[iponderous]

Both of these earphones are paragons of Japanese aural chic - beautifully made and presented, they have garnered praise for their sound performance. The CK10 is a dual balanced armature phone that is described as neutral, balanced, detailed, with excellent clarity and instrument separation. The e-Q7 boasts a larger single balanced armature. It too is regarded as a phone that is detailed, possessing excellent clarity, instrument separation and handles bass surprisingly well for a single balanced armature phone.

I haven't heard either of them but I'm interested in hearing from those who have heard both. How do they compare? What are their strengths and weaknesses? Which do you prefer and why?

 

[Enanthate]

Also very curious about how the ck10's stand up to such a highly regarded phone as the e-q7. In more specifics the bass quality and quantity. From what I've read the mids may also be thicker(less detailed/warmer) in the ortofon. Anyone with experience with both please feel free and chime in.

Ohhhh and first post!

 

[shigzeo]

Ortofone is a Danish company. The mids are a bit thicker in the Ortofone. In terms of power, the Ortofone delivers while the CK10 is more geared for finesse. Both are very good phones for sure, but the Ortophone is made for home or casual portable listening. It doesn't stay in the ears as well for exercising, or activity. Both are excellent and well worth their asking price, but they have their specific uses.

 

[iponderous]

^ Yes, but the e-Q7 is manufactured in Japan.

 

[james444]

^^ Fit with the e-Q7 depends greatly on the shape and width of your outer ear canal. They have a very short nozzle and 9mm wide body, illustrated here. I have wide ear canals and they fit me just as secure as my CK100s. With narrow ear canals it may be a completely different story.

 

[Pianist]

e-Q7 cannot be surpassed in bass quality by any IEM in that price range IMO. The bass is very detailed, extremely well defined, and can have amazingly great impact when the recording calls for it. I prefer its bass over that of ES3X customs and IE8. It's got more impact than the former and is more neutral than the latter. Also, the mids are quite warm for sure, but do not fall short in detail resolution at all. In fact, the detail in the mids is right up there with SE530 IMO - that is mids are highly transparent. And so is the treble - very defined and transparent, although does roll off just a little early.

In my opinion, what Ortofon does not deliver quite so well is separation. It's good, but unimpressive. My RE0 has noticeably better separation and so do most dual and Triple driver BA IEMs and Senn IE8. Also, Ortofon is quite a dry sounding IEM and not all that smooth - finesse is not it's forte. For delicate, emotionally charged pop or smooth jazz, e-Q7 are not the first choice. With that type of music, my RE0 performs better because of its smoother, more subtle signature. Like Shigzeo pointed out, e-Q7 is best suited for bringing out energy and dynamics in the music (well, at least that's what I think he meant by "power")

 

[tstarn06]

Ortofon vs. CK10 comparison, no? The OP specifically says "who have heard both."

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ortofon vs. CK10 comparison, no?

Yes, but I just compared with RE0 briefly in the end, because I feel that like Shigzeo said about CK10 having more finesse vs. e-Q7, RE0 also has more finesse vs. e-Q7.

 

[tstarn06]

Just trying to keep the thread on topic, which is very specific.

 

[Pianist]

Yeah, I realize that I was quite off topic.

Sorry guys.

 

[tstarn06]

Didn't mean to be harsh. Just want to read about the comparison of these two myself. Doubt many people own both, though.

 

[iponderous]

^ Yeah, I think you're right. I only know of two Head-Fiers who have heard both.

 

[iponderous]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pianist /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, I realize that I was quite off topic. Sorry guys.

No need to apologise. I'm grateful for the responses, as this thread was looking very grim there for a while.

 

[tstarn06]

Is there a reason why not the CK100 vs. the Ortofon, isn't it more in the same price range (with the recent CK10 price cuts)? Just curious? Though not sure how many more posts it would generate.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is there a reason why not the CK100 vs. the Ortofon, isn't it more in the same price range (with the recent CK10 price cuts)? Just curious?

Well, apparently CK100 has a more colored sound compared to e-Q7 and CK10, with more emphasis on upper mids and highs, so that's at least one reason why e-Q7 or CK10 vs. CK100 may be an unfair comparison.