[communic]

Not the biggest fan of audio technica as from reading, most of their armature based iems appear geared towards treble and I'm more a bass kinda guy

(though not at the expense of neutrality)! I, however, bought these as I was intrigued by their 'horn' shaped driver and its physical properties on increasing bass output. This, in addition, to my slight annoyance recently with my um3x;s which I will get into below.

Anyway, put these through their paces and I have to say they are pretty good. Signature is actually very close to the um3x with a bit of pfe thrown in for good measure. While this is no bass cannon, the 'horn' feature thus far seems pretty effective as it does extend deeper than the um3x with about the same levels of midbass quantity if not just a whisker more thunderous

. Vocals and treble are definitely smoother than on the um3x with a tone somewhere between them and the pfe;s. The um3x was starting to grate a little because it seems that there is a super high pitched shimmer that comes out to play on some of my vocal tracks. It's not traditional sibilance in any sense but to me it has an almost similar, perhaps even more, aggravating manifestation. I get none of this with the ck90pro as the vocals, whilst being almost as forward, are simply baby smooth! However, it does come at a cost as 2-4khz seems even more capped than it is on the um3x and it does detract from some music.

If the vocal issue didn;t bother me I think I would be sending the ck90pros back as the soundstage layering on the um3x's is just what i would expect on any decent closed can as it is so easy to pick out subtle background rhythmic sequences on them and I would consider that quite a feat for an iem. But alas, being super sensitive to higher frequencies means I will probably get rid of them as the ck90pros are comparably competant and with the added bonus of costing less too!

 

[demo1]

Sounds interesting! I'm trying to decide between these, the TF10 Pros and the CK100s. Tough choice! Do you mind uploading some unboxing/product pics? Those always intrigue me.

 

[the_thatguy]

Thanks for the impressions communic,i am looking for these too.However,i read in a japanese forum that people are saying that there is a night and day difference with burn-in.I wonder how do they compare with an um3x, after a burn in period.

 

[demo1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_thatguy /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the impressions communic,i am looking for these too.However,i read in a japanese forum that people are saying that there is a night and day difference with burn-in.I wonder how do they compare with an um3x, after a burn in period.

Do you remember the links? I've been searching very hard for reviews on these headphones but can't seem to find anything! Just announcements on the thing. Please share!

 

[the_thatguy]

Google Translate

yeah that is.I could only understand about burn-in though and a lil bit of the comparisons with the other phones.because of the translation.

 

[communic]

If I can, I will take a pic of the unboxing et al but its a pretty no-frills box with pouch, silicon tips, foam tip and the earphones, of course! They actually look pretty unique, are quite small and I can sleep with them on with very little discomfort.

As for burn-in, in the few hours I had them on I did notice upper treble coming out more but then that was probably more mental adjustment than anything. I will keep stock of any changes that may occur as apart from slight layering issues and some frequency stunting there is not much I would want to change about these.

 

[jant71]

Technica never supplies the best tips. These will probably benefit from a certain tip. The right tip could help the layering improve.

How much did you pay? I see they are ~$216 at Bluetin.

 

[communic]

The silicons looked ok but the diameter of the foam piece was something else! Either way, didn't touch either of them as I went straight to decored olives so I can get a better comparison to the um3x's since that is what I've got on them.

Yup, got them from bluetin for £143 delivered which I would imagine equates to around that amount in dollars.

Just plugged the ck90pros into my laptop and I was exhibited to some wonderful sibilant sounds! Have to say the um3x's were much smoother but on my 3gs the 90pro is marginally smoother than the um3x. Looks like they are much more picky over source than um3x's which is not ideal. Might try out some comply's later...

 

[demo1]

So I guess it's safe to assume that the SQ of the CK100 > CK90pro? I wonder how it stacks up against the CK10, same dual BA but lacks the horn-shaped nozzle.

 

[CENTRAL]

The CK10 are pretty amazing. I think that for their current price they are a fantastic deal...

How can I fit the olives on the ATs???

I get good comfort & seal with the silicons, but after a while they feel pretty itchy...

 

[demo1]

I'd like to see real world pics of the earphones, especially beside other reputable phones to see what the actual size and finish is like. From the product pics from AT, the overall design and finish looks quite cheap to me. I hope I'm wrong.

Also, how are the CK90PRO worn? Do they rest straight down? or with the wire over the ear style?

 

[demo1]

double post, sorry

 

[snowy08]

thanks for the review, they've recently become available in HK but it appears ck100 is still the top model of ath

 

[netgouki]

The sharp is kind of weird. Can you wear them with cable over the ear?

 

[demo1]

Sorry to revive an old thread but I'm still very interested in the CK90PROs. A few concerns/curiosities:

1) How do these compare to the CK10s?
2) Can these be worn over the ear? The shape it kind of weird as stated above by another user.