Audio Technica CK100 questions...
Jan 10, 2011 at 3:08 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 17

cactus_farmer

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1). Is the CK100 actually discontinued? I can't read chinese, but it's still listed on the hong kong Audio Technica official website.
 
2). Are the three drivers split 2x bass and 1x treble like the Shure SE535, or 1x bass 1x mid and 1x treble like the Westone 3?
 
3). Do they sound like an 'upgraded CK10' or something else entirely?
 
Thanks in advance for replies!!
 
Jan 10, 2011 at 11:28 AM Post #2 of 17
1. Not discontinued; just not being exported outside of Japan/Asia
 
2. The crossover is single low/dual high so neither like SE535/TF10 nor W3/UM3X/SM3
 
3. They share certain characteristics with the CK10 but the sound signature is quite different
 
Jan 17, 2011 at 9:14 AM Post #3 of 17
Yup it's a 2 ways crossover with 1 low and 2 mid/high drivers.
 
It is listed on the Japanese Audio Technica website too.
http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/products/hp/ath-ck100.html
 
However, they are marketing CK90Pro over CK100, relegating CK100 to their 'past' models. 
http://www.audio-technica.co.jp/products/hp/products-hp.html
 
I have owned CK10 before and is now owning CK100. In terms of neutrality, flatness and treble response, CK10 is unmatched. CK100 is coloured and has got a forward mid and a slightly better bass response and resolution compared to CK10. Nonetheless they still share a similar characteristics in the way they reproduce sound. Can't really rank one iem over the other.
 
Jan 17, 2011 at 10:44 AM Post #4 of 17
Reminds me the similarities/differences between the RE-252 and RE-262
 
i want to try both CK models , hopefully some day i will
 
Quote:
 
I have owned CK10 before and is now owning CK100. In terms of neutrality, flatness and treble response, CK10 is unmatched. CK100 is coloured and has got a forward mid and a slightly better bass response and resolution compared to CK10. Nonetheless they still share a similar characteristics in the way they reproduce sound. Can't really rank one iem over the other.

 
Jan 17, 2011 at 11:48 AM Post #5 of 17
The CK10 and CK100 indeed sound very different. They do have some similarities but have different sound signatures.
 
I wrote a comparison review a while back including the Ck10 and CK100 as well as some others and the link is in my signature.
 
Jan 17, 2011 at 1:12 PM Post #6 of 17
Great review rawster , although it made me even more eager to get a pair of CK-10
 
Damn.
 
Quote:
The CK10 and CK100 indeed sound very different. They do have some similarities but have different sound signatures.
 
I wrote a comparison review a while back including the Ck10 and CK100 as well as some others and the link is in my signature.



 
Jan 19, 2011 at 7:05 AM Post #7 of 17
If you're looking for a CK100 with warranty and a good price, consider an open box/display model. I will personally vouch that Dimitri at Musica Acoustics is a terrific source. His professionalism and responsiveness are really impressive, as others on this forum have noted. I have been singing his praises to friends, and I could not find a better deal for a comparable model. Buying an open box from a reputable dealer such as Dimitri is often a great way to save some money. E-mail him from the Contact Us page at the MA website. Hope that helps.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 9:55 AM Post #8 of 17

 
Quote:
If you're looking for a CK100 with warranty and a good price, consider an open box/display model. I will personally vouch that Dimitri at Musica Acoustics is a terrific source. His professionalism and responsiveness are really impressive, as others on this forum have noted. I have been singing his praises to friends, and I could not find a better deal for a comparable model. Buying an open box from a reputable dealer such as Dimitri is often a great way to save some money. E-mail him from the Contact Us page at the MA website. Hope that helps.


Yeah I have spoken to Dimitri before and he is really a nice guy. I didn't buy from him in the end as the price + custom tax + shipping exceeds the retail price in my country.
 
Nonetheless, he is a good point of contact for Japanese audio brands =)
 
A more remote place would be www.seyo-shop.com which I have no idea how reliable that is. Prices seem to be the cheapest, besting even Dimitri's open box/display model. I am eyeing A2000X myself from seyo-shop as the price is really attractive but have never dare to pull the trigger.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 11:36 AM Post #9 of 17
I saw the Seyo quote but would have chosen Dimitri anyway. As important, I would do so again, if the opportunity arises. For the following reasons with regard to my experience with CK100:
 
1)The Seyo shop price of 399 was the same - not lower, as your note says - as Dimitri's AND their price does not include shipping cost. With Dimitri, shipping was included.
 
2) Assurance of warranty coverage even after warranty is over. I may never hold him to this, but he was nice enough to offer it.
 
3) Delivery time. Seyo, I understand, can take 2-3 weeks for goods to be delivered.

 
Thanks.
 
 

 
Jan 19, 2011 at 12:44 PM Post #10 of 17
CK100 is nice to listen to, but it is VERY different to CK10. I even found CK10 "sounds" better in most genre, such as rock. CK100 is very vocal centric and lacks bass.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 6:50 PM Post #11 of 17
Ahh i see. Dimitri quoted me USD500 for CK100 that's why. He said that he was trying to compensate for the JPY-USD exchange rate. If he had quoted me at USD399 I will grab one from him instantly!
 
CK100 sounds quite different with different tips used.
 
With the foam tip the bass is quite lacking but the mid/high are very very present. However, the foam tip is too big for me and causes a strain on my ears (sadly as I like the sound with the foam tip used).
 
I am using my UE SF 4 tips now and they give me a thumping bass that I never thought I would hear with CK100. I am waiting for my sony hybrids tip to come and see how it performs.
 
But CK10 does sound more natural in certain genre. I could make do with either at any time but would be cool to have both at hand =)
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 7:19 PM Post #12 of 17
Funny how we hear things differently. I thought the CK100s were a great IEM and markedly better than the CK10s, which I sold literally within minutes after I bought them. They were too bright sounding for my taste and lacking bass. The CK100, on the other hand, reminded very much of the UM3X, having much better bass both quantity & quality-wise than the CK10s, great mids, and very well defined highs, which were never as bright/ piercing as the CK10's. Also build quality was definitely better on the CK100s.
 
I was originally worried about how the CK100 would sound as I kept coming across rather different views on them. However, some sort of consensus seemed to emerge and they were described by a few people as not being as bright sounding and with more bass than the CK10s. Luckily for me, that really turned out to be the case. At one point I wasn't sure which IEM to keep, the UM3X (the best universal IEM I've heard) or the CK100 - in the end I decided to keep the former.
 
Jan 19, 2011 at 8:28 PM Post #13 of 17
UM3X is balanced across the frequency response from lows to mids to highs but I just can't get away with the seductive vocals of CK100.
UM3X is a true 3 way drivers with 1 low, 1 mid and 1 high as compared to CK100 which is 1 low and 2 mids/highs.
UM3X, CK10 and CK100 are great iems so I won't rate one over the other but is up to individual preferences and synergy of gears.
 
music_4321 how do you find the clarity and attack of UM3X against CK100? My experience is that UM3X is a little slower and has less clarity but I was comparing it unamp through my itouch. But well, I was listening to Japanese music which CK100 is specially designed for.
 
Yeah I do agree. I ran CK10 right from my itouch and man the treble was too hot and piercing for me. I plugged it into my amp and immediately the treble became smooth and the bass quantity improved dramatically. I would say with proper amping, CK10 will become a very well balanced iem and its treble will surpass that of CK100.
 
I wouldn't recommend running CK10 unamped though but for CK100 and UM3X they are still acceptable.
 
Sep 8, 2011 at 10:31 AM Post #14 of 17


Quote:
UM3X is balanced across the frequency response from lows to mids to highs but I just can't get away with the seductive vocals of CK100.
UM3X is a true 3 way drivers with 1 low, 1 mid and 1 high as compared to CK100 which is 1 low and 2 mids/highs.
UM3X, CK10 and CK100 are great iems so I won't rate one over the other but is up to individual preferences and synergy of gears.
 
music_4321 how do you find the clarity and attack of UM3X against CK100? My experience is that UM3X is a little slower and has less clarity but I was comparing it unamp through my itouch. But well, I was listening to Japanese music which CK100 is specially designed for.
 
Yeah I do agree. I ran CK10 right from my itouch and man the treble was too hot and piercing for me. I plugged it into my amp and immediately the treble became smooth and the bass quantity improved dramatically. I would say with proper amping, CK10 will become a very well balanced iem and its treble will surpass that of CK100.
 
I wouldn't recommend running CK10 unamped though but for CK100 and UM3X they are still acceptable.


Hi,
 
i am looking for an IEM that will be good for female Japanese vocalists. Is the CK100 good for that. I listen to both new and old Japanese music but mostly old ones.
 
Thank you.
 
 
 
Sep 8, 2011 at 6:57 PM Post #15 of 17


Quote:
Hi,
 
i am looking for an IEM that will be good for female Japanese vocalists. Is the CK100 good for that. I listen to both new and old Japanese music but mostly old ones.
 
Thank you.


After owning CK100 for some time I sold it away because of fit issue and that it sounds too forward on many tracks.
 
CK10 remains my favorite iem even for female vocals. But, you will need an amp if you are using ipod. If you are using Sony DAP you are ok. Straight out from ipod they sound way too bright and lean which is not supposed to be what they sound like =)
 
 

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