[schneller]

So I think I am about to push the buy button on a pair of ATH-CKN70s. Speak now or forever hold your peace!
 
Budget is < $100ish
Primary music genre is vocal trance (streaming from www.di.fm)
 
Any alternatives I should seriously consider, even as a AT loyalist?

 

[Fizban]

Like I said earlier, I had eargasms from CKN70.
 
Need I say more?
 
CKN70 has, in addition to it's requisite function as a very capable pair of headphones, the ability to have sex with your ears.
 
Buy one, get two functions!
 
 
 
 
 
 
CLICK IT.

 

[mochill]

t peos h200 on presale for $200 with ems only 100 for that price get it while you can

 

[Dsnuts]

Been listening to the XBA-3, CKN70 and the CKS1000.
 
 
Comparing the same tracks going from one to the others. It goes like this. The XBA-3 is like hearing your tunes in a concert hall from the center of the concert theater the CKN70 about 20 rows back and the CKS1000 is front row.
 
What I mean by this the XBA-3. Gives and overall picture of the tune that is not as close up as the others and I think because of how music is portrayed imagery is tops on these but the highs on them come out like tweeters for speakers more so than the other 2..Tissle but not much fizzle. I suppose it is the armature nature of the single firing tweeter that is on the XBA-3.  While some may see this as a negative and not as accurate sounding. I actually see it as one of the defining traits of the XBA-3.. Tweeters they are.. And tweeters they sound like. These are more geared for guys that like instruments and vocals and want that out of your head imagery and detail... Not so much for EDM and HIPHOP. 
 
The CKN70 is simply amazing for being a single micro hd..Great stage depth and presence of your favorite tracks. I am convinced these have the stiffest carbon nanotube drivers out of all of the JVC earphones and headphones that use the material. I have simply punished these things and they seem to like it. The overall sound is balanced very well but they do show a tendency for peaks in the upper ranges..Timbre detail is very nice which is one of the positive traits of the peaks in the region but the negative is they do still have some minor sibilance. So while not perfect.. It does gives all of us something to look forward to in their next iteration. Tip rolling help these get the best sound. I use Sony Hybrids which actually adds a bit more bass and mids to the highs
 
Fans of the tight closely knit defined music will find lots to like from the previous 2. The CKS1000 is simply a different earphone in a different realm. It uses some technology that is relatively new, cutting edge.. ( Dual air chambers)
I am sold on this technology ever since I bought my CKS77 but I don't feel the resolution in the drivers or the tuning on them was the best AT could do.. The CKS1000 on the other hand. It is a masterwork of many different engineering aspects that make them one of a kind type of earphone.. The XB90EX has some crazy deep mids but definition wise it could use some tightening. The CKS1000 addresses these issue with previous bass earphones.. These are bass earphones for the audiophile and for guys that like the bigger picture in their music.
 
What I mean by this. These CKS earphones actually project a bigger sound than the drivers emit using their filter filaments but the problem in doing this actually blots out definition of the sound. But not so on the CKS1000.  Definition is not only there but also gives an amount of depth on your tracks you can actually see with your hearing eye. It is the difference of enjoying a delux cheeseburger with 3 patties vs having just one with cheese.  Coloration? Sure but it is the type people enjoy and not the type that people don't. .What is it about your music do you enjoy so much? Is it the bass? Is it the emotion of the vocal track that reaches your soul? Is it the string instruments that stirs your memories of an important moment of your life?  The CKS1000 throws that emotion stirs that memory and then add to that the depth and resolution of the tune in their full glory..
 
The truth is I like all 3 quite a bit. Sure I listen to my CKS1000 more so than the others but everytime I have my CKN70 or my XBA-3 I enjoy them. It is cool to listen to how my tracks sound with one earphone and then switch it up for a different take.. That my friends is just 3X the love.

 

[mochill]

Nice write up dsnuts

 

[Zelda]

Quote:

Been listening to the XBA-3, CKN70 and the CKS1000.
 
 
Comparing the same tracks going from one to the others. It goes like this. The XBA-3 is like hearing your tunes in a concert hall from the center of the concert theater the CKN70 about 20 rows back and the CKS1000 is front row.
 
What I mean by this the XBA-3. Gives and overall picture of the tune that is not as close up as the others and I think because of how music is portrayed imagery is tops on these but the highs on them come out like tweeters for speakers more so than the other 2..Tissle but not much fizzle. I suppose it is the armature nature of the single firing tweeter that is on the XBA-3.  While some may see this as a negative and not as accurate sounding. I actually see it as one of the defining traits of the XBA-3.. Tweeters they are.. And tweeters they sound like. These are more geared for guys that like instruments and vocals and want that out of your head imagery and detail... Not so much for EDM and HIPHOP. 
 
The CKN70 is simply amazing for being a single micro hd..Great stage depth and presence of your favorite tracks. I am convinced these have the stiffest carbon nanotube drivers out of all of the JVC earphones and headphones that use the material. I have simply punished these things and they seem to like it. The overall sound is balanced very well but they do show a tendency for peaks in the upper ranges..Timbre detail is very nice which is one of the positive traits of the peaks in the region but the negative is they do still have some minor sibilance. So while not perfect.. It does gives all of us something to look forward to in their next iteration. Tip rolling help these get the best sound. I use Sony Hybrids which actually adds a bit more bass and mids to the highs
 
Fans of the tight closely knit defined music will find lots to like from the previous 2. The CKS1000 is simply a different earphone in a different realm. It uses some technology that is relatively new, cutting edge.. ( Dual air chambers)
I am sold on this technology ever since I bought my CKS77 but I don't feel the resolution in the drivers or the tuning on them was the best AT could do.. The CKS1000 on the other hand. It is a masterwork of many different engineering aspects that make them one of a kind type of earphone.. The XB90EX has some crazy deep mids but definition wise it could use some tightening. The CKS1000 addresses these issue with previous bass earphones.. These are bass earphones for the audiophile and for guys that like the bigger picture in their music.
 
What I mean by this. These CKS earphones actually project a bigger sound than the drivers emit using their filter filaments but the problem in doing this actually blots out definition of the sound. But not so on the CKS1000.  Definition is not only there but also gives an amount of depth on your tracks you can actually see with your hearing eye. It is the difference of enjoying a delux cheeseburger with 3 patties vs having just one with cheese.  Coloration? Sure but it is the type people enjoy and not the type that people don't. .What is it about your music do you enjoy so much? Is it the bass? Is it the emotion of the vocal track that reaches your soul? Is it the string instruments that stirs your memories of an important moment of your life?  The CKS1000 throws that emotion stirs that memory and then add to that the depth and resolution of the tune in their full glory..
 
The truth is I like all 3 quite a bit. Sure I listen to my CKS1000 more so than the others but everytime I have my CKN70 or my XBA-3 I enjoy them. It is cool to listen to how my tracks sound with one earphone and then switch it up for a different take.. That my friends is just 3X the love.

THANKS!THANKS!THANKS! was waiting for this!
 
EDIT: i even saved this post in a Word file. that great!

 

[akarise]

Quote:

 
Hi Eric!
 
What I am finding is that the CKS1000 is a kind of wonderful hybrid of the WS99 and the AD900X. The bass has the same ws99 characteristics in that it is big, bold, extended, layered, detailed yet beautifully controlled. There is a lovely amount of sub-bass, and it is never boomy and never bleeds into the mids. Completely satisfying bass, just like with the WS99's, and something I had never experienced in an iem before. The mids are somewhere between the ws99's and the ad900x, but I find that the soundstage, instrument separation, imaging and layering is amazingly more like the ad900x's in that the instruments are all over the place - left, right, close, far away - amazing for an iem! So I guess the mids are more like the ad900x's. And the treble is energetic, engaging and detailed like with the ad900x. So that combination quite frankly makes for a rather epic sound... end game iem material for me quite frankly!
 
But, you are probably more interested in the WS99's since you don't have them, so here you go.. The way the 99's handle the bass is beyond good (just like with the 1k's!). Friggin' gorgeous bass. I can't describe it any better than that. For modern, electronic or bass oriented music, they are mind blowing and can't be beat imo. For everything else, they are only awesome   The mids are neither recessed or forward - just right. The treble is very nice, but not too bright (which I personally like). I would overall say that the ws99's lean toward the warm side, the soundstage is great but only as wide and deep as closed cans can be. But they are very nicely balanced. In summary they have a gorgeous, full, balanced, immersive, hypnotic and easy to listen to signature. I can't imagine closed cans sounding much better to be honest.
 
If anyone wants to feel completely satisfied and stop the bleeding and not feel the need to continue getting more and more gear, then just get the open ad900x's, the closed ws99's, and the csk1000 iem's. ATH holy trifecta.

Hey Wayne, I've been stuck in a dilemma for the past couple weeks and was wondering if you could help me make a decision. So I was originally gonna buy the WS99 at the beginning of April but then all the cheaper places suddenly went out of stock and still haven't restocked. However I found the CKS1000 for around the same price and don't know if I should get it now and then save up for a while to get the WS99. My plan was to complete the AD900X, WS99, CKS1000 trifecta anyway but I really had my heart set on the WS99 for a while so I don't know what to do... In your opinion, do you think the WS99 or the CKS1000 is better based on sound, staging, imaging, etc? I know comparing a full-sized can and an IEM is a bit hard but it would really help me out., thanks!

 

[waynes world]

Great impressions Ds! It's been a while since I have had the xba3's, but I agree with you about them versus the 1k's.
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Dsnuts /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
It is the difference of enjoying a delux cheeseburger with 3 patties vs having just one with cheese.

 
Yup. Or maybe like watching a really good blu-ray movie on a high quality HD TV, and then switching over to 3D. One is awesome, but the other is different experience altogether.

 

[waynes world]

Quote:

Hey Wayne, I've been stuck in a dilemma for the past couple weeks and was wondering if you could help me make a decision. So I was originally gonna buy the WS99 at the beginning of April but then all the cheaper places suddenly went out of stock and still haven't restocked. However I found the CKS1000 for around the same price and don't know if I should get it now and then save up for a while to get the WS99. My plan was to complete the AD900X, WS99, CKS1000 trifecta anyway but I really had my heart set on the WS99 for a while so I don't know what to do... In your opinion, do you think the WS99 or the CKS1000 is better based on sound, staging, imaging, etc? I know comparing a full-sized can and an IEM is a bit hard but it would really help me out., thanks!

 
That my friend is a very interesting question! Hopefully Dsnuts the instigator will chime in as well lol
 
You are right that they are both around $155 at amazon.jp right now. Plus approx $20 Tenso shipping, so $175US total. Either one for that price is totally worth it imo.
 
Anyway, what kind of music do you listen to? What gear do you have now? What would benefit you more in the short term - a less mobile pair of headphones, or a set of iems that you could use anywhere?
 
It's a tough question because they both are amazing, and it really will come down to which one you would get the most value out of in the short term (until you can get the other).

 

[BBKing]

Question about CKN70:
 
Does it stick out much?
Can I sleep while wearing it?
 
Using CKM50 right now, it is the most comfortable pair I've ever use. I hope CKN70 can do at least the same on the comfort area.
 
For CKN70 owners, if you can upload a pic of you wearing CKN70, it'd be really appreciated.
 
P/s: The best pic I can find on Internet look like this:
http://i.imgur.com/F5zjCFq.jpg
 
)

 

[ericp10]

Nice write-up and comparison, Dsnuts.

 

[Dsnuts]

Thanks guys. It was fun to listen to the 3 and compare how they sound to one another.. I took some time off from reading the ocular anatomy to do that. I have to take more listening breaks more often..I got used to the workload at my school so now I can actually take more breaks more often. The first few weeks was unreal. I had no idea my brain could retain all that medical jargon.
 
It has been a while that I listened to my XBA-3s. I forgot how good those are.
 
@akarise. I would go for either one that you can get. Both are excellent but if you had your heart set on the WS99 and prefer full sized headphones. Sure it would be great to get them at around $200 or so but if not paying a bit more for them will be worth it. The MSRP for those are $300 and I think the standard street price will be $250 on Amazon.
 
If you can get them for anything below that.. Go for it with confidence. 

 

[d marc0]

Another great write up, Dsnuts! Thanks for sharing your experience, especially to some of us who don't have the great IEMs that you have. Through you we get to have an idea how those perform compared to what we currently have.
 
I still love my XBA 3... even more than the highly acclaimed CKN70. I agree with D's description of the XBA 3's tweeter like treble and to me that's one of its greatest characteristic.
IMO, the metallic shimmer that everyone is complaining about is only prevalent in badly recorded songs.
 
Here's an example of how the XBA 3 really shines on a well recorded track: Tool - Schism
Enjoy!
 

 

[akarise]

Quote:

 
That my friend is a very interesting question! Hopefully Dsnuts the instigator will chime in as well lol
 
You are right that they are both around $155 at amazon.jp right now. Plus approx $20 Tenso shipping, so $175US total. Either one for that price is totally worth it imo.
 
Anyway, what kind of music do you listen to? What gear do you have now? What would benefit you more in the short term - a less mobile pair of headphones, or a set of iems that you could use anywhere?
 
It's a tough question because they both are amazing, and it really will come down to which one you would get the most value out of in the short term (until you can get the other).

Well I can't use tenso because of their new policy (since I'm not living at home right now) so I have to resort to online stores in the US. I listen to a wide variety of music so something well-rounded is best. I'm currently using the AD900X for home and CKM500 on the go, without a DAC or amp for either as of now. The problem is that I can only get one of them right now since I'm a poor college student, so getting one means I probable won't be able to get the other for a while. Is the sound of the WS99 more expansive and larger due to it being a full-sized headphone? How about if I phrase the question like this: If you could only listen to either the WS99 or the CKS1000 for 3 whole months without ever listening to the other, which one would you pick?

 

[Dsnuts]

Considering your source does not include and amp the one out of the 2 is easy. I would go for the CKS1000. It does not need any type of amp to fully shine on their own. You can enjoy them anywhere though they do stick out and make you look like a sound geek but hey that is a cool thing no?  They sound fantastic without an amp and even better with one.  The WS99 while it does not need an amp as well actually benefits more so from an amp over the CKS1000.  If you get the CKS1000 I strongly recommend at least a 200hour break in period..
 
WS99 amped is unreal.
 
I might have a new earphone for some type if discovery for ya'll to chew on.. Stay tuned.. They could be good but I have my Spidey senses tingling on this one.