My Aliexpress CKR9LTDs came in today! I've been comparing it to the original LTDs for the past few hours... and sad to say, the Ali's are NOT carbon copies of the original. Besides the paint blemishes, I'm noticing a lower quality paint work and an overall less refined look on the Ali's.
Here are the obvious cosmetic differences (original on the left, Aliexpress on the right):
1. The AT logo is bolder on the Ali, and uses a less saturated yellow paint. The gold ring surrounding the logo is much more reflective on the original, and has a deeper gold hue.
2. The 'CKR9LTD' lettering on the Ali seems more etched, and not as straight/linear as on the original. The dimple on the stem of the left earpiece is smaller on the Ali.
3. The rim of the nozzle on the Ali is thicker, and the angle of the nozzle is slightly different.
4. The gold ring on the jack is thicker on the Ali.
Here are more comparison photos from different angles:
Even the leather case they come with are totally different.
For the price, they made a pretty convincing fake. I certainly would have no way of knowing if I didn't have the original LTDs. The build quality of the Ali ain't bad either.
As for the sound... I need more time for concrete impressions and comparison but what I can say now is... they do not sound the same. Out of the box, the Ali's sound quality is just not on par with the original's. Will post more on this soon, so stay tuned.
Pardon my fingers and the poor camera quality...