CCZ Plume

Disclaimer : The unit was provided by Hifigo as a part of a review tour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Build & Fit
The fit of the Plume is hands down the best I have encountered, along with the Sennheiser IE300. While the IE300 is about minimalism and disappearing in your ears, the Plume is about locking in place totally. The earphone seals so well in my ears it feels as if a hand going in a glove. The strong seal basically locks it in place and cancels out all but the absurdly loud noises outside. This motivates to play at a lower volume which is a good thing for your ears.
The fit is the best I have seen for my ears, bar none. I cannot get over how good it fits in my ears. The mono-crystalline copper cable has a supple fabric jacketing. I dig the brown color. Unfortunately the unit in my review tour has the paint chipping away on the earphones. I am hoping this is an isolated incident, and with a sample size of 1, I cannot comment more.



Amp Needs
At 16 ohms and 110dB/mW the Plume is very efficient. As expected, no dedicated amplifier is needed. It plays with lots of headroom left, even off a regular phone. This is an underrated design choice is a gift that keeps on giving itself.



Sound Quality
I really cannot find any flaws on the Plume, it seems to perform very nicely on all fronts, including detail retrieval. Everything has a nice verticality and heft to it, the overall sound also having good macro-dyanmics. This is surprising as it does the same without needing an amplifier to shine. The midrange is clear and transparent, has good timbre and tonality which aids to provide great vocals. One might expect things to take a turn South, but no. The bass response is juicy, to say in one word. It has good texture and adds a satisfactory weight to the sound. Better still, the bass does not bleed despite hitting hard. Like I said, juicy bass. The relaxed treble imparts a non-fatiguing yet very engaging experience which is quite uncommon. Unfortunately, there is a slight grain and congestion in the treble region, preventing to render the black background in this region. That slight congestion becomes apparent in busy tracks. But the overall sound is engaging enough to sway your mind off it. The headstage is wide enough and extending reasonably beyond the ears, but is a flat presentation, not excelling at layering.




Conclusion
The Plume is a pleasant surprise. It provides an engaging listening experience with a thick and juicy presentation. There are no glaring faults in any aspect of its sound. It aims for a tonal color that I quite dig.

Introduction:-

CCZ is a new brand that debuted in the international market with two of its IEMs, the hybrid Plume and the single Dynamic Coffee Bean. Plume is a five-driver hybrid set of in-ear monitors supporting a powerful dynamic and four customized BA units on each side. The pair is super blingy with shiny golden full-metallic ear shells. It retails at 239$(Currently available at 199$ with HiFiGo at the time of this write-up).

Liking the look of it, the driver configuration also looked interesting to me, I ended up buying a pair for myself. I have been spending quite a good time with the pair over the past two to three weeks, Now it’s time to share my impressions for the same. So before wasting any more time, let’s begin.

Disclaimer:-

CCZ Plume here is bought with my own money. HiFiGo gave me a discount coupon in return for this review for their customer reviews section. All impressions/opinions in this review are completely my own based on my own experience with the pair.

I ditched on the retail packaging in order to attract less custom charges at my country. I got the pair with its included accessories in a simple plain box. So, I will be dropping down on the packaging part and will start with the design and build of the pair.

Accessories that I received:-

>Pair of CCZ Plume earphones.

>Balanced 2.5mm terminated cable.

>2.5mm-4.4mm adapter.

>2.5mm-3.5mm adapter.

>Cleaning tool.

>Earphone carry case.

>Three pairs of silicone ear tips(S, M, L).

>Documentation+Warranty card.

Design & Build Quality:-

CCZ Plume has extremely blingy earpieces. They look super good with a shiny gold finish on the ear shells. The cavities are well-finished, they are made using a high-precision CNC machining process(as per the brand). They are slightly on the larger side when compared to other IEMs in the market such as KBEar Believe, Kinera Skuld, and more, but no issues in fit due to larger size. The cavities have two air vents on the inner portion. On the face panel, we have the CCZ brand logo and a grill-type design. This at a far look might give an idea of a semi-open back cavity but the cavity here is completely sealed, this grill is here just for a design factor. The pair uses standard 0.78mm two-pin connectors that are located at the top of the earpieces.

BUT, yes there’s a but here, even though the cavities look beautiful and well-built they are fingerprint magnets. Your fingers get instantly printed on it even on the slightest of touch.

Now coming to another great aspect in the package, the cable. According to the information on CCZ Plume’s product page, it has a high-purity copper cable. The good thing here is, it has a premium feel to it with cloth shielding like those on premium after-market upgrade cables. It has ear hooks near the connectors for a comfortable over-the-ear fit. The connectors are enclosed in a black protective casing like those on QDC connectors, they cover the connector portion on the earphones completely too. The connectors have R and L denoted on them on the outer side.

Fit & Noise Isolation:-

Even though the earphones have a full metallic build, they are light in weight. The shells are slightly bigger than normal but they have an ergonomic shape to them. They fit perfectly to my medium-sized ears and covers the entire ear canal. I found them cutting down on the environmental sounds too providing above-average noise isolation for me. I used stock medium-sized ear tips.

Feeding the CCZ Plume(Driving the pair):-

You must have got an idea with an included balanced cable that the pair shines with better power sources. It can be driven loud enough straight out of smartphone’s 3.5mm jack though miss out on some details and staging part. But once you feed it with a dedicated music device such as Shanling M3X or xDuoo XD05 Bal the result is different.

With Samsung S6 Lite Tablet:-

Sounds decent, loud enough at around 80% volume. There is no noticeable muddiness or grain in the output but the staging, layering of instruments, air on the stage are average in this combination.

Shanling M3X:-

Shanling M3X makes the pair come to life with its improved amplification. The output has better staging, a better sense of air on the stage and in between the instruments. Layering of instruments is also improved.

xDuoo XD05 Bal(Via Bluetooth through my smartphone/Shanling M3X line-out to XD05 Bal):-

This is the best combination for CCZ Plume. The synergy between the xDuoo XD05 Bal and CCZ Plume is simply brilliant. The bass reaches deep, the higher-end extensions also improved, the stage and airiness is similar to that with the solo M3X pairing.(The pair has a wide soundstage).

I ended up using my portable stack(M3X+xD05 Bal) as my main pairing for CCZ Plume. Even though the pair has low impedance and high sensitivity, I found it to be scaling well with powerful sources. In my opinion, It can be driven loud enough with smartphones, but for the best experience and performance I would suggest give it some power and it will reward you well.

The Golden Sound(Sound Impressions):-

CCZ Plume, the golden beauty has a fun V-shaped sound signature with impactful slams in the lower end and smooth, energetic treble. The pair has a warm tonality that makes the output soothing and easy to listen to for hours without any fatigue. I didn’t notice any kind of sibilance or shoutiness with any of my sources. The pair to my surprise is quite revealing in terms of micro details. Though with such revealing nature, it is not good for bad recordings as it brings out the flaws instantly. Dynamics such as layering, instrument separation, staging have a beautiful presentation with the pair.

It’s Punchy Lower End:-

Plumes here instantly hooks me to them with its impactful lower-end response. The dynamic driver here does its magic really well. This is like a powerful sub-woofer in my ear producing punchy slams and thunderous sub-bass response complementing the music well. Sub-Bass depths can be felt in “Something Just Like This” by Cold Play where the sub-bass marks its presence almost throughout the track. Mid-bass slams are punchy and deep. The overall presentation of the lower-end here is well-textured and refined though there is a slight bit of bass bleed into the lower mids portion. But that doesn’t introduce any noticeable muddiness in the output.

Recessed Yet Lovely Mids:-

The mid-frequencies take a step back and have a mildly recessed presentation. The pair maintains good clarity and rich natural tonality with vocals and different instruments here. CCZ Plume produces a well-layered presentation in the mids section. Even complex tracks such as “Tears Don’t Fall” by BFMV show a well-detailed presentation. Instruments also have a good amount of tonal weight to them.

Smooth, Well-Detailed Treble:-

I am quite sensitive to the treble portion. I can’t listen to harsh/piercing treble even for 30 mins. CCZ Plume here has a non-fatiguing treble presentation while producing good details in my music. Complex tracks are presented well, for example, in Billie Jean by MJ, one can hear every single beat separately. One con here is that sometimes the instruments have a metallic type timbre and sway away from the natural tone.

Soundstage:-

Plume produces a wide soundstage presentation, though it has average depth and height. Imaging and instrument separation here is quite good. The pair complements live recordings with its spacious soundstage.

CCZ Plume Vs KBEAR Believe:-

KBEar Believe is now out of the market. I heard KBEar is working on a new upgrade for this gem. But I have a unit with me. When it was available. It was priced around 180$, similar to the CCZ Plume here. So why not compare these two together.

>CCZ Plume has better aesthetics and provides a better fit and isolation to me.

>CCZ Plume is more engaging and natural while the Believe here has a thicker and warmer tone.

>Sub-bass presentation is better with CCZ.

>Believe does show some sibilance in a few tracks while the CCZ performs flawlessly.

>Even though CCZ shines with power, It is easier to drive than Believe.

>CCZ Packs the Plume with a better cable with balanced termination.

A Few More Words:-

CCZ Plume is a beauty. Yeah kind of super blingy in looks, but man it has a fun & engaging sound signature. It sometimes has a slight metallic timbre, but the overall sound has an immersive feeling, TBH I liked it a lot and this is surely gonna be my daily driver for some time now.

CCZ PLUME

CCZ is a new company in the chifi world and have been making a name recently for their lower priced models a lot. But today I get to try their CCZ PLUME- A flagship in their lineup.

DISCLAIMER-The CCZ PLUME is provided by the courtesy of HIFIGO as part of review tour in INDIA. But this subjective review of mine are my own thoughts and I am not being paid anything to say positive or negative about this iem. That said I want to thank HIFIGO for giving me an opportunity to hear it!!!

UNBOXING EXPERIENCE-
Since this is a review unit, this only came in a small package. The small package is a synthetic leather pouch with CCZ logo on it. Inside it were two adapters- 2.5mm to 4.4mm and 2.5mm to 3.5mm and a pair of M sized tips. Then came the big beautifully looking nylon sleeved brown (Really!!! CCZ brown colour ☹) cable and beautiful looking golden coloured iems.

SPECIFICATIONS-

• Interface/Connector：2Pin (0.78mm)
• Plug type: 2.5mm (original)/3.5mm/4.4mm
• Impedance: 16±2Ω
• Sensitivity: 110±2dB
• Driver units: single side- 1 dual magnetic DD + 2 BA (CCZ-IF-A for mid-high frequency) + 2 BA (CCZ-HI-A for high frequency)
• Cable material: 2 cores 6N Single Crystal Copper in BROWN COLOR

PRICE-239$

BUILD AND FIT-
The build is solid with all metal build with a good ear contour shape and a wing to help secure it in place. Where it lacks is in the finishing department that is, the review unit is already losing colour at the contact points with the ears. Fit for me was good no issues with that and although it was a good fit, the wing is may be a bit too aggressive for me.

CABLE-
The cable is pretty good nylon sleeved and UGLY BROWN color haha!!! Its 2.5mm terminated and 2pin type of connector. The cable is 2 cores 6N Single crystal copper cable (I guess they were trying to show its copper color) and it’s a pretty looking dense cable.

ACCESSORIES-

• 2 adapters- for 4.4 pentaconn sources and 3.5 source
• Tips
• The synthetic leather storage bag

NOTE- MY SOURCE IS-

• PORTABLE -N6II, BTR5 and LG G8X
• DESKTOP- DAC- N6II with T01 LINEOUT
• AMP- TOPPING A30 MODDED with BURSON V5I D or TOPPING L30 or XDUOO MT602(not used here for review but hey it does help to add a bit of tube touch and also don’t try this for this iem-not great experience)
• Would like to add that my DAP N6ii ran it on medium gain at 20-35 on volume.
• The tips tried are stock M size (these are included by the manufacturer) and Wide bore tips Reverse KZ starlines (which is used for the entire review)

SOUND SIGNATURE (P.S-This is subjective and may not match with yours)

BASS AND SUB-BASS-
Bass is something purely different than what I have experienced. The entirety of bass is visceral with a little nice decay to have enough atmospheric experience. There is not much notes separation between each hit and they tend of get mixed up just after the hit pretty much. The tonality is thick and is an enjoyable experience. Notes definition is simply lacking a lot but since the beginnings are distinguished with the body being slightly less distinguished gives a sense of better definition but once you use A/B against some other iem which has better definition and control, this takes the hit (check snares on this). None the less its mid bass heavy and more woolly, soft kind of bass, not the tight punchy type. Still, it was enjoyable except in bass heavy tracks where it seemed too congested.

Sub-bass on the other hand is good, goes deep and is tonally pleasing. It does have a good rumble but somehow feels more thicker than rumblier haha!!! Still the energy is more on the sub-bass side than the bass.

MIDS-
The overall tonality is thick with slightly slower decay. The instruments are enough dynamic and have good energy in the mids. The timbre is average though. The slower decay helps with room filling experience but the notes separation is not that great which makes it feel congested a lot. The notes are nicely thick and lack ending definition, and they turn outwards at their ends. The lower mids though really love the thicker tonality and makes it a very pleasant listen. The upper mids are good too, have energy but are not sparkly enough to give you goosebumps when the sudden electric guitar strikes come up, haha!!! They do lack air in the acoustic guitars and also in the vocals. Tonally the acoustic guitars lack the sparkle overall. Microdetails are lacking and in stage depth too. But somehow with slower tracks and less instrument heavy tracks, these do fine a lot.

Male vocals love the thicker tonality and make them feel quite thick haha!!! They have good body but lack extension. Female vocals on the other hand are slightly thicker but quite pleasing anyways haha!!! But they lack the extension that some vocalists try to attend in a lot of recordings. They do come close to bass and treble but never mix for me (but they might look to do so, but I didn’t feel any volume changes when bass and vocals are going on at the same time). So, with congested tracks they don’t particularly fare well but giving the imaging and overall resolution, easier to recognize them. Microdetails are lacking here a bit too but best thing, sibilance sensitive people you guys won’t hear anything sibilant at all.

TREBLE-
Treble is fine just a tad bit too thick note. It lacks sparkle but is somewhat extended. There is lack of air though but energy seems fine. There is less emphasis on the upper treble and more on the lower treble. There is good dynamics and good thick tonality. There is pretty much very early roll offs The notes have similar separation as mids and feels a little congested on instrument heavy tracks. You can consider it as smooth overall experience.

IMAGING, HEADSTAGE, SEPARATION AND RESOLUTION-
Imaging is good overall with each instrument coming up in the headstage but in a diffuse way. Resolution helps with this too to make it better overall; it doesn’t have too much resolution but I didn’t feel much missing in the songs that I tested. The separation is not that great and lacks a lot overall. The inter-instrumental separation is okayish but inter notes separation is not that great. Transparency is overall okayish but still good enough. Headstage on the other hands is the weaker link. There is just width with height being tall but not enough contrast among notes. There is very little if any stage depth. Had there been more width, this would have fared well in congested tracks too. Feels like an L shaped soundstage with less emphasis on treble.

COMPARISONS-
IKKO OH10
Much better treble extension but lacks contrast
Bass is more defined and sub-bass heavy but here in plume, its woollier and thicker.
Better vocals but slightly grainy midrange
Microdetails are better
Wider but less dynamic
Much better stage depth and separation

PROS TRI I3 PRO
Much better treble extension
Much better separation and layering
Much better mids with better female vocals while plume has thicker male vocals
Much better-defined notes
Better staging and width and height too

SUMMARY-
This is CCZ’s first attempt at a flagship and they did pretty good to make it pretty enjoyable experience. But lack of technicalities and proper separation made it difficult for me to recommend, and also the QC issues that some users have reported about in forums, including this review unit which is already losing colour at contact points with ear. But I think, CCZ can surely improve upon it and make it much better. Hopes on them to make them better.

INTRODUCTION:

CCZ is a new brand in the Chifi audio industry and as their flagship model they have launched the PLUME in ear monitors. Most of the newly launched Chi-Fi brands always tend to give a nice initial product lineup and in that sense the CCZ have taken their first step to become the next big chifi giant. The specifications of the Plume seem to be very promising and they look very eye-catching. In this review let's see whether this Plume can be a gateway to the brand for its future product lineup.



DISCLAIMER:

This unit has been provided to me as a part of a review circle organised by HiFiGo and I'm very much thankful to them for giving me this opportunity. I have not been influenced by the brand or the HiFiGo to manipulate this review by any means. The whole review is based on my observations with this product and this may vary from person to person since it depends upon the type of gear and source used to test out the product.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Interface/Connector：2Pin (0.78mm)
Plug type: 2.5mm (original)/3.5mm/4.4mm
Impedance: 16±2Ω
Sensitivity: 110±2dB
Frequency response: 20-20kHZ
Driver units: single side- 1 dual magnetic DD + 2 BA ( CCZ-IF-A for mid-high frequency )+ 2 BA ( CCZ-HI-A for high frequency ）
Wearing type: In-Ear
Whether with cable: Yes
Whether with mic: No mic
Cable length: 1.2m
Cable material: Single Crystal Copper

PACKAGE:

Since this is a unit provided to me as a part of a review tour I have received only the earpiece, cable and the case. However the stock packaging is very great and the brand is very generous enough to provide excellent accessories and for the full detailed information please refer the retailers website

DESIGN AND FIT:

The design of the Plume is really eye striking. The earpieces are made out of aluminium and they are coloured Gold which is quite funky in my view since the gild they have used here is of poor quality where even after some careful usage of it the colour got slightly faded, darker and gets scratched easily.

The earpieces are very comfortable on the ears and literally they are one of the best fitting earbuds i have tested. They are semi custom ear shaped hence they will fit most of the ears without any issues. The fit is really nice with pretty good noise isolation from the external surroundings.



The faceplate has the CCZ branding and has that pseudo grill which mimics that of an open back earphone. Overall they are pretty solid but lightweight on the ears thus long listening sessions are good in this.

The cable is cloth braided and honestly I'm not a big fan of this approach where I like the usual supple braided wire which will feel even more premium on the hands. The cable however is very sturdy and thick enough thus durability is on point.

SOUND:

The sound signature of the Plume is a nice W shaped sound thus the midrange is not recessed that much. In my initial listening they sounded really great with excellent low end without sacrificing the midrange instruments and vocals, there is a slight bass bleed too and the treble is rich and smooth.

After connecting it to a separate AMP then the sound even got improved making the Low end even more tighter and reduced the mid bass bleed, the treble now got a bit more sparkle and airiness. The soundstage got noticeably wide and overall an AMP is required to unleash the complete potential of the Plume.

SOURCE: iPhone + Zorloo Ztella Dac + iFi ZEN CAN

LOW END:

The low end of the Plume is the star show here. It’s very thumoy and full bodied. The sub bass and the mid bass has nice punch and weight overall which gives that nice bass head level bass response. The bass heads will please this sound very much since this literally rattles your head even without any amp connected just straight out of the bass.

The critical neutral listening audiophiles might consider this as a overcooked bass which bleeds extremely into the midrange but for the fun heads out there this is just a gift for your needs. The bass here is just full bodied, weighty and nicely textured, there is ofcourse a slight mid bass bleed but with some decent amp the bass can be controlled noticeably.

The sub bass here digs deeper and gives that nice sensation of rumble in your head and also the mid bass nicely works along with the sub bass by providing a nice full sounding and weighty low end. In the tracks like “ BIGFOOT ''- By MALFUNKTION the sub bass drops are heard very nice and the whole sensation feels thumpy and fuller, the constant low end rumble is present all throughout the track.

In the tracks like “WHY DO WE FALL” By Hans Zimmer at the end of the track the sub bass presence is nicely felt and the mid bass throughout the track is presented really well giving a nice fuller sound.

Even though the bass is pretty fuller and massive the separation of the instruments are done really well, each and every instrument is clearly separated out with a nice texture. The overall experience of the low end is very satisfying minus the slight mid bass bleed into the midrange which however can be corrected by using a decent amp.

Tracks Used:

1. BigFoot – MALFNKTION
2. Why Do We Fall – Hans Zimmer
3. In the Heights - Lin Manuel Miranda

MIDRANGE:

The midrange in the Plume is surprisingly done very well. They are positioned nicely where they are not too laid back or neither too forward. I found the placement to be in between them thus giving a nice listening experience. The instruments in the background are heard clearly with a good amount of separation.



Even after that massive amount of bass the midrange has a good amount of air thus giving a nice airier feel to the track. The instruments or the vocals never suffocate and they sound very spacious and wide enough.

The tonality is pretty natural with a hint of warmth thus providing a nice full bodied midrange and the vocals. Guitar strings sometimes sound very tiny or unnatural and this is common to all the stringed instruments and splashy instruments in the Plume. The piano notes however sound very natural and the fullness helped in that natural sound of the piano.

The timbre is fine (slight metallic though) and overall the midrange is very pleasing to listen and no harshness or sibilant is experienced. The upper midrange is pretty good and no shrillness is experienced. Upper midrange is slightly emphasized thus giving a nice sparkle to the midrange and also giving nice separation and airiness to the overall listening.

In the tracks like “Blowers Daughter '' – Damien Rice the acoustic guitar strings sounded slightly metallic or unnatural but the vocals sounded very nice and full. Even with that fullness the background instruments sounded very clean and no congestion is seen here.

In a track like “ Perfect” – Ed Sheeran his vocals sounded very nice and full, also not compromising on the background guitar strings.

Tracks Used:

1. Perfect – Ed Sheeran
2. Blowers Daughter – Damien Rice
3. Yi Jian Mei – Charlotte Halberg
4. Ulan Bator Nights

TREBLE:

The treble in the Plume is good but it's not the best. People who are used to that all BA treble which has better extension and detail retrieval over a hybrid driver system. Here the treble is good enough where it has moderate detail retrieval and resolution. The airiness and the sparkle is pretty good but the detail and the resolution are average in these.

This is pretty much expectable since this is more of a bass head tuning even then the treble is not a slouch at all and still they were able to deliver a nice smooth high end without any sibilance. Most of the bass emphasized earphones tend to have a sharper treble but this one is an exception thus this provides a nice smooth treble with no hint of sibilance.

The wide staging gave this earphone a nice sense of airiness and spaciousness thus the high end feels non congested and well separated.

The cymbal strikes aer very splashy though hence at higher volumes they tend to sound quite artificial. The decay of the cymbal is quite slow too hence that extra bit of brightness can fatigue someone but overall the high end is quite sparkly and airier with decent detail retrieval and resolution.

In tracks like “Dreams – Fleetwood Mac” the cymbal strikes are quite unnatural and harsh but other instruments sound quite natural, especially the percussion instruments.

Tracks Used:

1. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac
2. Move Your Body – Sia
3. Sultans Of Swing – Dire Straits

TECHNICALITIES:

Soundstage: The soundstage is pretty impressive here. The width and the depth are massive when compared to the height. They sound very wide, extending extreme right to the left thus providing a nice sense of spaciousness. The depth is quite deep since the bass has a nice impact overall and the sub bass depth makes the soundstage even deeper creating a nice cinematic experience.

Imaging: Since the soundstage is pretty wide the imaging is pretty good despite the fact that it has one of the strongest bass responses too. Most of the bass heavy iem tend to have fuzzy or hazy imaging but here it's very easy to pinpoint the instruments.

The sound nicely sweeps from one channel to the other without any stutters. The transient response is pretty good enough.

Tracks Used:

1. Sires Of The Sea – Above And Beyond
2. Themyscira – Hans Zimmer
3. Crossing – Yosi Horikawa
4. Global Gear – Punya Srinivas

VERDICT:

Plume, the latest and the flagship offering from the newly started Chifi Audio brand is a pretty excellent one and a major go from my side but I don't know why the heck the brand just discontinued the Plume Product just after a few months of release! This is really a bad news since this product is really a shining star for the CCZ brand! The sound quality on these are solid with one of the best bass head approved bass, the midrange is pretty clear and forward despite the bass being massive, the highs are good enough with nice detail retrieval , the technicalities are pretty good too, especially the soundstage which is pretty wide and deep.

From the aspect of the sound to the build this earphone just shines in every way. They are built very well except that funky gold and the fingerprint magnet. The cable is great and the accessories are excellent.

If you are a basshead and even a person who loves very dynamic sound then better get this before it gets sold out everywhere because this is the GOLDEN GATE iem and it’s not gonna be available in future.

CCZ Plume Review

Disclaimer

CCZ Plume has been provided to me by HiFiGo for review purposes as part of their India review tour. I am in no way related to them nor work for them. All impressions shared here are subjective to my listening capabilities and sources used.



About

CCZ is a latest brand to enter audiophile market and Plume is their first product. Plume is made of full-metal shells, consisting of 5 drivers on each side, with 10mm dual magnetic dynamic driver and four custom-tuned balanced armature drivers. Plume was launched at an introductory price of 199$, with an official price tag of 239$. Plume’s shells were given gold color shells with brown and gold colored faceplate. They are well made and somewhat on larger side, and maybe uncomfortable for small ears. CCZ has provided a high quality nylon braided high purity copper cable with 2.5mm balanced termination. CCZ, also provided two adaptors, 2.5mm to 4.4mm and 2.5mm to 3.5mm adaptors to pair it with different sources. CCZ provided a very good quality faux leather case to carry IEMs, tips, cable and the additional adaptors.



Sound Impressions

Bass

Right out of the box, Plume’s bass is what will make a big impression. Plume brings very good bass into the music. Both quality wise and quantity wise. Sub-bass got good rumble and goes quite deep. Mid-bass is no slouch either, it has very good punch. It doesn’t sound boomy or muddy. Very enjoyable bass performance. But, there’s small mid-bass bleed into mids though.

Mids

Mids sound natural and have warm tinge to them. Female vocals sound natural, energetic and engaging. Upper mids have very good extensions. Separation and details are very good. Male vocals sound natural and engaging. Mids aren’t recessed and are at slightly forward position. Overall, mids have natural timbre and tonality.



Treble

Treble is quite relaxed and enjoyable. Upper treble extension is lacking a little and is less sparkly, yet Plume sounds little airy and open. Treble is non-fatiguing and pleasant. Details are very good.

Soundstage & Imaging

Soundstage is very good. Width is very good. Depth and height are decent. Overall, Plume sound quite spacious. Instrument separation is very good, with clear space between each and every instrument. Imaging is precise. Cymbals sound natural and crisp. Details retrieval capabilities are very good.



Verdict

It’s not easy to make a very good product with the very first attempt, but CCZ has done it with Plume. Yeah, it has its weaknesses, like that mid-bass bleed and lack of upper treble extensions, but overall it does very good in other areas. Plume is a very good IEM with great bass, warm and natural mids and relaxed treble. Very enjoyable IEM indeed.

Introduction:
CCZ Plume features exclusively designed full-metal earpieces housing a powerful five driver hybrid configuration on each side. The pair features a powerful dual magnetic dynamic driver unit paired with four custom-tuned balanced armature drivers on each side. It comes with exclusive full-metallic ear cavities with custom-designed ear tips and features a powerful 10mm dynamic driver with double magnetic flux. It is equipped with four custom-tuned balanced armature drivers for a smooth, highly detailed mid and high-frequency response. The pair features an exclusive CCZ-IF-A composite dual balanced armature unit for mid-frequencies and two independent custom-tuned CCZ-HI-A balanced armature drivers for high-frequencies.

CCZ bundles the Plume with a very beautiful looking nylon braided high-purity 6N copper cable with balanced 2.5mm termination. The package also includes 2.5mm-3.5mm and 2.5mm-4.4mm connectors and an alluring faux leather carry case giving quite an overall premium look and feel.



Disclaimer:
I have received as part of review circle from hifigo in exchange of honest reviews. All impressions of sound are subjective to my own listening and my sources and is based on my experience with IEMs of similar hardware configurations and price range.

Sources:
For this review the unit has been paired to Shanling M6 (AK4495EQ), mostly using the balanced out without any other amplification.



Highs:
Talking about Highs, I find very nice BA timber on Plume. There is a hint of airiness all around the headroom. There is no sibilance at all. The lower treble is although bit boosted yet very much relaxed and is best for people like me who does not enjoy sharp treble peaks. For upper treble there is slight early roll off so if you are looking for a sparkle in that region its missing. But Overall treble response is quite engaging with good detail retrieval and gives a relaxed and non-fatiguing experience.

Mids:
The mids sounds fantastic although at times feels slightly recessed only in busy tracks but in general they are quite forward and very well-tuned; an easy example of this would be listening to any slow vocal based track and then switch to a complex EDM. Mid bass bleed can be observed in the lower Mids. The upper mids feel quite coherent with the lower treble region. The overall tonality is towards the warm side. The vocals are thick and sound quite natural and intimate. I would say plume is one of the IEMs in this price range with very good mid-range tuning.

Lows:
I would say that plume is mostly mid-bass focused but that doesn't mean it lags any bit in sub bass region. The sub bass extends equally well with a nice rumble and overall warmth to the tonality. The texture of the bass is top notch and the sub-bass hits quite deep. There is issue of mid bass bleed to lower mids but that just gives extra thickness to notes to create an environment with more presence and making it sound more intimate. The overall quality and quantity of bass I would say is sufficient to satisfy the needs of any bass head.

Technicalities:
The soundstage is quite good for an IEM of this price range, both the width and height are above average with good feel of depth. The layering and imaging are very good. On the other hand the micro detailing can become foggy at times due to overpowering bass and rolled off upper treble.



Final Verdict:
CCZ Plume is very beautiful and premium looking IEM which is very lavishly accessorized. It has a very safe tuning with bit elevation of mid-bass and lower-treble. The treble is smooth and non-fatiguing. The mids generally don’t feel recessed and has a very nice timber and tonality. The vocal have good weight in them and are quite intimate sounding. Bass has slight bleed but that adds up to the overall tuning in a good way while compromising a bit on detailing. The bass has good rumble to it and sounds great both in quantity and quality.

Introduction​

What is CCZ?
Apparently, it’s a new brand coming on the market after some time producing for other brands. As far as I’ve heard online, it seems like they have already gained a lot of experience on the market, so I was expecting something good when I saw the Plume listed for the first time.
Let’s get into the full review.

Disclaimer: the CCZ Plume were sent to me free of charge from KeepHifi in order to make a honest review.
At the time of the review, the CCZ Plume were sold for an average price of €170 online.
You can buy these HERE (the link is not an affiliate link, I do not earn anything if you buy from KeepHifi through this link).

IMPORTANT NOTE: THE CCZ PLUME HAVE BEEN DISCONTINUED DUE TO MANUFACTURING ISSUES

For more reviews, visit https://www.audio-monkeys.com!

Technical Specifications​

• Configuration → 1DD +
• Sensitivity → 110 dB
• Impedance → 16 Ohm
• Frequency Response → 20 Hz – 20000 Hz
• Cable → 1,2m – 2 Cores 6N crystal copper cable with 0.78mm PINs, no microphone
• Connector type → straight gold plated 2,5mm jack connector (for balanced outputs), but the Plume come with 4,4mm and 3,5mm adapters as well

Packaging​

The packaging is different if compared to the other packaging choices used for other Blon products. It contains:

• The CCZ Plume
• The cable
• 8 pairs of tips (among which 5 pairs are KBEAR 07 eartips)
• Storage leather case (apparently the same as KBEAR Believe)
• A cleaning cloth
• A cleaning brush
• 2 adapters (4,4mm and 3,5mm)
• User manual

Design and Build Quality​

The CCZ Plume are very showy, and I would say the intention of CCZ is also giving the users a sort of “luxury” object to wear.
The golden aluminum alloy metal shell housing was made through CNC process, and the overall build quality is very good. The faceplate shows a black metal grill that gives more contrast to the overall Plume’s ahestetics, and the CCZ logo is carved into the metal. There are two pressure vents in the inner side of the housing.
I gotta say that these are among the biggest IEMs in my inventory, along with other IEMs like the KZ ZSX (although the latter have a slightly different fit).
However, if we consider the size of the shells and the materials used, these are pretty lightweight; i expected them to be heavier.
The 2PIN connector on the housing is the same as some KBEAR products like the KBEAR KS2, as you can see from the photos below.

Cable​

The stock cable is very good, even though i do not particularly like fabric cables. There is a chin slider on it, but there isn’t any microphone (it’s a premium cable and cables like this usually don’t have it).
There is one big problem that needs to be pointed out when it comes to the cable: it’s a 2,5mm cable and this was a choice of the company to let people use the Plume connected to a balanced output. But that’s not the point. The thing is that if you want to use them with a 4,4mm or 3,5mm jack, you’ll need to use the adapter, but the adapter is pretty bulky and has to be conncted on the 2,5mm connector.
At the end of the story, let’s say you wanna use them from an unbalanced DAP or phone by connecting them to a standard 3,5mm jack port: in this case you will need to plug the 3,5mm adapter on the 2,5mm connector, which is not L-shaped but straight. If you add the lenght of the original 2,5mm connector to the adapter’s lenght, you can understand how uncomfortable can this become, and you also have to consider that using the Plume on-the-move when the adapter is connected exposes you to the risk of permanently damaging the connectors (and truste me, it’s not that hard…).

Comfort and Isolation​

I’ll be honest: the CCZ Plume are not for everyone when it comes to comfort. Their shells are big, and the protruding upper part of the IEMs pushes on the higher part of the ears if you have small ears. My ears are on the smaller side and I cannot wear these for a long time if I don’t want my listening experience to be painful for my ears. One thing to note is that, even though they may seem “heavy”, they’re pretty lightweight, so if you can wear them properly the weight won’t be an issue.

Sound​

How do these sound?
This is the real reason you’re reading this review (I guess).
[Personal preference: I listen to almost every genre, even though my main preference goes to EDM subgenres. I always like a bit more energy on the bass and on the highs, leading to a personal preference for Y-shaped sound signatures, but if I have to choose, I’d prefer having many different IEMs with various signatures, in order to choose a particular one of them when I want to listen to a specific genre. I love switching between my IEMs so it’s even better if they’re very different from each others.]

TEST GEAR

• DAC: Topping E30
• AMP: Topping L30
• Mobile phones: Poco F2 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
• Portable DAPs: Benjie S8/AGPTEK M30B
• Other sources: Presonus AudioBox iONE

HOW DO THEY SOUND?

Do they need an amp?
I have tried driving them by my POCO F2 Pro and I do not think they weren’t good, it’s just that they really shine when amplified: they need more power than a normal smartphone to scale well and perform their best, but you can still use them from a smartphone if you’re not going to expect them to do miracles.
Sound signature
The Plume are a W-shaped set with some emphasis in the lower end, forward mids (although a bit less forward than lower and higher ranges) and boosted highs: the overall presentation is warm, powerful and punchy.

Lows: sub-bass is present and digs deep providing a good rumble. Bass is forward, punchy and definitely boosted in terms of quantity, but I think it’s not as textured as on other products. One thing to note is that bass and midbass never overshadow the midrange, they just have some additional thickness that warms-up instruments and vocals. Unfortunately, bass isn’t the fastest in this price range, so you may notice that the Plume sometimes struggle to keep up with very complex tracks.
If you listen to a lot of electronic music and hip-hop, I am sure you will really like the Plume as the lower-end has a kind of energy that is difficult to find at these prices.
Mids: midrange is not recessed like it is on v-shaped sets and has a lot of presence in the overall presentation. Instruments are well rendered, their timbre is warm and pleasant and they can be easily distinguished on the stage, even in busy tracks. Vocals are intimate, warm, energetic and definitely among the stuff that the Plume deliver in a very good way without exaggerating their presence (ex. without exaggerating the upper-midrange).
Gotta say I wasn’t expecting such a well tuned midrange.
Highs: lower treble is boosted and enhances the dynamism and contrast of the overall presentation (sometimes can get a bit hot but I found it far from being fatiguing) while the upper treble has an evident roll-off and does not show particular extension, even though there’s a good amount of detail. The limited treble extension could be a plus for some while it may be a downside for others as it means there’s less air to the sound and this is noticeable. I think highs could have been better, I find them rather “inconsistent”.
Soundstage width is above average whereas height and depth are average for the price asked. Imaging is good but could have been even better if there was slightly more air to the sound (boosting the upper treble with some EQ will give slightly better sense of stage depth and separation).

Some comparisons:
CCZ Plume vs KBEAR Believe
This comparison is pretty interesting.
The Plume are W-shaped, the Believe are U-shaped and the timbre is pretty different when listening to both. Plume’s sub-bass is more prominent in terms of quantity while the Believe shows a tad better extension than the Plume. Bass is punchy on both, thicker on the Plume but faster and more detailed on the Believe. The midrange is more recessed on the Believe and more forward and warmer on the Plume, although the Believe have a slight edge when separating the instruments during complex transitions in most of the tracks. The upper-midrange is more emphasized on the Believe, and this region could be annoying for many people (it does not particularly bother me honestly). Vocals are more intimate on the Plume and their warmer approach gives them a smoother timbre, as opposite to the Believe that provide more energy to vocals making them more exciting (this is just a tuning difference so it all comes down to personal preference). Highs are more polite on the Plume but also less extended, and it’s really evident that the Believe have more sparkle, air and upper treble extension. This leads us to a tuning preference one more time: if you like a warmer and smoother higher end, then the Plume are the safer choice among the two, but if you usually like some added sparkle and extension in the upper end then the Believe represent the better one among these two sets.
The Plume play in a wider stage, whereas the Believe have better depth and height. Imaging and separation are better on the Believe thanks to the added air and sparkle that help separating and placing the instruments on the stage.
The Believe really need a great source to shine, while the Plume, even though they scale very well when amplified, can still show their potential if connected to weaker sources. Let’s say that the Believe is more “picky” when it comes to sources. One thing to add is that the Plume are never forgiving, and tracks with mediocre mastering sound very bad, whereas the Believe, if properly amplified, is pretty forgiving when compared to the Plume (they are disappointing if the source isn’t good, with every kind of music).
Build quality is top notch on both, and although the Plume are very showy and well built, the Believe is the one I’d pick based on the overall build quality: their minimal design, along with the attention to detail, makes them very appealing and gives them a premium feeling that I personally like. The weight probably helps as well, as the Believe are also heavier than the Plume.
Comfort-wise, the Believe are ages ahead: there isn’t a single part of the housing that protrudes towards the ear and pushes on it, so they definitely fit better and can be worn for longer listening sessions without issues. Isolation is not day and night, but the Plume have a slight edge and I think their isolation is superior.
The cable is different: Believe comes with a rubberized cable while the Plume are shipped with a cable that’s entirely covered by fabric. I would lie if I told you that I prefer Plume’s cable, moreover because the fact that using the adapters can create uncomfortable situations holds me back if I want to carry the IEMs with me outside. Sure, the balanced option is a big plus and I cannot hide the fact that I really appreciate the balanced cable and adapters, but the overall user experience could have been a tad better.
Which one to buy among the two? (Consider the fact that the Believe are discontinued so you’ll need to find them used or some luck to find them new from some retailers that still have a few units available if you wanna buy a pair of them) It really comes down to your personal preferences and needs. If your ears are not small and you’re searching for something warm, punchy and engaging with intimate vocals and wide stage, then the Plume are simply great, and they also come with a balanced cable for the advanced users out there that already own a source with balanced output. Instead, if you like some added sparkle, a faster bass and slightly better technicalities overall (thus sacrificing some smoothness) and you have a very good source where to connect your IEMs to, then the Believe still retain their crown in this price range. I would pick the Believe hands down for myself.

CCZ Plume vs Blon BL-A8 Prometheus
There are two reasons why I’d like to compare these two IEMs: the first one is because they came together, so I started using both since the day the got delivered to me, whereas the second one is that both are W-Shaped, so comparing two IEMs with similar signatures from slightly different price ranges could be useful and give an idea of the differences.
Starting from the sub-bass, the Plume are superior both in terms of extension and incisiveness. Bass is punchier, more authoritative, impactful on the Plume, whereas the Blon have a less aggressive, more controlled and overall cleaner lower end. The midrange is more forward on the Plume, with superior instrument resolution and better vocals that have a smoother, more intimate and warm timbre. Highs have more sparkle and airy on the Blons, and they also push out more details, but they’re more fatiguing for long listening session, whereas the Plume have a smoother and warmer upper-range,
Plume’s soundstage is wider, while the Blons do better when it comes to stage depth and height. Imaging is on par.
Both scale well when amplified, but Plume’s improvements are bigger whereas the Blons are more forgiving and easier to drive when connected to weaker sources.
Build quality is great in both cases, there is no winner here (if I had to choose based on the design itself, the Blon would be my pick as I really like how they look).
The A8 are more comfortable and easier to wear, while the Plume are bigger and pretty uncomfortable when compared to the Blons. Isolation is much better wearing the Plume.
Both cables are good, but Plume’s cable is really from a different league, both from design and feeling to the touch. The fact that I need to use the adapters to use the Plume with a 3,5mm device and the issues that could come up by using them make me prefer Blon’s solution, although Plume’s cable is objectively on another level.
What to buy? Hard to say honestly. Even though the Plume are very interesting, also being characterized by an uncommon sound signature and a notable attention to details, the Blons aren’t really that far at half the price. In this case, the differences are related to price, timbre, and those small differences in technicalities that, if many would say they’re worth the almost doubled price, others would consider them not enough to justify the price difference.

Final Thoughts​

The CCZ Plume, even though I cannot wear them for a long time due to them not being really comfortable for my ears, are definitely a good set.
Whoever tuned these really did a good job as these sound pleasant and tonally balanced without compromising vocals, details and technicalities such as staging and imaging.
One thing to note is that people at CCZ are pretty brave and stepped into the Chi-Fi market with a product that’s being sold in the 150-200$ price range, while many other brands start from the bottom and try to build their own fanbase before stepping up in higher price ranges. They have probably chosen a different market placement for their brand and I cannot wait to hear something more from them as the Plume really surprised me positively (and I hope to see smaller housings in their future products).

CCZ is a new name on the block. With hundreds and thousands of IEM companies, it’s hard to stand out as a new manufacturer. Let’s see what Plume is all about.

Disclaimer: CCZ Plume was sent to me free of charge by KeepHiFi. I want to clearly state that I am being compensated for the publishing of this review to KeepHiFi's website. I will also financially benefit if you decide to use my discount code. I want to make it clear that I am not obliged to write a positive review, the words below are based on my speculations and my experience with the Plume. What you will not read in this review is me saying something that is not true or something that I found not to be true — that would not only make me a liar, but also be considered illegal in the eyes of the law. Enjoy the review!

Unboxing Experience







Alongside Plume, I also received the TRI Starshine, and I immediately saw some similarities in both the unboxing experience and contents inside. Once you take off the golden cover, you are met with the very same black glittery box that houses the TRI Starshine. Then again, once you open the box, you see the very same ear-tips from the Starshine. So, what’s going on here? To me it appears as though CCZ just bought ear-tips and adaptors from KB Ear. That’s all. KB Ear already has two brands, so I wouldn’t assume that this is their third brand.

Focusing on the experience, it’s pretty straightforward and average. I much prefer higher quality contents over a special unboxing experience. If you think about it, you only unbox your product once, whereas you will be using that product for a long period of time. Which do you prefer, a fabulous unboxing experience or higher quality product & accessories? I appreciate both, but it’s the latter for me.

Formal format of what’s in the box:

5x silicone ear-tips (L/M/M/SM/S)
3x TPZ CCZ-patented ear-tips (S/M/L)
2x adaptors (2.5mm to 3.5mm, 2.5mm to 4.4mm)
1x tailor-made carrying case
1x 2.5mm cable
1x cleaning cloth

Click to expand...

Design

CCZ is going on a quite different design road, opting for loud designs like the one present here, in the Plume model, but also in their Coffee Bean model. Unlike most of todays IEMs which are either made of a single piece or two pieces, Plume is made of three distinct parts: the faceplate lid, the body, and the nozzle. These three sections are visibly separated with seams. The faceplate has the distinct mesh design and the CCZ logo. If you look closely enough, you will be able to see that the mesh actually extends all the way across the faceplate area (it can be seen under the logo cutout).

It couldn’t be more obvious, but let’s address the elephant in the room. Yes, the whole shell has the shiny gold finish. Like I said, it’s a very loud design, and certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. While it is a fingerprint magnet, it’s not as bad as some other shiny finishes I’ve seen.

Plume does feature two vents, one is centered in the nozzle section, while the second one is located on the inner edge of the body section.

As a whole, it’s a large shell, but the majority of the bulk comes from the inner “shark fin”.



Build Quality & Cable

Plume is neither the lightest nor the heaviest IEM I’ve had in my hands. For its size, it’s actually of average weight. The shells are made of some sort of metal which has a golden paint layer over it.

The included cable is a fabric high-purity copper cable in a 2.5mm termination. I first thought that it’s going to be coarse and stiff, but that wasn’t the case. The cable is actually pretty soft and flexible, but still has the common problem of fabric cables where it doesn’t hold its shape when you are trying to put it away. The 0.78mm 2-pin connectors are recessed, allowing a perfect fit on the Plume (because the female 2-pin connectors are raised on its shells). What I did greatly appreciate is the inclusion of the 2.5mm to 3.5mm and 2.5mm to 4.4mm adaptors. That’s nice to see, especially for those who won’t be using the Plume with its standard 2.5mm termination.

The housings on the cable are the now-standard metal/carbon fiber model. Unfortunately, the housing has broke loose when I tried removing the cable. It still stays in place but can rotate in either direction.

Comfort & Fit

Despite the large shell, the Plume is fairly comfortable. I am aware that some people had the problem with the “shark fin” on the inner side of the shell. I first thought that I also had a problem, but later found out that the “shark fin” just slips into my ear. The Plume actually disappeared in my ears, only feeling slight pressure and discomfort after taking it out (this is on the spot where the “shark fin” was resting). However, while I had it in my ear, I had no discomfort issues. I should’ve mentioned by now that I was actually using the stock (patented) ear-tips.

I spent more than an hour with the IEMs in my ears, and didn’t experience any problems.

The Plume is a snug fitting IEM with an average depth (neither too deep nor too shallow) insertion.

Sound Performance​

Lows

By far the most prominent part of the frequency spectrum is the lower area. Not only is it great in quantity but also retains good quality. The bass region is elevated and boosted, the bass impact is hard (hits you like a train!), the attack is fast and snappy, the decay is equally fast. My primary tracks to test the previously mentioned qualities are MOON’s “Hydrogen” and Lee Curtiss’ “Smoking Mirrors”. The first track is really good to test snappiness, attack speed, decay speed, body. The latter track is more useful for listening to the quantity, punchiness, and snappiness. In both of these tracks the Plume proved that though having an elevation in terms of quantity, it doesn’t loose all of the qualities that one might seek from an IEM. Another track I love to play is “Do I Wanna Know?” by Arctic Monkeys. The introduction features a thumping drum kick, and if there is enough of an extension it will sound thick (which it certainly did on this IEM).

Sub-bass? Boy, oh boy. Let’s talk about it. No introduction, let’s just get straight to the performance in my golden testing track — Hans Zimmer’s “Why So Serious?”. Minute mark 3:26, the drop occurs, and there it is, rumble. Not any rumble. Oh no, physical rumble. Yes, you read that correctly, you can feel the physical sensation of rumble inside your ear. There are a few IEMs that can do this, same goes for headphones… though it’s much more uncommon in headphones. I also went through Robbie Robertson’s “Theme for The Irishman”, where it’s clear the Plume was capable to keep up with the depth of the cello’s growling.

Both the mid-bass and the sub-bass benefit from a great extension and boost, but they also possess good qualities.

Mids

I personally expected the mids to be severely recessed, but was surprised to find out that that’s not the case. Of course, they are slightly recessed due to the great low & high extensions. I found them to vary from song to song, somewhere it would be more noticeable, while elsewhere it was completely normal. For example, going through Sia’s catalogue (discography), I found the vocals to be quite full and thick. Play “Chandelier (Piano Version)” or “Elastic Heart (Piano Verson)”, you will notice that not only are the vocals forward but also posses the edge. The vocals also sounded quite present when I was listening to Yao Is Ting’s “Endless Love IV” album.

Where the recession can be more audible is in the hip-hop genre, where it’s common to have quite heavy and booming beats. A track like “Wesley’s Theory” from Kendrick Lamar is a good example. You have roaring bass and fairly non-aggressive vocals. In this particular track you can hear the mid-bass bleed into the vocals.

In terms of strings, the mids lean towards the warmer side. Due to this warmth, sometimes a guitar pluck, let’s say of an acoustical guitar, can sound more electrical than it is supposed to.

Highs

As mentioned earlier, the sound signature of Plume is V-Shaped, meaning that highs are also elevated.

Plume passed my standard treble tracks as bright (Miles Davis — Portia, Travis Scott — Stop Trying to Be God (5:59))

While it is a brighter-sounding IEM, it’s not piercing or unpleasant. Let’s just say it has more edge than an IEM that is warm throughout its entire frequency response.

Soundstage and Imaging

When it comes to width, the soundstage is average in size. This should not be confused with “in-your-heard” sounding, because that’s not what it is. I’d say the width is about a couple of centimeters wide, definitely not airy. Imaging on the other hand is quite good, as the Plume did show to be capable to keep up with the panning drums in “Dogs” by Pink Floyd.

Conclusion​

CCZ is trying hard to make a name of its own, whether it’s the patented ear-tips, a different cable, high-quality accessories, or the drivers, it’s trying to be different. I support this, though I personally would’ve preferred a nicer design — something not as shiny.

What Plume did accomplish is to be a good-sounding IEM. A heavy bass response that digs deep and is capable of the physical sensation of rumble, a slightly recessed mid-range that can somehow sound forward at times, and a brighter treble response. These are the qualities that have been achieved.

If you are a big fan of the electronic genre, something fast-paced and hard-hitting like trance/rave, these are perfect. I can tell you that I heavily enjoyed listening to psytrance with these and can recommend them to others whose main listening genre is electronic. It also sounds wonderful with mainstream, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who is specifically into acoustical instruments like guitar — this is due to the tonality. You probably want to go with a neutral sound signature if you primarily listen to classical and acoustic. I also found it to be a good IEM for hip-hop, because in it you have deep & hard-hitting bass, but also bright percussion.

CCZ Plume retails for $239 at KeepHiFi, and is now on a discounted price — $199. Once in stock, you can get 10% off by using (affiliate) VOJA discount code.


Note: I wrote this review based on my experience on iBasso DX300 + AMP11 MK1.
Volume: 33%
Gain: Mid

AUG 23/2021 Update — CCZ permanently discontinued Plume due to the difficult process of manufacturing it and the high failure rate (mine has proved to have no problems). If you have purchased Plume, CCZ is accepting you to the exclusive VIP membership (long-term) and will send you every new future model for free. You can use the code VOJA on any product on KeepHiFi's website and receive a 10% discount.

DISCLAIMER

I would like to thank Ann from KeepHIFI for providing this review unit. It can be gotten here: https://keephifi.com/products/ccz-plume-1dd-4ba-full-metal-in-ear-headphone




EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The CCZ Plume features a warm and non fatiguing V shaped bassy tuning. It has a big soundstage and a very premium set of accessories. There is however, some incoherency in the bass due to the midbass bleed and bass speed, especially when underpowered, and technicalities are not classleading.


SPECIFICATIONS

• Driver configuration: 1 dual magnetic DD + 2 BA (CCZ-IF-A for mid-high frequency)+ 2 BA (CCZ-HI-A for high frequency)
• Frequency response: 20 Hz – 20kHz
• Impedance: 16Ω
• Sensitivity: 1110 dB/mW
• Cable: 2 Pin (0.78mm), has adapters for 2.5mm/3.5mm/4.4mm connectors
• Tested at $239 USD

ACCESSORIES

Other than the IEM, the CCZ Plume packaging comes with:

• Wide array of tips
• Faux leather carry case
• 6N single crystal cable – well braided, non tangly. Minimal microphonics, but perfectly usable sonic wise. Very thicc and sturdy. It is by default a 2.5 mm cable, but there are adapters provided for 3.5 mm and 4.5 mm cable connectors
• Cleaning brush
• Cleaning cloth

The CCZ Plume comes with an extremely premium set of accessories, there’s adapters for balanced/unbalanced connectors, a cleaning brush, a cleaning cloth, a faux leather case and a nice thicc cable with a vast array of eartips.



The stock cable is a 2.5 mm cable, but the 3.5 mm and 4.5 mm adapters provided are very welcome, as it increases the permutation of sources that can be paired with the CCZ Plume.



I liked that the CCZ Plume’s cable featured a 2 pin connector, I had my fair share of mishaps with MMCX type connectors after switching cables once too often, they ended up like spinning windvanes.

For the purposes of this review, the stock tips and stock cables were used, so as not to change the sound signature with aftermarket gear.




BUILD/COMFORT

The CCZ Plume’s shell is very bling to say the least, it might not be safe to wear them in dodgy areas actually, one might get mugged! They are also a potential fingerprint and scratch magnet.

The shells are lighter than they look, but they are on the large side, with a huge concha protrusion. This may give fit or comfort issues for those with smaller ears.

Personally, I didn’t have driver flex with the CCZ Plume, but this is a YMMV situation, as driver flex is partially related to the eartips we use and our ear anatomy.


ISOLATION

Isolation on the CCZ Plume is above average, it has vents for the DD, hence it is not as good as some unvented pure BA setups. But nevertheless it is good enough to block out external noise (if one is daring enough to wear it outside!)


DRIVABILITY

I tested the CCZ Plume with a Khadas Tone Board -> Topping L30 amp, Sony NW A-55 DAP (DMP-A50 FEv2 Classic Mr Walkman Mod), smartphone, Shanling Q1 DAP, Tempotec Sonata HD Pro, E1DA 9038D, and a Khadas Tone Board -> Fiio A3 Amp.

The CCZ Plume can be driven from a lower powered source, but amping lets it scale better. Amping increases soundstage, microdetails and dynamics, and also tightens the somewhat flabby bass. In fact, with a lower powered source, the midbass can be quite overwhelming and rather incoherent, so amping is advisable.


SOUND & TECHNICALITIES

The CCZ Plume is a warm and bassy V shaped set. Tuning is towards laid back and non fatiguing.

For the bass aspect, the CCZ Plume is a midbass focused, the midbass hits with a big thump and is perhaps a level shy of basshead levels. Subbass extends quite well and rumble is as per a DD bass, but the copious midbass amounts does cause midbass bleed and is a bit on the slow side. The bass, especially when on an underpowered source, encroaches into the lower mids, this gives some added warmth, but may be a pro or con depending on your tastes.

With an underpowered source, the DD bass in the CCZ Plume is rather flabby and has incoherency – it may sound slower than the mids and treble (handled by the BA drivers), so amping is suggested to tighten this area. For non bassheads or those who want a fast and tight bass, the bass amounts can be tamed with wider bore ear tips (there are a variety of eartips provided) or tightened with amping. But even on the provided widest bore eartips, the bass is still quite north of neutral, so those that are averse to bass should take note.

The CCZ Plume’s lower mids are thickened and warmed by the midbass bleed. Upper mids on this set are quite tamed, nothing shouty like a classic V shaped CHIFI set, so it isn’t fatiguing thankfully. The recessed mids actually contributes to the big perceived soundstage, which we will talk about below.

The mids are a bit hazy due to the aforementioned midbass bleed, so this obscures instrument separation and edge definition between instruments and vocals, so it is not the most transparent midrange at this price range.

The lower treble on the CCZ Plume continues on from the safe upper mids, it is very relaxed and smooth, this is a safe set for treble sensitive folks. Upper treble doesn’t extend that well, and hence there is some loss of sparkle and microdetails.

Technicalities are about average on this set at the $200ish USD price range. Instrument separation, microdetails and clarity are hazy as mentioned. Imaging and layering is quite good though. I liked that the soundstage of the CCZ Plume is big in all 3 directions, a very spacious soundstage with no compression of music even on busy tracks.

Timbre is okay for a hybrid containing BA drivers, there’s a hint of BA timbre for acoustic instruments for the higher frequencies, but it will still do okay for classical or jazz.


COMPARISONS

As the CCZ Plume is considered borderline midfi in pricing, here are comparisons with some other midfi sets:

Audiosense T800 ($298 USD)

The Audiosense T800 is an 8 Knowles BA set that is mildly V shaped. Even though it has a pure BA driver handling the bass, the BA bass subwoofer is vented and the Audiosense T800 hence sounds like a DD bass in terms of bass decay and subbass extension and movement of air.

On A/B comparisons, the Audiosense T800 has better clarity, microdetails, imaging and instrument separation. Bass is also tighter and faster than on the Audiosense T800. The Audiosense T800 has much better treble extension too, but it is much brighter than the CCZ Plume, and may be fatiguing for treblesensitive folk.

The Audiosense T800 has better fit and isolation (almost 30 dB passive isolation). The Audiosense T800 doesn’t require amping and is easier to drive in terms of power requirements. However, the Audiosense T800 has a very low 9ish ohm impedance, and is hence very source picky (it pairs best with sources with output impedance of 1 ohm or lower due to the 1/8th rule), whereas the CCZ Plume isn’t so picky with sources.


Tanchjim Oxygen ($270 USD)

The Tanchjim Oxygen is a somewhat harmanish single DD set. It has better tonality and timbral accuracy than the CCZ Plume. Bass is faster and tighter than on the Tanchjim Oxygen, but the Tanchjim Oxygen has a thinner note weight. The CCZ Plume has bigger bass quantities, and hence may fair better than the Tanchjim Oxygen in bass forward music genres like hip hop or EDM.

The CCZ Plume has a better soundstage than the Tanchjim Oxygen, but the CCZ Plume has a slightly worse instrument separation, microdetails and imaging.


LZ A7 ($338 USD)

The LZ A7 has 10 tuning options via switches and nozzles, so it can be tuned to be V shaped to U shaped to neutralish. Hence, it can be more versatile than the CCZ Plume in terms of sound signatures.

The LZ A7 has a thinner note weight and is less bassy than the CCZ Plume, even on the bassiest tuning config. The LZ A7 has better isolation and fit. The LZ A7 has better clarity, imaging, instrument separation and microdetails and a tighter and faster bass than the CCZ Plume.


CONCLUSIONS

The CCZ Plume features a warm and non fatiguing V shaped bassy tuning. It has a big soundstage and a very premium set of accessories.

There is however, some incoherency in the bass due to the midbass bleed and bass speed, especially when underpowered, and technicalities are not classleading. The midbass can be tamed with aftermarket eartips eg wider bore ones, and the bass can be tightened with amping.

Bassheads and those that like a warm and big bassy signature will appreciate this tuning, but bass averse folks may have to look elsewhere. Having said that, this is a good effort for a first release into the midfi segment, and I hope CCZ can continue refinement of their future releases and I look forward to this company’s forays into CHIFIdom.

Recently, I have won a giveaway of CCZ Plume from Keephifi, and so here is my quick review of this interesting IEM.



Introduction
CCZ, a fairly new player in CHIFI IEM category has just recently announced its latest flagship level product - CCZ Plume 羽. This product comes with one 10mm dual magnetic dynamic driver & four balanced armature drivers on each pair.

Design
Its packaging comes with a huge Chinese letter, 羽 which is translated into Plume meaning light or soft. CCZ Plume units comes with aluminum alloy full-metal cavity with polished reflective golden finishing which looks premium. It also comes with a 6N single crystal copper wire with 0.78 MM 2PIN and 2.5mm balanced plug. Also comes with a cleaner tool, fiber cloth, 3.5mm adapter & 4.5mm adapter, and a premium leather pouch.

Comfort
It comes with a patented, uniquely designed earfin for comfortable wearing. Five pairs of KBEar07 earbuds were also included in the packaging to fit all types of ears comfortably. Upon testing, it is fit to say that I'm able to wear the units for hours without causing pain on my ears.

Performance
Overall, CCZ Plume has a recessed V-shaped sound signature and focuses mostly on midbass, also providing good sound isolation. It is a much bassy set as it comes with a dual magnetic DD. Bass is powerful, fully energetic and deep but bleeds into the mids occasionally. Treble is smooth yet natural, but lacks micro details for a multi-BA unit. Soundstage is considered huge and decent for a small IEM which can fit into your pocket. From my testing, poor recordings from audio sources are revealing but it is a pro. Mids, instruments and vocals are clear, clean and bright.

Comparison
Since I owned a pair of KZ AS10, it will be used as a comparison. The KZ AS10 produces much cleaner and smoother male/female vocals, while the CCZ Plume has a significantly larger soundstage, more intense bass.

Conclusion
CCZ Plume is a fairly well-designed IEM in terms of aesthetics and technical performance. In short, it has decent soundstage, bass & treble, vocals are clear. Highly recommended for those who have budget, would like shiny products as collection, while also having a good performing IEM on the go.

If you are interested, please visit Keephifi to find out more! Thanks to them again for providing me an opportunity to test out this amazing product.

Introduction:
CCZ is a company dedicated to making portable audio products. It started in October 2020 and according to them, they have team members from all aspects of the Chinese headphone industry with over two decades of technical experience in acoustics. So far they have released 3 IEMs; the Plume, the Coffee Bean (which I reviewed previously), and the Melody. The Plume, as of writing this review, is currently their most expensive model that retails for 239 USD. Luckily, I won the recent giveaway for the Plume held by Keephifi.

International purchase link

Specifications:
Driver units: 1 10 mm dynamic, dual magnetic + 4 balanced armature (2 for mid-high, 2 for high frequencies)
Impedance: 16 ± 2 ohms
Sensitivity: 110 ± 2 dB
Frequency response range: 20 Hz - 20 kHz

Source:
Poco X3 paired with iBasso DC03 and Shanling UA1

Test tracks:
Africano - Earth Wind and Fire
Dark Necessities - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Gurenge - Lisa
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Monsters - All Time Low
Ours - Taylor Swift
Stay - Mayday Parade
Snuff - Slipknot
Yesterday Once More - Carpenters
So Slow - Freestyle
Aurora Sunrise - Franco
Attention - Pentatonix
Blue Bird - Ikimono-gakari
You're Still The One - Shania Twain
Anyone Who Knows What Love Is(Will Understand) - Irma Thomas
Salamin - Slapshock
AOV - Slipknot
Hey Jude - The Beatles
The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson
...and a lot more.

Unboxing and Accessories:
The Plume comes in a relatively huge and a bit heavy yellow sleeve box. At the front there is a Chinese character that translates to "Plume". Removing the yellow sleeve reveals a dark gray box that is filled with glitters which simply adds a more premium feel to the unboxing. To the right side is a magnetic flap, and upon lifting it up, you will see the Plume nested in foams, and below it are 5 pairs of KBEar 07 eartips. After removing the foams, you will see the accessories which include a magnetic pleather case, microfiber cloth, cleaning tool, 3 pairs of standard CCZ eartips, 2.5mm female to 4.4mm male adapter, 2.5mm female to 3.5mm male adapter, the cable, and an instruction manual.

Build:
The shell is made of aluminum alloy with gold finish. The faceplate sports the CCZ logo, and it also has this unique design that kinda looks like pixels upon closer look. On the rear side of the shell there are 2 small vents. The nozzle and the mesh filter are also made of metal. Surprisingly, the shells, albeit being bigger than usual, are lighter than what I expected.

The cable is a thick 2-core 6N single crystal copper. It has a nylon sleeve that feels really smooth to the touch. The cable is also light and very pliable. The angled 2 pin connectors are made of plastic as well as the chin slider, while the splitter and the 2.5mm gold plated plug are metal.

Now let's get to the sound.

Lows:
The lows are clean and have great texture. Subbass is neutrally placed, reaches very deep, with a slightly raised amount of rumble. It has good presence when the track calls for it, and takes a step back when not needed. The midbass on the other hand, has forward presentation. It has an above average weight, and can seldom bleed into the mids, especially in bass heavy tracks.

Overall, the lows of the Plume give a solid blow in its attack that may be sufficient for some of the bassheads out there, but the midbass needs to be a little more controlled so as to give the mids better radiance.

Mids:
The mids are just ever so slightly recessed. Even so, the degree of articulation is above average. Weight of the vocals is at just the right spot; it is neither thick nor thin. The transparency of the mids is slightly affected by its recession and by the forwardness of the midbass. But still, it sounds natural with an adequate level of liveliness.

Overall, the mids surprised me here. Sometimes, when the bass has some elevation, it can result to the thickening of the mids. But that's not the case with the Plume. Despite having some minor flaws, the Plume can still manage to output very enjoyable mids.

Highs:
The highs are simply rich. It is placed forward; the same position as the midbass, and adds an excellent amount of airyness to the music. It is also engaging, very energetic, and very revealing of the flaws in each track. Treble reach is above average that goes along with a lengthy decay. There is a slight hint or harshness in the upper treble region, but it is very rare.

Overall, I consider the highs to be the best part of the Plume's sound. You will notice a substantial quantity of details that normally get lost in the background. Thankfully, the boost in the treble does not include theq sibilance region, so fatigue caused by the treble is at the minimal.

Soundstage and Imaging:
The stage is expansive for an IEM. It has that holographic feel to it. It seems that the large cavity of the shell contributed a lot in the expansion of the soundstage, so there is a bit of a trade-off here; wider soundstage in exchange of reduced comfortability which, personally, is worth it. Depth is above average, as well as the width but the width has more focus. Imaging has superb accuracy, layering is above average as well. Instrument separation is very satisfactory, and congestion is miniscule.

Conclusion:
CCZ did a great job for the Plume. It's built like a tank and uniquely designed, although not everyone can accommodate the size of its shell. But if you're one of the lucky ones to have ears big enough to handle it, you'll be rewarded by the amount of details and the immersive soundstage it can provide. I'm excited to see what CCZ can do more in the future.

Plume



Good low end , good sub bass extension

Low end has punch and thump to it

Warm sound overall, good vocals

**Scales well with better source and power **

**Starts to come alive at about 80-200mw and up**

Sounds quite different with additional clean power

Mids and treble become more crisp and precise with clean

additional power and overall warmth seems to fade ( pro )



Huge soundstage, good imaging

Mids smooth and warm, slightly recessed

V shape with safe tuning

Not harsh or fatiguing at all but with higher power and volume treble starts to have a slight bite

Good for treble sensitive

Slight recessed mild V shape

Natural treble but could use more extension

Good cohesion between drivers

Average layering

Pairs best with cold amp dac

Warm amp dac can be overwhelming



Lacking micro details for multi ba in mids and highs

Bass can be overwhelming at times and bleed into the mids on occasion

Treble extension could be better

A tad too warm and smooth at times for my taste on low power

199$

1dd

4ba



CCZ-IF-A composite Dual BA unit for mids

two independent CCZ-Hi-A BA units for high frequencies.



Same ba that tri uses in starsea and tri i3



Features:-

>Five Driver Hybrid Configuration Per Side.

>10mm Dual Magnetic Dynamic Driver.

>Four High-Performance Custom-Tuned Balanced Armature Drivers.

>Exclusive Design.

>Full-Metal Cavity.

>Professional Tuning.

>High-Purity Copper Cable With 2.5mm Balanced Termination.

>Comfortable Fit.

>Rich Accessories.

>Impedance: 16ohm.

>Sensitivity: 110dB.

>Standard 0.78mm 2-pin Connectors.

>Frequency Response Range: 20Hz-20kHz.

CCZ Plume is CCZ's latest flagship IEM. It is a hybrid IEM with a 1DD/4BA configuration and it comes in at $239usd. In terms of unboxing experience, I think that CCZ Plume nailed it. After removing its beautifully designed box sleeve and upon opening its box, I am presented with 5 sets of CCZ a07 tips (1 of each size - S,MS,M,ML,L), 3 sets of CCZ patented silicone tips (S,M,L), a pleather case, a cloth-like 2.5mm cable, a 3.5mm converter, a 4.4mm converter, and last but not least, the golden IEM itself.

Very happy with the unboxing experience here. Feels premium, looks premium, and the accessories are great, especially the interchangeable cables. The cable itself is terminated in 2.5mm, but in its box comes with a 3.5mm and another 4.4mm converter. At the price point that the Plume is in, I think this is a great addition to the entire IEM package. Again, very happy with the unboxing experience. Great job CCZ.

However, sound quality is what matters most in the end. So with the unboxing out of the way, let's start the review.

*Disclaimer: This review is done using stock CCZ patented tips and stock cables.

PROS :​

• I would describe the sound signature here to be warm, pleasant, and huge. It has a warm V-shaped tuning that I think works really well with games and movies. In fact, Plume would be my hybrid of choice for movies and gaming (if it wasn't for its comfort. More on this later) thanks to it being super easy to drive.
• In terms of bass, the bass here is warm, punchy, and thick. In terms of sub-bass, it is well extended with deep and rumbly sub-bass. I love the bass here for genres like Synthwave, Hip-Hop, and activities like movies and games. The strong bass is just really inviting and fun to listen to, especially for days where you just want to sit back, relax, and just watch a movie or play some games. However, the bass here is on the slower side, which tends to colour and bleed into the mids.
• In terms of midrange, as mentioned above, bass do bleed into the mids. With that said, I would describe the midrange here to be warm, full, and thick sounding. Vocals are also presented in a thick and full manner. In terms of detail and resolution, I think it is decent, but could definitely be better if not for the mid-bass bleed.
  
  This is because when I tested the Plume with songs that are light on bass (thus no mid-bass bleed), I find that the detail retrieval in the midrange here to be pretty decent! However, once you start playing songs that have bass (which is most songs), bass will start to bleed and smear the mid frequencies. This in return degrades the Plume's overall detail and resolution prowess.
• In terms of treble, it is smooth, non-fatiguing, and well-controlled. I also find the treble here to have a bit of sparkle up top which keeps it from sounding dull or boring. The treble here is also decently detailed with a decent amount of air up top. Nothing much else to say other than the treble here being smooth and decent.
• Now, the soundstage here is easily my favourite part of the Plume. The soundstage here is HUGE with it being wider and taller than deep. Plume's soundstage is why I love using this for gaming and movies so much. Together with its strong bass, you are seriously in for a treat.
• In terms of imaging, I think it is decent, but driving it balanced definitely helps with separation and imaging.
• Timbre is a bit warmer than natural. Instruments sound a bit too warm and vocals sound a bit too thick.
• In terms of detail and resolution, as mentioned above, it is decent, but could definitely be better if not for the bass bleed.
• The unboxing experience here is great. Premium presentation, great accessories, interchangeable cable connectors, great tip selection, beautiful pleather case. Can't ask for more.
• IEM shell looks flashy and premium with its golden accents.
• GREAT for movies and games. Would use this most of the time if not for its comfort. More on this later.

CONS :​

• Coherency could be better. The DD here is noticeably slower than its BA drivers.
• IEM shell is too huge. Fin is too large. Comfort is an issue for me. If it isn't for the comfort, I would use these a lot more thanks to its smooth and pleasant tuning. But sadly, comfort is an issue here. The huge shell I do not mind... But the fin is a bit sharp and large until it digs into my ears, causing discomfort after a few hours of use. Depending on the size of your ears, comfort might be an issue for you too. So do take note of this.
• IEM shell looks premium, but IMO, feels cheap. Build quality could be better.
• Bass do bleed into the mids.
• Detail and resolution could be better.
• Not the best in terms of price-to-performance ratio. Maybe wait for sales before grabbing one.

IN CONCLUSION:​

With comfort issues aside, I think Plume is pretty decent for a hybrid, especially coming from a fresh, new brand like CCZ. It has HUGE staging, full deep bass, warm pleasant mids, thick vocals, smooth treble, and an unboxing experience that is well thought out and premium.

However, I think that at $239usd retail, CCZ Plume is a bit overpriced. If it was a bit cheaper (less than $200usd), I would have had a much easier time recommending the CCZ Plume to you guys. This is because to be honest, I think CCZ Plume sounds more like a sub-$200usd IEM than a $239usd IEM… It just lacks that bit of technical refinement to make it worth more than $200usd.

With that being said, do I like the CCZ Plume? Yes! I love using Plume for genres like Hip Hop and Synthwave. Not to mention, Plume is also great for things like gaming and movies. However, I wouldn't pay full retail ($239usd) for the Plume. Do wait for sales if you are planning to pick one up for yourself.


Thank you Keephifi for sending the CCZ Plume to me. I am not at all compensated by them and all thoughts and opinions are my own.


Interested in picking up the CCZ Plume? Here are the links (non-affiliated):
Keephifi - https://keephifi.com/collections/ccz/products/ccz-plume-1dd-4ba-full-metal-in-ear-headphone
Aliexpress - https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002869036408.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.48422122d0797G&algo_pvid=3751c64c-932b-4f15-acaa-9542d9f01f22&algo_exp_id=3751c64c-932b-4f15-acaa-9542d9f01f22-1&pdp_ext_f={"sku_id":"12000022884936697"}

disclaimer: The CCZ Plume was sent by a company representative for review. I have no financial interest in CCZ or any of its suppliers, distributors, or subsidiaries. If you have an interest in the Plume, see the Keephifi facebook page or their store for more details and to purchase.

Unboxing / Packaging:
From the moment you open the shipping box, the Plume announces its presence with bold color choices and graphics throughout the packaging. The rear of the package has the specs for the unit while the front is the CCZ logo In gold leaf over a gold and pale blue graphic design. Upon opening the box, the experience is equally bold with the earpieces and tips displayed in a foam surround which gives a presentation case aesthetic. Beneath the foam tray is a leather hard-shell case, the cable, cleaner, additional tips, cleaning cloth, and adapters. it is a very complete kit as it includes eight sets of tips, 3.5, 4.4, and 2.5mm jacks, and both a case and cleaning kit. It is hard to find fault with the accessories provided as many at this price have far lesser kits. CCZ obviously wanted to create a premium experience from the first look and the kit shows that attention to detail.





Build/Fit:
The Shell of the Plume certainly is eye catching with its gold and gray metal finish. Most of the shell is bright gold with an inlay that has a mesh over the bright gold to give it a grey/black appearance when turned directly into the light and an antiqued gold when looked at from an angle. Shells are indeed all metal with the semi-custom shape we have become used to but construction is a departure from average with a four part design using an outer faceplate, a mid shell, an inner shell and a nozzle. The nozzle has a more orange tint than the other three parts which are very closely matched and well mated. There are two vents both on the under surface with one on the inner shell near the nozzle and the other on the mid shell directly behind the first. Nozzles have a slightly forward rake when in ear and offer fairly deep insertion. The only issue with the Plume is they are larger than average so those with small ears may be wise to try them on before purchase as they may cause some fitment issues. I was able to wear them comfortably for extended periods but my daughter complained of discomfort when using them for more than 30-40 minutes.



Internals:
The Plume is a 5 driver hybrid using a 10mm dynamic driver for lows and a pair of custom balanced armatures for the mids and another pair for highs. The armatures are designed and built in house and are refereed to in the notes as the CCZ-IF-A (intermediate frequency) and the CCZ-HI-A (High frequency) models respectively. All wiring inside and out is 6N OCC as well. Nominal specs are 16Ω impedance and 110dB/mW ±2dB measured at 1Khz. I found the Plume easy to drive using a phone/dongle or tablet but that it does scale some with both better dacs and more potent sources. The plume is well suited for mid-potency dongles and phones as it performs well with moderate power and really doesn’t scale much beyond that point without introducing some audible noise when the music isn’t playing. With this high a sensitivity hiss is to be expected if paired with sources designed for large planar magnetic headphones or high impedance dynamics.
I was not able to find any exploded diagrams or internals views of the Plume but understand that Delta Fyre will be doing a tear down of the Plume on his site so those interested may want to head that direction.

Cable:
As previously mentioned the cable is 6N OCC single crystal copper wrapped rubber casing and a cloth overlay. The jack is a 2.5mm straight type with a short strain relief and a 2 tone (chrome and black) barrel housing. The cable leaves the jack as a tight 2 strand twist up to the splitter (matching chrome and black carbon fiber barrel) and then exits as single strands. A black bead chin slider is provided and functioned well in my use. At the north end, the Plume has pre-formed hooks and 0.78mm bi-pin connectors using a short square hood to cover the connector on the shell and reinforce the connection. Non-hooded model cables will work, but may look slightly odd with the connector extending the length of the connector slightly. Also included are two adapters that convert the 2.5mm to 4.4mm balanced and 3.5mm single ended respectively. These both worked well in my trials but I much prefer a 90º version of the adapters as these do provide a long lever that can put a lot of force on a jack in your source if not handled with care. the provided adapters will work fine when using desktop equipment in quiet/safe environments, but for travel and mobile application purchasing an aftermarket 90º adapter may be a bit more prudent.




Sound:


Bass:
Sub-bass has good presence but is somewhat source dependent as it gains or loses a bit of impact and clarity depending on source in use. I found that something with a bit more power than a standard phone was necessary to get the best out of it as with a bit of extra power the bass tightens up nicely. The sub-bass is probably the most prominent feature of the sound landscape here with the mid-bass gradually stepping back but still emphasized from pretty much the entire range. Bass textures are good for the price point and detail is more than honestly expected in a tuning this warm. The lows can get a little thickened with extremely fast passages and source pairing is important in getting the most from the Plume.

Mids:
There is some mid-bass bleed here, no way around it, the lower mids are at times obscured by the bass and when combined with a V shape tuning, the mids do sound a bit recessed. Detail is good once you get above the bleed but the warmth carries through all the way to the upper-mids and gives them a bit thicker vocal presentation than average and dulls the transients so guitar growl isn’t as sharp as some others in its class. True mids have good texture and detail but again lack a bit of energy needed for strings to be entirely realistic. There is a push forward of the upper-mids that give female vocals a step forward in the mix and enough energy to sound realistic. By comparison their male counterparts are a step back into the mix and have a thicker heavier tonality that at times is welcome and at others is a bit too much.

Treble:
Treble has good energy, clarity, and detail without becoming too far forward or harsh. Snare rattle has good crisp edges and is notable sharper than the guitar growl below it. Cymbals are not metallic but could use a touch more sustain and decay as they drop back out a bit more quickly than entirely realistic. There is some air and space at the top but sparkle is somewhat limited by the tuning and rolloff is pretty steep above about 11kHz to my ear which keeps the Plume from sounding entirely open and spacious at the top.

Soundstage / Imaging:
Soundstage has good dimension with slightly greater depth than width and a limited sense of height. Closed back in-ears as a class are generally not known for large stages and the Plume very much falls into this description as while there is good instrument separation and seating the orchestra is fairly straight forward the resulting stage seems both somewhat narrow and a little shallow when compared open back models that allow the sound to stretch a bit more. Movement is easily tracked but positions are not as precise in lower tones as they are in higher voices so imaging while generally good lacks a little bit of precision when low pitched sounds are tracked. There is a good bit of compression of the lows on fast paced complex tracks and the result is that it does get thicker as pieces get more complex. Again, not unexpected on a bass forward model, but may influence a purchasing decision for some.

Thoughts / Conclusion:
I like the Plume a good bit. For a freshman effort by a new company it shows that CCZ put a lot of thought and effort into this release. I’m not a huge fan of blinged out stuff, but the aesthetic definitely sets the Plume apart from the crowd and gets it noticed. The tuning is also a departure from the average with big bass and an overall warm tonality that departs from the standard deep V with a lot of treble push. The minus side of the argument is size may be too large for some, the Plume does exhibit some source dependence, and a bit of micro-detail lost to the tuning. The Plume does not play nice with poor recordings and will reveal them as poor quality fairly abruptly so be forewarned, it may not be the Plume that sounds bad, it may well be what you are feeding it. I find the plume adds an option to the market that has been somewhat overlooked as it has bold lows, a warm overall tone, and a polite treble that will appeal to those looking for an earphone for things like Electronic music ,dub-step, and hip-hop.

CCZ PLUME REVIEW

TONALITY: 8/10
TECHNICALITIES: 7.8/10
CONSTRUCTION&DESIGN: 8/10
SOUND VALUE: 7.8/10

INTRO

I literally can't find any valuable info about this new Chinese earphones company apart from what's written on the back of the box: ''Shenzhen jujiang electronics technology co. ltd''. This is the name of the Official distributor, manufacturer or company? Only Caishen knows. Even after a long investigation, I didn't find anything about IEM or audio connected to this, but we know that a new IEM company birth every day in great Shenzhen technopole, so CCZ HIFI is one more of them.

Their first offering can be call as flagship because it sells for 200$, looks fancy, and have a 1DD+4BA hybrid drivers implementation. Let's see in this review if this elusive company is a promising one or just another CCA or CVJ like over boosted with BA's iem offering.

PACKAGING&CONSTRUCTION

The boxing presentation is very nice and big in size. I enjoy the art cover which assumes China identity with beautiful golden Chinese calligraphy. Stoping the waifu visual approach, which is connected to Japanese culture, and digging into their incredibly rich culture for product design and marketing is more than refreshing. A lot of efforts have been made in packaging and the accessories included are of very good quality. Especially the cable which is a high-end single crystal copper cable with nylon braiding. Thick and sturdy and....2.5mm balanced! It includes as well a 2.5mm to 4.4mm balanced and 2.5mm to 3.5mm single-ended adapter, very useful for desktop use, though a bit cumbersome for portable use.
You have as well 7 pairs of ear tips. A very nice leather magnetic carrying case. And a cleaning brush and cloth. I think it's pretty generous for a 200$ IEM, though L shape adapter would have been more adequate.


CONSTRUCTION is what I would call ''wannabe fancy'' but questionable in terms of finish and QC. For example, the golden painting seems to easily fade away, my pair having some unpainted parts. The housing is very big, made of thick metal it has good weight too, but the universal ears molding shape is comfortable enough for me, still, it will be an issue for people with smaller ears and it's far from being an IEM you forget that you wear. I'm not sure about the false back-venting design...especially about how to clean it once it get dust and stuffs stock in it. Still, in term of plain physical durability, due to its all thick metal construction, I think the PLUME promise long durability.

CRITICAL SOUNDS IMPRESSIONS
(source used: SMSL SU9-SH9, Xduoo X20, Xduoo XD05+)

TONALITY is a warm V to W shape with very boosted sub-bass, lean mids and crunchy treble. Cohesion is thick, sirupy, all glued together in a homogeneous way.
The PLUME doesn't have typical balanced armature tonality and sounds more like a multi-DD iem than multi-BA due to it's dense warm timbre and lush macro-resolution. It isn't crisp neither cold, thin or analytical.

BASS is the warmest part of the sound and we have more quantity than quality here, the slam has loose rumble which can bleed on the lower mids and thicken them. Still, as a guilty pleasure, the low end delivers a thick weighty presence and can nicely extract sub-bass layers that will benefit synth-bass and digital instruments but will lack flexibility, resolution, and articulation for acoustic bass, cello, toms and pure sub-bass tone. This isn't a clean transparent bass response, it's opaque and gently boomy. The separation between sub-bass and kick is hollow. This bass is more physical than technical and dark in resolution. This isn't the kind of bass you expect at this price range and surely the less refined aspect of PLUME sound.

MIDS are a hint recessed-warmed when bass occurs, but have thick lush presence, natural timbre and great layering. What impress me alot is the fact that both male and female vocal are full bodied. I rarely enjoy male vocal due to lack of presence or lower-mid body so this is sure very welcome even if it stole some air and clarity to macro-resolution. Female vocal are even more enjoyable and tonality right, they are wide in presence and have this hint of warmth and breathiness we rarely find with balanced armature, but still a hint of BA fuzzyness. The mid range isn't very crisp and well resolve and lack proper space in imaging for precise instrument separation.

TREBLE is the crunchy type, with an overly saturated texture that thickens the rendering but stole its crispness in resolution and edge in attack. While not particularly natural-sounding, the highs aren't too thin and metallic to sound artificial but their attack is bloomed by lack of control and the percussion seem a bit unbalanced, higher-pitched cymbals being picked up while other staying in shadow. Yep, these aren't the fastest BA on the market and can goa bit shouty, but never in a harsh or overly trebly way. The PLUME seems to deal better with digital music like electro, pop, r&b, rap etc, than acoustic music like Classical and Jazz that need more refinement in tone, texture, and timbre rendering as well as more air and natural extension in upper highs.

TECHNICALITIES are rather average for a multi-BA hybrid, it sure doesn't use Knowles or Sonion in there because the attack lack speed, grip and natural decay. As well, timing is a bit off between DD and BA's. Transparency isn't there and highs can go sketchy and grainy-fuzzy. The resolution is average. IMAGING is hollow and muddy. Dynamic driver bass lack control and flexibility. Not very refined for 200$ if you ask me, even if the number of sounds layers are numerous, wide and rich.

SUBJECTIVE APPRECIATION

Yep, this is guilty pleasure tuning done right IMO. In fact, the CCZ PLUME reminds me the KBear Believe with its lush thick bassy sound and impressive layering capabilities. I wasn't expecting a warm tonality from this type of hybrid and I'm glad they make something different than more clinical tonality often found with this type of drivers implementation. I think CCZ wanna do a fun but easy-to-listen and engaging sounding IEM with the PLUME. For this, they use thick-sounding BA customize to avoid any harshness, to the cost of taming the resolution a bit as well as attack edge. Sure, if I enter critical listening mode I can find a lot of imperfection and limitations in terms of technicalities, but tonal balance is so good and richly layered that I get ''trap'' in its holographic yet intimate sound presentation. The fact I can listen a long time without fatigue is a plus too. My biggest quirks about the PLUME is the lack of air as well as a darkened treble section that can hide micro-details and texture nuance. Accuracy and Clarity is both missing too, affecting imaging articulation a bit too much for my taste, so I can't go inside the sound and freely travel in it's spatiality, he comes to me, envelope me, encloses me in it's colored musicality. The CCZ PLUME aren't enough mature sounding for acoustic music, jazz or classical, they do better with anything pop, electronic, even rock can sound great due to bass thump.

Side notes: The PLUME doesn't scale up with amping and is easy to drive. It pairs better with a clean cold crisp source. Not good with bassy warm source. Wide bore ear tips will help to open the sound, so the included one aren't bad for that.

COMPARISONS

VS BQEYZ SPRING2 (140$ual DD-piezo+2BA)

So, let's begin by saying the Spring2 are less warm, crisper in treble and have notably better tonal balance with less bass bloom. Spring2 is more brightish neutral to W shape than warmish V to W shape PLUME.

PLUME has weightier bass and lower mid, wider soundstage but less deep, poorer imaging, and slower transient response.

BASS is notably more boosted in the sub-region, and bleed more on lower mids with its rumble. Mids are a bit dryer and more recessed. Treble is less fast and snappy and doesn't extract as well micro-details. Spring 2 have more air and less muddy attack.

Imaging is cleaner and more precise with Spring2, deeper in spatiality tough a bit less wide it's more open.

Timbre and tone is more natural with Spring2.

Both tonality and technicalities are better with the BQEYZ SPRING2.


VS SEEAUDIO YUME (170$:1DD+2BA)

These aren't similar at all, the YUME being notably more neutral and clean sounding. As well, the Knowles balanced armature offers way more transparent and controlled mids and treble. In fact, your ears need readjustment after all these weighty bass hits they get from the PLUME.

So, the PLUME is more aggressive V shape and warm, kick have more weight but less texture and resolution. Lower mids have more bloom. Mids are more recessed, grainy and recessed. YUME have crisper and notably more transparent mids, free of any bass bleed the low end dig deeper in a leaner less boomy way but is lighter and less rumbly. TREBLE is way more refined and control, more snappy in attack and extended. High are leaner and more balanced, less peaky too.

IMAGING is better articulated in layers due to prime transparency, instrument placement is more precise and well resolve.

CLARITY of the YUME is from another league, as well as tonal balance and well, all technicalities aspect like attack speed, timing and control, macro and micro-resolution. Dynamic weight go to the PLUME, but it will be a plus only for those that prefer bassy fun tuning over mature balanced neutrality with deep bass.

CONCLUSION

While the CCZ PLUME isn't a giant killer in terms of technicalities in its price range, I do find its V shape tuning approach refreshing because of the rich amount of sound layers it has and overall good balance that does not obliterate nor overly recess the mid-range section. It's thick, it's lush, it's unapologetically bassy and with the right music, it can give hella fun! I did enjoy the Plume with a clean crisp audio source that doesn't have boosted bass or warm tonality, this way, we can enjoy wide layering richness. As well, i find the timbre quite dense for multi-BA hybrid, which is very welcome.

All in all, I think that CCZ is a new company to keep an eye on and I consider the PLUME quite good as a first offering, though neither maturely tuned or very refined in it's technical balance.


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PS: I wanna thank KEEPHIFI for sending me this review unit. I accept it because i'm always curious to try new promising company audio products. As always, i'm 100% independent and unbiased. (did i need to repeat this after 8 years of reviewing?)
You can buy the CCZ PLUME Here:
https://keephifi.com/products/ccz-plume-1dd-4ba-full-metal-in-ear-headphone

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CCZ Plume

CCZ is a newer brand out of China that has designed some new earphones for the masses and today we are taking an in depth look into their newest hybrid the Plume.

I would like to give a hearty thank you and a shout out to Ann @ keephifi for the review sample of their Plume. You can get yourself your very own Plume on various sites on aliexpress and for western audiences you can get one on amazon here. Sound was assessed after a week of music burn in and using my DAPs Fiio M15, Shanling M6 pro, M5s, M3s, Ibasso DX160, Sony ZX300, Pioneer XDP-30r, IBasso PB3 and IFI black label for amping.

Hybrids or the use of two different types of drivers seems to be more of the norm than an exception nowadays and just about every manufacturer from every brand has some type of hybrid design. Of course the idea there is to utilize the strengths of two types of drivers for a higher end sound. Plume uses two dual BAs and one larger 10mm dynamic with dual magnets housed in an all metal larger housing.

The weight of the phones are not as heavy as they look however I would put the physical shell size as being at officially large. Take note of how big these shells are before you decide the size will be ok for you. They fit well enough for my medium sized ears but I can see smaller eared folks having some trouble with their sheer size.

A bit of nitpick about the shell design, their housing design has a larger protrusion on the back bottom end to have the housing fit snug into your ears. I have an average sized ear and shape or at least I think I do. I don’t have any issue with just about any universal shell types and size for example and that is based on 100s of earphones. After initially putting in the larger shells the protrusive portion of the bottom back end of the Plum point causes a slight hot spot on my upper ear lobe after about 10 minutes of use. I can feel that there is a point pressing against my upper ears as a result. This is the first time I have actually gotten an actual hotspot or a pressure spot from a universal housing. Don’t know if others will get this issue but it is a slight annoyance for me unfortunately. As I notice it presses against that part of my ears whenever I use the Plume. I think if your ears are in the shape of a clam shell you should be fine but my ears are a bit flat in shape and that is probably the reason why I can feel the back end of the shells on my ears. I can put up with it but it is something worth mentioning as this little aspect I think could have been a bit better designed with a lesser protrusion. Onto the review.

Sound signature is more of a consumer oriented V frequency design meaning these have a larger bass emphasis with treble emphasis followed by the mids presence. What immediately jumped out at me when I heard these for the first time was a nicely large wide stage. Which I expected given their larger housing design.

Their packing is nicely done for the price point. You are treated with an upper tier accessories package: a nice case, 7 pairs of tips and more importantly a 6N crystal copper designer cable that is in a 2.5mm balanced configuration out of the box. Reason being as it also includes two plug in adapters that make the cable single ended via a 3.5mm adapter or a larger 4.4mm balanced adapter. While not the most ideal way to get the cable to be somewhat modular as this design makes plugging into your sources not so ideal as it extends the stem plug by adding another extender plug. Not ideal for walks but more for stationary listening I suppose. A pigtail adapter would have been a better choice here. The tips are usable and are decent silicone tips. I do prefer the KB EAR tips shown above in the tip sockets that was included which matches well with the Plume.

Sound balancing for the Plume is decidedly a V shaped signature. Which unto itself is not a bad thing I suppose most earphones nowadays incorporate some variation of the V shaped sound tuning. These clearly let you know they have some bass and treble.

Trebles are balanced well with the mids and have a good fundamental precise nature to the trebles. The treble of the Plume is separated by two distinct treble shelves and has the bulk of its treble emphasis toward lower to mid trebles. Upper trebles are lower in emphasis to not fatigue but does have a treble spike at around 14Khz to highlight and give air and presence to the trebles. Plenty of sparkly treble as a result. I don't particularly find the treble to be overly hyped or accentuated to irritate or poke your ears out at the same time it is not the most articulate or dimensional treble tuning given the price range.

Treble and mids have a distinct BA timbre which gives the treble to mid bands a slight digital quality to the sound and not as natural as I would have liked. Treble is executed well enough here and to my ears seems more a limitation of the BA driver quality CCZ seems to be using more so than the actual tuning itself. I think they extracted what they could using this particular set of dual BAs for the treble and for the most part has good range, clarity, sparkles when called for and is extended well enough to give good presence and ability to the trebles. Treble emphasis is secondary to the sound of the Plume, the first being bass.

The mids of the Plume takes a step back in the sound presentation and the cohesion from the trebles to the mids is presented seamlessly. It does help that both the trebles and mids are using dual BAs. The advantage of using BAs and better yet two BAs is that it gives a better sense of imaging and enhances technicalities of the given sound it is representing. It does give a good sense of dimensional fullness to the mid bands but at the same time is not the most holographic of presentations as I would have liked. It is half dimensional and half wall of sound effect. Which gives a varying degree of precision for your music.

BA performance here does a good job portraying your music in a grander scale for IEMs and perhaps this is the most attractive aspect of the Plume design. Its sound presentation has a grander, bigger stage for an earphone and makes other earphones sound a bit confined sounding in the process. Not the most open sounding but makes good use of that larger housing for this presentation.

Mids presentation has a slightly smoother tonality in quality and detail that is not forced for a more musical approach to the sound design. Imaging for the mids while average for dual BAs is proportioned well for its grander dimensions to its sound. Its mids presence however is tertiary to how the sound is emphasized and not as clean as I would have liked. Due to the steady rise toward a larger bass presence the lower mids has more emphasis in the mid bands and sometimes vocal presentations do not sound forward but more even with the instruments in the background. You're not getting a particularly forward mid range; but for what is on the Plumes given the whole of its larger presentation the mids have enough presence to not sound lacking or overly recessed. The Plumes have a good but not outstanding technical foundation to its sound ability with a fundamental layering to the mid bands that is done well enough for the design but again you have to clearly know mids are not what these are going for. What it is going for is an authoritative bass end.

The Plume by design clearly lets you know it is using a dual magnetic dynamic driver dedicated for bass. It has 12dbs of bass emphasis which is a good healthy amount of bass. The bass end of the Plume relative to the moderately reserved mid bands in comparison is big and bold. Bass folks will certainly enjoy a big helping dose of bass for the Plume and since it has the stage to pull this sound signature off correctly these will most definitely appeal to bass fans. They do cast a bass shadow for the lower mids and on certain recordings you will have that bass that plays in the forefront of the sound design. Cohesion of the tuning suffers due to the helping heaping of loving bass end on the Plume as you get this brawny full bass end with a reserved mids and a lively treble presence on top.It is indeed your classic V shaped sound tuning.

Bass is not particularly tight or as speedy as I would like. It is difficult to have speedy bass for 12dbs of emphasis so while they don’t particularly lack in bass acumen or ability they do lack a bit in finesse and tightness. But again this is due to the highly V shaped signature. Its technical ability is good here and shows decent clarity but with a big full bass end the lower mids casts a warmer tone while the treble and upper details can sound slightly brighter. These are clearly made for bass fans so be warned that they do have a good healthy amount of bass whether you like it or not in your tunes.

For a first time offering from a new manufacturer I get what the Plumes are going for here. It is trying to capture a younger enthusiast audience. It is one of the blingiest earphones in the industry. Look at me I am drenched in gold. Shinny and what part of gold is not blingy? The shells are fairly comfortable minus the overly extended protrusion for the back end of the shells. It is a fundamental V shaped sound design so folks that love their bass first and some lively treble these are a good offering at their price point. Their choice on the cable is well matched and the overall design is impressive for what it is. I wish nothing but the best for new manufacturers and I hope their next design sees a better balanced and more even handed tuning vs the crowd pleasing V shaped signature of the Plumes. The grand stage and full bodied presentation is commendable but that bass is always looming on the sound design so know this before deciding you need a set for you. These are once again made clearly for folks that love their bass. As always I appreciate you taking the time to read. Happy listening always.

This unit was provided by Keephifi , and as always I will give it a fair shot either way, I've never been paid for a review and I have so many IEMs I'm not in this for anything other than a love of this hobby and to share my many years of knowledge. I appreciate everyone that reads my written and watches my video reviews .. Thank You all so very much!

Box, Build, Comfort:

The box has some nice coloring on the sleeve, opening that up the inside box looks well made and the first thought would be this is a premium product. Inside is the Plume and a good assortment of tips inside the box we fine the following 1. Leather storage case, 2 conversion plugs, 3. 07 earpieces x 5 pairs, 4. 2 pin 2.5 mm 2 core, 6N monocrystalline copper cable 5. Cleaning brush x 1, 7. User manual x 1.
The build is good consisting of aluminum shell , it is both strong and light weight. The weight and ergonomic shape made them very comfortable. They are a larger size IEM but should reasonably accommodate all but the smallest of ears. Isolation was excellent for me with just a medium sized tip. Looking at the cable it is very well made and looks nice, many IEMs I'm already thinking ahead what replacement cable I will to try out on them but this one is more than adequate, no need to change unless you have a favorite you like using. The adapters are a welcome extra given the cable terminates in a 2.5mm and of course the other accessories are useful too... no complaints here.

Connector: 2PIN (0.78MM) Response Frequency: 20-20kHz Sound Pressure Sensitivity: 110±2DB Impedance: 16±2Ω Plug: 3.5mm Cable Material: Monocrystalline Copper

For Testing we used the new ifi iDSD signature, xDuoo XP-2 and ddHiFi TC44B

Sound:
Bass: The low end has some good kick to it, both the Mid and Sub Bass are energetic and there is a deepness to the Sub-Bass goes well with modern music. Mid-Bass hits hard and fast too but does bleed into the Mids. The plumes 10mm DD provides very good control to the lower end. I think most will appreciate this feature.

Mids: Midrange does have a recession this can be mild or more depending on both music type and recording quality. This said Midrange is rich and warm with a good amount detail retrieval, vocals sound clean and are well pronounced. Both male and female sounded great but the warmth complimented mail vocals a little more.

Treble: The Highs here are surprisingly well controlled and smooth. Even though it was relaxed it managed to have some sparkle and air with soft details, its clearly not going to make treble heads smile but I found the non harshness to be pleasant enough. I did wish it just had a little more power to them in the treble but that's my opinion.

Soundstage etc:
The Plume has a a fairly immersive stage with imaging being accurate as well, this and the Bass are its strong points.

Conclusion:
The CCZ plume is a nice choice for a someone looking for a good all around performer with some very impressive accessories and nice looks as well. It has forgivable faults because its a fun listen with its Dynamic and musical nature most should fine it enjoyable.

Intro
The Plume are earphones from a brand known as CCZ. They certainly stand out aesthetically. CCZ chose to bring to the market a golden set of earphones, dubbed the Golden Nuggets. Gold is not often a colour choice of most earphone brands, but when gold is the colour chosen it is usually for relatively dearer sets. Irrespective of the aesthetics, what most buyers would want to know is how the Plume present their music. In this review, I will do my best to convey what I hear to you.



Disclosure
I was provided with a review unit of the Plume by KeepHifi, for which I am grateful. In exchange, I provide my honest opinion of the CCZ Plume without limitation, nothing I say is given to anyone for approval. All views I express are my views. I am not influenced by anyone, and I am not paid to express any views positive or otherwise.

Product link: https://keephifi.com/products/ccz-plume

Form, Fit and Function
The contents Plume package is as follows:
The which are:
a selection of ear tips,
a cleaning brush,
a micro fibre cloth,
a set of adaptors, 3.5mm single ended, and 4.4mm balanced,
A cable. The 3.5mm and 4.4mm adapters adapt to a 2.5mm plug which is the plug on the two-pin cable.
A (smells like real) leather mid brown hard case, which has inscriptions (part in Chinese) on it.


The cable is a beautifully two strand spiral weave covered with dark brown fabric sheathed which is referred to as a 6N single crystal copper cable. It is soft and easily malleable. I use a similar cable (not woven) on my Blon B20 headphones, and I instinctively run my fingers on the cable while I listen to music because they just feel nice and soothing. I find myself doing the same with the Plume cable.

The leather hard case is capacious enough to carry a few things on the move, your earphones and you have a choice of about seven ear tips and the two adapters. In my view, the case is very nice looking and is a reasonable size and should meet the needs of most.

The golden ear pieces are said to have been designed with a large full metal dual cavity to enhance the sound. They are honed from Aluminium. I must say they fit snuggly in my ears with no need for adjustment once they are in my ears. They also isolate quite well, cutting out, what I guess to be a good 70% of external sound with no music, and with music, even at low volume most usual sounds are excluded. The ear pieces feel quite light, unobtrusive and most importantly almost unnoticeably comfortable for the wearer.
On the other hand for the external observer, the golden nuggets are clearly not discreet. My usual preference is for the more subtle adornments and in my view the more ostentatious and loud adornments should be used sparingly by earphone manufacturers. A spec of gold goes a long way in a calm but well tailored attire, whereas a huge and loud glob of gold or silver screams, LOOK AT ME! I also find that the more subtle the presentation the less effect time has on it. As you can imagine from your old photographs, the impression of something dated clearly stands out, especially if it is loud. Having said all that, where does the Plume fit in the subtle-to-loud spectrum? In my view, the design in terms of the shape, is very well executed. In terms of the colour scheme, the insertion of the closely knit black mesh on the face plate and the use of the dark brown fabric sheathed cable together act as a foil to considerably tone down a potentially blingy set of earphones.



Although I do not believe the earphone world needs another name which is an “alphabet soup”, the name of the brand is generally, not our reason for buying the earphones, instead it is the sound and reputation of the brand which attract us to the earphones, but I have to say the use of the name CCZ in crafting the logo and the fact that the logo is etched onto the earphones presents very well, in my opinion. Altogether, I would say well done for design. They feel solid, let’s hope they stand up to the test of time both in terms of their the choice of colour and build.


The Plume are a hybrid set with a 10mm Dynamic Driver (DD) and four Balanced Armature (BA) drivers. The DD is a dual magnetic driver which is intended to make the the DD fast and responsive. There are two different sorts of BAs both customized by CCZ, the CCZ IF-A for the mid-high frequencies and the CCZ HI-A for high frequencies. In my view they have accomplished their goal. The Plume is a very well tuned set, in my view, with an emphasis on reproduction of musical stage.

My setup for this review
I paired them with Samsung galaxy note 10 plus and Fiio M11 (both portable)and SMSL AD18 (fixed), as my sources, and for amplification variably, Fiio BTR5, the HA FEE HA11 and the Littlebear B4X tube dac/amp, 2.5mm balanced on high gain.

Synergy
I have to say that the Plume is a fussy set for pairing. The Plume are very easy to drive and do not require an awful lot of power. However, you get different presentation depending on the source. On the M11 the Plume sounded good without much fanfare. On the Littlebear the mid-bass was quite prominent but the mids and highs receded quite a lot, in short awful. On the HA11 all frequencies were well presented, except the mid-bass which was more bloated (although not bad quality) than on the Fiio BTR5 and the SMSL AD18. The Fiio BTR5 sounded magnificent and brought out a well balanced sound and so did the SMSL AD18.

The Plume are quite revealing of badly recorded and mastered tracks, in fact they are unforgiving on poorly recorded tracks to my ears.

The sound in short
In short if you do not want to read the whole review: The look, feel, fit and build quality appear to be quite good. These being a new set of earphones from CCZ, only time will tell about build quality. In terms of sound quality, the Plume are beautifully tuned set with the signature being highly expansive and revealing sound. However, they are fussy both on poorly recorded tracks and with some gear. When equipment and track are well aligned, your details are presented with distinction on the mids and highs and your bass is very well defined both for mid bass and sub-bass, to my ears. The mids and highs very well presented. To my ears, what stands out on the Plume are the imaging, layering and sound stage. The sound is big and enveloping with superb detail retrieval and resolution to reveal all. It seems a lot of effort has been made to tone down sibilance in the treble, that in effect tames the treble extension a touch, which for some is a good thing and for others not such a good thing.

The sound in detail
The Plumes are easy to drive and consequently come across as quite loud but that is not to say they are shouty.

The Plume presents with cleanliness of sound, instrument separation and stage. The HI-A having been used on by TRI on the Starseas is proof of their detail retrieval and precision. The IF-A appears to be a driver from the same stable and they definitely excel as do their sibling, the HI-A. Add to that the dual magnetic DD and you get a very interesting and highly resolving instrument of sound reproduction to my ears.

The sound is grand, it just takes you and wraps you in your music giving the perception of a wide stage but listen out for a particular instrument and it stands out clearly. You cannot help but notice each of the notes as they are delivered.

The sub-bass gives you a weighty feeling to notes outside the human hearing register without dominating. The mid-bass has great texture and presents highly responsive fast,to my ears, but measured and realistic.
Sound check
You may want to put on your monitors of choice and check out the music using the links.

Bass
The sub-bass quality is sublime, reminiscent of the TRI I3 to my ears. It is well defined so that a double bass, bass guitar and kick drum give you a good sub-bass sensation. The instruments characteristics are not lost in the weight and definition of the bass even when inaudible. However, in terms of quantity of sub-bass, my ears tell me the TRI I3 have slightly more to give in visceral bass. Sub-bass is more a potent relic of the instruments at the moment the key is struck and/or the decay of that instrument, rather than tuned to focus on the sub-bass which would give more impact. In my view it is not a bad thing at all.
To my ears the mid-bass has a similar quality in that it does not slam so much as to dampen the quality of the mid-bass or cause the bass to spill over into the mids. Here the quantity is also sufficient but, again it not quite give you the quantity you will find in say the TRI I3. I have to say it has been well done so that it is well restrained, in my view.

Chris Jones - Long After You Are Gone:


Peter White - Bueno Funk:


Long after you are gone, the words are poignant and may evoke lots of thought, but in the context of this review I want you to focus on the solid bed of sub-bass.

As a composition of music, particularly music with words this meaningful, the sub-bass represents a huge bed of comforting sub-bass to envelope and cosset you. At 0.16 seconds, the sub-bass rolls in and gently takes you through those meaningful words.

Mids
The IF-A mids are pleasant and well rounded, again the emphasis appears to be the expanse. The mid range gives you a lot of information, given the efficient layering the mids are clearly detailed with enough weight to make voices both clear and yet retrained. I have to say, although a piano gives you the full range of the sound spectrum, many piano compositions are not rendered well if the earphones are either bass biased or treble biased. It is the measured approach the Plume tuning has taken which makes them so beautiful to listen to a piano pieces, guitars and voices.

Papa Wemba - Maria Valencia:


Melody Gardot - Baby I’m a Fool:


Euge Groove - A Summer Night’s Dream:


Granted, not only are live recording not the best recordings, but also YouTube may not give you the best quality, but here Papa Wemba and his musicians attempt to make you join in. Yes, we all do not understand the language, but we all understand the rhythm, even if it is not your style of music just let your hair down, that is what the Plume do with their presentation of music.

Treble
Again, the HI-A drivers show their worth in the Plume. I am not a treble-fiend and as I have discovered by those who are treble intolerant, my level of tolerance for treble is high compared to theirs.
Does that mean I sit perfectly in the middle between the treble-fiend and the treble intolerant? All I can say to those who read my reviews is your views are appreciated. I can only tell you what I hear.

We are here for the Plume, so what do the tweeters sound like. This is where I refer to the graph, which shows a obvious attempt to tame the highs. In my view the restraint of the treble was successful, I think there is neither too much nor too little sparkle here. As usual it is a question for the individual but if I fall in the middle for treble tolerance, that is a good compromise.

Guitara Azul - Tre Lagimas :


Massenet - Meditation from Thais- Perfomed by Nicola Benedetti:


The charming layers of guitar work is enchantingly on display in the Guitarra Azul track, Tre Lagmas. While the bass line is held steadily, you then have strumming in the background rhythm section, then beautifully Spanish Flamenco style guitar plucking. Don’t miss the percussion instruments peppering their way throughout the track. That is my point, the Plume present to you the stage, there is plenty detail but the focus is to present you with atmosphere and when you close your eyes the Plume take you places.

Comparisons
Here are a few earphones compared to the Plume.

Starseas
I compare the Plume to the Starseas primarily because they both use the HI-A drivers for the highs. However, I have to say the two earphones implement HI-A differently. Whereas the Starseas do not hold back in highlighting the extreme highs the HI-A can deliver, the Plume show the drivers as restrained but competent. Arguably, not going for the extreme satisfies a lot more tastes. However, on balance the Starseas to me are rather special and are exceptional, these are very close sets which present music differently.

ISN H40 (unmodified)
As I have been reminded by a Head-Fier, The driver combination in the Plume is similar to the diver combination in the H40s. The H40s have a huge following and many love the tuning. The Plume does not have the bass impact in the H40s style, to me the excessive mid-bass tuning of the H40s, which overshadows the sub-bass and much else is where, in my view the H40 falls short. That is not to say the H40s are not good earphones, no, I like so much about them. The plume on the other hand rather seeks to present different aspects of the music, more the emphasis on layering, imaging and stage. There is the argument that where imaging is good, the stage is truncated, not on the Plume, which manage to do both well. The Plume makes music expansive. Whereas the H40s marginally display a lot more detail and resolution with a huge dose of bass.

MT 300
The drivers used on the MT 300 are TDK electrostatics for highs and they are very well done, they are smooth and provide detailed highs. The bass and mids are also quite good on the MT300s. However, they are just edged by the Plume in all frequencies to my ears.

Conclusion
The Plume are a very well implemented set, some may think the Plume is a safe set but I think those will be people wanting the extreme ends of the reproduction of their music, more bass kick or extended treble. It strikes me that the aim was to make a beautiful earphones that just allow the music space while highlighting the instruments in that I believe CCZ succeeded. Go back and listen to each of the tracks for expansive stage and for those who buy the Plumes, then listen again when you get a set of Plumes.

Enjoy your music!

CCZ Plume: The Golden Bass Queen



Disclaimer:

This unit was supplied to me by KEEPHIFI for the purpose of an honest review. Everything mentioned in this review are purely my own based on my experiences with the IEM.

Introduction:

CCZ is a new manufacturer at their first attempt into the mid-range market where there are already a lot of established competitors.
We will need to see how CCZ performs against the IEMs in similar price range and that will basically define their success.
CCZ Plume is priced at $199

Specifications:

Specifications are as below:
https://keephifi.com/products/ccz-plume

• Brand: CCZ
• Model: Plume
• Color: Golden
• Interface/Connector：2Pin (0.78mm)
• Plug type: 2.5mm (original)/3.5mm/4.4mm
• Impedance: 16±2Ω
• Sensitivity: 110±2dB
• Frequency response: 20-20kHZ
• Driver units: single side- 1 dual magnetic DD + 2 BA ( CCZ-IF-A for mid-high frequency )+ 2 BA ( CCZ-HI-A for high frequency ）
• Wearing type: In-Ear
• Whether with cable: Yes
• Whether with mic: No mic
• Cable length: 1.2m
• Cable material: Single Crystal Copper
• Whether can replacement cable: Yes

Package:

Following items are found in the package:

• Leather bag x 1
• Adapter x 2
• Original eartips x 3 pairs
• KBEAR 07 eartips x 5 pairs
• 6N OCC cable x 1
• Cleaning cloth x 1
• Cleaning brush x 1
• User manual

Design & Build Quality:


These come with very glittery Golden colors and with good shape. Though the size of the shells are slightly on the bigger side, they are not uncomfortable and not heavy either. They can continue through long listening sessions easily.


The Stock Cable:

The cable that comes with it amongst the nicest of the cables both in terms of looks and sound. Also, it comes with 2.5mm plug as default and also has extra 3.5mm and 4.4mm adapters.


Amp-ing Requirements:

I have found that this IEM can perform well without any amp-ing at all while being directly connected to devices such as: iPad, iPhone, etc..
However, this IEM really shines when paired with a good and powerful DAC/AMP.

NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SOUND....

Items used for this review:

DAC/AMP: IFI Micro IDSD Black Label Signature
DAP/Source : @Shanling M6 PRO (21), Laptop & iPad
Streaming Source: QOBUZ
Ear Tips: Final E series black tips



Tracks Used:
The tracks I have used can be found from the below playlist that I have used and generally use for most reviews... I would like to thank @Otto Motor for his contribution here.





Let's now talk about the quality of Sound....

The BASS:

Bass is quite prominent with some deep thump & slam in the Plume. These is good texture & air in the bass. the punch & thump is there with a good amount of muscle which can become a bit overwhelming depending on track & source pairing. Overall good performance in Bass I would say.

The MIDS:

Midrange is quite recessed due to the V-shaped sound of this IEM. Nevertheless, it's not like anything is missing.
Mids however are quite detailed and comes with good amount of texture. Vocals sound natural for both Male & female.
However, micro details in the mids section seemed somewhat less pronounced. This is likely due to the some of the bass bleeding into the mids.

The Treble:

Treble is also very good and detailed. good layering amongst the instruments. Treble is enjoyable and non-fatiguing.

The SOUNDSTAGE:

Soundstage has average width but depth is quite good and can be considered as slightly above average for the price.

Imaging & Timbre:

Sense of direction is quite good and the sound is quite natural hence I would say that this IEM has good imaging & timbre for the price.
However, in terms of micro details retrieval - I found this IEM is to be a bit lacking.

Comparisons :

CCZ Plume vs Campfire Audio Satsuma :

The Campfire Audio Satsuma comes at exactly the same price of $199 but with a single BA architecture instead of 4BA + 1DD hybrid architecture of the CCZ Plume.
The same price point is what makes these 2 IEMs comparable directly.

Build & Comfort:
The Campfire Audio Satsuma comes with a more Candy-type looks compared to the glittery gold looks the CCZ Plume.
However, the Satsuma is much smaller & lighter. Hence, in terms of comfort it is much more preferable. I would give the edge to the Satsuma here.

Bass:
When it comes to bass, the CCZ Plume excels with its Bass heavy tuning and DD based bass depth and its very deep thump & slams. The Satsuma on the other hand felt lacking in the bass specifically though it had slightly more details than the CCZ Plume.
In terms of bass the CCZ wins hands down.

Mids:
I found the Mids to be more prominent and detailed on the Satsuma. There is good amount of details and separation. the vocals sound natural with good separation overall. The CCZ Plume with it's recessed mids seem lacking in this area and hence the win goes to the Satsuma.


Treble:
This is where things get very interesting - while the Satsuma has more details and clarity, the CCZ Plume seems to have more texture and layering while the Satsuma sounded slightly thinner. Both seemed smooth and non-fatiguing and quite enjoyable. I would call this a tie.

Soundstage & Timbre:
Though the CCZ Plume soundstage is quite deep, the width and height is better on the Satsuma. So, it's a matter of preference.
In terms of Imaging & timbre, it felt like Satsuma had slightly better sense of positioning and more clear sound while the CCZ also has good imaging and timbre for the price. hence this can be considered a tie also.

Conclusion :
Having said all that - both IEMs have their goods and bad and each excels in their own area of strength. The CCZ Plume seemed like a better choice for genres like rock, R&B, EDM, Pop, etc.. where the bass is necessary and a bit more just makes it more fun.

I would like to thank Ann at Keep Hifi for providing this unit for review.
Product link: https://keephifi.com/products/ccz-plume

Introduction
The Plume is the debut product from a new company on the IEM scene, CCZ. It is an ambitious design retailing for around $200 so faces stiff competition from the established brands in this price sector.

The Plume is a 5-driver hybrid, 1DD + 4BA. The drivers are as follows: 10mm dual magnetic DD for the bass (diaphragm material not specified), 2 x CCZ IF-A midrange BAs and 2 X CCZ HI-A HF BAs for the upper frequencies. All the drivers are designed by CCZ.

Description
The packaging is premium. The large chunky box has a full colour sleeve featuring Chinese characters and golden birds. Removing the sleeve reveals a plain black box which opens with a hinged lid. Inside, the IEMs nestle in a foam insert along with the spare eartips. Below this you will find the leather case with accessories inside and a black box containing the cable and cleaning brush.

The contents include:
* CCZ Plume IEMs
* 6N OCC cable, 2.5mm termination
* 3 pairs standard silicone tips
* 5 pairs of silicone tips with coloured bore
* 4.4mm balanced adaptor
* 3.5mm single ended adaptor
* Leather case
* Cleaning cloth
* Cleaning brush
* Manual

It is an impressive, generous and sumptuous presentation.

The IEMs themselves have a shiny gold finish and there is a large grille on the faceplate above which a CCZ logo is incised. There is a small vent below the nozzle and another behind the fin-like extension on the rear of the earpiece. The 2 pin sockets project just above the surface.

The supplied cable is a 2-core braided design with a fabric wrap and the conductor is single crystal copper. The 2.5mm balanced plug is straight and has a carbon fibre finish which matches the Y split. There is a black spherical chin slider and the 2 pin connectors are angled, formed from black plastic and feature channel identification.

First Impressions
An Xduoo X20 DAP was used as the principal source via both the 2.5mm balanced output and via line out with a Topping NX1a amplifier. A burn-in period of 100 hours was carried out. The Plume was tested using the stock cable and pre-fitted stock silicone tips which provided an excellent fit and seal and provided very good isolation. The earpieces were secure and very comfortable; the fin design was very effective.

The Plume immediately impressed with the size of its soundstage which was very extensive in all three dimensions and displayed notable layering, separation and imaging. The overall profile was V shaped with a bass emphasis, the low frequencies being powerful and well-textured with an impressive sub-bass. The mids had good timbre although they were a little recessed and the treble was smooth and gentle with no noticeable peaks or harshness. The tuning favoured musicality over technical prowess. Output was robust with no need for further amplification although when augmented with a Topping NX1a via line out, single-ended, there was an improvement in the tightness of the low end. I did find the Plume to be source sensitive, as, when played via a smartphone and then a CD player, the bass was more dominant and a little loose but via a DAP it was much tighter and more controlled.

Bass
The Plume's bass was powerful and visceral with a prominent sub-bass. Mid bass was also strong with good impact but it did intrude into the midrange a little. Texture was good but I felt the resolution was just a little blunted by the warm tonality.

"Silencium" is the theme from "Silent Witness". John Harle's arrangement features ethereal female vocals sung in Latin supported by solo violin and strings and a prominent part for bass drum. This had plenty of impact on the Plume with a believable timbre and a slow decay, but the initial strike could have been more incisive.

The flowing synthesiser chords and mysterious atmosphere in the title track from Meg Bowles's "Evensong" are supported by deep sub bass elements which swell and subside. The Plume produced an evocative rendition with plenty of depth and power and a healthy dose of rumble in the lower frequencies whilst preserving the lyrical qualities of the music.

In "Something Inside so Strong" by Labi Siffre, bass synth, bass guitar and drums all combine to produce an impressive backdrop to the inspiring and heartfelt lyrics in this seminal anthem to tolerance. The disparate elements in the bass were nicely differentiated by the Plume and once again displayed impressive depth and power whilst allowing the message to be clearly conveyed.

Midrange
The Plume's midrange was smooth and well articulated and possessed a somewhat warm tonality due to the influence of the bass. It was a little recessed, as befits a V shaped profile, but still retained reasonable levels of detail. Male vocals were warm and female vocals perhaps a little softer than ideal. The transition into the treble was seamless with no harshness or sibilance in evidence.

The introduction to "Venus" from Holst's "The Planets" by the Montreal Symphony under Charles Dutoit was handled beautifully. Solo horn floated effortlessly over hushed strings and harp and each concertante instrument was reproduced with a timbre which was good for a BA driver. I did, however, feel that the smooth nature of the performance occasionally lacked a little bit of detail and could have been a bit more assertive.

The solo saxophone in the bridge in "First Kiss" by Chris Spheeris sounded great with the character of the instrument very evident and producing an impressive tableau when backed by cascading synth strings and acoustic guitar. Solo guitar also impressed with the deep bass adding a solid foundation. The details in the rhythm guitar and synthesisers were also very well presented.

The vocals in "Father and Son" by Cat Stevens were clearly enunciated and the quality of his voice as he portrayed the different characters was effectively conveyed. The acoustic guitar solo was clear and bright and the backing instruments and vocals were also well defined, drawing you into the music and creating a very immersive result.

Treble
The treble was fairly natural in character with a pleasant timbre, but it was a little subdued and although there was a good amount of detail on offer, I felt that the extension could have been a little better (see below). Transients were slightly soft and I did miss a bit of air and sparkle, but there were no disturbing peaks and it was devoid of sibilance.

"Sunday Morning" is the second movement of the "Four Sea Interludes" from Peter Grimes by Benjamin Britten. Brass and woodwind announce a complex rhythmic theme followed by violins in the high register. The atmosphere of the piece in the beautiful recording by Andre Previn and the LSO came over well with an attractive silky tonality in the strings but the syncopated rhythms lost a little of their immediacy due to the rather safe tuning in the presence region.

"Petite Fleur" is an electronic piece by George Deuter from his album "Land of Enchantment". This was much more to the Plume's liking with the music box-like melody possessing a clean timbre and remaining clear above the synthesised accompaniment. Each note was clearly defined and the reverb of the studio recording faithfully reproduced.

"Man Free" by Linton Kwesi Johnson is a dub reggae classic from the album "Dread Beat an' Blood". The playing of the superb rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare received a stirring rendition with the bass suitably deep and the Plume handling the percussion in an incisive fashion with accurate timbre, especially the complex and detailed cymbal and hi-hat work in the instrumental which was supported by some characteristic "skanking" from the keyboards.

Soundstage
The expansive soundstage was its best feature, being amongst the best I have heard so far with impressive levels of separation, layering and imaging.

"Accumulus" is a large-scale symphonic style electronic work by Matthew Clifford. The first part is in sonata form with an "idee fixe" which occurs as a theme and variations. A veritable arsenal of keyboards is brought to bear and all the different elements were clearly differentiated by the Plume within a vast stage in which everything had its place. Different strands were easy to follow and the imaging was excellent. The focus was on musicality throughout.

The Plume's extensive staging suited film music very well. "Come back to us" by Thomas Newman from the OST to "1917" was a perfect example.
Sustained strings and delicate keyboards introduce the piece. Basses and cellos, augmented by synth bass, form a deep foundation over which a poignant and impassioned cello solo is heard. The Plume recreated a wonderful tableau full of atmosphere and feeling in a broad canvas and when the cello was joined by full orchestra, the effect was thrilling.

"Eve of the War" from "War of the Worlds" by Jeff Wayne is a beautifully produced track. It begins with the imperious voice of Richard Burton describing the start of the invasion. His voice was very well rendered in a resonant acoustic. Following this, synthesisers announce the theme with percussion left and right in the image. More layers are added as the track develops and the Plume kept up admirably, retaining excellent separation and imaging. The whole piece was very excitingly portrayed.

Comparisons
TRI i3
The i3 is an innovative "Tribrid" featuring an 8mm DD, planar driver and BA. Nicely crafted from metal, it, like the Plume, presents a bold and expansive sound picture. The planar unit produces a wonderful midrange timbre, the bass is deep and powerful and the treble deceptively detailed. It does not suffer from bass bleed as the Plume does. It does require amplification to bring out the best in the planar driver but it is more balanced and refined than the Plume and equally as musical in its presentation.

Aiderlot M5
The M5, like the Plume, is a 5-driver IEM but it is an all-BA model using Knowles drivers. It is tuned very differently from the Plume, being very neutral and flat. Bass is not as prominent as may be expected from a BA unit, but it is faster and cleaner. Mids are very clean and detailed and the treble is open and more extended than the Plume. The soundstage is large but not as extensive, though the imaging is very good. The overall sound is open, refined and airy but it does not have the power and depth seen in the Plume.

TRI Starsea
The Starsea is a 3-driver model, 1DD + 2BA. Its USP is the two tuning switches offering four different sound profiles. Comparing it to the Plume, the Starsea was set to the "Amazing Bass" setting which produces the most powerful low end. The result is a mild V shape with solid bass, a very open midrange and extended treble. It is more airy, delicate and detailed than the Plume, and also has a very large soundstage. The Plume is warmer in tonality and more powerful sounding and has a more pronounced V tuning.

Conclusion
The Plume produced a bold, dramatic sound and there was a broad, cinematic sweep to the reproduction. The soundstage was first class and the overriding impression was of a musical and entertaining character. Bass was deep and powerful, though sometimes dominant and the mids were smooth and slightly warm in tonality. This continued into the treble which was conservatively tuned with no harshness or peaks and would suit the treble sensitive amongst us, but I felt there could have been a bit more detail and I often found myself wishing for more air and sparkle, although it was very relaxing to listen to. I did obtain a brighter sound by using a KBEAR Limpid Pro cable and JVC Spiral Dot tips which, for me, brought the sound into a better balance. It may be worthwhile experimenting with cables and tips and a bright or neutral source is recommended.

Beautifully presented, good looking, well made and with a sound which will appeal to many, the Plume is a very impressive debut for CCZ and can be warmly recommended.