CCA CA4 1(DD) + 1(BA) Hybrid In-Ear
- Added by DocHoliday
- Create date
-
- Tags
- 1+1 hybrid ca4 cca kz
The unit feels solid and is well built. the comfort was good as expected considering the shape is standard and well known.
Sound:
Bass: Sub-Bass had a energetic presence with Mid-Bass being punchy.
Mids: were forward with minimal recession but vocals were clear and had a pleasant warmth to them.
Treble: had good details and a nice amount of sparkle with more control than was expected.
Soundstage: Was very wide but lacked depth to match , still sounded good but unnatural with some songs. Imaging was better than average.
Conclusion: This is a much more refined IEM from this company with better control on the Bass and Treble and much more enjoyable signature to listen for longer sessions, it looks good and is built well.
I have been evaluating the CCA CA4 for the last few days and have enjoyed listening to it. I have written a review and am posting it here as there is no showcase facility for it at the moment! Here it is:
The CCA CA4 is the latest IEM from Clear Concept Audio, a sister company of KZ (Knowledge Zenith). It replaces the CCA C04, and, like the former model, it is a dual-driver IEM (1DD + 1BA). The dynamic driver is a new dual magnet design with a field strength of 1 Tesla and is the same as that used in the new KZ ZSN Pro and ZS10 Pro. The balanced armature is the familiar 30095 unit which has been extensively modified.
The packaging and accessories are similar to that supplied with the C10 and C16 and include the cable, a set of three Starline-type tips and documentation, all presented in a neat small white box with an illustration of the IEMs on the front and the words “Second Generation Hybrid Earphone”. There are some specifications printed on the back.
The CA4 has a smooth zinc alloy faceplate bearing the CCA logo and the words “hybrid technology”. There is a small vent at the base of the nozzle and a further vent on the inner surface of the earpiece. There is no channel identification on the earpieces which led to a bit of confusion as to which way the cables should be attached. The detachable cable is of a new design, following that used on the above-mentioned ZSN. It has a clear plastic female connector with the pins being situated on the body of the IEMs. The cable itself is similar to that used on the C10 and C16. It has a very long section between the Y-split and the earpieces and as a result is somewhat prone to tangling. The plug is a right-angled plastic 3.5mm type.
The earphones were left burning in for 72 hours before testing and included tracks of white and pink noise, glide tones and other audio conditioning tracks. After this I used a Hifi Walker H2 DAP with a Fiio A5 amplifier for evaluation.
The CA4 was tested using the supplied cable and the pre-fitted medium Starline tips, which resulted in a very comfortable fit. The seal and isolation were above average. Sensitivity was fine, with adequate volume achieved on various devices, including a Moto G3 smartphone.
At first listen, I found the bass to be immensely powerful and it dominated the overall presentation. However, after 24 hours burn in the sound was transformed. I have to say that the burn-in process altered the sound of the CA4s more than any other IEM I have tested. After a further extended run-in period the overall balance was much more even, with a slightly elevated bass, a somewhat forward midrange balance and a clear and detailed treble with good extension. The general profile might be described as W-shaped. Timbre of instruments was very natural, with an “analogue-like” warmth to the lower registers.
Bass
The bass was very well-extended and had good power and transient attack. Sub-bass reached deep with a satisfying rumble and the decay was natural and did not fall off too quickly. Recorded ambience came over very well, and the character of recording venues was preserved very well. The introduction to “Out There” from Frank Steiner Jr’s “Momentum” was a perfect example of this with powerful drum beats and a superbly deep sub-bass accompaniment. “Valley of the Giants” by Mars Lasar similarly impressed with bass drum and other percussion forming a perfect background to the atmospheric soundtrack. The orchestral bass drum in “Greenwich” from the “Kentish Suite” by Hubert Clifford was very impressive with a natural decay and wonderful timbre. Mid-bass was not overdone and did not bleed into the midrange, simply providing an extra bit of punch in this frequency range.
Mids
The lower midrange was slightly recessed, and the level gradually increased up to the presence region after which it reduced again slightly. This profile delivered plenty of detail and the separation and layering were very good. As a result, vocals stood out well from the accompaniment with lyrics clear and well-articulated. Simpler recordings displayed good intimacy, as in “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy, where every detail of her voice could be appreciated and the emotion of the song was conveyed perfectly. The guitar accompaniment was bright and clear. Orchestral timbre was portrayed well with the character of different instruments easy to discern. The beautiful cor anglais solo in Sibelius’s “The Swan of Tuonela” was a good example of this, with the solo instrument singing clearly against the moody string chords and bass drum background. Vanessa Mae’s violin solo in Vangelis’s “Roxanne’s Veil” was very impressive with her instrument displaying a natural, woody tone and was a perfect foil for the atmospheric synth washes from the Greek keyboard master.
Treble
The treble was clear, crisp and well-articulated, with good detail and extension. Robert Carty’s “Sunrise Serenade”, from his album “Silent Dreams” had a wealth of detail and the complex percussive elements were very well separated. The soundstage and atmosphere in this track were particularly notable. Michael Giles’s delicate percussion work in King Crimson’s “Moonchild” was detailed and clear and full of atmosphere, with the cymbals having a lovely airy shimmer.
Soundstage
The CA4’s soundstage was excellent and expansive. I have noticed that other IEMs with an extended bass response have a good soundstage. which seems to indicate that much of this dimensional information is contained in the lower frequencies. The evocative flute solo in Stuart Mitchell’s “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus” was testament to this as it appeared to float above the orchestral accompaniment in a very attractive way, with the timpani strikes near the conclusion having plenty of air and a long natural decay. The ambience of the recording venue was reproduced beautifully. The reverb behind Peter White’s acoustic guitar solo in Al Stewart’s “On the Border” was very convincing, adding to the authenticity and realism of the recording.
Conclusion
This latest model from CCA has a different presentation from the earlier two models, C10 and C16. The C10 has a well-balanced sound with a slightly warm bass region, natural midrange and a gentle rolled-off treble which still retains detail and air, resulting in a relaxing sound. The C16, in contrast, has a very clean, almost clinical, accurate delivery, which is very revealing of recording quality. It has a bright, elevated upper range with excellent detail retrieval. It reproduces music in a “warts and all” fashion.
The CA4 is different again, with a much more “genre-friendly” entertaining sound. It is similar in style to its cousin, the KZ ZS7 with a strong bass and elevated treble, and a lively, colourful and energetic presentaion. It does not have quite the separation and detail that the ZS7 has, but that model has two extra BAs covering the midrange.
For a simpler 1DD + 1BA design, the CA4 acquits itself very well, especially considering its lower price, and I feel it is the most accomplished dual driver hybrid I have heard so far. The tuning of the 30095 driver has come a long way since its implementation in the KZ ZST, ES3, ZS10 and ZS4 earlier models and this latest iteration is the best yet. I can’t wait for the next model from CCA!
The CCA CA4 is the latest IEM from Clear Concept Audio, a sister company of KZ (Knowledge Zenith). It replaces the CCA C04, and, like the former model, it is a dual-driver IEM (1DD + 1BA). The dynamic driver is a new dual magnet design with a field strength of 1 Tesla and is the same as that used in the new KZ ZSN Pro and ZS10 Pro. The balanced armature is the familiar 30095 unit which has been extensively modified.
The packaging and accessories are similar to that supplied with the C10 and C16 and include the cable, a set of three Starline-type tips and documentation, all presented in a neat small white box with an illustration of the IEMs on the front and the words “Second Generation Hybrid Earphone”. There are some specifications printed on the back.
The CA4 has a smooth zinc alloy faceplate bearing the CCA logo and the words “hybrid technology”. There is a small vent at the base of the nozzle and a further vent on the inner surface of the earpiece. There is no channel identification on the earpieces which led to a bit of confusion as to which way the cables should be attached. The detachable cable is of a new design, following that used on the above-mentioned ZSN. It has a clear plastic female connector with the pins being situated on the body of the IEMs. The cable itself is similar to that used on the C10 and C16. It has a very long section between the Y-split and the earpieces and as a result is somewhat prone to tangling. The plug is a right-angled plastic 3.5mm type.
The earphones were left burning in for 72 hours before testing and included tracks of white and pink noise, glide tones and other audio conditioning tracks. After this I used a Hifi Walker H2 DAP with a Fiio A5 amplifier for evaluation.
The CA4 was tested using the supplied cable and the pre-fitted medium Starline tips, which resulted in a very comfortable fit. The seal and isolation were above average. Sensitivity was fine, with adequate volume achieved on various devices, including a Moto G3 smartphone.
At first listen, I found the bass to be immensely powerful and it dominated the overall presentation. However, after 24 hours burn in the sound was transformed. I have to say that the burn-in process altered the sound of the CA4s more than any other IEM I have tested. After a further extended run-in period the overall balance was much more even, with a slightly elevated bass, a somewhat forward midrange balance and a clear and detailed treble with good extension. The general profile might be described as W-shaped. Timbre of instruments was very natural, with an “analogue-like” warmth to the lower registers.
Bass
The bass was very well-extended and had good power and transient attack. Sub-bass reached deep with a satisfying rumble and the decay was natural and did not fall off too quickly. Recorded ambience came over very well, and the character of recording venues was preserved very well. The introduction to “Out There” from Frank Steiner Jr’s “Momentum” was a perfect example of this with powerful drum beats and a superbly deep sub-bass accompaniment. “Valley of the Giants” by Mars Lasar similarly impressed with bass drum and other percussion forming a perfect background to the atmospheric soundtrack. The orchestral bass drum in “Greenwich” from the “Kentish Suite” by Hubert Clifford was very impressive with a natural decay and wonderful timbre. Mid-bass was not overdone and did not bleed into the midrange, simply providing an extra bit of punch in this frequency range.
Mids
The lower midrange was slightly recessed, and the level gradually increased up to the presence region after which it reduced again slightly. This profile delivered plenty of detail and the separation and layering were very good. As a result, vocals stood out well from the accompaniment with lyrics clear and well-articulated. Simpler recordings displayed good intimacy, as in “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy, where every detail of her voice could be appreciated and the emotion of the song was conveyed perfectly. The guitar accompaniment was bright and clear. Orchestral timbre was portrayed well with the character of different instruments easy to discern. The beautiful cor anglais solo in Sibelius’s “The Swan of Tuonela” was a good example of this, with the solo instrument singing clearly against the moody string chords and bass drum background. Vanessa Mae’s violin solo in Vangelis’s “Roxanne’s Veil” was very impressive with her instrument displaying a natural, woody tone and was a perfect foil for the atmospheric synth washes from the Greek keyboard master.
Treble
The treble was clear, crisp and well-articulated, with good detail and extension. Robert Carty’s “Sunrise Serenade”, from his album “Silent Dreams” had a wealth of detail and the complex percussive elements were very well separated. The soundstage and atmosphere in this track were particularly notable. Michael Giles’s delicate percussion work in King Crimson’s “Moonchild” was detailed and clear and full of atmosphere, with the cymbals having a lovely airy shimmer.
Soundstage
The CA4’s soundstage was excellent and expansive. I have noticed that other IEMs with an extended bass response have a good soundstage. which seems to indicate that much of this dimensional information is contained in the lower frequencies. The evocative flute solo in Stuart Mitchell’s “Mausoleum at Halicarnassus” was testament to this as it appeared to float above the orchestral accompaniment in a very attractive way, with the timpani strikes near the conclusion having plenty of air and a long natural decay. The ambience of the recording venue was reproduced beautifully. The reverb behind Peter White’s acoustic guitar solo in Al Stewart’s “On the Border” was very convincing, adding to the authenticity and realism of the recording.
Conclusion
This latest model from CCA has a different presentation from the earlier two models, C10 and C16. The C10 has a well-balanced sound with a slightly warm bass region, natural midrange and a gentle rolled-off treble which still retains detail and air, resulting in a relaxing sound. The C16, in contrast, has a very clean, almost clinical, accurate delivery, which is very revealing of recording quality. It has a bright, elevated upper range with excellent detail retrieval. It reproduces music in a “warts and all” fashion.
The CA4 is different again, with a much more “genre-friendly” entertaining sound. It is similar in style to its cousin, the KZ ZS7 with a strong bass and elevated treble, and a lively, colourful and energetic presentaion. It does not have quite the separation and detail that the ZS7 has, but that model has two extra BAs covering the midrange.
For a simpler 1DD + 1BA design, the CA4 acquits itself very well, especially considering its lower price, and I feel it is the most accomplished dual driver hybrid I have heard so far. The tuning of the 30095 driver has come a long way since its implementation in the KZ ZST, ES3, ZS10 and ZS4 earlier models and this latest iteration is the best yet. I can’t wait for the next model from CCA!
Assimilator702
As I was reading your review it did t take long to realize I had read it already. Yep......you have the only decent review on Amazon. Now are you liking these after a few weeks? They’re pretty cheap and I can’t seem to resist .....just one more pair.....
