[G777]

I never thought about trying Blon tips on the DQ6 and I might try Sony MH755 tips on them as well.

The downside is that they make the IEMs stick out of my ear a lot more, which can look a little weird.

 

[TheVortex]

The downside is that they make the IEMs stick out of my ear a lot more, which can look a little weird.

I am not worried about such things

 

[voicemaster]

I just received a 2nd pair of BA10s. They sound VERY different. The first pair sounds pretty much like Crin’s graph portrays. A well balanced V-shape. The 2nd pair has similar treble, but quite a lot less upper midrange, and a TON of mid bass and lower mids. For me personally, it may be nice to have some variety between my 2 pairs, but this is some major inconsistency. With my 2nd pair, I could definitely understand if someone didn’t like the sound of the BA10, if this is what they got.

Luckily my 2nd pair of ba10 sounds exactly the same as my 1st one.

 

[trumpethead]

I never thought about trying Blon tips on the DQ6 and I might try Sony MH755 tips on them as well.

MH755 tips usually bring out the best in most of my items... The size large gives me a nice tight comfortable fit with great isolation.. Wish I could purchase some separately from the earphones.

 

[Jitu13]

While I have first hand experience with the sample variation, since it hasn’t been an issue with others, that I know of, I don’t think it’s right to label an IEM as having poor QC from my one experience.

The DQ6, IMO, is better balanced, with a more even tuning. Both are V-shaped, strictly speaking, but the mids are more notably recessed on the ZS10Pro. There is more bass overall on the ZS10Pro, but I find it better controlled and detailed on the DQ6. Extension, both in the bass and treble, seem similar. I think detail retrieval is similar overall as well. I find imaging and timbral accuracy much better on the DQ6, without any metallic overtones. I should note that with my DQ6, the sound chanced quite a bit with breaking in those 6 DDs. The bass was boomy at first, and the treble was coarse.

I guess I should keep dq6 and zax in my radar! Not sure whether they will be worth it though. I will try other iems first, before giving them a go I guess.

 

[tgx78]

Modded my ZAX and now it’s comparable to the $500 ME700 lite (maybe a shade under) in terms of sound quality. Neutral sounding KZ FTW!
Modding is bit complicated, could damage the dynamic driver and definitely not reversible so I won’t disclose it here. If someone really wants one, PM me and I might provide a free modding service for 2-3 people here.

Spoiler: Frequency response

Spoiler: Compared to the BA10

Spoiler: Compared to the ME700 lite

 

[whirlwind]

Which has the better slam .....ZAX / CCA CKX ?

 

[DynamicEars]

Modded my ZAX and now it’s comparable to the $500 ME700 lite (maybe a shade under) in terms of sound quality. Neutral sounding KZ FTW!
Modding is bit complicated, could damage the dynamic driver and definitely not reversible so I won’t disclose it here. If someone really wants one, PM me and I might provide a free modding service for 2-3 people here.

Spoiler: Frequency response

Spoiler: Compared to the BA10

Spoiler: Compared to the ME700 lite

can you chime in more details about your mod? magic foam damper? lol.. i believe they sounded great that way, just little boost on sub bass and we have killer tuning there

 

[tgx78]

can you chime in more details about your mod? magic foam damper? lol.. i believe they sounded great that way, just little boost on sub bass and we have killer tuning there

it requires bit of drilling lol

first I used one of this black high density foam and sliced it in 3 ways to make thinner discs.

opened the original ZAX metal nozzle and glued this thinly sliced foam underneath.

there are two vents on inner side of the ZAX shell and I enlarged the one without a damper by carefully drilling.
Using the no.2 sewing needle, I punctured a tiny hole on secondary vent right above the DD.

Constantly measuring them for a channel matching

I agree with you. Little low shelf boost around 125Hz would complete this mod nicely.

 

[Pelicampe]

The DQ6 stock tips are way too short. I used the extra tips that came with the BL-03 (the weird cone shaped ones) and now they sound great to me.

Me too, re-use Blon tips on DQ6 and they fit like a glove.
With NiceHCK C16 cable it's a beauty

 

[wopossum]

first I used one of this black high density foam and sliced it in 3 ways to make thinner discs.

opened the original ZAX metal nozzle and glued this thinly sliced foam underneath.

there are two vents on inner side of the ZAX shell and I enlarged the one without a damper by carefully drilling.
Using the no.2 sewing needle, I punctured a tiny hole on secondary vent right above the DD.

Constantly measuring them for a channel matching

That was really nice of you to share this mod details, I think it gives more "direct" approach, but I hope everyone is careful enough.

 

[Alpha Whale]

CCA CTS:

CTS came in about 48 hours ago.

I like it a lot but there are a few things that interested parties should be aware of before pulling the trigger.

The first is that pairing is somewhat critical. The CST did not play well with several of my DAPs or my phone (Samsung A30s). Overall, they sound fantastic but they were slightly strident on several sources.

That being said, the CST paired very well with both the Plenue 2 and Plenue R. I've been listening to the CST on the PR for several hours now and I'm marveling that I've only had to shell out $12.99 for these. I ordered one silver and one gold. The silver CST arrived but the gold CST won't be here for a few weeks, reportedly.

In addition to its wondrous presentation (agreeable pairing required) the CST is hecka cool looking. Most of the promotional pics do it no justice. Look again at the promotional pictures above and then look at this pic.

Spoiler

In the raw the grain of the wood is quite prominent and there is very little glossy coating on the wood exterior.

Very cool!

I do like the cable and the strain reliefs should hold up for quite a while.

I should mention that I am not using the stock eartips but rather wide bore silicone eartips. With said eartips the CST is an affable in-ear with a mild "V" shaped presentation and a natural tonality.

Great job on this one but remember

If the CST doesn't pair well with your source you'll regret the purchase and they will sit in a drawer somewhere.
If they do pair well with your source then your CST should get a lot of use.

Spoiler

I expect my CST will be one of four DD in-ears to find its way into my ten IEM rotation.

BTW, someone made mention of the VJJB K4s being the best wooden something or other. I do have the K4s and I would describe it as a "fun" listen with bombastic midbass punch. The CST is a far more transparent presentation than the K4s but the K4s was far less picky about playing well with others (DAPs).

DQ6:

Yes, the DQ6 is one of my four DD IEMs in rotation.

Really love this DQ6 tuning.

KZ DQ6 looks interesting maybe I'll buy it if there's another sale going on in Shopee, same is true for AS12 and BA10.

All three (DQ6, AS12 & BA10) are a high recommendation IMHO.
The DQ6 may not have BA resolution but I still think it is one of KZ's best IEMs.
If you can swing it the CKX should also be on that list.

I've been testing my new DQ6 for a couple of days.

I think the tuning is pretty good, closer to reality than some previous KZ designs. What strikes me the most, however, is the soundstage, transients, and percussion. There's pretty good separation and layering for a $27 IEM. But it's presented in a somewhat artificial fashion.

What the DQ6 is doing, though, is selectively boosting certain types of sound. Percussion get a thuddy elevation, and I feel that a number of voices and instruments are being strategically placed so that I can hear them well. That's great, I can hear everything really well. But it isn't quite as natural as some of those IEMs that mush it all together like the BL-01. It's more like the CCA C10 [boosting vocals] and the TRN BA5 [boosting percussion]. It's 'colouring' the soundstage.

Now this is actually helpful for some genres. I'm enjoying metal with it more than with the BL-01/BL-05s. Gotta say the selective elevation of parts of the soundstage reminds me a little of the BL-05s.

There's also some bass rumble that's not so present in the BLONs. Again, it feels like an artificial 'layer' in the background, kind of like those waterfalls in old NES games.

The overall sound is pretty open and powerful on my cheap AMP, so the DQ6 is probably good with many mobile devices.

I'm elated to see KZ take what they've learned from BA tuning and apply what is applicable towards a multi-DD set. They did a great job bringing the upper midrange forward without making it shrill and without negatively effecting the lower midrange. The upper bass and lower midrange are incredibly clean for a sub-$30 Tri-Dy. I suspect that the Unique Melody Tri-Dy and QDC Tri-Dy will outperform the DQ6 in resolution, imaging and layering but those IEMs are $1,300 and $320, respectively. Did I mention that the UM 3DT is, reportedly, slightly strident. To my ears the DQ6, at 90% off from the 3DT price, isn't.

To be fair, I did find heavily compressed tracks to display strident behavior on the DQ6.

Those of you with the DQ6 will find that the drum snaps on Cinderella's "Nobody's Fool" on YouTube are hard to take. That being said, I do have the same track pulled from a CD (44.1khz/16bit) loaded onto all of my DAPs and those drum snaps are much smoother.

DQ6 sounds amazing, very fluid.

"Fluid" is definitely a good descriptive word for the DQ6.
A "fluid" and "punchy" delivery describes the DQ6 presentation perfectly, to my ears.

A really good tuning from KZ !

Your last graph here is probably the most useful graph I've seen in a while.
It documents the importance of tip rolling and how much an eartip can alter what one hears. The eartips that produced the yellow response offer a decidedly different presentation than the eartips that produced the light green response.
I can practically hear the difference just by staring at the two FR curves.

Thanks for posting. With your permission, I'd like to use the eartip FR chart in the future.



CKX:

Yes indeed I prefer the overall sound of the CKX over the NM2+. I actually like the bass, mid and treble better on the CKX not just the treble . The NM2+ may have better dynamic range, layering and treble extension (more air) but sometimes out of control to my ears - too loud, too quiet, and sometimes shouty.

I totally agree that "The great KZ/CCA in-ears usually fall between the cracks".

I think the small size of the CKX alone is enough for people to appreciate as there are 6 BAs and 1 10mm DD inside.

I got my Silver CCA CKX’s today and I’m loving them!

Easily my favorite CCA/KZ IEM!
These little babies become totally lost in my ear after a short while and the imaging they are providing makes like a large bubble of music all around my head, like a old sci-fi space helmet filled with music it’s awesome!

CCA is proving to be a fantastic source for exquisite affordable IEM’s!

I own a ton of KZ and CCA IEMS and my favorites were BA10 and ZS10 PRO until I picked up a pair of Silver CKX IEMS! They are small, comfortable and sound phenomenal!

These are very good and getting better and at the $79 I paid a steal!
They sound better or as good as units I own that cost 3-4 times as much. Do yourself a favor and look into the CKX!

The more I listen to the CKX the more I find that it sounds like a slightly more Vivid BA10. The BA10 has the more laid back presentation whereas the CKX brings everything forward and displays more micro detail.

The $100 (CKX *$80) plus aftermarket cable ($18) - per set) I shelled out is money well spent.

I recently ordered almost all KZ earbuds and some CCA including CKX. I returned all of them except ZAX and CKX.

I think we have similar impressions on the ZAX and CKX except that to my ears the CKX is less V shape tuned and has quite a bit better tonal accuracy

KZ has been ridiculed for frequently releasing model after model with only slight improvements. I do get the frustration and pushback but I appreciate the progression and improvements.

Spoiler

ZS10 Pro to ZSX (taper 8kHz)

ZSX to ZAX
(for anyone that owns both of these please provide feedback on how the ZAX differs from the ZSX and more importantly how the ZAX differs from the ZS10 Pro in the next graph)

We know that graphs can not tell the whole story (stage, air, separation, layering, etc.).
Additional feedback from the community would be helpful.

Much appreciated.

How does cca ckx compare to an old trusty kz zs10 pro?

CKX has more natural weight to midrange instruments and vocals which improves the overall presentation.



ZAX:

The ZAX is much harder to fault - it has a really minor issue with sounding metallic, and that's about all I can think of.

I also had the ZAX in fact and sold it as I could not deal with that metallic sound and that weird artificial sound on top of that.

The increasing number of reports regarding the "metallic" and "artificial" upper presentation is the only reason I have been hesitant with picking up the ZAX. Apparently, the pros are numerous enough for most owners to overlook its cons.
I suppose I'll have to invest some time going through the showcase reviews but any cliff notes from the community would be greatly appreciated.

I recently ordered almost all KZ earbuds and some CCA including CKX. I returned all of them except ZAX and CKX. CKX's fitting is the best, very comfortable. Sound wise, ZAX is a bit better than CKX, better lower end extension. The high end is more airy as well. The tuning of these two earbuds are almost the same to my ears. I think both represent the best, true flagships of both brands.

Very helpful.

Thanks



TOTL gear vs Budget gear:

I've listened to IEMs and headphones above that up to the thousands of $, though there are some that i love, can't seem to justify myself to purchase them.. because i know even that won't stop me from buying and trying other things.

This is precisely why I actively sift through great budget gear.
Having a blast while doing so.

It is not worth it to "upgrade" to AS16. AS16 has a tiny bit of improvement of resolution, but the bass is lacking. I am not a bass head, but a good quantity and good quality bass makes music sound more fun.

The AS12 is worth investigating.


BQ3 vs CKX:

I was hyped by good reviews and bought it.
My BQ3 might be a lemon, as it's totally the opposite sound of your description. But believe me, I have seen some others that share my opinion.

The BQ3 can easily be too bassy with the wrong cable IMO so maybe you can do some cable rolling first. The sound can feel quite wrong due to the excessive bass which bleeds into the mids due to the cable.

Maybe you should also try the BQEYZ BQ3. I think this and the CKX can easily compete with IEMs several times of their asking price.

I do not have the CKX but agree with you about the BQ3, it has a warm gentle V shape with good tonality and it's one you can listen to without fatigue.

I have the BQ3 and find it to be extremely sensitive to eartip placement. Most eartips produce mud for me on the BQ3 but with extensive tip rolling I found a combination that brought about better balance in the presentation. The BQ3 needs eartips that will decrease the lower frequency response for the end user.

It makes a huge difference when trying to toe tape to epic tracks.


Warm and inviting on the BQ3.
Vivid/alive on the CKX.
Just...wow...on the DQ6.




Know your ears.
Know your eartips.
You'll have better success.

 

[whirlwind]

CCA CTS:

CTS came in about 48 hours ago.

I like it a lot but there are a few things that interested parties should be aware of before pulling the trigger.

The first is that pairing is somewhat critical. The CST did not play well with several of my DAPs or my phone (Samsung A30s). Overall, they sound fantastic but they were slightly strident on several sources.

That being said, the CST paired very well with both the Plenue 2 and Plenue R. I've been listening to the CST on the PR for several hours now and I'm marveling that I've only had to shell out $12.99 for these. I ordered one silver and one gold. The silver CST arrived but the gold CST won't be here for a few weeks, reportedly.

In addition to its wondrous presentation (agreeable pairing required) the CST is hecka cool looking. Most of the promotional pics do it no justice. Look again at the promotional pictures above and then look at this pic.

Spoiler

In the raw the grain of the wood is quite prominent and there is very little glossy coating on the wood exterior.

Very cool!

I do like the cable and the strain reliefs should hold up for quite a while.

I should mention that I am not using the stock eartips but rather wide bore silicone eartips. With said eartips the CST is an affable in-ear with a mild "V" shaped presentation and a natural tonality.

Great job on this one but remember

If the CST doesn't pair well with your source you'll regret the purchase and they will sit in a drawer somewhere.
If they do pair well with your source then your CST should get a lot of use.

Spoiler

I expect my CST will be one of four DD in-ears to find its way into my ten IEM rotation.

BTW, someone made mention of the VJJB K4s being the best wooden something or other. I do have the K4s and I would describe it as a "fun" listen with bombastic midbass punch. The CST is a far more transparent presentation than the K4s but the K4s was far less picky about playing well with others (DAPs).







DQ6:

Yes, the DQ6 is one of my four DD IEMs in rotation.







All three (DQ6, AS12 & BA10) are a high recommendation IMHO.
The DQ6 may not have BA resolution but I still think it is one of KZ's best IEMs.
If you can swing it the CKX should also be on that list.






I'm elated to see KZ take what they've learned from BA tuning and apply what is applicable towards a multi-DD set. They did a great job bringing the upper midrange forward without making it shrill and without negatively effecting the lower midrange. The upper bass and lower midrange are incredibly clean for a sub-$30 Tri-Dy. I suspect that the Unique Melody Tri-Dy and QDC Tri-Dy will outperform the DQ6 in resolution, imaging and layering but those IEMs are $1,300 and $320, respectively. Did I mention that the UM 3DT is, reportedly, slightly strident. To my ears the DQ6, at 90% off from the 3DT price, isn't.

To be fair, I did find heavily compressed tracks to display strident behavior on the DQ6.

Those of you with the DQ6 will find that the drum snaps on Cinderella's "Nobody's Fool" on YouTube are hard to take. That being said, I do have the same track pulled from a CD (44.1khz/16bit) loaded onto all of my DAPs and those drum snaps are much smoother.






"Fluid" is definitely a good descriptive word for the DQ6.
A "fluid" and "punchy" delivery describes the DQ6 presentation perfectly, to my ears.




Your last graph here is probably the most useful graph I've seen in a while.
It documents the importance of tip rolling and how much an eartip can alter what one hears. The eartips that produced the yellow response offer a decidedly different presentation than the eartips that produced the light green response.
I can practically hear the difference just by staring at the two FR curves.

Thanks for posting. With your permission, I'd like to use the eartip FR chart in the future.



CKX:








The more I listen to the CKX the more I find that it sounds like a slightly more Vivid BA10. The BA10 has the more laid back presentation whereas the CKX brings everything forward and displays more micro detail.

The $100 (CKX *$80) plus aftermarket cable ($18) - per set) I shelled out is money well spent.







KZ has been ridiculed for frequently releasing model after model with only slight improvements. I do get the frustration and pushback but I appreciate the progression and improvements.

Spoiler

ZS10 Pro to ZSX (taper 8kHz)


ZSX to ZAX
(for anyone that owns both of these please provide feedback on how the ZAX differs from the ZSX and more importantly how the ZAX differs from the ZS10 Pro in the next graph)



We know that graphs can not tell the whole story (stage, air, separation, layering, etc.).
Additional feedback from the community would be helpful.

Much appreciated.

CKX has more natural weight to midrange instruments and vocals which improves the overall presentation.



ZAX:





The increasing number of reports regarding the "metallic" and "artificial" upper presentation is the only reason I have been hesitant with picking up the ZAX. Apparently, the pros are numerous enough for most owners to overlook its cons.
I suppose I'll have to invest some time going through the showcase reviews but any cliff notes from the community would be greatly appreciated.




Very helpful.

Thanks



TOTL gear vs Budget gear:



This is precisely why I actively sift through great budget gear.
Having a blast while doing so.




The AS12 is worth investigating.


BQ3 vs CKX:









I have the BQ3 and find it to be extremely sensitive to eartip placement. Most eartips produce mud for me on the BQ3 but with extensive tip rolling I found a combination that brought about better balance in the presentation. The BQ3 needs eartips that will decrease the lower frequency response for the end user.

It makes a huge difference when trying to toe tape to epic tracks.


Warm and inviting on the BQ3.
Vivid/alive on the CKX.
Just...wow...on the DQ6.




Know your ears.
Know your eartips.
You'll have better success.

Love me some Robert Cray

Can you by any chance compare the slam between CKX and Zax ?

I am a huge fan of the ZS10 Pro for the money!

 

[Nimweth]

CCA CTS:

CTS came in about 48 hours ago.

I like it a lot but there are a few things that interested parties should be aware of before pulling the trigger.

The first is that pairing is somewhat critical. The CST did not play well with several of my DAPs or my phone (Samsung A30s). Overall, they sound fantastic but they were slightly strident on several sources.

That being said, the CST paired very well with both the Plenue 2 and Plenue R. I've been listening to the CST on the PR for several hours now and I'm marveling that I've only had to shell out $12.99 for these. I ordered one silver and one gold. The silver CST arrived but the gold CST won't be here for a few weeks, reportedly.

In addition to its wondrous presentation (agreeable pairing required) the CST is hecka cool looking. Most of the promotional pics do it no justice. Look again at the promotional pictures above and then look at this pic.

Spoiler

In the raw the grain of the wood is quite prominent and there is very little glossy coating on the wood exterior.

Very cool!

I do like the cable and the strain reliefs should hold up for quite a while.

I should mention that I am not using the stock eartips but rather wide bore silicone eartips. With said eartips the CST is an affable in-ear with a mild "V" shaped presentation and a natural tonality.

Great job on this one but remember

If the CST doesn't pair well with your source you'll regret the purchase and they will sit in a drawer somewhere.
If they do pair well with your source then your CST should get a lot of use.

Spoiler

I expect my CST will be one of four DD in-ears to find its way into my ten IEM rotation.

BTW, someone made mention of the VJJB K4s being the best wooden something or other. I do have the K4s and I would describe it as a "fun" listen with bombastic midbass punch. The CST is a far more transparent presentation than the K4s but the K4s was far less picky about playing well with others (DAPs).







DQ6:

Yes, the DQ6 is one of my four DD IEMs in rotation.







All three (DQ6, AS12 & BA10) are a high recommendation IMHO.
The DQ6 may not have BA resolution but I still think it is one of KZ's best IEMs.
If you can swing it the CKX should also be on that list.






I'm elated to see KZ take what they've learned from BA tuning and apply what is applicable towards a multi-DD set. They did a great job bringing the upper midrange forward without making it shrill and without negatively effecting the lower midrange. The upper bass and lower midrange are incredibly clean for a sub-$30 Tri-Dy. I suspect that the Unique Melody Tri-Dy and QDC Tri-Dy will outperform the DQ6 in resolution, imaging and layering but those IEMs are $1,300 and $320, respectively. Did I mention that the UM 3DT is, reportedly, slightly strident. To my ears the DQ6, at 90% off from the 3DT price, isn't.

To be fair, I did find heavily compressed tracks to display strident behavior on the DQ6.

Those of you with the DQ6 will find that the drum snaps on Cinderella's "Nobody's Fool" on YouTube are hard to take. That being said, I do have the same track pulled from a CD (44.1khz/16bit) loaded onto all of my DAPs and those drum snaps are much smoother.






"Fluid" is definitely a good descriptive word for the DQ6.
A "fluid" and "punchy" delivery describes the DQ6 presentation perfectly, to my ears.




Your last graph here is probably the most useful graph I've seen in a while.
It documents the importance of tip rolling and how much an eartip can alter what one hears. The eartips that produced the yellow response offer a decidedly different presentation than the eartips that produced the light green response.
I can practically hear the difference just by staring at the two FR curves.

Thanks for posting. With your permission, I'd like to use the eartip FR chart in the future.



CKX:








The more I listen to the CKX the more I find that it sounds like a slightly more Vivid BA10. The BA10 has the more laid back presentation whereas the CKX brings everything forward and displays more micro detail.

The $100 (CKX *$80) plus aftermarket cable ($18) - per set) I shelled out is money well spent.







KZ has been ridiculed for frequently releasing model after model with only slight improvements. I do get the frustration and pushback but I appreciate the progression and improvements.

Spoiler

ZS10 Pro to ZSX (taper 8kHz)


ZSX to ZAX
(for anyone that owns both of these please provide feedback on how the ZAX differs from the ZSX and more importantly how the ZAX differs from the ZS10 Pro in the next graph)



We know that graphs can not tell the whole story (stage, air, separation, layering, etc.).
Additional feedback from the community would be helpful.

Much appreciated.

CKX has more natural weight to midrange instruments and vocals which improves the overall presentation.



ZAX:





The increasing number of reports regarding the "metallic" and "artificial" upper presentation is the only reason I have been hesitant with picking up the ZAX. Apparently, the pros are numerous enough for most owners to overlook its cons.
I suppose I'll have to invest some time going through the showcase reviews but any cliff notes from the community would be greatly appreciated.




Very helpful.

Thanks



TOTL gear vs Budget gear:



This is precisely why I actively sift through great budget gear.
Having a blast while doing so.




The AS12 is worth investigating.


BQ3 vs CKX:









I have the BQ3 and find it to be extremely sensitive to eartip placement. Most eartips produce mud for me on the BQ3 but with extensive tip rolling I found a combination that brought about better balance in the presentation. The BQ3 needs eartips that will decrease the lower frequency response for the end user.

It makes a huge difference when trying to toe tape to epic tracks.


Warm and inviting on the BQ3.
Vivid/alive on the CKX.
Just...wow...on the DQ6.




Know your ears.
Know your eartips.
You'll have better success.

What type of tips do you use on the BQ3?

 

[artatgray]

Has anyone got access to the distortion measurements of the ASX? It's not a concern of mine, I'm just curious for research purposes...