Canpur CP54e

Introduction
Hello everyone. Today, I am happy to share with you my concise impressions about the Canpur CP54e after 3 months of intense listening.

The CP54e sport 5BA and 4EST drivers pro side under pretty small shells, which are beautiful to look at and very comfortable to wear. The CP54e are one of my favorite IEMs as per today. They tick all my boxes in terms of sound, fit and versatility. I can only applaud Canpur for having tuned the CP54e in such a mature and fun sounding way. The CP54e embody the concept of musicality in the IEM’s world from my perspective, adding just a twist of energy on top, thus making them one of the most enjoyable sets I came across in the hobby so far, at any price point.



Disclaimer & Courtesy
I purchased the Canpur CP54e via Musicteck in January 2024. Andrew was kind enough to grant me an appropriate discount for a review unit. Nevertheless, I was not asked to publish any dishonest/positive impressions as a compensation. All pictures taken are mine. Keep in mind there is no absolute objectivity possible in the review/impression exercise. The reader is welcomed to cope with the writer’s potential (un)conscious biases and to try trusting him for the self-honesty he puts into his effort.

Fact & Figures
All information about the Canpur CP54e can be found here: Canpur Performance series: CP54E — MusicTeck. Please note that the CP54e also are available as CIEM.

Packaging & Accessories
Canpur did a serious job about the packaging and understand what a satisfying unboxing experience means to audio enthusiasts. Without going into too many details, let’s say that you will find a great selection of tips and a high-quality leather case with more than enough place to store your CP54e. The stock cable, most likely a SPC or silver one (no information found so far), does its job. My impressions are based with this cable alone plugged to the CP54e and not the aftermarket ones (pure copper or gold-plated silver) I am regularly using.

Graph (courtesy of Musicteck)
Before going a bit deeper into sound impressions, let’s have a look at the FR-graph below, which give you a first idea about the overall tuning and why the CP54e might be appealing (or not) to you.


I personally can exactly “hear” that graph, even if many sound aspects cannot be covered and represented on a FR-graph.

The 8kHz peak is not here to frighten you, but to let the vocal/instrument shine beyond the medium section. Overall, the higher frequencies are smooth yet with the right amount of sparkle and energy that are mandatory for an engaging but fatigue-free listen.

The subbass is clean, impactful, with great contours and digs deep. Fortunately, the CP54e avoid the trap of having their subbass being set 5-10db higher than it is and to quickly drop into the lower mids, forgetting the meaning and importance of a midbass presence.

Finally, the tuning of the mediums finishes the amazing job done by the sound engineer of Canpur. The compromise found in the vocals and instruments department is not something you end up with by chance. Clarity, texture, balanced note weight and a secret sauce making them neither too forward nor too recessed is a tour de force masterfully implemented.

You might have guessed it by now, the CP54e have conquered my ears and my musical heart.



Sound & Sources
The Canpur CP54e is one of those very special IEMs, which make you turn up the volume by small incrementation until you notice that you actually are listening to your music pretty loud, or way louder than you should. I am not experiencing this behavior of mine with many sets. This definitely speaks in favor of the CP54e.

The CP54e are not completely source agnostic, but they are less capricious than most of my IEMs. Is it partially due to their very low impedance (10ohm)? However, they do scale up with a high-quality source, but don’t necessarily require external amping. You perfectly can enjoy the CP54e to 95% of their potential with a neutral/warm DAP like the Hiby R8 II or LPGT, which I am using with them. Adding my trusty Romi BX2-Pro amp into the mix and I am extracting the very last drops of awesomeness the CP54e have to offer.

I would describe the CP54e as a balanced sounding set of IEMs, with a surprisingly impactful and textured low-end. This is the most realistic and textured BA bass experience I came across, period. The bass performance is outstanding and some fellow audio enthusiasts who have tried the CP54e without knowing the driver’s structure could not believe there was no DD behind the shells. I am a bit of a basshead, but I must admit that my obsession with hard-hitting/cavernous bass is not what it used to be 2-3 years ago.

Comparisons
CP54e vs. CP32e

Graph – Courtesy of Musicteck

I don’t have any other IEMs with a BA/EST hybrid structure like the CP54e at hand. However, I was offered the opportunity to listen to the little brother of the CP54e a few weeks before starting to write the present impressions. I took some notes in prevision of this short review, and I am happy to share them with you now.

In fact, reducing the CP32e (3BA/2EST) as the “little” brother of the CP54e is not fair. They share a similar DNA, it’s incontestable, but they also differ from each other by their respective overall signature and tuning. The graph above is spot on and displays where those differences can be heard and felt. The CP54e basically are the CP32e on soft steroids, meaning that the whole bass section and lower mids region are a bit more elevated, but still letting vocals and instruments expressing themselves with absolute freedom and impressive clarity. The CP32e are not bass shy but prefer to let vocals being the star of the show. I see the CP54e being more of an allrounder set than the CP32e. Indeed, vocals are for me the strong focus of the CP32e. Instrumental pieces sound livelier and just more engaging through the CP54e. I am splitting hairs, but this difference, as slight as it is, does exist anyway and make me prefer the CP54e over the CP32e.

What the graph is not showing is how both the CP54e and the CP32e sound in reality. Both have a wide stage and a very decent sense of width and height. Finally, the absence of glare or rough edges on both sets makes the listening experience extremely pleasant and fatigue-free.

The CP32e retail for approx. USD 800.- and I think that this price is quite crazy for what you get in return. Honestly, I think that the CP32e is one of the best deal around below the USD 1K mark. It goes the same way for the CP54e under USD 2K, even if the CP32e ultimately represent the very best value in terms of price/performance ratio.

CP54e vs. CP622b

Graph – Courtesy of TGX78

The CP622b were very high on my shortlist right after I got the CP54e. Sure, you always want/need to hear or even to own the flagship of a given brand. Flagship means “better” by definition. Well, not always. First, flagship means “more expensive” and, secondly, what the manufacturers consider their best possible IEM offering at a given time. Finally, the technical aspect or the complexity of the onboarded driver structure plays a role, too.

I had the opportunity to put the CP54e and the CP622b in a head-to-head session a few days ago, and I honestly was a bit underwhelmed by Canpur’s flagship soundwise at first. I admit I had very high expectations, especially because we are in a whole different price category. The shells are about of the same size, with another colour pattern on the faceplates.

My CP54e have quite a mileage already, so I know them very well and the honeymoon phase is still ongoing. The CP622e stood no chance in the beginning of the comparison because of a brain burn-in phase to happen. A few minutes later, I still thought that the CP54e was more up my alley. The CP622b is a bit too warm sounding for me and lack the excitement the CP54e are able to distillate into my ears. The BC drivers properly do their work, but even with tips rolling, I wished I experienced something like the Kinera Verdandi offer in terms of BC technology. The vocals on the CP622b are beautifully rendered and tuned, but this applies to the CP54e and CP32e to the same extent. The 8khz peak is lower set on the CP662b, but the high treble has more energy. You distinctly can hear that, and my preference goes to the CP54e. Overall, it’s really a matter of taste at the end of the day. Some will take the CP54e over the CP622b and some won’t. The respective tunings are very well implemented and in my opinion both are co-flagships.

Accident in Paradise
Ok, I have been praising the CP54e quite a bit now, but what could have been improved? Well, not much to be honest. The sense of depth and height is decent, and I understand that some demanding audiophiles or audio enthusiasts focusing on pure technical prowess might find the CP54e limited in that regard, wishing for extra headroom. Moreover, I am not a big fan of a grill on the nozzle, I prefer open bores, even if it requires additional work to clean them up from time to time. Finally, I personally have no issue with the very comfortable high-quality resin shells, but I can get that investing USD 2K in a pair of IEMs might raise some expectations in terms of material used for the making of the shells. I don’t want to come up as a shill (which I am not) or someone abusing of superlatives, but I have a hard time finding issues or flawed aspects to the CP54e.

Jukebox (Local library, Bandcamp, Streaming Apps or YT)
I have selected some tracks below, which accurately reflect my listening habits of the last weeks with the CP54e. I am an Electronic child by definition, but I love many musical genres and have a sweet spot for Female and Male vocalists, OST, Hip-Hop, Classic Rock, 80’s pop and a bit of Jazz.

Black Sabbath – Planet Caravan

Planet Caravan is not the first track that comes to mind thinking about Black Sabbath’s discography. The CP54e render the atmosphere of this moody track with excellence. From the percussions to be distinctly heard in the background to the haunting vocals, this track and its strange ambiance are beautifully rendered via the CP54e. The recording quality, even in the remastered version of the LP, is averagely good. The CP54e know how to show some forgiveness with such digital files and manage to make the listen of this track highly enjoyable.

Joho McCleery – Dream Letter

Big fan of Joho here. I love his voice and most of the songs as well as covers he has been releasing since his debut. Great recording quality allows to enjoy every change of voice’s intonation and to capture the emotion emanating from this song. The CP54e excel in the vocal department and there is no exception here. Towards the end of the track, the pace accelerates and there are many instruments building up the tension. It’s a short session, less than one minute long, and the CP54e remain sovereign in their ability to manage busy or complex instrumental passages. It’s difficult to fault them, with calm or high-paced music.

Genesis – Domino pt. 1 & 2

From to time to time, I revisit the Pop/Rock classic tracks from my teenager age. Genesis belongs to my favorite band, but I admit I much prefer their later works under Phil Collins’ leadership. Like some other tracks produced by Phil in the late 80’s and early 90’s, this song is divided in two different parts, being rightfully tagged as pt.1 (0m00s-4m29s) and pt. 2 (4m30s-10m44s). During these 10-minutes of bliss, Genesis plays at another level and Domino transports you in the best of what Pop/Rock music has ever offered to mankind. The final segment (from the 9m00s mark) is phenomenal, it moves me at every listen. The CP54e handle the inherent energetic nature of the track with Maestria. Back in the 90’s, many recordings were intentionally arranged a bit on the brighter side of things. This could be an issue depending on the transducers you are using to listen to them. Fortunately, the CP54e retain the good things here, but shave off some of the unwelcomed peaks and can appropriately tame Phil’s powerful voice. A fantastic listen.

Dominique Fils-Aimé – Birds

I recently discovered this artist, shuffling Bandcamp on a lazy Sunday. This is a pure vocal test track. The gentle jazzy rhythmic session in the background is greatly executed and a pleasure to listen to, but the singer and her beautiful voice are where your attention should be focused on. This is goosebumps material. The CP54e dig for every detail in this musical piece and succeed in portraying all the nuances of Dominique’s voice. Vocals lovers should consider adding the CP54e at the top of their shortlist.

Zaho de Sagazan – Tristesse

This is another example on how the CP54e are bluffing at presenting instruments and vocals with aplomb and richness of tone. The track slowly starts with clear and detailed vocals before a change of pace, where the CP54e once more get the opportunity to show their ability to cope with modern music infused with vocals. The bass is clean and impactful while not “bleeding” into the mids, the vocals have weight, matter and presence, perfectly contoured and rightly placed into the mix. Finally, the higher frequencies are handled with smoothness and controlled energy. The CP54e might not be the most technical IEMs on the market, but their technicalities are more than sufficient considering how musical and natural they sound.

Skiclub Toggenburg – Rona II (Alci Remix)

Micro-house release from my home country with a zest of minimalism. The CP54e have no issue playing back refined and multi-layered Electronics. The extended soundstage does wonder here, creating an enveloping sound experience, with every little detail in the track being fired at you with surgical precision. Once more, the low end is nicely textured and weighty enough to fully enjoy that kind of music style.

Quelza – What If They’re Wrong

Fasten your seatbelts, you are about to be taken into a seismic electronic trip reaching a solid 9 on the Richter scale. This track is much more complex than it seems. All begins right after the 2 minutes mark. There are many micro-sounds and unrelenting changes of pace and dynamics behind the monstrous and evil bass at play. Collision and superposition of soundscapes that are super difficult to be properly played back by other IEMs I own or have demoed lately. The CP54e handle the above-mentioned complexity in an effortless and spacious manner. It’s like they are disappearing into your ears, letting the intoxicating sound just flowing into your brain, tickling and shaking up your synapses. This track is the proof that the CP54e most likely will please many bassheads.

Il Quadro di Troisi – I Buchi Neri

Donato Dozzy and Eva Geist being signed on the avant-garde and long-lasting German Label “Raster” is a great surprise for me and their last LP is a sweet combination of Italian synth-pop and vocal-electronics. The CP54e feel at home with such track. The low-end is punchy, tight and full, while Eva’s Italian chant emerges from the background and dictates the pace of the song until the end. The CP54e manage once more to impress with a natural and romantic way of playing back that kind of music. Repeat button material.

End Words
The CP54e retail for USD 1’999.-. Even if we can argue about the fact that any IEMs above USD 200.- are overpriced (kiddin’ a bit), I think that the CP54e are well-worth your hard-earned cash, provided you find this kind of tuning and sound signature appealing. I have listened to many Totl IEMs recently. This experience made me aware about two things: 1) Many people still don’t know or are not familiar with the Canpur product range and 2) The CP54e have absolutely no problem to sound as good as or even better than other IEMs being much more expensive. This is my very own appreciation, of course.

I have very little to complain about the CP54, especially considering their price, what they are capable of and how they perform vs. higher priced IEMs. An improved headroom is the only thing I am missing a bit on certain tracks, but that’s about it. Some might point out that the resin shells could have been replaced by a more premium material, but the work on the shells is truly excellent and the resin of superior quality.

The CP54e get an easy and fully deserved 5 stars rating from me. Their tuning, sound signature, technical abilities, musicality, and finally the excellent price/performance ratio offered by Canpur justify the maximal score.

The CP54e was a semi-blind purchase in my case, and I must thank Andrew and the Musicteck crew for their top-notch advisory service. Listening to music through IEMs has never been so satisfying…so far

F700’s goosebumps score = 98%