CCA in ear monitors Impressions Thread

[baskingshark]

CCA NRA (DD + MST)








(stock cable measures at 0.66ohm)

Fortunately NOT a GK10 or a Tape Pro. But certainly not as good as some others have alluded to.



No changes with cables swaps either.

Is it shouty in the treble?

 

[RikudouGoku]

Is it shouty in the treble?

No its not.

Treble is quite similar in the graph, but they sound quite different to me.

The bass shelf on the NRA is making it overall warmer but even without the mid-bass focus on the NRA (removed with EQ) the treble is still very non-fatiguing and non-peaky to me.

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

Looking forward to seeing more reviews roll through.

I'm still all like "20 bux yo!"

 

[SybilLance]

Looking forward to seeing more reviews roll through.

I'm still all like "20 bux yo!"

Just 15 bucks from over here, and it's just departed a giant sorting center somewhere in Shenzhen, China. My final sub-$30 headphone purchase.

A portion of vacation funds (what with CoVid and all) from my retirement pay will be used to get a DCA Stealth with that Topping D90SE/A90 stack and perhaps the Moondrop KATO.

I love the Moondrop Aria. It's ideal for most of my music library. It appears the KATO will be, too, at a whole new level. I'm quite impressed with Moondrop's approach to development of their new flagship, using tech, R&D, continuous iterative product testing and measurements (they've a B&K HATS and trunk simulator plus an APX555 audio analyzer—thanks to @AmericanSpirit for pointing out how informative the KATO product page is) that incidentally mirrors Dan Clark's development of the Stealth. At the moment the Stealth and the KATO may well have the lowest measured distortion in their respective categories.

My husband who will opt for speakers and amps and such in a treated listening room (his retirement bonus is much, much bigger than mine) is still envious.

That's it. My endgame. Then I'll be drifting off to senior citizen audio paradise and say goodbye to everyone at head-fi.

But when I'm relaxing in the kitchen or in the garden, I'll have my trusty KZ AZ09 with the fun KZ ZAX—or perhaps the CCA NRA attached to my ears.

 

[axhng]

Spent more time with it, so here are some more quick thoughts on it.

Non audio stuff:
Fit is actually great for me with the included tips. It uses a narrower nozzle which is more like TWS earbuds + shallower ear tips. Basically like the KZ Z1 TWS. so it doesn't penetrate that deeply, and doesn't protrude out from my ears too much. Not sure how the cable performs sonically, but it looks and feels pretty nice, just that it's a bit on the stiffer side compared to those with a more traditional braid like the ones they provide with the KZ ZST X. But for this price, perfectly serviceable.

Audio:
These are extremely easy to drive. I'm using them with Apple USB-C adapter on my computer most of the time, and only need to use around 30% volume. Tried it with TRN BT20S Pro and LG V50 too.

Tuning is relatively balanced sounding to me with maybe more treble. Bass is slightly elevated and has a nice amount of quantity for my taste, but not basshead levels for sure. It's relatively tight and well controlled, and can still produce a nice thump when the track calls for it. Lowers mids have slight warmth probably thanks to that bass shelf, but doesn't sound too muddy (though can't say it's the cleanest sounding too). Males vocals and darker instruments I think have a decent presence in the mix and sounds quite enjoyable though.

The upper frequencies are a bit of a mixed bag for me. If you look at the graphs, there is a bit of a dip at around 3kHz, and for me that's a bit less than I would have liked (by the way, Precog has an excellent post about how ppl will perceive this region differently). I think it's not to the point where I would say it's too recessed, but I find that brighter vocals that hits that region can sometimes sound a bit "quieter". It affect any instruments in that region too. In this saxophone cover of Uptown Funk, at around 3:18 onwards when the right most performer switches over the guy to beside him, the sound seems to "take a step back", whereas on something like the ER4XR, that switch sounds more seamless with no decrease in presence between the 2 performers to my ears. On the bright side, it's probably wouldn't sound shouty to most ppl.

There are 2 peaks at around 5 and 8kHz, which gives it a slightly more airy presentation, and I think extension is pretty decent. However, I do find that it can make cymbals sound a bit tizzy, and some vocals sound a bit sibilant to me. Less than something like the older cheap KZs like ZSN Pro & ZST X with their cheaper BA, but more so than a solid BA like the ER4XR (not really a fair comparison i know). But it's not really too offensive to me still if I don't push the volume too high. And while it can still be a tiny bit fatiguing after a while for me perhaps due to my library (I listen to a lot of Jpop ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ), especially at slightly higher volume, it's not too peaky and still has a somewhat smooth quality to it. So I do feel like it's a step up from the usual cheap BA that a lot of cheap chi-fi like to use.

Detail retrieval I think punches above its price point, soundstage and separation seems above average to me as well. Tonality is a little bit off for me in some area, but it's not too bad overall. Considering the price, and it's the first cheap MST implementation (i think), it's a pretty decent set for its price. It's not likely to be something I'll use a ton since I have other stuff I enjoy more, but I think it's good value for money at least if the tuning suits your ears, taste, and library, or you don't mind EQ-ing a bit. YMMV of course if you tip roll, use warmer source, etc.

Will spend more time on them and will update if my thoughts changes.

 

[InvisibleInk]

Just 15 bucks from over here, and it's just departed a giant sorting center somewhere in Shenzhen, China. My final sub-$30 headphone purchase.

A portion of vacation funds (what with CoVid and all) from my retirement pay will be used to get a DCA Stealth with that Topping D90SE/A90 stack and perhaps the Moondrop KATO.

I love the Moondrop Aria. It's ideal for most of my music library. It appears the KATO will be, too, at a whole new level. I'm quite impressed with Moondrop's approach to development of their new flagship, using tech, R&D, continuous iterative product testing and measurements (they've a B&K HATS and trunk simulator plus an APX555 audio analyzer—thanks to @AmericanSpirit for pointing out how informative the KATO product page is) that incidentally mirrors Dan Clark's development of the Stealth. At the moment the Stealth and the KATO may well have the lowest measured distortion in their respective categories.

My husband who will opt for speakers and amps and such in a treated listening room (his retirement bonus is much, much bigger than mine) is still envious.

That's it. My endgame. Then I'll be drifting off to senior citizen audio paradise and say goodbye to everyone at head-fi.

But when I'm relaxing in the kitchen or in the garden, I'll have my trusty KZ AZ09 with the fun KZ ZAX—or perhaps the CCA NRA attached to my ears.

Sounds like a happy ending

 

[saldsald]

Spent more time with it, so here are some more quick thoughts on it.

Non audio stuff:
Fit is actually great for me with the included tips. It uses a narrower nozzle which is more like TWS earbuds + shallower ear tips. Basically like the KZ Z1 TWS. so it doesn't penetrate that deeply, and doesn't protrude out from my ears too much. Not sure how the cable performs sonically, but it looks and feels pretty nice, just that it's a bit on the stiffer side compared to those with a more traditional braid like the ones they provide with the KZ ZST X. But for this price, perfectly serviceable.

Audio:
These are extremely easy to drive. I'm using them with Apple USB-C adapter on my computer most of the time, and only need to use around 30% volume. Tried it with TRN BT20S Pro and LG V50 too.

Tuning is relatively balanced sounding to me with maybe more treble. Bass is slightly elevated and has a nice amount of quantity for my taste, but not basshead levels for sure. It's relatively tight and well controlled, and can still produce a nice thump when the track calls for it. Lowers mids have slight warmth probably thanks to that bass shelf, but doesn't sound too muddy (though can't say it's the cleanest sounding too). Males vocals and darker instruments I think have a decent presence in the mix and sounds quite enjoyable though.

The upper frequencies are a bit of a mixed bag for me. If you look at the graphs, there is a bit of a dip at around 3kHz, and for me that's a bit less than I would have liked (by the way, Precog has an excellent post about how ppl will perceive this region differently). I think it's not to the point where I would say it's too recessed, but I find that brighter vocals that hits that region can sometimes sound a bit "quieter". It affect any instruments in that region too. In this saxophone cover of Uptown Funk, at around 3:18 onwards when the right most performer switches over the guy to beside him, the sound seems to "take a step back", whereas on something like the ER4XR, that switch sounds more seamless with no decrease in presence between the 2 performers to my ears. On the bright side, it's probably wouldn't sound shouty to most ppl.

There are 2 peaks at around 5 and 8kHz, which gives it a slightly more airy presentation, and I think extension is pretty decent. However, I do find that it can make cymbals sound a bit tizzy, and some vocals sound a bit sibilant to me. Less than something like the older cheap KZs like ZSN Pro & ZST X with their cheaper BA, but more so than a solid BA like the ER4XR (not really a fair comparison i know). But it's not really too offensive to me still if I don't push the volume too high. And while it can still be a tiny bit fatiguing after a while for me perhaps due to my library (I listen to a lot of Jpop ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ), especially at slightly higher volume, it's not too peaky and still has a somewhat smooth quality to it. So I do feel like it's a step up from the usual cheap BA that a lot of cheap chi-fi like to use.

Detail retrieval I think punches above its price point, soundstage and separation seems above average to me as well. Tonality is a little bit off for me in some area, but it's not too bad overall. Considering the price, and it's the first cheap MST implementation (i think), it's a pretty decent set for its price. It's not likely to be something I'll use a ton since I have other stuff I enjoy more, but I think it's good value for money at least if the tuning suits your ears, taste, and library, or you don't mind EQ-ing a bit. YMMV of course if you tip roll, use warmer source, etc.

Will spend more time on them and will update if my thoughts changes.

Well written and totally agree.

 

[voicemaster]

So I compared the NRA with my Variations just for fun. Not a chance . But the NRA can hold its own against CKX and ZAX. Imaging, soundstage and detail retrieval are on par with CKX/ZAX.

 

[Nimweth]

Impressions of the NRA: General profile is W shaped. Powerful bass with good detail and weight, forward mids and very detailed bright treble but remaining smooth. Staging has good depth but width is less extensive. There is an attractive delicacy in the high frequencies.Timbre is better than cheap BAs, the electret driver is a success, I think. Cable is possibly the best so far from KZ/CCA. Very positive so far.

 

[SybilLance]

Sounds like a happy ending

Hopefully it will be. Cheers!

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

So I compared the NRA with my Variations just for fun. Not a chance . But the NRA can hold its own against CKX and ZAX. Imaging, soundstage and detail retrieval are on par with CKX/ZAX.

No disagreements really about ZAX comparison. I'd say ZAX has better staging and ultimately is more resolving given the BA array ... but these NRA are so dang close that I'm still just kind of stunned.

What are the weaknesses vis-a-vis your Variations? How would you expect for ZEX to stack up? Genuinely curious to know. From my browser-window shopping I have ruled out EJ07M and EST112. Thieaudio's Oracle is probably the better fit for me tuning wise, but I am also really curious about that Softears midrange driver in the Variations at the same time. So many IEM ... so little me pile of shekels!

 

[PhonoPhi]

Classical Impressions for the NRA

I've been listening to classical mostly the past several days with the NRA connected to an SPC 16-core cable on the balanced output of my btr3k, both in LDAC bluetooth mode and Digital Output mode over USB on my Linux desktop. LDAC over BT is about the same to my ears as digital out mode over USB.

One of my musical preferences is basically what a lot of people on this site would probably describe as murder treble.

For this task, my go-to device is my studio monitor overears, which I have always preferred over many audiophile styled gear for their ability to resolve crazy (some might say uncomfortable) amounts of detail while also leaving the recording uncolored. I used my Shure SRH840's on my desktop dac/amp for comparison between the NRA and BTR3k.

Yes, this is apples and oranges, but I wanted to get a sense of quality regardless of type of device or price. What matters to me is how it sounds, and whether or not I'm going to enjoy listening to them. I do not buy gear just to review. It either has a place and a purpose for my catalog or it eventually disappears and isn't replaced. I've never really been into audiophile superlatives and I prize hearing transparent playback from high fidelity recordings. I am drawn toward an active listening experience that puts me on the edge of my seat with deeply furrowed brows and looking quite constipated, just as one should when actively listening to music, like my old orchestra conductors. With a new toy in the collection, what I wanted most was to get a sense of what the NRA's technicalities are when pushed to both theirs and my own ears' limits. Any sound quality or coloration in a headphone that isn't baked into the recording is, to me, a defect or unnecessary. The kinds of folks who like tube rolling and are addicted to planars are usually a very different kind of listener than I am, which is not at all wrong or unjustified, just different. I'm in a minority, so I leave this statement as a caveat.

Today's piece is provided by the sadist genius Dmitri Shostakovich, a Soviet composer of the 20th century. Now, before we get into it, consider that the highest fingered note possible on a violin is generally accepted to be A7, at 3520 Hz. Link courtesy @AmericanSpirit (great resource!), visit https://onlinetonegenerator.com and tap in 3520 (watch the volume!) Ok, now tap in 12000, then use the up arrow key to slope up to ~ 13000. These are insanely high pitches. Everything above ~4k is basically extra acoustics generated by instruments and equipment that the do various things in our brains to convey harmonics, timbre, and the "edges" to a note. I stop hearing anything over 15k with this tool. Based on recorded frequencies, noises are still detected by up to 17 kHz from violins despite the actual highest playable note being way back down there at 3.52 kHz. Cymbals are another interesting instrument, as their frequencies have been recorded up to 40kHz, roughly double that of human hearing and are still quite strong at 20,000 kHz depending on the type, strike etc.

With the technicalities out of the way here, now perhaps you'll understand why I like to enjoy this masochism piece with parametric EQ on the treble range adjusted to plaid levels to allow every nuance of the bows and the edge on the brass and percussion to reach my ears. If you tried this profile on pop or rock music you'd want to rip the phones out of your head immediately after being assaulted with a sibilant and intolerable hell screech. Just remember that you're not dealing with boosted frequencies in a studio recording when listening to recordings of live music. Especially for old recordings in classical music, you need to overboost treble to try to reclaim what's been lost to the sands of time for old tech and methods, and often a bottom end boost for old recordings that didn't capture a lot down in the bass and lower mids regions.



So the torture analytical section begins @ the 2:09 mark with a bit of flute to dry lube the ears up a bit before the violin soloist resumes with sharper instruments. There is blurt of brass here, and then a nails-on-the-chalkboard sequence that begins innocently enough with plucking (pizzacato) behind the solo and then turns to short screeching jabs by the entirety of the violin section next to the solo's continued run. Brass fills in at the 3:00 mark for a few bars, providing some relief via the lower mids before the assault continues in a lower register and is supported by timpani and low, tight percussion. The speed, control, and technique displayed by soloist Nicola Benedetti on this piece is really stunning and it's a modern, very high quality recording from 2016. Listen to it ... now increase the volume to just below what hurts, and listen again. Glorious!

To my ears, the NRA really belongs with higher priced equipment when evaluating the treble. It scales up in the same way as my C12s do in terms of raw treble detail and has what I'd estimate to be about 8/10ths of the output at the same volume setting (C12 are dangerous treble canons under EQ and volume, maybe even more so than the BA10). To (what's left of) my ears, I think strings and horns in the upper treble regions are better than the C12 or my DQ6.

If my SRH840 are their own bar at a 10, when compared to these sans-EQ and also for both headphones under similar EQ curves, I'd rate the NRA as follows against it:

Category	No EQ for either	Notes	EQ for both	Notes
Detail retrieval	6.5	There is a lot of detail missing in the upper treble roll-off to my ears for this style of music. For rock and electronica it's good enough to be considered "detailed" without EQ. For jazz and classical, my ears need a lot of help. There is just not much air with the stock tuning.	9.5	Superb detailing with EQ boosted. There is nothing left on the track here relative to SRH840 that I can tell. Even the speed and weight on bow technique is coming through very good on the NRA.
Imaging	9.0	Imaging is still quite good on its own, largely owed to the superb clarity of this set.	9.0	the reduced staging still hurts imaging just a bit relative to 840s. TBH there's really not much more in it.
Sound Stage	8.0	840 is already an intimate set, some say narrow. It's a closed back monitor - you're not going to get an expansive staging out of them. Even so, NRA is a bit narrower w/o EQ compared to sans-EQ 840.	8.5	There is more natural reverb and reflection acoustics heard in the 840s, which is difficult for an IEM to reproduce IMO. I don't hear the same sound stage in BA10 or GK10, either fwiw.

All in all this is asking a lot out of a $24 device compared to a $150 headphone (used to be closer to $200). Many feel the 840 is a bright headphone, and there are others that say it's too warm to be neutral. That's the audio game in a nutshell. I do feel that the 840 is a legitimately good monitor on its own merits and not really designed for casual listening.

Without EQ, the NRA is just not quite detailed enough to enjoy treble heavy classical music for me. Piano and violin concertos are going to need help for analytical listening. I find that I need to boost 6kHz - 8 kHz by 5-10 dB to regain an adequate amount of staging and detail retrieval. To get that crispiness and all the crazy harmonics on offer in the recordings, I boost 12 - 17kHz by as much as 15 dB. In terms of the driver's raw capabilities, I find my pair to be extremely good. Brass timbre is nearly the same as out of my studio monitors. Strings are rendered clear and crisp, mallets have a nice edge to the note, and the rest of the percussion section can be easily picked out and savored, like rolling a Jolly Rancher around in the mouth.

Moving lower on the frequency spectrum, cello sounds are really dependent on how much midbass is dialed in. Without EQ I find the NRA to be great for cello pieces on both timbre and tone. Are planar hybrids better? Quite possibly. Compared to my loudspeaker driven overears it's still great. As to what sounds "full" or "thin" sounds like for viola and cello is all really dependent on the ears making the judgement, the base FR curve of the headphone, and what tweaks are there on the EQ. As it's abundantly clear by now, I don't really care much about the stock tuning, but David Darling's album "Cello" (R.I.P., good sir) from 1992 has some great stand alone pieces, including Darkwood 1, the opening track. Even without EQ this is still a nice listen with nuanced bow work and a very emotional composition.



If I enable the EQ back to Plaid I can hear all the microdetails again and edges to the bow strokes, and there's a greater sense of sound staging again. If you're into that kinda thing. Some people are, and some aren't - it's just a matter of preference.

I'm out of time today but I'd like to make a better comparison this weekend against high brass and run through some marches. I can say for certain that a quick tour through Aaron Copland standards was a very rewarding experience, and I'm once again surprised with the quality, weight, and clarity of the bass on the NRA.

Summing up, I think for classical lovers who aren't afraid of EQ and have a good source, this set is again punching far, far above it's weight. In the budget segment, I am wishing that I had a pair of HZSOUNDS Heart Mirror to compare against, which is reported to have a more neutral bass and mids profile, and still very strong technicalities. I think I'd probably enjoy those a lot. Maybe I'll nab a set during the 11.11 sale.

So great to hear your quest for the treble in classical (and so eloquently presented) so I can finally feel not to be alone/odd in my IEM quest.

Most of the classical recordings are indeed "gentle" in treble, and mostly listening to classical - my IEM quest was all targeted to getting more life, details and engagement out of good old classical records.
Even more narrow-minded, most of my chain optimization was for late Beethoven string quartets incarnated by Takács Quartet.
In this quest most "banshee" IEMs, such as A10 and AS16, were amazing to me with strings. But any electronic music or something with prominent cymbals would be so harsh and brutal...

I have received my NRA few days ago (delayed shipping of one of the countless CCA stores again...) - really nice, gentle and quite capable. Starting to compare, NRA are at par with DQ6 for me - I do prefer a less ample DD of NRA, while DQ6 with its more engaging treble are definitely more appealing to me.

NRA should be a good IEM for CCA, quite likeable with its gentle treble; no competition to ZAX though in absolute terms to my ears, only by the virtue of "diminishing returns"

P. S. Then DQ6 & NRA as a starting pair under $50 - a truly amazing proposition

 

[voicemaster]

No disagreements really about ZAX comparison. I'd say ZAX has better staging and ultimately is more resolving given the BA array ... but these NRA are so dang close that I'm still just kind of stunned.

What are the weaknesses vis-a-vis your Variations? How would you expect for ZEX to stack up? Genuinely curious to know. From my browser-window shopping I have ruled out EJ07M and EST112. Thieaudio's Oracle is probably the better fit for me tuning wise, but I am also really curious about that Softears midrange driver in the Variations at the same time. So many IEM ... so little me pile of shekels!

I mean on par but the CKX and ZAX is still better but the difference is not like a lot.
In some male vocal, I actually prefer the way the NRA sounds than the Variations but thats about it.

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

So great to hear your quest for the treble in classical (and so eloquently presented) so I can finally feel not to be alone/odd in my IEM quest.

Most of the classical recordings are indeed "gentle" in treble, and mostly listening to classical - my IEM quest was all targeted to getting more life, details and engagement out of good old classical records.
Even more narrow-minded, most of my chain optimization was for late Beethoven string quartets incarnated by Takács Quartet.
In this quest most "banshee" IEMs, such as A10 and AS16, were amazing to me with strings. But any electronic music or something with prominent cymbals would be so harsh and brutal...

I have received my NRA few days ago (delayed shipping of one of the countless CCA stores again...) - really nice, gentle and quite capable. Starting to compare, NRA are at par with DQ6 for me - I do prefer a less ample DD of NRA, while DQ6 with its more engaging treble are definitely more appealing to me.

NRA should be a good IEM for CCA, quite likeable with its gentle treble; no competition to ZAX though in absolute terms to my ears, only by the virtue of "diminishing returns"

P. S. Then DQ6 & NRA as a starting pair under $50 - a truly amazing proposition

hey thanks! and great recc on Takács Quartet. I found their 2017 Beethoven collection on Spotify and it's a doozy :-o

 

[SpaceOperaVillain]

In this saxophone cover of Uptown Funk, at around 3:18 onwards when the right most performer switches over the guy to beside him, the sound seems to "take a step back", whereas on something like the ER4XR, that switch sounds more seamless with no decrease in presence between the 2 performers to my ears.

nice review! I saw uptown funk and had to click the link. Listening to this clip, the guy with the silver sax is on fire . I hear a few dB less too on the hand off @ 3:18, but if you look closely you can see that the lead sax on the right is mic'd directly on his horn. He's also probably a little hotter at the mixing board. The rest of the lineup are playing into floor mics, so I think the volume change is accurate!