yeah, not having actually heard the IM02, i've read that it sounds alike.
for the first time in a long time, i listened to music with my ATH-CKM50s. they're typically reserved for when i play computer games or ASMR prior to sleeping. decided to a/b them against the ol' CK10 for giggles. i've been bitten by the head-fi bug again (now that i have the means to buy what i want) and am shopping around for a custom (but that's another story.) it astonished me how big of a difference there was between these two IEMs. granted, the price difference is an order of magnitude (but really, the CK10s are priceless to me) and one is a dynamic and the other a BA, but i'll give a mini review a shot, comparing a former BA flagship against an entry level dynamic.. haha.
so i listened straight from my MBA using iTunes 256kbs AAC. why this setup? because i'm saving for customs (looking at you, Hidition NT6)! spending like 80 bucks for the schiit fulla or 300 for the ME2 can all go towards the custom, which i would be listening to from my phone/computer anyways (then i'd invest in a DAC). i listen to a wide gamut of music, from electronic/dance, to rock, to metal, to pop, to classical, to country. i have a thing for female singer/songwriters, so a lot of what i listen to is like Ella Henderson, Birdy, and most recently, Ruelle (check out up in flames if you haven't).
The first thing that becomes incredibly apparent is the highs. they are so tinny on on the CKM50. violin doesn't sound natural at all (i believe this is timbre?) and vocals sound really sharp, and not in a good way. switching to the CK10 presents a night and day difference. suddenly vocals sounded natural. softer and more real. a circle instead of a triangle (get it?). strings and guitar also sounded much more natural and extended. the treble rolled off a lot with the CKM50, and its really noticeable when you listen to the same piece with the CK10, of which the treble seems to extend forever and effortlessly.
the next thing that i noticed was the bass. loud and strong on the CKM50. it definitely hit hard and i could feel it. however, the bass extension wasn't quite there for me. the mid bass, the impact, was there, but the low sub bass rumble was absent. and the downside of having a hard hitting mid bass is that it bleeds over into the midrange. bass decay also wasn't there, so the mids definitely were veiled. best described as having a cotton ball in my ear whilst listening. the CK10 could resolve tiny details across the whole frequency range the CKM50 couldn't even detect. the buzzword for the CK10s is clear. clear clear clear. its pretty close to sitting next to whatever or whoever is playing you music. of course the CK10 is known for its neutral (light) bass. the quantity isn't there, but the quality is. you can hear it all the way down to the sub bass, but the punch isn't there. the decay is pretty perfect in the sense the bass doesn't linger longer than the song intended.
not much to say about the midrange, as i didn't listen for that and i'm too tired to a/b more. haha.
notes about durability and the cable. i love the cable of the CK10. its rubberized and incredibly bendy. there's no microphonics when worn over ear. it has been exposed to every temperature from sub freezing to 90s and humid. i haven't had any issues with it. i wrap it over/under and keep them in the soft case they came with, and they hold no memory. my only complaint about the build is the stress relief (its not even a real stress relief) at the IEM has a small tear. its more of a sleeve for the cable at the IEM more than anything else. it was because i slept with them in once, and i decided to never do that again. the face plates are pretty beat now, but hey, its the character they build over 5 years of use. the CKM50's cable is not as good, obviously. its thinner, not quite as rubberized, and holds some memory, depending on how i store it. microphonics are ever present, which is annoying because the cable extender happens to hang at my hip when i'm sitting, so its beating against the chair and making noise the whole time. definitely a cheaper cable. but i have no fear using them, so i'm sleeping in them and whatever else, because short of stepping on them, i think they're very durable.
anywho, that's about it. feel free to ask questions.
