I have been testing the CCA CS16 and here is my opinion of it:
CCA CS16
The CS16 is the new CCA flagship, replacing the C16. Like the earlier model, it has 8 BAs per side. The BAs used are: 1 x 22955 covering the bass, 1 x 29689 for the midrange, 4 x 31736 for the mid/high region and 2 x 30017 for the high frequencies. A 4-way crossover is employed. This driver complement resembles that of the KZ ASX but with two fewer 30017 BAs. There are no BAs placed in the nozzle.
The earphones come in a sturdy white box with a linen finish, identical to that supplied with the CA16 and the much cheaper C10 Pro. Opening the box the earphones are presented in a cardboard cut-out below a small envelope containing the documentation. Below this is another small box in which there are the spare eartips and the 2-pin cable. There are some specifications printed on the back. For a flagship model at this price this was a little disappointing, but not unexpected. Companies like KBEAR and CVJ offer a much better presentation at a lower price.
The contents comprise:
- CCA CS16 IEMs
- 4 pairs white silicone tips
- Silver plated 2 pin Type C cable
- Documentation
The faceplates are made from CNC machined aluminium and have a vent in the centre of the lower part with an engraved CCA logo and resemble those on the KZ DQ6. The rest of the body is made from a clear resin through which the BAs and their sound tubes can be seen. The interface is 2 pin, type “C”. The silver plated cable is standard CCA fare, with shielded connectors and a plastic 3.5mm plug. It has a long run from the chunky Y-split and there is no chin slider, so it is prone to tangling.
Testing was performed using an Xduoo X20 DAP and a burn in period of 100 hours was carried out. Adequate volume was achieved with no need for additional amplification. Because of the short nozzles, the stock tips afforded no seal. Consequently there was a lack of bass, so I experimented with various tips, finally settling on Spiral Dots size L, and although the earpieces did protrude somewhat, I obtained a good seal and the bass was restored.
The CS16 proved to be a very bright-sounding earphone, so I changed the cable to a Faaeal Hibiscus copper 4-core type, which added a little much-needed warmth. The CS16 displayed an exciting “edge of the seat” presentation and possessed a notable immediacy with fast transients. Bass was clean, detailed and snappy with good weight in the sub-bass. Mid bass was dialled back a bit and there was no bass bleed. Mids were forward, with the lower region warmer than the upper mids which were brighter. There was an emphasis in the upper mids through to the lower treble which occasionally displayed a sharp tonality but this was improved after burn in but some extra brightness did remain. Treble was also bright but very detailed. Staging, separation and layering benefited from the high levels of detail on offer. Overall the character could be described as analytical.
Bass
The bass, as befits a BA driver, had great speed and resolution with high levels of detail with the tonality clean and on the cool side of neutral. Mid bass was linear without bleed.
Phamie Gow’s “Regreso a Chile” from her album "Road of the Loving Heart " begins with deep bass notes which were reproduced with a clean transient attack and the decay and harmonic overtones clearly discernible. This provided a solid foundation for the attractive melody and created a believable natural acoustic. However, a little more warmth would have been welcome here.
The doleful tread of the basses in the introduction to Holst’s “Saturn” were very clearly presented and the atmosphere of the piece was beautifully conveyed in the performance by the Vienna Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan’s baton. Near the conclusion the basses are joined by deep organ tones and the effect was magical with the accents of tubular bells and harp adding to the experience.
“Freefall” is the latest album by New Zealand based synthesiser artist Andrew Forrest. Part 1 features a deep bass drone forming a basis for electronic effects, Gregorian style chants and smooth synth patches, all combining to produce a hypnotic sound tableau. The CS16 did not disappoint here with plenty of weight and depth in the sub bass and excellent texture.
Mids
The mids displayed a similar cool quality to the bass but were very transparent and immediate with little recession. Timbre was a little sharp sometimes and became brighter with rising frequency.
Julian Byzantine’s exciting reading of Lauro’s “Vals Venezolano No. 3” came over impressively with the rhythmic qualities nicely portrayed, the timbre of the guitar crisp and clear and the fingering in the more rapid passages well defined with each note clearly audible.
Similarly in the slow movement of Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2, the counterpoint and interplay between the instruments was nicely done. Towards the conclusion of the movement the cello plays pizzicato, the viola plays tremelando and the two violins present the melody. This passage had a particularly authentic feeling of a live performance and was crisply reproduced. There was a little extra brightness in the upper region which did result in a cool timbre in the violins which was, perhaps, not wholly natural.
In 1989, Chris Stonor and Patrick Wilson, recording under the name L’Esprit, produced a beautiful album of relaxation music called “Language of Touch”. “Ripples” features harp and acoustic guitar, accompanied by water sounds. A gentle flute solo plays high in the centre of the image, blending beautifully with the other instruments on the left and right. The whole piece was perfectly depicted by the CS16, whose bright character revealed plenty of detail and clarity and produced the desired calming effect.
Treble
The CS16’s treble was very bright with excellent levels of detail. There was an emphasis in the lower region and another noticeable peak higher up but extension was very good. The tonality was clean and cool with a precise, analytical quality but occasionally sounded a little artificial with acoustic instruments. Electronic music, on the other hand, was enhanced by the quick transients.
“Exo Genesis” from Vangelis’s “Rosetta” begins with fragmented arpeggios and percussion. The metallic sheen of the cymbals and the sparkling electronic effects were startlingly clear. Gradually a powerful anthemic melody emerges, accompanied by deep bass drums with the treble retaining its focus and clarity throughout. This was ideal material for the CS16.
Leonard Bernstein’s wonderful interpretation of Barber’s “Adagio” with the New York Philharmonic was, once again, clearly reproduced. The high violin notes in the climax came over with an ethereal quality and although flirting with harshness at times, the sense of individual instruments playing together was preserved. The atmosphere of the recording venue was nicely portrayed.
The delicate brush work in Bach’s “Air on a G string” by Jacques Loussier had an airy quality which contrasted well with the incisive piano runs in which each note was precisely defined and even in the most dynamic passages accompanied by the double bass, the percussion was still audible.
Soundstage
The soundstage possessed good width and average height but the depth varied depending on the material played. Simpler pieces fared better, as during more powerful and complex recordings or at higher volume, the generally forward nature of the mids and treble tended to flatten the perspective. Imaging, separation and layering, however, benefited from the high level of detail and resolution.
The title track from Richard Burmer’s “Bhakti Point” begins with a synth background and shimmering percussive elements. Soon, powerful drums and percussion enter the scene and these fill each side of the image as a melodic Emulator theme occupies the centre and staccato woodwind samples dance across the stage. The separation and stereo imaging was superbly defined and clear, enabling the details of the production to be appreciated. The whole piece was very effective.
John Foulds’s “Keltic Lament” begins with solo cello and harp accompaniment and the CS16 reproduced this in a very natural way. Later the theme is taken up by full orchestra and in the more powerful passages the tonality became a little hard-edged and the depth of the image was reduced. The ambience of the hall in the performance by the CBSO under Sakari Oramo could have been more spaciously presented as there was a sense of compression in the image.
Daniel Hope and Simon Mulligan’s lovely performance of Arvo Part’s “Spiegel Im Spiegel” was much more to the CS16’s liking. The two instruments were realistically displayed in a spacious acoustic and the concentrated atmosphere of the piece was beautifully realised with the contrasting timbres of the piano and violin dovetailing in a most attractive way, enabling the playing of the musicians to be fully appreciated.
Comparisons
I have restricted my comparisons here to multi-BA designs, although the closest IEM in sound to the CS16 in my collection is the TRN VX (1DD + 6BA). As detailed above, the CS16 is a bright, fast and clean-sounding unit with impressive levels of detail and clean punchy bass.
KZ’s BA10 (5 BA) is a little long in the tooth now but holds its own, even with the latest offerings. It has a warmer character than the CS16 and although using the same 22955 unit the bass has a more natural timbre reminiscent of a DD driver. Sub bass is satisfyingly deep and there is a little more mid bass giving some warmth to the mids. Mids sound more natural than the CS16, but perhaps with a little less urgency. Treble is less sharp and nicely profiled but still has good extension.
CCA’s original C16 also sounds a little more conservative with a more balanced character. Bass lies somewhere between that of the CS16 and BA10 with some of the former’s immediacy but more output in the mid bass. Mids are forward but less bright than the CS16 and the treble is not dissimilar, but it does not flirt with harshness so much.
TRN’s BA5 is a more neutral sounding earphone and in comparison to the others is perhaps a little subdued or “safe”. Bass is warm and capable of surprising depth. Mids are not too recessed and this makes the sound a bit more easy going. The treble, despite the use of three 30095s is surprisingly smooth without harsh peaks. As a result, the BA5 is a good IEM for long term listening.
Conclusion
The CS16 is a worthy successor to the C16, although possessing a different sound profile. Unashamedly bright and energetic in nature, it majors on detail, speed and impact. This could result in fatigue but it just manages to avoid this by dint of its exciting and dynamic presentation which encourages further listening. Timbre is not wholly natural, being cool and crisp due to reduced mid bass and bright extended treble and consequently electronic music fared better than classical or acoustic tracks. It is very tip sensitive and because of the bulky earpieces, getting a good fit with deep insertion is crucial. The forward mids and brightness in stock form can be tamed somewhat with suitable tips and a change of cable. The CS16 is fairly expensive and there is plenty of choice in its price sector offering a warmer or more balanced sound quality and better accessories. However, if excitement, detail and clarity is your thing, this could be the one for you and I would think that it would make a good monitoring set for stage work.
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