[Suedama]

I just received these new ear bud sytle headphones yesterday. Their journey from Osaka, Japan had taken less than 72 hours!

The packaging suggests that the contents are precious and when you feel the headphones in your fingers you are not dissappointed. They are beautifully crafted. They seem to have slightly more heft than most ear buds. The finely machined titanium parts are truly impressive.

The listening? Even more impressive than the packaging and the craftsmanship. I spent an hour or so listening to a Yo-Yo Ma/Emmanuel Ax CD on my iPod. The sound is full, rich and detailed without any hint of muddiness in the base or brightness on the high side.

These babies are expensive, but I came away from my first session feeling that every dollar had been well spent.

 

[baies]

Hey Suedama,
Can you compare the bass on these to some other earbud stylye headphones?

 

[Suedama]

I don't have a lot of true "ear buds" with which to compare them, except the buds that came with the iPod. I can compare them to various canal plugs like the Ety Er4P, Ety Er6 and Sony EX 70. IMO, the ATH-CM7ti's have a much richer sounding bass than either of the Etys. They have less bass than the EX70s, but I did not care for the heaviness of the bass in the EX70s. The ATH-CM7ti's really seem to have good balance throughout the full tonal range.

Of course, some of these differences may have to do with the nature of the headphones, ear bud vs. canal, and the tighter seal with the canal-type phones.

With the ATH-CM7ti's, I was very impressed in particular with one recording where there was a sustained deep bass note from the piano at the end of the piece. As the note faded away, the vibrato from the string was distinctly noticeable all the way. You expect to hear this if you are sitting at a piano, but from an iPod with ear buds?? Wow.

 

[harkamus]

Could you compare the bass to the Koss KSC 35?

I was almost tempted to buy those CM7ti...or the EM9d/W9.

Can I ask the price you paid? Best so far is 138 IIRC.

 

[Suedama]

harkamus

Sorry, I've never used the KSC35s. The tonal qualities are similar to the PortaPros, but with more detail. (Realize, it's probably too early to make very reliable comparisons-- I'm still at the "first impressions" stage.)

I got my ATH's from Audiocubes. You can check the price there. Not as good as what you are quoting, but I'm not sure how it works out bottom line with shipping, etc.

 

[baies]

Does the extra weight cause them to fall out?

 

[Suedama]

Maybe a little bit, but there's not a huge difference between these and the iPod stock buds in that regard. I have small ear canals and it's alway been difficult for me to get a good seal with ear buds, but even though the CM7ti might be slightly heavier they seal a little better because they have a rubber ring around the edge, which is a nice touch.

 

[earful]

i ordered the aluminum model from audiocubes on the 29th and they still haven't arrived. i'm beginning to feel discriminated against! seriously, though, i've read so much about the etys on these boards that i'm surprised (and pleased) that you think they hold up by comparison. what about in comparison to some of the other headphones you have experience with?

 

[Suedama]

I've listened to them for 3-4 hours at this point and continue to be very impressed with them. Despite the cost, I am quite happy that I got these.

It's been over a year since I last had ER4Ps. (I now have ER6s.) My comparisons with the ER4Ps, therefore, are based on the (diminishing?) funtioning of my memory cells. I recall liking the ER4Ps a lot, but the transmitted noise from the cord made it very difficult to enjoy and that was why I got rid of them. I would place the CM7ti in the same class as the ER4P, but without the cord issues and for that reason I would say IMHO that the CM7ti is better.

I have to confess that I'm not one of the true "experts" on this forum. I don't dwell to much on the technical details or finer points of sound quality. I tend to like what I like based on a visceral reaction. On the CM7ti, I can say that the soundstage seems very good, the detail is excellent without being over detailed, and there is no imbalance in any frequency range that I can detect. It boggles my mind that something this small can sound so good. In short, I like 'em.

The case is a real nuisance, however. The design is unique, and the construction is decent, but functionally it is close to useless. It takes a couple of minutes just to wrap up the cord and squeeze it into the very small compartment for the cord. I'll have to scrounge around for something that is better. Any suggestions?

 

[(yo_alexandru]

oh this headphones are soo beautiful (sexy

)- the first time I sow them I said my self I had to have them - so how much?

I'm waiting for more details.

Thanks!

 

[Suedama]

(yo_alexandru

Here you go: Cheaper at Audio-technica, but the site is saying not in stock.

http://online.audio-technica.com.sg/...tion=pricelist

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...roducts_id=622

 

[blipblop]

Quote:

On the CM7ti, I can say that the soundstage seems very good, the detail is excellent without being over detailed, and there is no imbalance in any frequency range that I can detect. It boggles my mind that something this small can sound so good. In short, I like 'em.

Audio-Technica seems to do this very well. I feel exactly the same way with the a900s - detail, but still musical through and through.

 

[(yo_alexandru]

Quote:

Originally posted by Suedama (yo_alexandru Here you go: Cheaper at Audio-technica, but the site is saying not in stock. http://online.audio-technica.com.sg/...tion=pricelist http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...roducts_id=622

Thanks!

still waiting for the review