Reviews by Headphones and Coffee

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Perfect tuning for most if not all music types. Smaller so it fits a larger majority of people.
Cons: Typical CCA cable and accessories.
Didn’t know what to expect as these were my fist ten driver ( five each side) earphones but these blew me away, CCA has been doing great work in the budget section and these are no exception. For under $50 you get a high quality built IEM with a aluminum back-plate and solid resin front in a choice of three colors.

The sound is balanced well with good punchy bass and a smooth transition through the frequencies.
This would be a great addition to the new audio enthusiast IEM collection as it is low cost but a high quality IEM. 20190603_122928.jpg
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Skyscraper Sax
Skyscraper Sax
I have yet to open the box of the Westone UM 50 (first edition) that I paid $410 + tax and payment plan fee from America Music Supply. I am a professional Jazz saxophonist and pianist. I am really just looking for an earbud type device to listen to me play digital piano to and for mixing. I assume the Westones are better than the CCAs, but 10x better? I can send the Westones back and order these CCAs from Amazon. Good idea?

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Great details, sound stage and an excellent overall sound signature. Solid construction.
Cons: A larger IEM that might be too big for some people.
Stereotypical stock accessories.
The A10 uses 5 balanced armatures for a distinct very clear sound from the mids to the bass although the highs do extend a bit too much for my ears with certain types of music, nothing that an EQ can't take care of.
The construction and size is very similar to it's Tripowin and KZ siblings but in my opinion this is a much funner sounding IEM with more soundstage and resolution.
Definitely not a Basshead approved sound but it does have a surprisingly good amount of bass details similar to perhaps that AKG sound signature.

The vocals are perfectly centered and slightly forward but very pleasurable.

The highs do have some sparkle on some tracks but I don't find them overly harsh compared to other all BA earphones.

CCA has definitely done a excellent job with tuning with this one and it is a quite pleasurable sound if not leaning toward a more analytical listening than fun listening yet still it is a fun earphone to use.20190619_181437.jpg

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Solid construction, slightly above-average stock cable, nice looking IEM design.
Cons: Bright sound signature that falls short of intended flat tuning. Very large definitely would not fit people with smaller ears.
This is a IEM that has five professionally balanced armatures per side for a total of ten. Similar to the CCA A10 in many ways.
After coming from a CCA C10 review I found this more expensive IEM lackluster in all but mid details and a little on the bright side with shouty vocals on some tracks also the bass was somewhat lacking, not a shock on all BA earphones but seems the A10 had more of a presentation.

I think that the tuning was intended to be flat for professional use but Tripowin was not able to hit it's mark using the A10 body and drivers.
Isolation is good but only because this is a huge IEM.

This was far from the worst IEM I've tested but hopefully Tripowin comes up with a original design next time, preferably one that I don't have to EQ to enjoy. IMG_20190713_202740928.jpg

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Great clarity in mid in treble, sturdy stock cable with aluminum fittings, comfortable stock ear tips.
Cons: Unusual shape may not be comfortable for everyone.
The F1 is surprisingly one of the best vocal centric earphones I've ever heard with excellent details and instrument separation. Bass is light but has enough details to make it not be anemic like other mid centered earphones.

The presentation is quite pleasant opening the box to see the way they're displayed. KB ear may be a newcomer to the game but I was immediately impressed with a great looking thin but quality feeling stock cable, unusual in most earphones around this price range.
Specs

22-ohms , 20-20KHz , 105 db@ 10mW , MMCX cable with 3.5 termination

This is IEM may look unusual but it handles vocals and acoustic music exceptionally and I would definitely recommend it for it's intended purpose.IMG_20190826_172500684.jpg
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Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Great clarity with a very tastefully balanced sound signature.
Cons: No LDAC support for a higher end Bluetooth product. The lack of promised app at time of review.
I’ve never used a neckband style earphone before this , never felt the need until the Klipsch T5. It has it usefulness one of them being that you can't loose something around your neck so easily.

Besides the premium packaging, materials and looks the T5 has Bluetooth 5.0, 15 hours of battery life, IPX4 water resistance and also a upcoming app that will offer new features.

The T5 is a Dynamic sounding earphone with great range and pleasant details all the way down to a sub-bass, This is tuned to mimic a live performance with excellent instrument separation with a detailed and rapid & punchy bass response. Definitely enjoyable for all music typesIMG_20190822_201953472.jpg

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Compact size great for travel, cool retro look. Decent bass performance. Price is perfect for entry a level headphone.
Cons: Build quality could be better, sound doesn't hold up to current ever-improving audio standards.
The Koss is more of a retro fashion novelty then a serious listening product but fun.
At first listening the Koss Porta Pro is a warm open sounding headphones with reasonable comfort depending on head size and ear sensitivity.
I liked the retro style and compact design is great for travel.
Specs are impressive for a lightweight headphone.
Cord: Straight Dual entry 4ft
Distortion: < 0.2%
Impedance: 60 Ohms (at 1kHz)
Plug: 3.5mm/6.4mm
Sensitivity: 101 dB SPL/1mW
Weight: 60g

Bass is definitely the Koss's forte with mids slightly overshadowed by the bass giving it a muddy tonality at times with a over extended treble. A typical V shaped sound and enjoyable to the beginner enthusiast because of the value and decent enough signature.

Honestly it's easy to forgive the flaws and remember this little headphone has been in production for a long time now.
Though the standards have definitely gone up since it was introduced many years ago and it still holds it's own against many budget competitors by living up to it's bang for buck reputation and a cool retro styling.

In conclusion this is not a bad product it's not up to standards of newer audio products that I've tried but it's still a decent sounding pair of headphones if not a little overhyped.


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Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Clear treble and mid details great bass depth and decent soundstage with less of the KZ sparkle some find too harsh. A refined U shaped signature that is most pleasant.
Cons: Typical KZ accoutrements, not the best but acceptable for this range.
The ZSX is one of those stand out IEMs of the new earphone explosion in the past few years. KZ continues to improve and push the boundaries of the bang for buck ratio.

The ZSX Terminator comes in at only $50 US and offers flagship quality features inside with 12 drivers in all.

The sound on the ZSX is easily described as a superbly refined V to U shape with vocals being forward and quite clear mids, bass response is speedy with mid-bass and sub-bass details being clean, the highs have just enough sparkle to them to not make the treble sensitive cringe with certain tracks, it falls off at the right point in my opinion.
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Talisker90
Talisker90
I was super sad...I loved the sound from these but for some reason were very uncomfortable. i couldn't wear them for more than 40 min. So I went for the smaller ZS10 Pro.

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Great Build Quality, excellent details.
Cons: A larger hard protective case would be more fitting for this flagship and more foam tips are always a need.
The unit is done elegantly in all black aluminum with a gold trim, comes with every accessorizes you could possibly need and in such nice box you automatically know its going to be something special inside.

Specifications: 13mm Bass dynamic driver + ultra-high frequency 7-layers piezoelectric & custom mid-high frequency balanced armature, Frequency: 7-40kHz , Impedance: 43ohm, Sensitivity: 108±3dB

Package Contents: Spring 1 earphone, 8 Core Silver-Plated Cable , Manual six pairs of silicone Ear tips (S/M/L) , foam Ear tips and hard leatherette carrying Case.

This IEM (earphone) is truthfully the first Flagship I’ve owned not the first I’ve heard but the very first in my collection. The sound is incredibly detailed with vocals being rich and perfectly centered, mids are definitely well done here. The Bass and Sub-Bass is accurate and speedy with a presence. The treble is superb having a great quality and yet reaching that exact point I find pleasant. Instrument separation and a accurate sound-stage are but a few of the Spring-1’s best features of this unit. Overall this is a well built, great looking and sounding IEM that offers up a pleasant listening experience with any type of music for a exceptional price of $139.

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RikudouGoku
RikudouGoku
Is the physical size of the spring 1 smaller than the audiosense T800? Is it less sibilant?
ChinoLi
ChinoLi
any comparions ?

Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: A very pleasant warm and detailed signature with stunning good looks
Cons: The cable can be improved but what stock cable is perfect on a sub $100 IEM.
Upon opening the box one is greeted with a stunning display of a black and white IEM with a almost crystal like resin shell with hints of gold in the connections.

First thoughts were a elegant design as Paiaudio is known for it’s fashionable earphones with great sound in mind. The packaging is all black simple yet effectively draws ones eye to the product.

Specifications are as followed a Hybrid consisting of a Balanced armature and Dynamic driver each side, it features a MMCX connection that terminates to a right angle 3.5mm, a Frequency Response Range of 10-30-kHz, A Sensitivity of 125dB, Resistance is 8Ω meaning these can be driven by a MP3 player , phone or just about anything easily.

On to the product Build as was said before very pretty but also quite durable with its solid shell. The 121 provided a great amount of isolation using the included tips although the box came with two different types in three sises I used the default tips and found them comfortable for hours of use as well.

The sound proves this is not just a fashion IEM but a capable one too. I must say the bass on this was a pleasant surprise as my first track was Billie Eilish :Bad Guy the Pliisen 121 when on to play various genres of music with a nice amount of clarity. The highs are great their is no harsh spike or lack of details in the treble and the Vocals are perfectly represented centered yet slightly forward, the bass is deep yet behaves well with the rest of the frequencies.

The Pliisen 121 is a pleasantly warm detailed sounding IEM with a very attractive look and I would like to thank Alex from Paiaudio for sending out this very fun IEM to test out.
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Headphones and Coffee

Previously known as Wretched Stare
Pros: Beautiful and great craftsmanship
Cons: Price and sound improvement placebo?
Copper/ Silver plated conductors,Cross-Wave cross braiding and eight wires (four for each channel) inside its a luxurious cord, easily one of the best looking balanced cable I've seen under $300. If your into that thing , my personal thoughts about cables cheap gold plated copper vs outrageously expensive aside, it is a durable and well designed cable yet another sparkling product from Antonio Meze.
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