[Ninety]

Just a quick post here with my initial thoughts on CKL200s. I got a set (go ahead, flame me) because, ahem, I liked the multi-coloured mouldings. Anyway, they were dirt cheap off Accessory Jack, so I gave them a whirl...

First off, they have a proper length cable. I'm not a big fan of the short cable + extension route, so this is a big plus for me. In addition, the cable there is is thicker than that on my CK5s and CKM50s - it's still not as rubbery as the lead on my Marshmallows, but so far I'm finding it better than my other two ATs. The phones in general seem pretty well made for the price.

When I listened to the phones to start with, I was far from impressed. After some fiddling with tips though, I'm over the moon. The supplied tips are all too flimsy for me to get a good seal, so I popped some black olives on and it's more than I could have wished for.

Now, I can't claim that these are going to slay £100 phones or anything like that, but for me, they're better than my Marshmallows - much more detail, only slightly less bass. The mids started off a touch veiled, but that's lifting and, while they still lose out to the CKM50s in this area, they're pretty good. On balance, I prefer them to the CKM50s due to their having good bass.

For $20, in practically every colour under the sun, I really don't think you can fall off. Any questions, let me know...

 

[ljokerl]

Thanks for the heads up. Question: do Olives fit on them natively or did you have to disembowel or stretch them in some way?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ninety /img/forum/go_quote.gif For $20, in practically every colour under the sun, I really don't think you can fall off.

And for those who can't decide, with these you can have it all!

 

[rawrster]

that may be the most colorful earphone I've ever seen although the black cable is too common

 

[Ninety]

@ljokerl - the olives just went straight on; a bit of a squeeze, but no heating/cutting etc required.

@rawster - I reckon you're joking, but it's worth noting that the Crazy (AT's name, not mine) colourway seems to be the only other apart from black with a black cable. There's a load of plain colours (bright pink, yellow, you name it) with matching cables.

Maybe it's a case of having low expectations, but I'm enjoying these more and more with each day...

 

[ljokerl]

Thanks, appreciated. I wonder if custom tips will fit these...

 

[jant71]

I was interested in the orange but recently got a different pair of orange earphones for ~$10. Always thought they would be a decent sounding little phone. They have a color choice for most everyone, look to fit quite well, and should be able to be worn both ways.

 

[rawrster]

that last image in this thread reminds me of a thread a while ago..(actually it might have been by you jant71) where you can pick and choose the colors for certain parts of an iem (cable, housing, etc)

these iem's do look interesting however ;p

 

[ljokerl]

Ah, you're thinking of the make-your-own fostex IEMs. I think those share drivers with one of the low-end denon models. Interesting concept but if they sound like the lower-end denon models then you're paying a huge premium for the ability to style your own uglies.

 

[Ninety]

@jant71 - for me at least, they do fit well. That said, I've always got on better with this style (like CKM50s and Sony EX90s). Also, if you let me know what you mean by wearing both ways, I'll try it and get back to you.

 

[ljokerl]

By both ways he means both cord-down and over-the-ear:

 

[Ninety]

Ah. Thanks ljokerl

Hmm, well they *can* be worn over-the-ear, but since the tip is mounted at an angle to the body, it's orientation is reversed when upside down. When worn normally, the bodies toe-in towards the front of your head, hence when they're over-the-ear the bodies toe-out to the same degree. They're not uncomfortable upside down, but they don't feel quite right and they certainly don't look right.