[jant71]

Just got myself a pair of CK10's and I thought a comparison with the RE0's would be an interesting one. These two earphones are not quite in the popular crowd but have been compared to the top tier phones such as the TF10's, W3's, and ER4 and come close for less $$$. The RE0 are now $169 and the CK10 can be had for a bit over $200 and an occasional $180.99 sale at Buy.com.

Some pics...

First impressions of the CK10. The whole package, small, great looks, built like a tank, comfortable. Beefy cables like Shure but comfort like Westone. better looking than either.

The CK10 takes the Head-Direct bi-flanges, E2C, Phonak size tips. A bit smaller than canalphone/UE/Senn size.

I am still getting used to the CK10, trying tips, players, amps and such out with them. The only thing I'll say early on is though one is dual armature and the other dynamic they are extremely hard to tell them apart sound-wise with the same bi-flanges on. Feel free to ask any questions or give me something to test out.



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[demo1]

How do you like the CK10? Can you shine some light on how they compare with the UE SF5 Pro?

 

[younglee200]

Would you say that one clearly excels the other in anything (treble, bass, midrange, etc)?

Which one do you like better overall?

 

[jant71]

I might be settling in with the E2C black soft flex sleeves on them. Will probably keep the CK10 and sell the RE0. Just don't need two of essentially the same thing.

It has been a while since I had the 5 Pro. Head-fier Dscans did have the CK10 and TF10 at the same time. I agree with his take that the treble and soundstage are close which makes them more extended and bigger sounding than the 5 Pro. Less bass but more forward mids with more detail. The Triples and CK10 are more alike so the 5 Pro comparison is hard. the CK10 out performs the 5 Pro but if you want a better 5 Pro the CK10 would probably not be the phone you would be looking for. Of course the now older UE design and ergonomics don't compare to the much smaller and more comfy AT.

 

[Bilavideo]

Got a few questions.

1. Who makes the REO?s
2. What do you think it suggests about these two- and three-way designs if a dynamic driver sounds close, if not identical, when using the same flanges?
3. What are the CK10s like with bassy hip hop or old classics like Queen's Another One Bites the Dust?
4. What are they like with acoustic music?
5. How's the soundstage?
6. How do you feel about the balance between highs/mids/lows?

 

[jant71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by younglee200 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Would you say that one clearly excels the other in anything (treble, bass, midrange, etc)? Which one do you like better overall?

No clear winner. Depending on tip they can sound near identical. RE0 with Sennheiser bi-flange and the CK10 with E2C black soft flex are indistinguishable. With the Head-Direct bi-flange they sound 95% the same. the stock CK10 tips have smaller openings so the soundstage takes a slight hit vs. The RE0 with stock bi-flange but the CK10 has a bit more bass punch. the tone and timbre are amazingly close. idoubt people could tell them apart or pick out which was armature and which was dynamic if they didn't already know.

For me, the winner will be the CK10 as it can give a bit more isolation, and can be worn both ways easier. I prefer the CK10 cable and the looks.

Probably the CK10 will run about $50 more other than the buy.com sale price. If one was choosing the question would most likely be, are the looks and comfort, fit, and build quality worth the extra dough?

 

[jant71]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilavideo /img/forum/go_quote.gif Got a few questions. 1. Who makes the REO?s 2. What do you think it suggests about these two- and three-way designs if a dynamic driver sounds close, if not identical, when using the same flanges? 3. What are the CK10s like with bassy hip hop or old classics like Queen's Another One Bites the Dust? 4. What are they like with acoustic music? 5. How's the soundstage? 6. How do you feel about the balance between highs/mids/lows?

1. Head-Direct makes the RE0/RE1 and RE2 earphones. Head-Direct.com | YUIN

2. What used to be thought was that small dynamics don't/won't have the range. My take was that we didn't know since till recently no one was making quality dynamics. Reasoning says that it can be done in dynamic headphones and should be achievable in a small form dynamic. RE0 range from top to bottom is regarded as among the best though a slight bit short on the low end which rolls off a bit before more bass slanted phones.

3. More neutral. Good for classic, Chamber, Jazz through to something like Queen. Another One Bites The Dust will sound great but the impact might not hit hard as some would like(depending on taste). EQ a notch should work except for the bassheads and Hip Hop crowd. Those should go for the IE8's and Atrio's etc.

4. I did try a few acoustic songs. The speed keeps up with every note with the quick stuff and the clarity and nice separation make any acoustic song shine.

5. The soundstage is second tier below the best like the Sennheisers but similar to Triple.fi, SE530. Depends on the tip and the opening size of the tip used.

6. These two are the second best I have heard for balance. The SE420 with added impedance was perfectly flat. These are very close. Very even and cohesive esp. the CK10 which does split the bass and treble between the two armatures.

 

[mancpg]

Hi,

Interesting! I was wondering how the CK10s and the RE0 compare to the ER-4Ps, if anyone's had the chance to compare these...

 

[shigzeo]

i will add that against all the iems i have tried (morethan in my sig), the ck10 remains the best built by leaps and bounds.

 

[jant71]

For mancpg...
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/r...-er-4p-405947/

I think the CK10 has the best build and largest soundstage among them and the RE0 and ER4P. They play better with EQ as far as adding some bass/impact, IMO, when going unamped. The comfort is the best if that bunch also. The Technica handle microphonics the best also. Looks goes to the AT without question; they come with a cleaning cloth to keep them pretty and shiny

! Very little included accessories but still the pretentious little things come with a cloth to polish them up nice. Gotta love them! I think late at night, if I listen for it, I can hear them mocking my other earphones, "I'm built better than you and I'm so damn pretty!"

 

[shigzeo]

i do wish they had a right angle plug and proper strain relief - that would make them unmistakably the best made universal iem at any price and would rival the best customs.

 

[dissembled]

I've been advised to avoid the RE0s if I really like defined vocals. Are the CK10s similar to them in this regard? I've read that the 10s have a smooth signature. I hope the mids don't suffer from this.

Thanks.

 

[Pianist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissembled /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been advised to avoid the RE0s if I really like defined vocals. Are the CK10s similar to them in this regard? I've read that the 10s have a smooth signature. I hope the mids don't suffer from this. Thanks.

I have never had any problems with RE0 for vocals - they are portrayed with excellent clarity and accuracy. However, depending on which tips you use and your source, RE0 can have somewhat recessed and blurry mids with weak imaging that can make their midrange seem innacurate and undefined. I have a bit of this problem when using UE single flange silicone tips and, to a lesser extent, when using the stock, white, translucent bi-flanges. I also have this problem when using RE0 with cold sources with an emphasis on the treble. However, I find the sound to be very well defined when using the stock, black single flange silicone tips, although a bit lacking in the low bass. I am pretty sure that getting custom tips for RE0 will solve both low bass quantity issues and recessed midrange issues.

 

[CENTRAL]

@ Jant71

Having tried all those eartips, what would you suggest as a good solution for the CK10s?

I need solid isolation and the best SQ possible. Since these are pretty smooth I would hate anything that would push them towards muffled.

This is becoming a great concern for me as the included tips suck big time!

 

[mp3]

I'm not Jant71, but I'll add my 2öre

I use trimmed Shure triflanges, just shorten the stem and that's it, they sound powerful with crystal clear highs, and as an added bonus the isolation is excellent.

Sony hybrids are also good, but I prefer the triflanges.