male and female vocalists are easily heard and located. Stage is fairly wide and imaging is done quite well.

Markus Schulz – I Am (320 kbps MP3)

Audio Technica CK10: You can tell from the get go that the CK10 is just showing off its speed. The transitions are done wonderfully and nothing gets lagged behind. The treble is definitely very good and also endless here and overall done amazing. Everything just flows here.

Audio Technica CK90PRO: This phone is pretty fast as well keeping up with the CK10. The transitions here are done just as well with a tiny hint of warmth. The bass here hits hard and very fast like a sucker punch or something.The detail here is pretty impressive as is the way this phone handles trance. A pleasant surprise for me :]

Audio Technica CK100: Stage is a bit less than the CK90PRO here. This phone is a fast but a bit less than the CK10 here. Vocals here are nice and smooth. The transitions this song goes through is handled well by this phone being able to adapt to any and everything thrown its way.

Monster Turbine Pro Gold: Coming from some very fast phones I am a bit dissapointed here. The bass is a bit much for this genre and is pretty powerful. Vocals are fairly good but there is a bit much bass so it kind of sounds recessed in comparison. Transitions are not bad but not as good as it can be. There is a different kind of flow that just makes everything go right however in this song. It just slowly progresses and is just a different feel than the AT phones for trance.

Miles Davis: This is a bit similar to the Golds in how it handles this song. The speed just can't compare to the AT phones so it does give a sense of disappointment. The bass is better controlled here and doesn't hit as hard and doesn't get in the way but still gives you that nice impact. The transitions are nice and has a good way of handling everything it is given.

Ortofon e-Q7: Oh wow this is impressive. Not only is this phone just as capable as the AT phones in speed it also handles transitions just as good if not better. This song just feels very ghostly or spacey (makes no sense I know but it is a very good thing). The e-Q7 is quite impressive for trance!

Final Thoughts:

I would like to give a special thanks to certain people who shall not be named (but you know who you are). Also all of these are different flavors of very good as supposed to technical superiority. I had lots of fun with all these iem's I normally would not have had the chance to and at the very least was a good experience.

It is very nice to see that dynamics have made a lot of progress over the last year or two. Dynamic drivers can indeed keep up with multiple BA drivers and even surpass it in some aspects.

I have uploaded a lot more pics and should be easy enough to follow: Links to Pics

Note: There is a small chance I may add the remaining two songs that I was going to do but don't count on it since there are time constraints and each song comparison takes around an hour.

Note #2: I realize for those who are new that some of this may be a bit confusing or impossible to understand. This Link is very helpful understanding terminology and has helped me quite a bit.

Thanks for reading and any comments, disagreements or tips are welcomed.

@Eraser: thanks!

@ClieOS: If only they were all mine I am very content with the e-Q7 and CK10 however and didn't feel the urge to buy anything when I was testing and listening to them however. It was just fun to try out different iem's.

@germanturkey: I think it was a bit too long actually. It definitely didn't help that it was my first review so didn't do myself any favors. Aren't you from Japan or am I mistaking that for someone else..if you are there are better options :P

@analogbox: thanks! First post edited with the Miles Davis section. I don't know how I missed that. Hopefully I didn't miss anything else.

The MD's have been added since I just happened to miss them somehow in my initial post so you just have to refresh

@joker: there really isn't much review or at least recognition of these in head-fi. I'm guessing they are fairly new? I didn't see their release date but they are too good imo to go this unnoticed. I totally would get them but they aren't that different enough than my current iem's to justify a purchase.

@Hyperfluxe: hopefully you will like them. They initially did not impress me at all thinking they were nothing special but after the initial adjustment from the e-Q7 or CK10 they are quite good and grow on you. They definitely are very enjoyable and unique in it's own way.

@ericp: thanks...good to know that they are similar to what you hear on them since I am well aware that you enjoy them I do have a bit of a writer in me but my limiting factor is the lack of iem's that I own to go along with time. I originally was going to do an e-Q7 and CK10 review but it evolved into this and It took me way too long to finish this. However part of it was probably since I didn't have my e-Q7 shortly after I bought them for 2 weeks or so.