The ATH-CKM50. The CKM family impressions..(First look at the NEW CKM500)..Pg 86 - Page 38

While the cable is too short....the length with the extension is fine.

 

I don't find them to be over bassy.....a different tip will reduce the bass so I really believe the bass response is very related and dependent on the tips used.

I actually tried to play MW3 earlier today with the CKM50s...DO NOT ATTEMPT!

 

For single player I'm sure it's fine, but for online shooters where positional cues are vital, the small soundstage coupled with the massive amounts of bass will have you shot way before you even hear the enemy coming.
 

 

 

Ouch, maybe that's not such a good thing for them, but it isn't half bad on it is it
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I actually had quite the opposite experience. The soundstage isnt that small its ok. I was playing BF3 with Dolby Headphone from my Xonar DG and the sound was really directional, I could hear the helicopters over me and the direction of the gunshots. 
 

 

Not to be rude but if I had the money to buy 15 iems, I'd rather spend it on other things. I appreciate what you're doing, but we have different approaches to life.
 

 

 

You're implying I'm trolling. Sharing my opinion =/= saying something to elicit a response.
 

 

Every melodeath/power metal/prog metal/symphony/concerto/djent/deathcore/neo-classial song I have listened to, period.

 

I've listened to:

 

At the Gates, After the Burial, Animals as Leaders, Haunted Shores, Periphery, As Blood Runs Black, ETOS, Draconian, Insomnium, Pietro Locatelli, Yuki Kajiura's live works, Vivaldi, Joe Satriani, Dreamtheater, Symphony X, Seventh Wonder, Yngwie Malmsteen, Within the Ruins, Black Aeon Sun, Machinae Supremacy, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Kamelot, Rhapsody of Fire, and Nightwish

 

My references are SoundMagic PL30, Klipsch Image x10, ATH-AD700

 

Source is SGS Captivate with voodoo mod, and Neutron MP. It's a bright source, which does nothing to counter react the overabundance of bass.

Soundstage definitely isn't "small." Not even when compared to much more expensive IEMs IMO. It might not have great depth or positioning or what have you, but it certainly isn't small.

The trolling comment was a slight joke, can't believe you just went to defend yourself so quickly. Everyone has opinions, great then, glad to hear that. However, since dsnuts is doing this for the benefit of all of us, glad you are at least respecting ds for what he does.

 

The separation, imaging, and airyness are inferior to the SMPL30 which can found from $20-24 on eBay from reputable resellers. Mp4 nation also has plenty of sales that drop its price below the ckm50. The kicker? The ckm50 retails at $100-$150 and is arguably inferior to the pl30, a $30 retail phone depending on your musical tastes.

Sent from my SGH-I897 using Tapatalk

The ATH-CKM50 has an MSRP of $59.95. You might find a few places that have them listed at a higher price, but I doubt they're actually selling many, if any, of them. Street price looks to be about $25 - $40. They are in no way perfect, but that's a fair price considering their performance, which is pretty good, albeit with faults.

Pretty sure the MSRP is $80, possibly $100. $80 according to cnet and $100 according to this thread.

 

 

In any case, who cares about the MSRP? Isn't it all about the street price? We're going for real bang for the buck here....

 

Besides, I think the sound signature of the CKM50 is more then different enough then the PL30 to justify it's presence. I actually rather like how it responds to EQ(but I also don't think it's that bad by itself). Seriously, I think it's a great $25-35 dollar IEM. 

According to the manufacturer, it's $59.95.
Edited by Jaywalk3r - 2/4/12 at 12:18am

I bought the CKM50's after going through much of this thread. $25 seemed like a small price to pay to see what the hype was all about. All comments made are "non-audiophile" - just your average consumer who has been listening to a lot of headphones lately.

 

Initial listening

Overall: unimpressed

 

Listening directly through my macbook pro.

 

I'm really surprised that people are saying the bass is heavy as I'm definitely not getting the kind of bass I'm used to. The bass goes deep but doesn't seem strong enough. When I listen to NAS, I get almost no bass at all. The soundstage - on first listen - did seem quite wide and unexpected for headphones of this type but I doubt it would blow anyone's mind. The music so far is clear with heavy sibilance noted. 

 

Also, I get the "microphonics" effect when I touch the cord. This is a huge nuisance for me. I almost wish there was a thread that filtered out only headphones / cables that did NOT produce this effect as it is a deal-breaker for me in most cases. 

 

Anyhow, I'm still going to give it a longer listen but I wanted to get out there and share a little as well. I'm pretty happy with my purchase as it was only $25 but if it was $100 I would be thinking about returning it.