CCA C10 PRO
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CCA C10 Pro ($46.99): Does the Pro offer an upgrade?
C10 Pro
Intro: Denise from the CVJ store/IEM manufacturer contacted me about reviewing the CCA C10 Pro. As a fan of the CCA family, I accepted her gracious offer, since the C10 is one of my favorites at the “near-budget” level of IEM’s. I will also admit that I prefer the CCA “brand” to the KZ parent and TRN cousin. There is just something about that sound, which I appreciate more than the others. Maybe it is the mellower sound, or less in your face aspect to the sound. Either way, I do like CCA more. So, accepting her offer was an easy decision to me.
The review sample is mine to keep, but it is understood that the unit may be asked for in return or to be sent to another reviewer at any time. As such, it is mine to keep, and will not be sold for profit. That’s still a really uncool thing to do...All that was asked is an honest assessment of the item in hand. I would have it no other way.
Specs:
Model Number: CCA C10 Pro
Driver: 4BA+1DD
Impedance: 24ohm
Sensitivity: 109dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
Length:125cm
Plug Type: 3.5mm Plug
In the box:
CCA C10 Pro
OFC cable
4 sets of tips
QC card
Gear used/tested:
Kinera BD005 Pro ($49)
CCA C10
Shanling M0
HiBy R3 Pro Saber
Songlist:
Joey Alexander-Warna album and others
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
twenty one pilots album, Trench
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever
Elton John-yep, still good, still cool
Tidal MQA
Unboxing:
In typical CCA/TRN/KZ fashion the box is small, white and printed with graphics. Inside you find the IEM, cable, tips and a QC card. No case. I’ve complained about that before, so I will just leave it at that. That’s it. Nothing else, but again it is all right.
Build/Fit:
Typically, CCA/KZ/TRN are made in an economical manner, using formed plastic material and fairly ubiquitous shell shapes. With a flat 304 stainless steel faceplate, the CCA has the traditional “z” mark adorned on it. The model I have is the purple shelled model, but a black shell with gold accents for the “z” looks absolutely killer. That would be my choice here, and purple is my favorite color, too. Made from three pieces, the silver faceplate and nozzle compliment the transparent purple shell nicely. Fit together is as expected, which is quite good. I will state that the construction tolerances of the KZ family is quite good and helped to raise the standards of ChiFi early on. For that I applaud.
The nozzle has a nice lip to hold tips in place and a vent hole on the inside of the shell aids in bass venting, too. I have no problem with the construction.
Fit into my average size ears is good, but when a smaller tip is used, I did “bottom out” with thee nozzle. Using the large tips included this happened, so you might want to change tips. But, isolation with the large tips is only average until the music starts playing. As always, tip roll to get the best fit and function. Lying flush, the IEM and cable over-ear work together to keep the C10P in place. While the ear guide is curved more than most, it is still supple and smaller diameter than most. It does tuck all the way behind my ear and down the length, which may hinder some who wear glasses. I do and it does not bother me much.
The cable reminds me of the standard Litz cables of CA fame, and they do have a certain shimmer to them. No microphonics at all, the cable sits nicely down my front. While it does keep its shape a bit, this aspect did not bother me since the suppleness allowed it to sit so nicely. With a near right-angle 2-pin connection at the IEM, this helped to keep the cable out of the way as well.
I would consider the build and fit to be better than average.
Technicals:
From the information page: Upgraded 4BA+1DD Hybrid Earphones & Magnetic Dynamic Unit. As an upgraded version of CCA C10, the Pro features self-customized balanced armatures which includes two 30095 drivers for high frequency, two 50060 drivers for mid frequency. With this configuration, the sound is transient, dynamic and bright in all respects. While maintaining the previous performance, the high frequency of this model is extended to beyond 40kHz. It also adopts the second-generation Tesla double magnetic dynamic unit.
Using four BA’s with two each for mids and highs, and a DD for the lows, CCA did not go crazy overboard, which is good. Of interest is there are single BA units for one each of the mid and high spectrum, while there is also a combined unit, which has one BA for mids, and the other for the highs. This does afford a more space-saving design and shrinks the size of the shell. There was a point in time where the driver war drove manufacturers to make larger and larger shells to accommodate the ever-increasing number of drivers. Thankfully that time is gone, and the shells contain a sane number of drivers.
Sound characteristics:
CCA of the past I have tried lay down a solid bassline, with a treble push, which while less than the parent KZ, still may be too hot for some. Not typically one for turning the volume up, the C10P bucks that KZ trend and tailors the treble characteristics to a more “western” taste of warmth and depth, without being pushy, or churlish. I like this treatment and found myself turning up Alex Fox’s songs a fair bit as a result. Not the brightest or most distinct, but pleasurable since it did not push any wrong notes through my tender ears. There were still distinctions to be had up top, and the higher note of guitar and high-noted percussion sounds came across as distinct and fairly easily heard. I would not state that the C10P is meant to be a detail monster, but rather not offend and provide a very well-balanced sound. Not balanced in the sense of all mechanisms working in harmony without bother, but rather no unpleasantness to be had.
This carries over into the mids, which are rich and warmer than CCA’s of the past to me. There isn’t the excellent detail of the past, but to me right now that does not mater, for the treatment is satisfying to me in the richness and vibrancy category (yes vibrant without being too detailed). Mind you there is plenty of detail present, but this is not one such as a Campfire Audio Ara. Maybe unfair in comparison, but it hopefully gets the point across. I do find the mids sit pretty much even with the lows and highs. Almost dead center. Alex Fox’s Guitar On Fire (Latin Disco) sounds like it should. Bass while good and deep here does not overshadow the treatment of the mids. Some may find this boring or tame, but I prefer allowing all to come forth and bear fruit, lest you have an overburdensome KZ. Clarity is still decent as a result of the way the mids are treated, but to me that is not the focus of the C10P, rather the overall. There is a bit of flatness to the mids, which while helping hold them in place without being too far forward, makes for a bit less 3D in shape but not squished or unnatural. On Smoot Sailin’, the song evens out, and the tonality comes back well, just not as vibrant as some.
Soundstage provides me with a nice width, on songs such as Magnolia Boulevard’s Lovin’ Me. Again, that evenness of character shows through here, without the height being overdramatic or depth either. While you can discern the layers and placement well, this would be a show of the overall orchestra, not the focus on discriminating separation. Together would be good descriptor.
If I had to nail down the signature, it would be one of thorough competence without being offensive like some at this price in the past. I am enjoying what comes out of these more so than the C10, or comparable KZ iteration due to the tuning. Again, it’s not boring or blah; but rather provides a somewhat more mature signature than some would expect based upon their past experiences with the brand.
Comparison:
CCA C10 Pro ($46.99/47.99) v Kinera BD005 Pro ($49):
The Kinera has a somewhat odd and non-traditional shape for a non-custom. There is the large knob, which does help to hold the unit in place, but the included tips are the shallowest I have ever seen. While a good seal does come about, there is no room for the unit to breathe. Trying other tips though simply pushes the sound away from you like you are sitting near the last row in an outdoor venue. And its windy.
That said, the Kinera has its moments. The mids are pushed more forward than the C10P, which is somewhat a hallmark of the Kinera sound. A bit less bass push, but controlled from the Kinera is countered by a deeper reach that is a bit boomy from the CCA. Vocals on the BD005P present themselves with more emphasis and vibrancy while moving a bit forward as well. Guitar work has a certain subtlety to it that is decent as well. Maybe not as vibrant as the CCA’s maturity provides, but not thin or flat either. But compared to the CCA, the layering is a bit thinner. Treble while nicely done has a bit of a roll-off, which prevents it from coming across in full force or detail. I would even say this is a bit behind the CCA as well.
The C10P comes across as not only more mature, but vibrant as well. An odd combination but warranted and this allows the C10P to shine as a result.
CCA C10 Pro ($46.99/47.99) v CCA C10:
There is no denying I prefer the CCA tuning to the others in the family, but here is where the child outperforms the parent. The Pro sounds more mature, with a bit less bite up top. Not that the C10 had too much, but it was from the time when bright was considered all well and good. I prefer the thicker smoothness of the C10P as a result. The C10P also has better bass depth than the C10 as well. Not that the C10 was bad, but the C10P is better at depth. Still a bit boomy over the C10, like the Kinera, I like this bass sound more, as it fits my tastes a bit better. Certainly not bloated as all, but a bit of bloom into the mids comes out from the C10P.
Finale:
Often when the “pro” or “v2” of something comes out, there really isn’t much change except for looks. This would be a case where CCA promotes a maturity of sound where the original was a bit untamed. Not like the KZ or TRN family resemblance of untamedness, but some, nonetheless. Where the C10P matured is in a bit more bass (even if a bit boomy), and the smoothing up top. The C10 was not piercing at all, but to me the C10P rolled back the sound on the upper end. And to me this makes a pleasant enough signature that it is better than the original. This would indeed be a case where the offspring ends up in a better position than the elder. Mind you to me, the original was quite good as well so that is a very nice addition to move forward with.
I thank Denise and CVJ for the opportunity to review the CCA C10 Pro. I am a fan of the CCA moniker and the C10P provided me with a look forward into the tuning minds of the company. This tuning does fit my tastes and if you want a richness of sound, which is also mature, but not boring give it a listen.
C10 Pro
Intro: Denise from the CVJ store/IEM manufacturer contacted me about reviewing the CCA C10 Pro. As a fan of the CCA family, I accepted her gracious offer, since the C10 is one of my favorites at the “near-budget” level of IEM’s. I will also admit that I prefer the CCA “brand” to the KZ parent and TRN cousin. There is just something about that sound, which I appreciate more than the others. Maybe it is the mellower sound, or less in your face aspect to the sound. Either way, I do like CCA more. So, accepting her offer was an easy decision to me.
The review sample is mine to keep, but it is understood that the unit may be asked for in return or to be sent to another reviewer at any time. As such, it is mine to keep, and will not be sold for profit. That’s still a really uncool thing to do...All that was asked is an honest assessment of the item in hand. I would have it no other way.
Specs:
Model Number: CCA C10 Pro
Driver: 4BA+1DD
Impedance: 24ohm
Sensitivity: 109dB
Frequency Response: 20Hz-40kHz
Length:125cm
Plug Type: 3.5mm Plug
In the box:
CCA C10 Pro
OFC cable
4 sets of tips
QC card
Gear used/tested:
Kinera BD005 Pro ($49)
CCA C10
Shanling M0
HiBy R3 Pro Saber
Songlist:
Joey Alexander-Warna album and others
Mark Knopfler-Laughs And Jokes And Drinks And Smokes
Santana w/ Mana- Corazon Espinado
twenty one pilots album, Trench
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Big Head Todd & The Monsters-Beautiful World
Mark Knopfler-Down The Road Wherever
Elton John-yep, still good, still cool
Tidal MQA
Unboxing:
In typical CCA/TRN/KZ fashion the box is small, white and printed with graphics. Inside you find the IEM, cable, tips and a QC card. No case. I’ve complained about that before, so I will just leave it at that. That’s it. Nothing else, but again it is all right.
Build/Fit:
Typically, CCA/KZ/TRN are made in an economical manner, using formed plastic material and fairly ubiquitous shell shapes. With a flat 304 stainless steel faceplate, the CCA has the traditional “z” mark adorned on it. The model I have is the purple shelled model, but a black shell with gold accents for the “z” looks absolutely killer. That would be my choice here, and purple is my favorite color, too. Made from three pieces, the silver faceplate and nozzle compliment the transparent purple shell nicely. Fit together is as expected, which is quite good. I will state that the construction tolerances of the KZ family is quite good and helped to raise the standards of ChiFi early on. For that I applaud.
The nozzle has a nice lip to hold tips in place and a vent hole on the inside of the shell aids in bass venting, too. I have no problem with the construction.
Fit into my average size ears is good, but when a smaller tip is used, I did “bottom out” with thee nozzle. Using the large tips included this happened, so you might want to change tips. But, isolation with the large tips is only average until the music starts playing. As always, tip roll to get the best fit and function. Lying flush, the IEM and cable over-ear work together to keep the C10P in place. While the ear guide is curved more than most, it is still supple and smaller diameter than most. It does tuck all the way behind my ear and down the length, which may hinder some who wear glasses. I do and it does not bother me much.
The cable reminds me of the standard Litz cables of CA fame, and they do have a certain shimmer to them. No microphonics at all, the cable sits nicely down my front. While it does keep its shape a bit, this aspect did not bother me since the suppleness allowed it to sit so nicely. With a near right-angle 2-pin connection at the IEM, this helped to keep the cable out of the way as well.
I would consider the build and fit to be better than average.
Technicals:
From the information page: Upgraded 4BA+1DD Hybrid Earphones & Magnetic Dynamic Unit. As an upgraded version of CCA C10, the Pro features self-customized balanced armatures which includes two 30095 drivers for high frequency, two 50060 drivers for mid frequency. With this configuration, the sound is transient, dynamic and bright in all respects. While maintaining the previous performance, the high frequency of this model is extended to beyond 40kHz. It also adopts the second-generation Tesla double magnetic dynamic unit.
Using four BA’s with two each for mids and highs, and a DD for the lows, CCA did not go crazy overboard, which is good. Of interest is there are single BA units for one each of the mid and high spectrum, while there is also a combined unit, which has one BA for mids, and the other for the highs. This does afford a more space-saving design and shrinks the size of the shell. There was a point in time where the driver war drove manufacturers to make larger and larger shells to accommodate the ever-increasing number of drivers. Thankfully that time is gone, and the shells contain a sane number of drivers.
Sound characteristics:
CCA of the past I have tried lay down a solid bassline, with a treble push, which while less than the parent KZ, still may be too hot for some. Not typically one for turning the volume up, the C10P bucks that KZ trend and tailors the treble characteristics to a more “western” taste of warmth and depth, without being pushy, or churlish. I like this treatment and found myself turning up Alex Fox’s songs a fair bit as a result. Not the brightest or most distinct, but pleasurable since it did not push any wrong notes through my tender ears. There were still distinctions to be had up top, and the higher note of guitar and high-noted percussion sounds came across as distinct and fairly easily heard. I would not state that the C10P is meant to be a detail monster, but rather not offend and provide a very well-balanced sound. Not balanced in the sense of all mechanisms working in harmony without bother, but rather no unpleasantness to be had.
This carries over into the mids, which are rich and warmer than CCA’s of the past to me. There isn’t the excellent detail of the past, but to me right now that does not mater, for the treatment is satisfying to me in the richness and vibrancy category (yes vibrant without being too detailed). Mind you there is plenty of detail present, but this is not one such as a Campfire Audio Ara. Maybe unfair in comparison, but it hopefully gets the point across. I do find the mids sit pretty much even with the lows and highs. Almost dead center. Alex Fox’s Guitar On Fire (Latin Disco) sounds like it should. Bass while good and deep here does not overshadow the treatment of the mids. Some may find this boring or tame, but I prefer allowing all to come forth and bear fruit, lest you have an overburdensome KZ. Clarity is still decent as a result of the way the mids are treated, but to me that is not the focus of the C10P, rather the overall. There is a bit of flatness to the mids, which while helping hold them in place without being too far forward, makes for a bit less 3D in shape but not squished or unnatural. On Smoot Sailin’, the song evens out, and the tonality comes back well, just not as vibrant as some.
Soundstage provides me with a nice width, on songs such as Magnolia Boulevard’s Lovin’ Me. Again, that evenness of character shows through here, without the height being overdramatic or depth either. While you can discern the layers and placement well, this would be a show of the overall orchestra, not the focus on discriminating separation. Together would be good descriptor.
If I had to nail down the signature, it would be one of thorough competence without being offensive like some at this price in the past. I am enjoying what comes out of these more so than the C10, or comparable KZ iteration due to the tuning. Again, it’s not boring or blah; but rather provides a somewhat more mature signature than some would expect based upon their past experiences with the brand.
Comparison:
CCA C10 Pro ($46.99/47.99) v Kinera BD005 Pro ($49):
The Kinera has a somewhat odd and non-traditional shape for a non-custom. There is the large knob, which does help to hold the unit in place, but the included tips are the shallowest I have ever seen. While a good seal does come about, there is no room for the unit to breathe. Trying other tips though simply pushes the sound away from you like you are sitting near the last row in an outdoor venue. And its windy.
That said, the Kinera has its moments. The mids are pushed more forward than the C10P, which is somewhat a hallmark of the Kinera sound. A bit less bass push, but controlled from the Kinera is countered by a deeper reach that is a bit boomy from the CCA. Vocals on the BD005P present themselves with more emphasis and vibrancy while moving a bit forward as well. Guitar work has a certain subtlety to it that is decent as well. Maybe not as vibrant as the CCA’s maturity provides, but not thin or flat either. But compared to the CCA, the layering is a bit thinner. Treble while nicely done has a bit of a roll-off, which prevents it from coming across in full force or detail. I would even say this is a bit behind the CCA as well.
The C10P comes across as not only more mature, but vibrant as well. An odd combination but warranted and this allows the C10P to shine as a result.
CCA C10 Pro ($46.99/47.99) v CCA C10:
There is no denying I prefer the CCA tuning to the others in the family, but here is where the child outperforms the parent. The Pro sounds more mature, with a bit less bite up top. Not that the C10 had too much, but it was from the time when bright was considered all well and good. I prefer the thicker smoothness of the C10P as a result. The C10P also has better bass depth than the C10 as well. Not that the C10 was bad, but the C10P is better at depth. Still a bit boomy over the C10, like the Kinera, I like this bass sound more, as it fits my tastes a bit better. Certainly not bloated as all, but a bit of bloom into the mids comes out from the C10P.
Finale:
Often when the “pro” or “v2” of something comes out, there really isn’t much change except for looks. This would be a case where CCA promotes a maturity of sound where the original was a bit untamed. Not like the KZ or TRN family resemblance of untamedness, but some, nonetheless. Where the C10P matured is in a bit more bass (even if a bit boomy), and the smoothing up top. The C10 was not piercing at all, but to me the C10P rolled back the sound on the upper end. And to me this makes a pleasant enough signature that it is better than the original. This would indeed be a case where the offspring ends up in a better position than the elder. Mind you to me, the original was quite good as well so that is a very nice addition to move forward with.
I thank Denise and CVJ for the opportunity to review the CCA C10 Pro. I am a fan of the CCA moniker and the C10P provided me with a look forward into the tuning minds of the company. This tuning does fit my tastes and if you want a richness of sound, which is also mature, but not boring give it a listen.
CCA C10 Pro – the $40 Chi Fi Multi Driver Marvel
Tested against the CCA C10 at $38
5 Drivers $40 needs no amping
This area of the market is one of the most hotly contested, with every Chinese Company trying to find ways to outdo each other, to squeeze that last bit of value from their designs. This does mean that compromises have to be made. Something has to give. For a profit to be made, surely it can’t be perfect. Or can it?
About the C10 Pro
The Pro version of the C10 has the same number of drivers. It’s not a 10 driver model; I think CCA are being a little bit naughty, they’re giving the impression that this is a 10 driver earphone, in fact , strictly speaking, it is a 5 driver earphone. Here we have 1 dynamic driver, for bass, and the remaining 4 are balanced armatures; 1 for lower mids, 2 for upper mids and 1, closest to the ear, for high frequency response. The hybrid design utilizes the ethos that dynamic driver (DD) tech makes for better low frequency efficiency and balanced armatures (BA) can then handle the rest of it. The frequency response may provide some interest to any bats we have put there. It’s 20-40000 Hz, not surprising when we look at how many drivers are crammed into those shells. The C10 model has a different DD, a 110 mm driver. This brings the low frequency response down to a crazy 7 Hz. My hearing is middle aged. Discerning, dear reader, of course. But also diminishing, as the angel’s share is taken from a maturing cask of malt whisky. The bottom line is that I am unable to hear any frequency above 16000 Hz. The sensitivity of the Pro’s, or how much power they need to start working, is high. This means they need very little power. The sensitivity rating is 24 Ohms. The C10 has a high sensitivity but is not as efficient as the Pro, weighing in at 32 dB. What does this all mean for you? Both earphones will not need any extra amping, and can work well from all known phones and DAPs.
The appearance of the Pro Model compared to the original, is certainly an upgrade
A bland looking silver shell has been replaced with a black and gold flaked appearance. The kink in the shape of the driver shell on the C10 can’t be spotted on the Pro
The kink on the left which has been smoothed on the Pro
The Pro above and C10 below
Having laid out my case on the cosmetics of the earphones, what then of the rest of it? The cable supplied oozes luxury, especially when compared to the thin cheap looking copper affair supplied with the C10.
The cable is shinier, the weak points are all suitably strengthened, The bad points? No case, very few tips, all of which are silicone, a d no chin collar, or cinch, which would help the fit to become even better than it is.
Outside noise is filtered to barely audible. This is done without circuitry, simply a case of get the right driver shape, get the fit well into the entrance of the ear canal, lock them in with decent fitting tips and hook the whole lot round the ear with some decent plastic collars.
Sound Quality
All very well and good so far, but has all the extra attention been put on the looks and has the CCA sound been overlooked?
I am pleased to say that the sound exceeded my expectations. Just as I raved about the C10 last year, I am happy to put the Subjective seal of approval on the Pro version. But… I don’t like the sound as much as the original. My preference is for a smooth sound an overall balance with no particular features shouting ” hey!Listen to me! I can do bass! I can do screaming guitar!” No. Be understated. Don’t throw it at me. There is an element of this in the Pro that is not there in the more refined C10. As with many things in life there are losses along with gains; the great balancing act. The C10 Pro has a wider sound stage,or a more open sound than the C10, and micro details are more evident on the Pro.
My YouTube presentation
Conclusion
The C10 is a lovely looking well made hybrid earphone. The price is a bargain. The cable looks great and works extremely well. The chin collar is missing, thee is no velcro strap to coil the cable up, and there is no case, and the danger is that these earphones will not be treated as carefully as they deserve. Corners have been cut, but I’ve seen worse ommisions in products costing a lot more.
The Pro sound will appeal to those who crave an exciting, “live” sound. A live sound is how I’d describe an earphone with what appears to be a boosted sound, almost as if more than one frequency band has been artificially raised beyond what sounds natural. Provided this is done with some discretion, a successful result can be achieved. I prefer, on balance, the slightly cleaner and smoother sound of the C10. Either earphone, depending on your flavour, are an absolute snip for the price. Gentlemen, start your wallets….
Tested against the CCA C10 at $38
5 Drivers $40 needs no amping
This area of the market is one of the most hotly contested, with every Chinese Company trying to find ways to outdo each other, to squeeze that last bit of value from their designs. This does mean that compromises have to be made. Something has to give. For a profit to be made, surely it can’t be perfect. Or can it?
About the C10 Pro
The Pro version of the C10 has the same number of drivers. It’s not a 10 driver model; I think CCA are being a little bit naughty, they’re giving the impression that this is a 10 driver earphone, in fact , strictly speaking, it is a 5 driver earphone. Here we have 1 dynamic driver, for bass, and the remaining 4 are balanced armatures; 1 for lower mids, 2 for upper mids and 1, closest to the ear, for high frequency response. The hybrid design utilizes the ethos that dynamic driver (DD) tech makes for better low frequency efficiency and balanced armatures (BA) can then handle the rest of it. The frequency response may provide some interest to any bats we have put there. It’s 20-40000 Hz, not surprising when we look at how many drivers are crammed into those shells. The C10 model has a different DD, a 110 mm driver. This brings the low frequency response down to a crazy 7 Hz. My hearing is middle aged. Discerning, dear reader, of course. But also diminishing, as the angel’s share is taken from a maturing cask of malt whisky. The bottom line is that I am unable to hear any frequency above 16000 Hz. The sensitivity of the Pro’s, or how much power they need to start working, is high. This means they need very little power. The sensitivity rating is 24 Ohms. The C10 has a high sensitivity but is not as efficient as the Pro, weighing in at 32 dB. What does this all mean for you? Both earphones will not need any extra amping, and can work well from all known phones and DAPs.
The appearance of the Pro Model compared to the original, is certainly an upgrade
A bland looking silver shell has been replaced with a black and gold flaked appearance. The kink in the shape of the driver shell on the C10 can’t be spotted on the Pro
Having laid out my case on the cosmetics of the earphones, what then of the rest of it? The cable supplied oozes luxury, especially when compared to the thin cheap looking copper affair supplied with the C10.
The cable is shinier, the weak points are all suitably strengthened, The bad points? No case, very few tips, all of which are silicone, a d no chin collar, or cinch, which would help the fit to become even better than it is.
Outside noise is filtered to barely audible. This is done without circuitry, simply a case of get the right driver shape, get the fit well into the entrance of the ear canal, lock them in with decent fitting tips and hook the whole lot round the ear with some decent plastic collars.
Sound Quality
All very well and good so far, but has all the extra attention been put on the looks and has the CCA sound been overlooked?
I am pleased to say that the sound exceeded my expectations. Just as I raved about the C10 last year, I am happy to put the Subjective seal of approval on the Pro version. But… I don’t like the sound as much as the original. My preference is for a smooth sound an overall balance with no particular features shouting ” hey!Listen to me! I can do bass! I can do screaming guitar!” No. Be understated. Don’t throw it at me. There is an element of this in the Pro that is not there in the more refined C10. As with many things in life there are losses along with gains; the great balancing act. The C10 Pro has a wider sound stage,or a more open sound than the C10, and micro details are more evident on the Pro.
My YouTube presentation
Conclusion
The C10 is a lovely looking well made hybrid earphone. The price is a bargain. The cable looks great and works extremely well. The chin collar is missing, thee is no velcro strap to coil the cable up, and there is no case, and the danger is that these earphones will not be treated as carefully as they deserve. Corners have been cut, but I’ve seen worse ommisions in products costing a lot more.
The Pro sound will appeal to those who crave an exciting, “live” sound. A live sound is how I’d describe an earphone with what appears to be a boosted sound, almost as if more than one frequency band has been artificially raised beyond what sounds natural. Provided this is done with some discretion, a successful result can be achieved. I prefer, on balance, the slightly cleaner and smoother sound of the C10. Either earphone, depending on your flavour, are an absolute snip for the price. Gentlemen, start your wallets….
DISCLAIMER
I received this review unit from a storefront from Aliexpress.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KZ (and by extension sister company, CCA) are back to their circa 2018 – early 2019 habits of churning out almost weekly sidegrades/marginal upgrades. The CCA C10 Pro is one of these said sidegrades, and in the big scheme of things, the CCA C10 Pro is pretty forgettable in the pantheon of pokemon KZ/CCAs.
The CCA C10 Pro features a V shaped sound signature, with an overly boosted upper mids/treble. It has above average technicalities, but this is offset by a harsh and fatiguing treble, sibilance and an artificial timbre. I find it doesn’t give much value add compared to some existing KZ/CCA iterations (eg the KZ ZS10 Pro), so this is one pokemon that you should think twice about catching.
SPECIFICATIONS
ACCESSORIES
In addition to the IEM, the package comes with:
1) Silicone tips (S/M/L).
2) Stock cable – silver plated. It is servicable, for cable skeptics, please go on to the next section! For cable believers, I feel a pure copper one would have synergized better with the CCA C10 Pro as it is already bright and harsh in the treble, and would have benefitted from a copper cable to tame the highs and give a bit of warmth.
BUILD/COMFORT
The CCA C10 Pro has a beautiful metal faceplate, with a unique design emblazzoning it. Kinda like some illuminati code LOL. The CCA C10 Pro is very comfortable and light and I had no issues with using it for longer sessions in terms of fit (sound wise however, I couldn’t use it too long due to the harsh treble, but that will be discussed below).
I did not detect any driver flex.
I liked that the CCA C10 Pro came in a 2 pin connector, that has generally better lifespan than MMCX connectors in my experience.
ISOLATION
The CCA C10 Pro’s isolation is just above average, but won’t beat some unvented multi BA types in this area.
DRIVABILITY
The CCA C10 Pro is pretty drivable from lower powered sources, with not much scaling in sound noted when amped. It does hiss with PCs and phones but this can be mitigated by using a DAC/AMP, inline volume controller or impedance mismatch device.
As the CCA C10 Pro is on the brighter and leaner side tuning wise, I preferred pairing it with warmer sources to offset the treble/upper mids glare.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
The CCA C10 Pro sports a bright V shaped tuning, with boosted upper mids and treble. This is a treblehead set, no doubt about it, with above average technicalities at this price point.
Timbre is unfortunately, artificial for acoustic instruments, much like some circa 2018 KZ fare. The CCA C10 Pro is definitely not one for folks that listen to genres that comprise primarily acoustic instruments. I think the CCA C10 Pro will do pretty well with genres that have more synthetic instrumentation eg electronic. Note weight is leaner and tonality is overall on the colder side.
Soundstage on the CCA C10 Pro is pretty average in all 3 dimensions, it is slightly wider than deep, nothing to write home about. Imaging, instrument separation and details are above average but not class leading for a multi BA/hybrid budget set.
Bass:
Bass on the CCA C10 Pro is midbass focused over subbass, and the subbass extension is not the deepest. Generally the subbass manages to hit notes when called for and is not anemic. The bass quantity is north of neutral but not as basshead levels. Bass speed is on the faster side for a DD with above average texturing.
Mids:
Upper mids are boosted on the CCA C10 Pro compared to the lower mids, and the upper mids can on occasions be shouty, especially at higher volumes (Fletcher Munson Curve). Female vocals are hence more forward than male vocals.
Treble:
This is a bright set with the dreaded S word: sibilance. The CCA C10 Pro has detail and clarity to suit trebleheads, but may be fatiguing for longer sessions at the lower treble region, especially with female vocals/horns/trumpets. Cymbals and high hats occasionally sound splashy. I would grade the treble of the CCA C10 Pro as the weakest part of the frequency spectrum.
COMPARISONS
I had a bigger collection of KZ pokemons in the past, but have sold all my KZs away except the KZ ZS10 Pro, so apologies if I can’t do A/B comparisons with the other KZs.
KZ ZS10 Pro (4BA + 1DD)
The KZ ZS10 Pro is also V shaped in tuning, but the KZ ZS10 Pro has less treble than the CCA C10 Pro. CCA C10 Pro is hence brighter, and due to the ears taking the entire frequency spectrum as a whole, it also feels as though the CCA C10 Pro is lighter in bass quantity. The CCA C10 Pro has more sibilance, and is much more fatiguing for longer sessions than the KZ ZS10 Pro.
In terms of timbre, I thought the KZ ZS10 Pro wasn’t the best, but the CCA C10 Pro is even worse in timbre. KZ ZS10 has better soundstage and imaging. CCA C10 Pro has a tighter bass with less midbass bleed. KZ ZS10 Pro is more “fun” sounding and more versatile in terms of tuning, with the CCA C10 Pro sounding more cold in tonality.
Even though the KZ ZS10 Pro came out more than a year ago, I think there is no value add for the CCA C10 Pro for existing owners of the KZ ZS10 Pro.
TRN V90S (5BA + 1DD)
The TRN V90S is also another V shaped set, but it has less boosted upper mids/lower treble than the CCA C10 Pro, with the latter being more fatiguing and harsh and sibilant. The TRN V90S has better soundstage and imaging/instrument separation/details than the CCA C10 Pro, though the CCA C10 Pro has better clarity due to the boosted higher frequencies. TRN V90S has a more textured bass too, though it has a bit more recessed mids than the CCA C10 Pro.
Both sets have poor instrumental timbre, and ain’t the best option for music genres that incorporate a lot of acoustic instruments.
Overall, both are going at about $50 USD, and I think TRN V90S is the better set in terms of tonality and technicalities.
CONCLUSIONS
The CCA C10 Pro features a V shaped sound signature, with an overly boosted upper mids/treble. It has above average technicalities, but this is offset by a harsh and fatiguing treble, sibilance and an artificial timbre. I find it doesn’t give much value add compared to some existing KZ/CCA iterations (eg the KZ ZS10 Pro), so this is one KZ/CCA pokemon that you should think twice about catching.
In all likelihood, a pro version of this CCA C10 Pro will probably be coming our way in a few weeks’ time, since it appears KZ (and by extension sister company CCA) are back to their circa 2018 – early 2019 habits of churning out almost weekly sidegrades/marginal upgrades. Perhaps trebleheads will like this set, but even so, it doesn’t have the best technicalities also, and there’s better options to be gotten out there at the same price range.
The CCA C10 Pro is really pretty forgettable in the $50ish USD cut throat CHIFI market, and unfortunately being average in that price segment is not good enough nowadays. Perhaps two to three years back, when CHIFI were still relatively uncommon in the wild, the CCA C10 Pro would have been lapped up, but this does not apply for the past year and a half or so, when CHIFI sound quality has really scaled up tremendously.
I received this review unit from a storefront from Aliexpress.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KZ (and by extension sister company, CCA) are back to their circa 2018 – early 2019 habits of churning out almost weekly sidegrades/marginal upgrades. The CCA C10 Pro is one of these said sidegrades, and in the big scheme of things, the CCA C10 Pro is pretty forgettable in the pantheon of pokemon KZ/CCAs.
The CCA C10 Pro features a V shaped sound signature, with an overly boosted upper mids/treble. It has above average technicalities, but this is offset by a harsh and fatiguing treble, sibilance and an artificial timbre. I find it doesn’t give much value add compared to some existing KZ/CCA iterations (eg the KZ ZS10 Pro), so this is one pokemon that you should think twice about catching.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Driver type: 4 BA + 1DD (10 mm)
- Impedance: 24Ω
- Earphone sensitivity: 109dB/mW
- Frequency range: 20 – 40000Hz
- Cable type: 2 pin 0.75 mm
- Tested at $40 USD
ACCESSORIES
In addition to the IEM, the package comes with:
1) Silicone tips (S/M/L).
2) Stock cable – silver plated. It is servicable, for cable skeptics, please go on to the next section! For cable believers, I feel a pure copper one would have synergized better with the CCA C10 Pro as it is already bright and harsh in the treble, and would have benefitted from a copper cable to tame the highs and give a bit of warmth.
BUILD/COMFORT
The CCA C10 Pro has a beautiful metal faceplate, with a unique design emblazzoning it. Kinda like some illuminati code LOL. The CCA C10 Pro is very comfortable and light and I had no issues with using it for longer sessions in terms of fit (sound wise however, I couldn’t use it too long due to the harsh treble, but that will be discussed below).
I did not detect any driver flex.
I liked that the CCA C10 Pro came in a 2 pin connector, that has generally better lifespan than MMCX connectors in my experience.
ISOLATION
The CCA C10 Pro’s isolation is just above average, but won’t beat some unvented multi BA types in this area.
DRIVABILITY
The CCA C10 Pro is pretty drivable from lower powered sources, with not much scaling in sound noted when amped. It does hiss with PCs and phones but this can be mitigated by using a DAC/AMP, inline volume controller or impedance mismatch device.
As the CCA C10 Pro is on the brighter and leaner side tuning wise, I preferred pairing it with warmer sources to offset the treble/upper mids glare.
SOUND & TECHNICALITIES
The CCA C10 Pro sports a bright V shaped tuning, with boosted upper mids and treble. This is a treblehead set, no doubt about it, with above average technicalities at this price point.
Timbre is unfortunately, artificial for acoustic instruments, much like some circa 2018 KZ fare. The CCA C10 Pro is definitely not one for folks that listen to genres that comprise primarily acoustic instruments. I think the CCA C10 Pro will do pretty well with genres that have more synthetic instrumentation eg electronic. Note weight is leaner and tonality is overall on the colder side.
Soundstage on the CCA C10 Pro is pretty average in all 3 dimensions, it is slightly wider than deep, nothing to write home about. Imaging, instrument separation and details are above average but not class leading for a multi BA/hybrid budget set.
Bass:
Bass on the CCA C10 Pro is midbass focused over subbass, and the subbass extension is not the deepest. Generally the subbass manages to hit notes when called for and is not anemic. The bass quantity is north of neutral but not as basshead levels. Bass speed is on the faster side for a DD with above average texturing.
Mids:
Upper mids are boosted on the CCA C10 Pro compared to the lower mids, and the upper mids can on occasions be shouty, especially at higher volumes (Fletcher Munson Curve). Female vocals are hence more forward than male vocals.
Treble:
This is a bright set with the dreaded S word: sibilance. The CCA C10 Pro has detail and clarity to suit trebleheads, but may be fatiguing for longer sessions at the lower treble region, especially with female vocals/horns/trumpets. Cymbals and high hats occasionally sound splashy. I would grade the treble of the CCA C10 Pro as the weakest part of the frequency spectrum.
COMPARISONS
I had a bigger collection of KZ pokemons in the past, but have sold all my KZs away except the KZ ZS10 Pro, so apologies if I can’t do A/B comparisons with the other KZs.
KZ ZS10 Pro (4BA + 1DD)
The KZ ZS10 Pro is also V shaped in tuning, but the KZ ZS10 Pro has less treble than the CCA C10 Pro. CCA C10 Pro is hence brighter, and due to the ears taking the entire frequency spectrum as a whole, it also feels as though the CCA C10 Pro is lighter in bass quantity. The CCA C10 Pro has more sibilance, and is much more fatiguing for longer sessions than the KZ ZS10 Pro.
In terms of timbre, I thought the KZ ZS10 Pro wasn’t the best, but the CCA C10 Pro is even worse in timbre. KZ ZS10 has better soundstage and imaging. CCA C10 Pro has a tighter bass with less midbass bleed. KZ ZS10 Pro is more “fun” sounding and more versatile in terms of tuning, with the CCA C10 Pro sounding more cold in tonality.
Even though the KZ ZS10 Pro came out more than a year ago, I think there is no value add for the CCA C10 Pro for existing owners of the KZ ZS10 Pro.
TRN V90S (5BA + 1DD)
The TRN V90S is also another V shaped set, but it has less boosted upper mids/lower treble than the CCA C10 Pro, with the latter being more fatiguing and harsh and sibilant. The TRN V90S has better soundstage and imaging/instrument separation/details than the CCA C10 Pro, though the CCA C10 Pro has better clarity due to the boosted higher frequencies. TRN V90S has a more textured bass too, though it has a bit more recessed mids than the CCA C10 Pro.
Both sets have poor instrumental timbre, and ain’t the best option for music genres that incorporate a lot of acoustic instruments.
Overall, both are going at about $50 USD, and I think TRN V90S is the better set in terms of tonality and technicalities.
CONCLUSIONS
The CCA C10 Pro features a V shaped sound signature, with an overly boosted upper mids/treble. It has above average technicalities, but this is offset by a harsh and fatiguing treble, sibilance and an artificial timbre. I find it doesn’t give much value add compared to some existing KZ/CCA iterations (eg the KZ ZS10 Pro), so this is one KZ/CCA pokemon that you should think twice about catching.
In all likelihood, a pro version of this CCA C10 Pro will probably be coming our way in a few weeks’ time, since it appears KZ (and by extension sister company CCA) are back to their circa 2018 – early 2019 habits of churning out almost weekly sidegrades/marginal upgrades. Perhaps trebleheads will like this set, but even so, it doesn’t have the best technicalities also, and there’s better options to be gotten out there at the same price range.
The CCA C10 Pro is really pretty forgettable in the $50ish USD cut throat CHIFI market, and unfortunately being average in that price segment is not good enough nowadays. Perhaps two to three years back, when CHIFI were still relatively uncommon in the wild, the CCA C10 Pro would have been lapped up, but this does not apply for the past year and a half or so, when CHIFI sound quality has really scaled up tremendously.
baskingshark
I do use some Westones and a few Audiosense models for stage monitoring. Audiosense is a CHIFI company, but some of their IEMs are beanshaped like the Westones/Shures with very good isolation. Quite a few models in the Audiosense lineup are actually tuned rather stage monitor like, and they are much cheaper than Westones, with better price to performance ratio. U can ask more in the Headfi Audiosense thead here: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audiosense-in-ear-monitors-impressions-thread.909718/
baskingshark
Yeah once u heard the good stuff, it is impossible to unhear it. Good luck with the JH series. Quite a few of my band mates have made customs with the JH brand and have never looked back. Some of them have been using these customs for years and swear by it. Well I never had the chance to try my band mate's sets as they are custom fits!
IN THE BEGINNING
CCA has decided to follow others in releasing a “pro” model of one previous IEM, the well received C10 model. The $35 CCA C10 Pro is a familiar recipe, a safe and popular tuning packed into the same shell as their C12. Characterized as a mild v rough Harman outline, the CCA C10 Pro adds some additional sparkle up top and leaner bass then it’s kissing cousin KZ ZS10 pro. If this is interesting or if the color scheme of your favorite sports team is black and gold, keep on reading.
SOUND
While I never purchased the CCA C10, I do own the cousin model the KZ ZS10 Pro which was well done for this price segment way back in 2019. The CCA C10 Pro seems to be either a C12 minus one driver or a C10 in the C12 shell with design changes. This is all conjecture at this point since I own neither the C12 or the O.G. C10, I can only rely on past discussions on how similar they were.
Tuning is unoffensive and while peaky in some areas, it is a cross between a typical shouty Chi-fi tuning and a Harman curve. The upper midrange is knocked down a few decibels from the ZS10 Pro and the bass is not as thumping. The bass instead is sort of a lazy affair, present in the room but not screaming look at me spectacular. You might bring it home to mom and dad, but you are not going to brag to your friends about it. The KZ ZS10 Pro measures roughly the same quantity, but I feel the quality is better on the KZ. I find the bass sometimes gets drowned out on the CCA C10 Pro, I wish it had better articulation. Occasionally there is some growl coming from the lower registers which helps to fill out the bottom required for some genres. It’s good to have a little oh yeah down there.
Midrange does not sound too forward since CCA decided to keep the peak halfway between 2kHz (Chi-fi standard) and 3kHz (Harman Standard). Vocals sometimes come off a little raspy, not real breathy and there is some sibilance that peeks through (pun intended). On the lower end they sound full and thick with a some bass warming it up. Treble is exciting and not dull, CCA C10 Pro adds some extra sparkle at the tippy top and this probably where they feel the CCA C10 Pro has now earned the “pro” achievement for the additional crispness. Guitars and brass really come alive with this style of treble tuning, and cymbals are very present. We are not talking Nicehck NX7 or KZ ZS6 levels of tearing your face off, just additional sparkle and sizzle.
Soundstaging is wider than deep, timbre is a little sterile and metallic sounding but cohesion is good and the multiple driver configuration allows it to be fairly resolving.
COMFORT / ISOLATION / DESIGN
Fitment is comfortable and stays in place, a pretty standard universal shell making the isolation a tick above average. I do like the color scheme, but this is merely a personal preference. The familiar KZ ZSN , ZS10 pro faceplate has been sharpened with accents. Cable is silver and surprised they didn’t opt for a copper or gold colored cable to match. Don’t take fashion tips from me though, wires are on their way out.
FINAL WORDS
For $35 or so, it’s a good pick but if you already own the ZS10 Pro or the CCA C10 and are completely happy with them, you could skip this refresh. On the other hand if you wanted to add a different color scheme to your collection I say go for it. It’s definitely a crowd pleasing medium V with warm vocals and crispy bacon-like treble. However a word of advice to the manufacturer, if you are going to put “Pro” in the name some of the basics need to be right- looking at you sibilance. Nothing ground breaking but a solid offering.
FINAL WORDS
For $35 or so, it’s a good pick but if you already own the ZS10 Pro or the CCA C10 and are completely happy with them, you could skip this refresh. On the other hand if you wanted to add a different color scheme to your collection I say go for it. It’s definitely a crowd pleasing medium V with warm vocals and crispy bacon-like treble. However a word of advice to the manufacturer, if you are going to put “Pro” in the name some of the basics need to be right- looking at you sibilance. Nothing ground breaking but a solid offering.
More pictures and graphs available at www.audioreviews.org
DISCLAIMER
Volunteered to review this set to see what was new. Received this set from a storefront on aliexpress. I purchased my KZ ZS10 Pro back in the day that was used for comparison.
CCA has decided to follow others in releasing a “pro” model of one previous IEM, the well received C10 model. The $35 CCA C10 Pro is a familiar recipe, a safe and popular tuning packed into the same shell as their C12. Characterized as a mild v rough Harman outline, the CCA C10 Pro adds some additional sparkle up top and leaner bass then it’s kissing cousin KZ ZS10 pro. If this is interesting or if the color scheme of your favorite sports team is black and gold, keep on reading.
SOUND
While I never purchased the CCA C10, I do own the cousin model the KZ ZS10 Pro which was well done for this price segment way back in 2019. The CCA C10 Pro seems to be either a C12 minus one driver or a C10 in the C12 shell with design changes. This is all conjecture at this point since I own neither the C12 or the O.G. C10, I can only rely on past discussions on how similar they were.
Tuning is unoffensive and while peaky in some areas, it is a cross between a typical shouty Chi-fi tuning and a Harman curve. The upper midrange is knocked down a few decibels from the ZS10 Pro and the bass is not as thumping. The bass instead is sort of a lazy affair, present in the room but not screaming look at me spectacular. You might bring it home to mom and dad, but you are not going to brag to your friends about it. The KZ ZS10 Pro measures roughly the same quantity, but I feel the quality is better on the KZ. I find the bass sometimes gets drowned out on the CCA C10 Pro, I wish it had better articulation. Occasionally there is some growl coming from the lower registers which helps to fill out the bottom required for some genres. It’s good to have a little oh yeah down there.
Midrange does not sound too forward since CCA decided to keep the peak halfway between 2kHz (Chi-fi standard) and 3kHz (Harman Standard). Vocals sometimes come off a little raspy, not real breathy and there is some sibilance that peeks through (pun intended). On the lower end they sound full and thick with a some bass warming it up. Treble is exciting and not dull, CCA C10 Pro adds some extra sparkle at the tippy top and this probably where they feel the CCA C10 Pro has now earned the “pro” achievement for the additional crispness. Guitars and brass really come alive with this style of treble tuning, and cymbals are very present. We are not talking Nicehck NX7 or KZ ZS6 levels of tearing your face off, just additional sparkle and sizzle.
Soundstaging is wider than deep, timbre is a little sterile and metallic sounding but cohesion is good and the multiple driver configuration allows it to be fairly resolving.
COMFORT / ISOLATION / DESIGN
Fitment is comfortable and stays in place, a pretty standard universal shell making the isolation a tick above average. I do like the color scheme, but this is merely a personal preference. The familiar KZ ZSN , ZS10 pro faceplate has been sharpened with accents. Cable is silver and surprised they didn’t opt for a copper or gold colored cable to match. Don’t take fashion tips from me though, wires are on their way out.
FINAL WORDS
For $35 or so, it’s a good pick but if you already own the ZS10 Pro or the CCA C10 and are completely happy with them, you could skip this refresh. On the other hand if you wanted to add a different color scheme to your collection I say go for it. It’s definitely a crowd pleasing medium V with warm vocals and crispy bacon-like treble. However a word of advice to the manufacturer, if you are going to put “Pro” in the name some of the basics need to be right- looking at you sibilance. Nothing ground breaking but a solid offering.
FINAL WORDS
For $35 or so, it’s a good pick but if you already own the ZS10 Pro or the CCA C10 and are completely happy with them, you could skip this refresh. On the other hand if you wanted to add a different color scheme to your collection I say go for it. It’s definitely a crowd pleasing medium V with warm vocals and crispy bacon-like treble. However a word of advice to the manufacturer, if you are going to put “Pro” in the name some of the basics need to be right- looking at you sibilance. Nothing ground breaking but a solid offering.
More pictures and graphs available at www.audioreviews.org
DISCLAIMER
Volunteered to review this set to see what was new. Received this set from a storefront on aliexpress. I purchased my KZ ZS10 Pro back in the day that was used for comparison.
Tested on Samsung S20+ with Baseus L54 Type C converter
Accessories
The accessories that came with this is typical CCA and KZ type of accessories, cable + eartips + typical paperwork, but the C10 Pro comes with a silver cable rather than KZ brown cable which I prefer. The KZ brown cable gets old for me now. This CCA silver cable is relatively softer and overall a bit more nicer feeling than the KZ brown cable. It is a 4 core Silver Type C connector (similar to the connector that comes with newer KZ products) which fits better and more stable than the older 2 pin connectors. The tip pre-installed is the normal rounded ear tips and extra S, M and L starline tips. I am okay with the pre-installed tips but I upgraded to Spinfit CP-145 tips just because that fits my ear better.
Build Quality
The C10 pro feels lighter than the previous C10, which feels a tad cheaper than the C10, but overall still feels well made. The finishing of the metal face-plate is on the sharper side, but not as sharp that it will cut you, it just feels a bit sharp-ey. The surface of the plate has a slightly textured brush metal finish, which is fine for me. The colours that I’ve received is the black and gold and it looks phenomenal in my opinion, even though it does look a bit like KZ ZS10 Pro’s faceplate, which is understandable due to CCA is a sister/brother company of KZ. The cable is again, feels softer than the KZ normal brown cable, which is nice. Not a big fan of the Y-splitter design but that would just be nit-picking, and also it comes with a 3.5mm L-plug connector.
Comfort
The CCA C10 Pro has a very safe shape that fits all ears. It is not too thick and doesn’t protrude out the ear a lot. The nozzle is long enough to isolate most of the sound. The ear hook is also pretty okay. It does get tangled sometimes but for most of the time, the cable unwrap easily. Overall it is a very pleasing fit, and it will stay on the ear just fine.
Bass
The bass is more on the punchier side to my ears, just nice to provide some bass to the music, and it is not too overpowering, overall it is a very pleasant. The bass is very much well controlled and it shows up pretty solid whenever the music demands. I won’t say this is a basshead pair, but it definitely will satisfy them. Comparing to CCA C10, the C10 is a touch warmer and smooth overall.
Mid
The mids are pretty tasteful, it does not sound thin at all, the vocals are a touch recessed on some tracks like Enter Sandman by Metallica, the male vocal just sounds a bit behind the melody. The mid bass bleed into the lower mids a bit, creating a touch of warmth on especially male vocals. Female vocals sounds pretty good in this set, more forward than the male vocals, almost as the same level with the instruments, but is not too congested, the difference between instruments and vocals are still very much present, thanks to the help of the 4 BA. In testing both of this out, the difference that is the most obvious to me is the vocal positioning, the vocal here is more forward than the C10. But don’t get me wrong, the C10’s vocal is still pretty clear, but the C10 Pro just improves that a bit more.
Treble
The sound does has a shimmer on top and detail retrieval is pretty good. Cymbals sounds pretty tasteful in Easy Lover by Philip Bailey feat. Phil Colins. The high note by Colins and the cymbals are pretty distinguishable. It does have slight harshness but not as harsh as KZ, specifically KZ ZSN PRO. In Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry, her high notes rarely reach sibilant territory and does not sound thin at all, the cymbals playing does not get overrun by the bass instruments. Overall the treble is energetic and also pretty well controlled with even with 80 – 90% volume ear fatigue rarely occur for me, but it is still consider a “bright” IEM, but done better. Comparing with CCA C10, the detail retrieval is almost similar, both has very good micro detail retrieval and aren’t sibilant.
Soundstage
Soundstage is similar with the C10, wider than ZSN PRO definitely. It feels like you’re inside a relatively decent room, this causes a pretty good instrument separation. Would I say this is analytical sounding? Not really due to its present V-shaped tuning, but not substantially much as it is still okay for music mixing. Overall the C10 Pro does not feel claustrophobic that’s for sure. Instrument separation is very good on this, again thanks to the multi-driver setup, the depth is adequate and the width is good. Heavy tracks in Alan Parson’s Eve in the Sky album still performs pretty good.
Conclusion
Is this an upgrade from CCA C10? Well, it is but I won’t say it is a substantial upgrade. Imagine this as a slightly brighter C10. But for people who wants to try a multi-driver setup I would say this is a very good start. Overall it is a pretty clear, energetic, coloured IEM with excellent detail retrieval.
Accessories
The accessories that came with this is typical CCA and KZ type of accessories, cable + eartips + typical paperwork, but the C10 Pro comes with a silver cable rather than KZ brown cable which I prefer. The KZ brown cable gets old for me now. This CCA silver cable is relatively softer and overall a bit more nicer feeling than the KZ brown cable. It is a 4 core Silver Type C connector (similar to the connector that comes with newer KZ products) which fits better and more stable than the older 2 pin connectors. The tip pre-installed is the normal rounded ear tips and extra S, M and L starline tips. I am okay with the pre-installed tips but I upgraded to Spinfit CP-145 tips just because that fits my ear better.
Build Quality
The C10 pro feels lighter than the previous C10, which feels a tad cheaper than the C10, but overall still feels well made. The finishing of the metal face-plate is on the sharper side, but not as sharp that it will cut you, it just feels a bit sharp-ey. The surface of the plate has a slightly textured brush metal finish, which is fine for me. The colours that I’ve received is the black and gold and it looks phenomenal in my opinion, even though it does look a bit like KZ ZS10 Pro’s faceplate, which is understandable due to CCA is a sister/brother company of KZ. The cable is again, feels softer than the KZ normal brown cable, which is nice. Not a big fan of the Y-splitter design but that would just be nit-picking, and also it comes with a 3.5mm L-plug connector.
Comfort
The CCA C10 Pro has a very safe shape that fits all ears. It is not too thick and doesn’t protrude out the ear a lot. The nozzle is long enough to isolate most of the sound. The ear hook is also pretty okay. It does get tangled sometimes but for most of the time, the cable unwrap easily. Overall it is a very pleasing fit, and it will stay on the ear just fine.
Bass
The bass is more on the punchier side to my ears, just nice to provide some bass to the music, and it is not too overpowering, overall it is a very pleasant. The bass is very much well controlled and it shows up pretty solid whenever the music demands. I won’t say this is a basshead pair, but it definitely will satisfy them. Comparing to CCA C10, the C10 is a touch warmer and smooth overall.
Mid
The mids are pretty tasteful, it does not sound thin at all, the vocals are a touch recessed on some tracks like Enter Sandman by Metallica, the male vocal just sounds a bit behind the melody. The mid bass bleed into the lower mids a bit, creating a touch of warmth on especially male vocals. Female vocals sounds pretty good in this set, more forward than the male vocals, almost as the same level with the instruments, but is not too congested, the difference between instruments and vocals are still very much present, thanks to the help of the 4 BA. In testing both of this out, the difference that is the most obvious to me is the vocal positioning, the vocal here is more forward than the C10. But don’t get me wrong, the C10’s vocal is still pretty clear, but the C10 Pro just improves that a bit more.
Treble
The sound does has a shimmer on top and detail retrieval is pretty good. Cymbals sounds pretty tasteful in Easy Lover by Philip Bailey feat. Phil Colins. The high note by Colins and the cymbals are pretty distinguishable. It does have slight harshness but not as harsh as KZ, specifically KZ ZSN PRO. In Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry, her high notes rarely reach sibilant territory and does not sound thin at all, the cymbals playing does not get overrun by the bass instruments. Overall the treble is energetic and also pretty well controlled with even with 80 – 90% volume ear fatigue rarely occur for me, but it is still consider a “bright” IEM, but done better. Comparing with CCA C10, the detail retrieval is almost similar, both has very good micro detail retrieval and aren’t sibilant.
Soundstage
Soundstage is similar with the C10, wider than ZSN PRO definitely. It feels like you’re inside a relatively decent room, this causes a pretty good instrument separation. Would I say this is analytical sounding? Not really due to its present V-shaped tuning, but not substantially much as it is still okay for music mixing. Overall the C10 Pro does not feel claustrophobic that’s for sure. Instrument separation is very good on this, again thanks to the multi-driver setup, the depth is adequate and the width is good. Heavy tracks in Alan Parson’s Eve in the Sky album still performs pretty good.
Conclusion
Is this an upgrade from CCA C10? Well, it is but I won’t say it is a substantial upgrade. Imagine this as a slightly brighter C10. But for people who wants to try a multi-driver setup I would say this is a very good start. Overall it is a pretty clear, energetic, coloured IEM with excellent detail retrieval.
CCA's original C10 was notable in that its profile differed from the traditional V shape, instead offering a more balanced and neutral response. Featuring a 10mm dynamic driver coupled with two 50060 midrange BAs and two 30095 treble units in a three-way arrangement, it sounded very different from the similarly equipped KZ ZS10 Pro.
The new C10 Pro has a 10mm dual magnet DD for the bass, and the BAs used are: one 50060 covering the midrange, a dual BA unit for the mid/high region and one 30095 (placed in the nozzle) for the high frequencies. A four-way crossover system is employed.
The C10 Pro comes presented in the new CCA packaging first seen in the CA16, being a small white rectangular box with a linen finish and a CCA logo in the centre. Inside you will find a slip case containing the documentation under which the IEMs are displayed in a card cut-out. Lifting this out reveals the cable and three spare Starline tips.
The earpieces have a clear smoked resin body through which the components can be seen. The metal faceplate is finished in matt black with gold chevron detailing and closely resembles the KZ ZS10 Pro. There are two pinhole vents on the inner surface. The IEMs are pre-fitted with a pair of medium large bore silicone tips.
The supplied cable is a silver plated type with QDC connectors and a white plastic angled 3.5mm plug. It is a big improvement on former offerings from CCA/KZ, but still lacks a chin slider and could have usefully been furnished with metal fittings.
A burn-in period of 100 hours was carried out with the supplied cable and tips. The seal was very good but there were some sharp edges on the faceplate which occasionally caused discomfort and the earpieces did feel a little bulky. An Xduoo X20 DAP was chosen for appraisal but I found the sound too bright so substituted this with a Sony NWZ-A15 which has a warmer tonality. There was some improvement but the basic high frequency output remained considerably north of neutral.
First Impressions
The C10 Pro displayed a very different profile from its predecessor, in fact, more resembling the C12 than being a follow-up to the original. It was also very different from the recent more neutrally tuned CA16. It had an assertive delivery with solid, clean and fast bass, forward mids and somewhat aggressive high frequencies with an emphasis on the upper mids and lower treble. The overall tonality was cooler than neutral. Unusually, the sound did not change very much during burn-in.
Bass
The bass was fast and accurate with quick decay and good transient attack. It was rather cool in timbre and its focus was between the sub and mid bass region. Detail and resolution were good. This resulted in a punchy and animated presentation.
Franz Waxman's "Dusk" is a moody piece from the film "Night unto Night". The orchestral bass drum is very prominent especially at 5:40 when it is played powerfully and the C10 Pro managed to reproduce the clean initial strike and ambient decay very well. There was plenty of weight in the bass and it conveyed the dramatic feeling admirably.
The introduction to "Flame Nebula" from Kevin Kendle's space music album "Light from Orion" features a prominent sub bass foundation supporting swirling synth figures and a slow lead melody. The C10 Pro produced adequate depth here with very good texture and detail coming through, but I would have liked a little more warmth.
Mids
The mids were very clean and detailed, with a cool timbre and were quite forward in balance. The transient performance was immediate and crisp.
"Theme from the Yellow Book" is a piece for cello and orchestra by Mike Batt from the album "Pieces". Performed by Julian Lloyd Webber and the LSO, it sounded particularly clear and precise. Indeed, midrange clarity was perhaps the best aspect of the C10 Pro and the "rosin" effect of the bowing was very noticeable. However, the accompanying strings sometimes displayed a "glassy" or thin tonality which was also shared by the woodwind and this detracted from the romantic nature of the piece.
Vangelis's "Spanish Harbour" from "Oceanic" features a lead synth emulating a Spanish guitar playing rapid sequences of notes and the C10 managed to reproduce each note separately and clearly whilst retaining the essential rhythmic quality. Backed by punchy drums and sparkling percussion, it sounded very exciting but a little "in your face" and did become slightly intense.
Treble
The C10 Pro's treble was very detailed but also very bright with emphasis in the lower region and smaller peaks higher up. This was exciting, but also fatiguing from time to time. I would consider the placing of the 30095 BA in the nozzle was principally the reason for this.
The sparkling metallic tones of the rhythm guitar in Richard Vimal's beautiful and haunting "Les Yeux Cadanasses" received a wonderfully clear rendition from the C10 Pro. Overlaid by a lovely minor key lead synth melody, every detail was crisp and well-defined. Although not entirely natural, the extra treble brightness really enhanced the performance.
Eric Whitacre's "October" in an arrangement for string orchestra once again demonstrated the clarity and detail on offer from the C10 Pro. The violas at the beginning of the piece displayed good projection and the full orchestral climaxes were impressively dramatic. The timbre, however was somewhat brighter than I would have liked and there was an edgy quality on the higher notes. The extreme clarity did diminish the sense of musicality making the presentation more "technical".
Soundstage
The C10 Pro's soundstage was average in size. Instruments spread out to around the edge of the head but not beyond. The forward nature of the upper mids was most likely the cause. Depth also was rather lacking with orchestral recordings lacking a sense of distance and resulting in a somewhat flat perspective. The height was around average.
Conclusion
The C10 Pro was a "Curate's Egg" with some impressive qualities, such as transient attack, detail retrieval and clarity, but it also suffered from too much brightness, an aggressive upper region and a rather condensed soundstage. It sounded exciting with some genres, electronic music especially, but classical music did not fare so well and long-term listening did result in some fatigue. The presentation took on a more technical rather than musical aspect.
If an exciting, enthusiastic sound profile is to your taste the KZ ZS10 Pro will serve you better. It has a similar entertaining sound profile but a warmer, more musical and more "fun" presentation and more expansive staging.
The new C10 Pro has a 10mm dual magnet DD for the bass, and the BAs used are: one 50060 covering the midrange, a dual BA unit for the mid/high region and one 30095 (placed in the nozzle) for the high frequencies. A four-way crossover system is employed.
The C10 Pro comes presented in the new CCA packaging first seen in the CA16, being a small white rectangular box with a linen finish and a CCA logo in the centre. Inside you will find a slip case containing the documentation under which the IEMs are displayed in a card cut-out. Lifting this out reveals the cable and three spare Starline tips.
The earpieces have a clear smoked resin body through which the components can be seen. The metal faceplate is finished in matt black with gold chevron detailing and closely resembles the KZ ZS10 Pro. There are two pinhole vents on the inner surface. The IEMs are pre-fitted with a pair of medium large bore silicone tips.
The supplied cable is a silver plated type with QDC connectors and a white plastic angled 3.5mm plug. It is a big improvement on former offerings from CCA/KZ, but still lacks a chin slider and could have usefully been furnished with metal fittings.
A burn-in period of 100 hours was carried out with the supplied cable and tips. The seal was very good but there were some sharp edges on the faceplate which occasionally caused discomfort and the earpieces did feel a little bulky. An Xduoo X20 DAP was chosen for appraisal but I found the sound too bright so substituted this with a Sony NWZ-A15 which has a warmer tonality. There was some improvement but the basic high frequency output remained considerably north of neutral.
First Impressions
The C10 Pro displayed a very different profile from its predecessor, in fact, more resembling the C12 than being a follow-up to the original. It was also very different from the recent more neutrally tuned CA16. It had an assertive delivery with solid, clean and fast bass, forward mids and somewhat aggressive high frequencies with an emphasis on the upper mids and lower treble. The overall tonality was cooler than neutral. Unusually, the sound did not change very much during burn-in.
Bass
The bass was fast and accurate with quick decay and good transient attack. It was rather cool in timbre and its focus was between the sub and mid bass region. Detail and resolution were good. This resulted in a punchy and animated presentation.
Franz Waxman's "Dusk" is a moody piece from the film "Night unto Night". The orchestral bass drum is very prominent especially at 5:40 when it is played powerfully and the C10 Pro managed to reproduce the clean initial strike and ambient decay very well. There was plenty of weight in the bass and it conveyed the dramatic feeling admirably.
The introduction to "Flame Nebula" from Kevin Kendle's space music album "Light from Orion" features a prominent sub bass foundation supporting swirling synth figures and a slow lead melody. The C10 Pro produced adequate depth here with very good texture and detail coming through, but I would have liked a little more warmth.
Mids
The mids were very clean and detailed, with a cool timbre and were quite forward in balance. The transient performance was immediate and crisp.
"Theme from the Yellow Book" is a piece for cello and orchestra by Mike Batt from the album "Pieces". Performed by Julian Lloyd Webber and the LSO, it sounded particularly clear and precise. Indeed, midrange clarity was perhaps the best aspect of the C10 Pro and the "rosin" effect of the bowing was very noticeable. However, the accompanying strings sometimes displayed a "glassy" or thin tonality which was also shared by the woodwind and this detracted from the romantic nature of the piece.
Vangelis's "Spanish Harbour" from "Oceanic" features a lead synth emulating a Spanish guitar playing rapid sequences of notes and the C10 managed to reproduce each note separately and clearly whilst retaining the essential rhythmic quality. Backed by punchy drums and sparkling percussion, it sounded very exciting but a little "in your face" and did become slightly intense.
Treble
The C10 Pro's treble was very detailed but also very bright with emphasis in the lower region and smaller peaks higher up. This was exciting, but also fatiguing from time to time. I would consider the placing of the 30095 BA in the nozzle was principally the reason for this.
The sparkling metallic tones of the rhythm guitar in Richard Vimal's beautiful and haunting "Les Yeux Cadanasses" received a wonderfully clear rendition from the C10 Pro. Overlaid by a lovely minor key lead synth melody, every detail was crisp and well-defined. Although not entirely natural, the extra treble brightness really enhanced the performance.
Eric Whitacre's "October" in an arrangement for string orchestra once again demonstrated the clarity and detail on offer from the C10 Pro. The violas at the beginning of the piece displayed good projection and the full orchestral climaxes were impressively dramatic. The timbre, however was somewhat brighter than I would have liked and there was an edgy quality on the higher notes. The extreme clarity did diminish the sense of musicality making the presentation more "technical".
Soundstage
The C10 Pro's soundstage was average in size. Instruments spread out to around the edge of the head but not beyond. The forward nature of the upper mids was most likely the cause. Depth also was rather lacking with orchestral recordings lacking a sense of distance and resulting in a somewhat flat perspective. The height was around average.
Conclusion
The C10 Pro was a "Curate's Egg" with some impressive qualities, such as transient attack, detail retrieval and clarity, but it also suffered from too much brightness, an aggressive upper region and a rather condensed soundstage. It sounded exciting with some genres, electronic music especially, but classical music did not fare so well and long-term listening did result in some fatigue. The presentation took on a more technical rather than musical aspect.
If an exciting, enthusiastic sound profile is to your taste the KZ ZS10 Pro will serve you better. It has a similar entertaining sound profile but a warmer, more musical and more "fun" presentation and more expansive staging.
Box is that simple CCA/KZ box with the cable and tips we all know this time in silver in my opinion looks better. Build is good resin back with metal front I've come to expect, the paint job is elegant to a point and I like that, even if the back plate is straight off the ZS10 pro. This is not unexpected as this sounds like a slightly refined ZS10. The unit also shares the shape of the C12 and is comfortable as either IEMs and fit in my ears well.
Bass:
Very good quantity an quality to the Bass here, I think its tighter than the ZS10 and has better control. The Mid Bass is speedy and with a fair amount of punch there is great texture and details here in the low end.
Mids are have a little more emphasis than the C12 and ZS10 but this is not going to win any contests here due to the Vshape sound.
Treble:
The highs have a great amount of details and extend to the limits and maybe beyond at times but is manageable and most of the time a compliment to the Bass.
Soundstage is fairly wide with a slightly unique shape to it , imaging is good with live music sounding properly placed, separation is good too. Some recordings sound un-natural but not enough to be a problem..
Overall:
The CCA Z10 pro, is not a upgrade to the C10 as it is a evolution of a CCA product merging attributes of the C12 WITH ZS10 to create something unique. I find this to be a very enjoyable budged IEM with a fun Sounding V-Shaped signature , good comfort and a cool looking paint job.
Attachments
Rating: 7.8
Sound: 7.7
Intro
It has recently become a popular game in the circle of KZ & CCA to re-release older products as Pro versions. Sometimes we even get an added value, like with the ZS10 (PRO), but rarely this justifies a completely new product.
The CCA C10 was the door opener of the daughter company of KZ and was even rated "Okay" by very critical and "opinion-forming" reviewers, which is something to be proud of. Not surprisingly, this model deserves a pro version. However, the C10 PRO has rather become a descendant of the C12 than to optimize the already quite mature C10, or let's rather say, it has been overshot a bit.
Handling
The C10 PRO is very light due to its light metal faceplate, but it also looks somehow cheaper, because you would expect more weight due to the choice of material, as for example with the KZ ZS10 PRO and therefore subjectively associate more quality. So it has more toy character than suggesting value. Optically, however, this is obsolete and the low weight definitely contributes to the wearing comfort.
As with the KZ ZSN PRO X we get a silver plated cable as an accessory and I assume that CCA/KZ will change completely to this in the future. Foamtips (3 pairs of the same size) are also supplied separately, but this is probably to be understood as an action. Here I would be happy if these would be included as standard accessories. Otherwise the scope of delivery is rather poor, because there are no more than 3 sizes of silicone tips.
Isolation and wearing comfort is good, to very good, as with almost all models of the company, depending on the space in the ear, which should not be too small.
Sound
The C10 PRO is more comparable in sound to the C12 than to the original C10.
The bass has authority and mixes a good texture with firmness and direct response. A high quality bass that can compete with its predecessor. It is a bit more detailed and tighter for my taste, but not quite as organic. Still the highlight of the C10 PRO.
The mids have to fight a bit, because the highs steal the show. Due to the emphasis the signature slips more into the "V". I find the mids a bit too hard due to the emphasis on the upper frequencies and I miss something natural, warm and mature. Vocals could be a bit smoother and build up more emotions. The C10 does that better, even if it lacks a little stability and assertiveness. Here they simply wanted to trick a bit too much and create more details, stage extension and separation by frequency boosting, where the driver doesn't offer the potential, though. But the C10 PRO is not the only driver in the KZ/CCA family and I don't want to make the good mids worse than they are. Especially electric guitars have a driving and crisp component due to their tuning.
Oh man, I could write a long essay about the minimal differences in high frequencies of various CCA/KZ models. But I will come to a result (with very few exceptions, which are more likely to be found in CCA). The high frequencies usually sound a bit artificial and have a sometimes more, sometimes less strong sibilant emphasis. The used 30095, which was "developed" by KZ, is simply not the right one if you are looking for a natural and homogeneous high tone. With the C10 it was at least possible to get this BA driver under control, as well as with the C12, which was a bit more borderline, but also provides more details. The C10 PRO goes one step further and lets the BA 30095 off the leash again, which provides more micro details but also enhances the metallic timbre. However, if you bring a certain tolerance and stand on more prominent high frequencies, you might be happy here. Even if the tweeter can sometimes even excite me, it is too inconsistent for me and you notice the technical limitation of the driver. In this case less is more!
Even if a bit artificial, the music is quite exciting with the generated stage and the very good separation. A lot of information is processed in a large room, so there is a lot to discover, but I have the feeling that sometimes there is also distortion.
Outro
The C10 PRO has become a very lively IEM, which offers a really good bass performance and with its graded high frequency, can be quite exciting. It plays a bit with fire, but for me this is just about tolerable. But the sibilants and the metallic timbre in the high tone are disturbing in the long run. On the other hand, the C10 PRO can convince with an appealing 3D image where the separation is to be emphasized and even if it doesn't always have much to do with authentic listening, the C10 PRO can still be very entertaining.
For me it is not an upgrade to the C10, or C12, but rather an alternative to the CA16, for those who find it a bit too dark or imprecise and prefer a more direct and brighter sound.
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Sound: 7.7
Intro
It has recently become a popular game in the circle of KZ & CCA to re-release older products as Pro versions. Sometimes we even get an added value, like with the ZS10 (PRO), but rarely this justifies a completely new product.
The CCA C10 was the door opener of the daughter company of KZ and was even rated "Okay" by very critical and "opinion-forming" reviewers, which is something to be proud of. Not surprisingly, this model deserves a pro version. However, the C10 PRO has rather become a descendant of the C12 than to optimize the already quite mature C10, or let's rather say, it has been overshot a bit.
Handling
The C10 PRO is very light due to its light metal faceplate, but it also looks somehow cheaper, because you would expect more weight due to the choice of material, as for example with the KZ ZS10 PRO and therefore subjectively associate more quality. So it has more toy character than suggesting value. Optically, however, this is obsolete and the low weight definitely contributes to the wearing comfort.
As with the KZ ZSN PRO X we get a silver plated cable as an accessory and I assume that CCA/KZ will change completely to this in the future. Foamtips (3 pairs of the same size) are also supplied separately, but this is probably to be understood as an action. Here I would be happy if these would be included as standard accessories. Otherwise the scope of delivery is rather poor, because there are no more than 3 sizes of silicone tips.
Isolation and wearing comfort is good, to very good, as with almost all models of the company, depending on the space in the ear, which should not be too small.
Sound
The C10 PRO is more comparable in sound to the C12 than to the original C10.
The bass has authority and mixes a good texture with firmness and direct response. A high quality bass that can compete with its predecessor. It is a bit more detailed and tighter for my taste, but not quite as organic. Still the highlight of the C10 PRO.
The mids have to fight a bit, because the highs steal the show. Due to the emphasis the signature slips more into the "V". I find the mids a bit too hard due to the emphasis on the upper frequencies and I miss something natural, warm and mature. Vocals could be a bit smoother and build up more emotions. The C10 does that better, even if it lacks a little stability and assertiveness. Here they simply wanted to trick a bit too much and create more details, stage extension and separation by frequency boosting, where the driver doesn't offer the potential, though. But the C10 PRO is not the only driver in the KZ/CCA family and I don't want to make the good mids worse than they are. Especially electric guitars have a driving and crisp component due to their tuning.
Oh man, I could write a long essay about the minimal differences in high frequencies of various CCA/KZ models. But I will come to a result (with very few exceptions, which are more likely to be found in CCA). The high frequencies usually sound a bit artificial and have a sometimes more, sometimes less strong sibilant emphasis. The used 30095, which was "developed" by KZ, is simply not the right one if you are looking for a natural and homogeneous high tone. With the C10 it was at least possible to get this BA driver under control, as well as with the C12, which was a bit more borderline, but also provides more details. The C10 PRO goes one step further and lets the BA 30095 off the leash again, which provides more micro details but also enhances the metallic timbre. However, if you bring a certain tolerance and stand on more prominent high frequencies, you might be happy here. Even if the tweeter can sometimes even excite me, it is too inconsistent for me and you notice the technical limitation of the driver. In this case less is more!
Even if a bit artificial, the music is quite exciting with the generated stage and the very good separation. A lot of information is processed in a large room, so there is a lot to discover, but I have the feeling that sometimes there is also distortion.
Outro
The C10 PRO has become a very lively IEM, which offers a really good bass performance and with its graded high frequency, can be quite exciting. It plays a bit with fire, but for me this is just about tolerable. But the sibilants and the metallic timbre in the high tone are disturbing in the long run. On the other hand, the C10 PRO can convince with an appealing 3D image where the separation is to be emphasized and even if it doesn't always have much to do with authentic listening, the C10 PRO can still be very entertaining.
For me it is not an upgrade to the C10, or C12, but rather an alternative to the CA16, for those who find it a bit too dark or imprecise and prefer a more direct and brighter sound.
___________________________________________________________
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