New toy CCA CA16 7 BA + 1 DD https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001062135373.html
CHIFI LOVE Thread-A never ending IEM-Heaphones-DAP-Dongles Sound Value Quest
- Thread starter NymPHONOmaniac
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Nimweth
Headphoneus Supremus
I have been testing the new CVJ CSA earphone which I received for review from Aimee at IZ POP, at Amazon.com. Below is my review:
The CSA IEM is, as far as I can tell, the first release from the CVJ company. It is a dual-driver hybrid featuring a 10mm double magnetic dynamic driver for the bass region, similar to that found in models by KZ, CCA and KBEAR, and an “all-new” design of balanced armature covering the treble frequencies.
The IEMs come packaged in a sturdy hardboard box in a black crackle finish with silver writing. Lifting the lid reveals the earpieces fitted in a card cutout along with two sets of white medium bore tips. A third set of tips is pre-fitted to the IEMs. The earpieces themselves have a white carbon fibre finish which is very attractive and has a pearly effect. There is a black CVJ logo in the centre. The rear of the shells is clear through which the components can be seen, including the large dynamic driver and the BA placed in the nozzle. The type of BA is not specified. There is a small pinhole vent at the base of the nozzle. The build quality is acceptable for the price, though others in this sector feature metal faceplates.
The connection is 2-pin and the cable is a 4-core braided type similar to that supplied by TRN or BQEYZ with a metal plug bearing the CVJ logo. The Y-split is also metal. The run between the Y split and plug is quite long and there is no chin slider so the cable is a little prone to tangling. Also included in the box are a brown carrying pouch, a velcro cable tie and documentation. All in all this is a good presentation for the price.
The IEMs were left burning in for 100 hours to settle down the components, after which they were evaluated using an Xduoo X20 DAP. The stock cable was employed and, due to the long nozzle, the small size of the supplied tips were used. These provided a very acceptable comfort, fit and seal.
I was very surprised when first auditioning the CSA. I was expecting a traditional V-shaped sound profile, perhaps with enhanced output in the upper mids and lower treble but this was not the case. Instead, the balance was neutral/bright with a solid well-textured bass, slightly forward mids, and a clean treble with good extension and detail. The sound was far more balanced than expected. The mids and treble occasionally sounded a touch thin, but retained good focus. Soundstage, for a non-vented design, was much more expansive than expected and tonality and timbre were very good, with only occasional bright peaks on certain material. There was no bass bleed which resulted in the lower mids showing excellent clarity.
Bass
The CSA’s bass was nicely contoured, not being too elevated but largely neutral in character and had a fast presentation similar to a BA driver. There was a small lift in the sub-bass which possessed good texture. Extension was good as evidenced in “Freefall” by New Zealand ambient musician Andrew Forrest. This track features a deep sub-bass foundation forming a solid backdrop for the choral and electronic effects and the CSA handled this very well indeed with good texture and resolution. Similarly, the bass parts in Jonn Serrie’s “The Flow of Time’s Arrow” from the “Thousand Star” album, projected well. Nicely textured bass underpinned the slow melody and sparkling high tones. A cathedral organ is a very good test of bass response, and in Durufle’s “Prelude and fugue sur le nom Alain” performed by Sarah Solarue, the depth, power and majesty of the Cavaille-Coll instrument were perfectly preserved and the ambience of the venue clearly audible.
Midrange
The mids were also neutral, or perhaps a touch forward, which endowed the sound with a “live” presence. Tonality was crisp and open. The clean and bright brass in Holst’s “Uranus” in a version by the LSO under Andre Previn was a good example, and one could almost imagine the light reflecting on the shiny metal of the instruments! This clarity brought vocals forward in the mix, enabling the lyrics to be appreciated. Al Stewart’s vocal lines in “Almost Lucy” from “Time Passages” stood out clearly from the instrumental arrangement, nicely balanced by guitar and percussion, imaging being excellent on this track. The beautiful violin melody in Alasdair Fraser’s “First Flight” soared above the complex arrangement with harp, woodwind and synthesised bass all nicely balanced in an expansive acoustic. The clarity present in the mids led me to believe that a lower crossover frequency has been chosen and the BA driver covers a wider range. Occasionally I felt that a little more warmth would be beneficial.
Treble
The CSA delivered a wealth of detail, which was unexpected. The BA driver certainly showed its merits here with a general profile somewhat north of neutral. Percussion certainly benefited from this, with the delicate metallic timbre of the cymbals in Jacques Loussier’s “Air on a G string” in a beautifully remastered Decca recording, being very believable. Presented in a three-dimensional acoustic with double bass and piano, this track was a joy to hear. Similarly, Joe Morello’s amazing drum solo in Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” delighted with the various characteristics of the drum kit nicely differentiated and possessing excellent attack. The guitar accompaniment in Richard Vimal’s “Les Yeux Cadanasses” from his album “Aquarhythmies” was exceptionally clear. The steel strings were bright and incisive, providing a perfect backing for the plaintive synth melody line. Only occasionally the timbre was a little thin.
Soundstage
The CSA had a satisfyingly large soundstage, with a little more depth than width and height. This gave orchestral music an attractive spaciousness which came to the fore in Holst’s “Venus” performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit. The concertante horn and woodwind parts displayed a good impression of distance while the lower strings added atmosphere. The delicate celesta detail later in the piece floated attractively in the stereo image. Likewise, the violin in Jeno Hubay’s Second Violin Concerto stood out clearly from the orchestral accompaniment. Chloe Hanslip’s reading of the slow movement was clear and expressive. The imaging was very effective, also, in Vangelis’s “Himalaya” from his album “China”. Synthesised and percussive elements panned across the stage, underpinned by electronic bass and bass drum, all combining to great effect and producing an exciting tableau.
Conclusion
The CSA is a refreshing departure from the numerous dual hybrids occupying this price sector. Unlike its nearest rivals, the KZ ZSN Pro, CCA CA4 and TRN ST1 which are V-shaped to some degree or other, it displays a more balanced or neutral profile. The sound was generally well-controlled, only occasionally flirting with sharpness or a thinner presentation and acquitted itself well with many different genres. The CSA will not satisfy bassheads but should be on the short list for anyone looking for a well-balanced and versatile earphone at a very competitive price. I look forward to further releases from this company.
The CSA IEM is, as far as I can tell, the first release from the CVJ company. It is a dual-driver hybrid featuring a 10mm double magnetic dynamic driver for the bass region, similar to that found in models by KZ, CCA and KBEAR, and an “all-new” design of balanced armature covering the treble frequencies.
The IEMs come packaged in a sturdy hardboard box in a black crackle finish with silver writing. Lifting the lid reveals the earpieces fitted in a card cutout along with two sets of white medium bore tips. A third set of tips is pre-fitted to the IEMs. The earpieces themselves have a white carbon fibre finish which is very attractive and has a pearly effect. There is a black CVJ logo in the centre. The rear of the shells is clear through which the components can be seen, including the large dynamic driver and the BA placed in the nozzle. The type of BA is not specified. There is a small pinhole vent at the base of the nozzle. The build quality is acceptable for the price, though others in this sector feature metal faceplates.
The connection is 2-pin and the cable is a 4-core braided type similar to that supplied by TRN or BQEYZ with a metal plug bearing the CVJ logo. The Y-split is also metal. The run between the Y split and plug is quite long and there is no chin slider so the cable is a little prone to tangling. Also included in the box are a brown carrying pouch, a velcro cable tie and documentation. All in all this is a good presentation for the price.
The IEMs were left burning in for 100 hours to settle down the components, after which they were evaluated using an Xduoo X20 DAP. The stock cable was employed and, due to the long nozzle, the small size of the supplied tips were used. These provided a very acceptable comfort, fit and seal.
I was very surprised when first auditioning the CSA. I was expecting a traditional V-shaped sound profile, perhaps with enhanced output in the upper mids and lower treble but this was not the case. Instead, the balance was neutral/bright with a solid well-textured bass, slightly forward mids, and a clean treble with good extension and detail. The sound was far more balanced than expected. The mids and treble occasionally sounded a touch thin, but retained good focus. Soundstage, for a non-vented design, was much more expansive than expected and tonality and timbre were very good, with only occasional bright peaks on certain material. There was no bass bleed which resulted in the lower mids showing excellent clarity.
Bass
The CSA’s bass was nicely contoured, not being too elevated but largely neutral in character and had a fast presentation similar to a BA driver. There was a small lift in the sub-bass which possessed good texture. Extension was good as evidenced in “Freefall” by New Zealand ambient musician Andrew Forrest. This track features a deep sub-bass foundation forming a solid backdrop for the choral and electronic effects and the CSA handled this very well indeed with good texture and resolution. Similarly, the bass parts in Jonn Serrie’s “The Flow of Time’s Arrow” from the “Thousand Star” album, projected well. Nicely textured bass underpinned the slow melody and sparkling high tones. A cathedral organ is a very good test of bass response, and in Durufle’s “Prelude and fugue sur le nom Alain” performed by Sarah Solarue, the depth, power and majesty of the Cavaille-Coll instrument were perfectly preserved and the ambience of the venue clearly audible.
Midrange
The mids were also neutral, or perhaps a touch forward, which endowed the sound with a “live” presence. Tonality was crisp and open. The clean and bright brass in Holst’s “Uranus” in a version by the LSO under Andre Previn was a good example, and one could almost imagine the light reflecting on the shiny metal of the instruments! This clarity brought vocals forward in the mix, enabling the lyrics to be appreciated. Al Stewart’s vocal lines in “Almost Lucy” from “Time Passages” stood out clearly from the instrumental arrangement, nicely balanced by guitar and percussion, imaging being excellent on this track. The beautiful violin melody in Alasdair Fraser’s “First Flight” soared above the complex arrangement with harp, woodwind and synthesised bass all nicely balanced in an expansive acoustic. The clarity present in the mids led me to believe that a lower crossover frequency has been chosen and the BA driver covers a wider range. Occasionally I felt that a little more warmth would be beneficial.
Treble
The CSA delivered a wealth of detail, which was unexpected. The BA driver certainly showed its merits here with a general profile somewhat north of neutral. Percussion certainly benefited from this, with the delicate metallic timbre of the cymbals in Jacques Loussier’s “Air on a G string” in a beautifully remastered Decca recording, being very believable. Presented in a three-dimensional acoustic with double bass and piano, this track was a joy to hear. Similarly, Joe Morello’s amazing drum solo in Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” delighted with the various characteristics of the drum kit nicely differentiated and possessing excellent attack. The guitar accompaniment in Richard Vimal’s “Les Yeux Cadanasses” from his album “Aquarhythmies” was exceptionally clear. The steel strings were bright and incisive, providing a perfect backing for the plaintive synth melody line. Only occasionally the timbre was a little thin.
Soundstage
The CSA had a satisfyingly large soundstage, with a little more depth than width and height. This gave orchestral music an attractive spaciousness which came to the fore in Holst’s “Venus” performed by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra under Charles Dutoit. The concertante horn and woodwind parts displayed a good impression of distance while the lower strings added atmosphere. The delicate celesta detail later in the piece floated attractively in the stereo image. Likewise, the violin in Jeno Hubay’s Second Violin Concerto stood out clearly from the orchestral accompaniment. Chloe Hanslip’s reading of the slow movement was clear and expressive. The imaging was very effective, also, in Vangelis’s “Himalaya” from his album “China”. Synthesised and percussive elements panned across the stage, underpinned by electronic bass and bass drum, all combining to great effect and producing an exciting tableau.
Conclusion
The CSA is a refreshing departure from the numerous dual hybrids occupying this price sector. Unlike its nearest rivals, the KZ ZSN Pro, CCA CA4 and TRN ST1 which are V-shaped to some degree or other, it displays a more balanced or neutral profile. The sound was generally well-controlled, only occasionally flirting with sharpness or a thinner presentation and acquitted itself well with many different genres. The CSA will not satisfy bassheads but should be on the short list for anyone looking for a well-balanced and versatile earphone at a very competitive price. I look forward to further releases from this company.
MartianMonkey
New Head-Fier
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Massdrop has the Alpha & Delta KS3 for $89. Would you say these are worth picking up at that price? That puts them under that $100 price.
Seems to be a lot of that of late. I've been avoiding comment since it is has turned into more of a battlefield than a discussion in a lot of these threads.
fragzone
Head-Fier
That is awesome to hear thanks for the breakdown. I am going to order a pair asap.
I will let you know how I go on tips, the Final E Tips look good. Would you recommend foam tips? I enjoyed them a lot on the t3s, unsure if that was just a side-effect of dulling the highs though so perhaps not needed.
MrDelicious
500+ Head-Fier
Having spent a week with the WG T-One now, some short impressions. Mostly regurgitating what other reviewers have already said.
- Presentation is budget class and accessories are pretty scarce. Plain cardboard box, seven pairs of tips and pouch.
- Cable is really nice, very tightly braided and flexible enough. Has ear hooks but they're flexible enough.
- IEM's themselves are very aesthetic and seem well made. Fit is great, for me.
- Sound is a very well balanced V. The V is fairly narrow though, and not very deep either.
- Bass is focused on mid and upper bass, but sub drop isn't major, just 2-3 dB's I guesstimate. Pretty linear for the most part. Good quality and sufficiently quick, fast kicks are easily discernible. Quantity might be just enough to please everyone but bassheads. Probably a bit north of neutral, but I could do with a bit more. Suits a wide variety of genres.
- Mids are very nice, a good amount of of lower mids without ever becoming muddy and a bump at 3k for clarity. Vocals, both male and female, are perfect. Quite lush.
- Lower treble has a large peak around 5k that can be a bit fatiguing if listening at higher volumes. Took me quite a bit to get used to the sound and find the right volume after coming from warmer IEM's (E4000 and CNT1, particularly). Another peak at 8-9k for sparkle and some peaks post-10k for a bit of air. Treble is very good quality, super smooth with absolutely no sibilance at all. Not detail monsters though.
- Soundstage is fine, nothing special. Not very deep, sufficiently wide. Good.
- Imaging and separation are also good, nothing special but not much to complain about.
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Thanks for your impressions! Very helpful, I was looking around but reliable reviews were scarce.
I think the $100ish region for DD sets has tough competition, such as recent releases like the KBEAR Diamond, Tin T4 and Moondrop Starfield. Not to mention older sets like the TFZ No.3, Toneking Ninetails, BLON Cardinal, Semkarch SKC CNT1 (which was around $100 prior to firesales) and others that I've forgotten to mention.
Will give it a miss then, too many sidegrades and wife is not happy =)
MrDelicious
500+ Head-Fier
Yeah, if you have one or more of the better 100 buck IEM's, you absolutely do not need to get these. Which is a bit sad really, they're just very good and there's nothing offensive about them, but that's not enough in this market.
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I got one of these too and agree with most of your findings - definitely a different tuning than common at this price. Hoping to have the CSN shortly to see about where it fits too
Tonymac136
500+ Head-Fier
Has anyone got whatever the NiceHCK lucky bag they're punting is? Apparently it's a BA IEM, new, and $13.99. I need to stop buying these...
I asked NiceHCK on the aliexpress shop about more details on it. It is apparently brand new IEM design (not resale of old stock), 1 BA, non detachable cable. Copper shell. He didn't wanna release any photos of appearance or graphs.
I decided to give it a miss in the end, cause my previous experience with other 1 BA sets was they generally had anaemic bass. But if u get it, I'd be interested in your review.
Tonymac136
500+ Head-Fier
Yeah I ordered it. Can't help myself sometimes. My first lucky bag was a new 1DD IEM that turned out to be the Blon BL03 so every time I see one I wonder if it could happen again.
I'm not a huge fan of single BA sets for the same reason as you but I haven't bought so many this year and it's only just over £10 so, why not? I'll post my findings when it gets here.
SilverEars
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
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I saw this, and will forget about it. https://www.dropbox.com/s/erwlypjse392xny/Xiaomi Mi ANC.pdf?dl=0
One of the worst I've ever seen. I don't think there was even an effort to tune it. AKG/Samsung will have much better response
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RikudouGoku
Member of the Trade: RikuBuds
damn, it looks bad.
Nimweth
Headphoneus Supremus
That is interesting. Do you think CVJ is connected to KZ with their nomenclature, similar to theirs, CSA and CSN reminiscent of ZSA and ZSN...? CSN looks like a ZSX clone, 1DD + 4 x 50060 and 1 x 30095. FR chart on Ali Ex looks good in bass and mids, very neutral.
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